ACS Custom molding in NYC and little known facts about ACS with Etymotic - Page 5

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnmike1 

Guess I'm outta luck with the whole Ety/Customfit thing.  Went on their website and tried to locate an audiologist and no one within the 100 mile radius showed up.  O well--good thing I like the Etys straight out of the box.

Call ACS. I just finished writing an article on the Custom-Fit program and was told that if there was no affiliated audiologist nearby they would help you find a local audiologist to take your impressions.

Just to add my experience, I waited almost 9 weeks from audiologist appointment to receiving the eartips. But two weeks of that, the impressions were sitting in the audiologist's office. I was told that they're making some changes and that next month wait times should be improving significantly. 

My experience with ACS USA & the custom-fit ear sleeves so far:

http://rinchoi.blogspot.com/2010/11/customfit-ear-sleeves-for-er-4.html

Hopefully the new pair would satisfy the very basic requirement in using IEMs.

I've been waiting a month for my sleeves to be returned.  My calls hadn't been returned and I'd heard nothing.  I just talked with someone at the number that ACS lists, which is the lab I sent my impressions to (I had them done locally).  ACS's US operations have been run by a company called DST Swiss in Ogdensburg, NY, and they tell me that as of 1-Dec-2010, they are no longer authorized to do any work for ACS -- anything work received after that date will not be done.  Other than that, they couldn't tell me much.  The post above confirms the same thing (click the link).

-Henry

Hankk:  If you email me your information, I'll get in touch with Dr. Kasper at the new ACS US facility so that we can track down your sleeves.  I'll need your name, contact information, Etymotic product you are having made, and facility that took your impressions.  You can forward it to me (Rick) at r_carlson@etymotic.com. 

I'm flying out to CES tomorrow and Dr. Kasper is attending as well, so we'll be a little tied up most of this week, but will do our best to help! 

Just noticed this thread... 

I went and got my impressions done last Tuesday.  Today, just for kicks, I e-mailed Matthew Sinisi at ACS to see how everything is going.  He said they hadn't received the impressions yet, and he would contact the audiologist for me to make sure they sent them.  I told him who I used (Mandi at Estes Audiology in Georgetown Texas, near Austin).  He said she's one of their best and that everything should be in order.  He then e-mailed later this afternoon and told me they received the molds from UPS and they look great.  He also said they'll be contacting me tomorrow for payment information. 

I haven't had any of the negative experiences I've read in here so far, of course I haven't received my tips yet either.  Etymotic (I've owned their products for 7 years and have dealt with them directly a few times with tip trials, fit issues, etc.), the audiologist (and her office peeps), and now ACS have been nothing but stellar to deal with. 

I'll update again when I receive them, but so far so good. 

I received my mold recently and I am issues with it. I called the ACS custom's customer service number and the lady on the phone says they are no longer producing molds for ACS custom (which makes no freaking sense because they are ACS custom!) and would not do ANYTHING about the molds that I have now. The right tip doesn't fit properly. The mold has barely any seal and it'd come off with little effort. The silkscreen/label on the mold came off in my ears the first day I got it. I ordered a full mold and I asked about this before placing the order yet the "mold" I got was just a custom tip. Jesus Christ, this is a nightmare. I called Etymotic and was told to email Rick Carlson about this issue. 

My experience so far with ACS Custom is without a doubt HORRIBLE. This is why I'm so reluctant in dumping almost a grand on a custom IEM. I hope Etymotic straighten things out, it's absolutely ridiculous.

Quote:

Originally Posted by udauda 

My experience with ACS USA & the custom-fit ear sleeves so far:

http://rinchoi.blogspot.com/2010/11/customfit-ear-sleeves-for-er-4.html

 

Hopefully the new pair would satisfy the very basic requirement in using IEMs.

 

OH MY GOD....this is almost the EXACT same issue that I'm having **** those guys at DST Swiss! Now I hope ACS/Etymotic gets my case fixed.

Rick -- thanks for the quick followup!  Matthew from ACS also just contacted me (maybe you sent him my way) and they offered to redo the impressions and make the sleeves at no charge.  Awesome -- thanks a lot.  ACS also looks to have added some new locations to get impressions done -- the closest to DC before was a good hour away in Baltimore, but now there are several within a couple of miles of my home.  

-Henry

Hankk:  Great news!  Glad to hear you were able to speak with Matt.  He and Dr. K are working very hard to resolve any issues that may have occurred with the previous facility.  Feel free to contact me if you need any assistance - I'm always happy to help!

The same goes for anyone who has posted on this thread about difficulties with getting their custom sleeves made - you can email me directly at r_carlson@etymotic.com and I will help any way I can.

Looks like ACS and Etymotic had a pretty good presence at CES.  I noticed several videos from CES popup with people getting molds done (youtube).  Hopefully with the removal of a lab that was making inferior products we will see nothing but good stuff.  I'm looking forward to mine showing up in the next week or two.  Paid ACS last week.  They said they are on their way to the lab. 

My customer service experience continues to be stellar. 

got the ACS custom tips for my etys last nite (UPS knocked just as I got impatient). they look better than I expected, fit well, come with a nice pouch, instructions, and even a "comfort cream with aloe vera". unexpected touch. this lines up my etys for a lot more use! thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by melomaniac 

got the ACS custom tips for my etys last nite (UPS knocked just as I got impatient). they look better than I expected, fit well, come with a nice pouch, instructions, and even a "comfort cream with aloe vera". unexpected touch. this lines up my etys for a lot more use! thanks!

Out of curiosity and to get an estimate on how much longer I'll be waiting... when did you get your impressions done?

@dan1son - impressions were taken december 14, and I paid december 20.

so, the holiday period, such as it is, intervened. all in all, about a month. my

audiologist, I know, mailed the impressions the day after they were taken.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan1son 

Out of curiosity and to get an estimate on how much longer I'll be waiting... when did you get your impressions done?

Quote:

Originally Posted by udauda 

My experience with ACS USA & the custom-fit ear sleeves so far:

http://rinchoi.blogspot.com/2010/11/customfit-ear-sleeves-for-er-4.html

 

Hopefully the new pair would satisfy the very basic requirement in using IEMs.

Well I just got my ACS custom sleeves for my ER-4 today, and I'm afraid I have the same issue as mentioned here... well actually it's worse, the angle on mine is about 80-85 degrees, the tip of the right one is almost completely flat against the hole going into the ear.  When I wear the ER-4 with foamies, triple flange, or gliders they go straight in deep, with these the headphones stick out much further.  Also the occlusion effect with the customs is huge, and with the foamies and gliders is almost non-existant.  When having one custom in the left and a glider in the right the left sounds very hollow (no music on) almost like I have my ear against a sea shell.  

What's my plan of action here?  I guess I'll spend a few minutes getting some pictures.  I still have faith everything will be remedied... I was really looking forward to these.  

Sound wise, they're definitely resonate in a different way.  They have a more hollow sound.  Comfort wise they're everything I hoped for, they also seal very well, and the quality of materials is also quite nice, unfortunately they were poorly drilled and setup.  

I guess it's time to write some e-mails :(

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_pXdIOw779NI/TVX4yL0cy5I/AAAAAAAAAEY/Dm1oAfW0lOI/s640/2011-02-11%2020.46.38.jpg

Just a quick followup.  ACS and Etymotic have both been extremely responsive.  ACS actually responded over the weekend and I just got off the phone with their audiologist who's looking into some things for me. 

I have to say I wouldn't hesitate buying their products again so far.  It looks like everything will get sorted out in due time and that my anatomy may have had some impact in their decisions for drilling them in such a way...  We'll see what they can come up with for improvements.