Better IEM tips I can buy?

Comply Foam tips have always done well by me, though it depends on preference. They're memory foam so they adjust pretty well and usually seal quite well for me. When they stop sealing well is when I know I need to replace the tips.

I found myself always pushing them in also, I used the medium. I use TF10's now, just do not like the S4's. Even if I knew a good tip to buy, its hard to justify putting money into a $50 set. Well thats what I paid for mine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by adanacsman 

 

Thats what I paid for mine too, but I'm not the biggest audiophile I just want some decent sounding headphones.
 

 

I understand, I wouldnt spend more money on tips than what the phones cost, going with Comply's you just might end up doing that with how they wear out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by adanacsman 

 

Are there no silicone tips that would fit me better?

Cant say for sure, I assume you tried the other sizes that came with the Klipsch. This may not matter, but there is a line on the earpiece and the tip that need to line up, at least according to the instructions. Like I said, I could never keep a good seal, just walking around I found myself always checking and feeling like they were loose.

Quote:

Originally Posted by adanacsman 

Yeah I tried all the different sizes with the lines lined up... Even sitting down the seal pops after a while which is really frustrating.

Welcome to the world of Image S4's, one last idea, maybe try them with the cable over the ear.

Using Comply's with the S4 might not be a great idea, since the S4 are already bass monsters and have a small extension of highs, and since foams darken the sound you might end up with something bad and dark.

The nozzle on the S4 is small, so you can use the Hybrids with little effect on sound I guess. If silicone simply doesn't work for you get foams, but cut the foam part beyond the inner rubber (that was confusing, if you consider this I can explain it better).

I think the Tx has the wax guard (which I never really saw the point of) and the Ts is just the small. I've found the T-series fits my ears just fine, though I like the olive-shaped ones the best as they're easier to get in. Your mileage will vary.

Then, you are talking about paying $15 for a few sets of tips that will only last a month or two with hard use. The silicone ones almost never need to be replaced but memory foam ones require replacing relatively regularly as they wear out after a while. How long they last will depend on how much you use them. When my IEMs were my primary headphone they lasted me about a month. Since I only use them on commutes to and from work, and a bit while at work, they last me a couple of months now.

My daily/work IEM's used to be S4's, and I used to use comply tips, so I'm strictly speaking from experience.

Personally, I think the comply tips helped out a lot on the S4's. The seal become nearly perfect not matter with the insertion angle was. It also pretty much eliminated the need for me to do the "wire over the ear" method that I was constantly doing with the silicon tips. Also as a note; I tried both the standard tips and the sphere shaped tips (T-100 and Ts-100's) --

Again, I'm just speaking from personal experience but I think the comply tips are worth the cash, and with the S4's I think you'll notice a marked improvement in comfort.

As for sound quality, I do think the Bass was a tad punch with the tips. However, I was using these daily for about a year straight and towards the end of my run with them, the bass backed off quite a bit and the overall sound became more balanced. -- Granted, waiting that long for balanced sound isnt for everyone, but I found them enjoyable through the 12+ months I used them. I still break them out from time to time. Just my .02 cents.

As for sound isolation, I found that the comply tips block more sound that the silicon tips.

Etymotic and Futuresonics tips are compatible.

http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er4-acc.html

http://www.futuresonics.com/FSaccessories.html

The question you need to ask yourself is, do I want these earphones to be comfortable in my ears? 

If yes, then you can't beat Comply. Yeah, you need to pay more than you'd like to for them, but they are worth it. They come with 3 or 5 pairs of tips per package and 1 set will last a while. For me, the shortest I've burned through a pair is 2 months (including exercising) and the longest I took to toss a pair was 5 months. For that pair, I washed them and it helped. 

Sure, the Comply tips will boost the bass, but that's a good thing in my opinion.