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Thoughts on the "Custom Fit" earmolds for the Etymotic HF5

post #1 of 7
9/1/11 at 2:16pm
Thread Starter 

Looking for some advice from those who've used the Etymotic HF5 with custom earmolds -- specifically the "Custom Fits" from ACS that they offer, if possible.

 

Anyhow... I'm really fairly satisfied with the HF5 sound, but I've been less happy with the various sleeves I've tried.  Because the HF5 is very dependent upon getting proper insertion / isolation, it seems to be equally as senstive to those same issues.  As a comparison, the VSonic GR07's don't seem to care that much.

 

So, I use the Ety triple-flange sleeves, which fit fine and isolate very well, but the sound can really fluctuate depending upon how I move my jaw.  Also, I tend to sweat alot during a workout, and my left-side sleeve then requires a lot of adjustment during the rest of my exercising.  It gets old.

 

I'm wondering if the "Custom Fit" molds (from ACS) that Etymotic offers would solve these issues.  Does anyone know?  These are silicone molds (vs acrylic), so do they stay sealed well even when you sweat?  Does the sound adjust when you move your jaw around?  Any discernable affect -- good or bad -- to the HF5 sound when using the custom molds?

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Yip

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Etymotic Research HF5 Portable In-Ear Earphones (Cobalt)
Etymotic Research ER4S MicroPro Reference Earphones
post #2 of 7
9/1/11 at 2:41pm
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/multi-iem-review/0#post_6492055

Scroll down that thread, there's a with/without comparison.

Cheers.
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post #3 of 7
9/1/11 at 3:21pm
Thread Starter 

Wow.  VERY nice.

 

I think I'll PM joker for a few more thoughts...

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post #4 of 7
9/1/11 at 5:25pm

quick note if you plan on buying custom tips for the hf5 they might not fit older er4(not sure yet but my used 2yr old hf5 tips don't fit my er4). I bought an older red and blue connector er4 and the nozzle is slightly smaller than the hf5. According to my research, they redesigned the nozzle to be stronger in later er4s.(just a quick note for the future if you intend to upgrade later on)

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post #5 of 7
10/4/11 at 9:05am

Just got my ACS custom fit earpieces for my old ER-4.  Since I also changed out the filters (first time ever), I can't say

for sure that the gains were all related to custom fit molds but I was very impressed.  Ear pressure seemed much

less bothersome, compared with flanged ear pieces.  My subjective impression, with an IPod driven by RSA Predator,

was a better sense of solid imaging, less outside noise (more isolation) and increased comfort.

 

For less than $100, this was a no-brainer of an upgrade.  I can't believe I waited all this time.

 

As a side benefit, my audiology exam (when making the impressions) showed a 12dB dip at 8kHz in my left ear compared

to my right ear, so I'm off to an ENT to see if it just needs a cleaning for wax or if it is something more complex.

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post #6 of 7
10/4/11 at 10:24am

One thing that did not change with the ACS custom fit molds is the microphonics of  the cable.

 

Has anyone tried changing the wiring to good effect?  I see the review of the westone touts its

absence of microphonics. 

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post #7 of 7
10/4/11 at 11:38am

_DSC2899.JPG

 

The two out of three pairs of earphones I have.

_DSC2902.JPG

 

Etymotic triflange provides the best isolation I have ever experienced. That deep penetration, I will always remember it no matter what earphones/headphones I might use in the future cool.gif

 

My tips are from Westone. Those are vinyl tips. Vinyl is sort of between acrylic and silicone. It softens a bit when you heat it (put it in the ears after a while). Isolation is not as good as triflange but YMMV. I was lucky as I paid the price for one pair (about $80) and I got two pairs of tips. One black and another one transparent, which will turn yellow in the next year or two. Vinyl tips last longer than silicone, or so I was told.

 

Sound quality wise, you get more sense of width and a bit more depth, slightly better imaging. The transparent pair isolates better than the black pair due to deeper penetration. The black pair has wider soundstage between the two pairs (makes sense as there is more space between the eardrums and the tips), but I like the transparent pair more due to better fit. The downside of using the black pair is that you lose a tiny amount of details, because the drivers are further from the eardrums. I don't really sweat much, but my ears get oily. I don't lose the seal even when it gets oily, but it might be different for you.

 

Etymotic HF5 doesn't really have much depth to it anyway, it's mostly left and right, but I still like it.

 

Before the JH16 re-shell, the custom tips were more comfortable, but now the JH fits better. I was told by my audiologist that deep penetration provides better SQ, so I asked them to make long nozzle this time.

 

So ya, deep penetration...biggrin.gif

 


Edited by koonhua90 - 10/4/11 at 11:41am
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Etymotic Research HF5 Portable In-Ear Earphones (Cobalt)
Etymotic Research ER4S MicroPro Reference Earphones
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Headphones, Earphones and In-Ear Monitors › Thoughts on the "Custom Fit" earmolds for the Etymotic HF5