[Dahaka]

I'm thinking of getting some second hand UM Miracles reshelled, so I'm wondering if anyone has an experience with audiologists in Manchester (and the surrounding area, if they're worth leaving the city for). 
 
Any information is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Mython]

 
 
Sorry, don't know of any in Manchester, personally (perhaps try Hidden Hearing, Specsavers Audiology or Amplifon?), but just thought I'd offer some advise for the procedure, in case you're new to it:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/587977/diy-impressions-or-recommended-london-impressions-taker/15#post_8101820
 
Good luck, and please don't be tempted to make DIY impressions - I'm well aware that there are some well-known head-fiers who swear by DIY impressions, but the biggest concern with DIY isn't whether or not they're any good (and they're very unlikely to be any good if you've not had impressions done before) but rather the safety of your inner ear. If you get silicone stuck to your eardrum... you'll be lucky to retain your hearing at all. Simply not worth the risk. Get them done by a professional audiologist (and I'm pleased to see you are, indeed, intending to make the effort to do this).
 
All the best; hope all turns out well for you with the Miracles.
 
Please note that the Miracles need a decent amp (or a DAP with a decent amplification stage) or they won't perform as expected. I know this is a cliche, but I have a pair of Miracles myself and I can tell you this from firsthand experience - they really don't sound as good as they should unless the amplification stage can really control them properly - my Cowon J3 fails miserably to control the bass or the treble properly, and that's with or without EQ, so EQ isn't the issue. They really shine when driven properly, though, provided you're comfortable with a (slightly) mid-forward sound 

 

[Dahaka]

Thanks for the info, I wouldn't dream of doing them myself, seems silly to drop a packet on IEMs and then skimp on something as important fit, and now that I know it could damage my hearing, I'm not going to give it another thought.
 
I was under the impression that the Miracle was low impedance and easy to drive? I don't like carrying extra stuff around, and amps are no exception. Do you think running them plain from an iPhone 4 will good? Or is it not worth it without an amp? 
 
Thanks again.

 

[Mython]

The Miracle is a little paradoxical - on the one hand, it is easy to drive (it's very sensitive and goes loud without much amp power at all, for example), yet in terms of it's sound character, this definitely changes much more than I expected, depending on what it's driven with. This may not be anything more than an interaction between the low impedance of the Miracles (UM claim 16ohms but I suspect closer to 10 or 12) and the output impedance of the amp stage. I don't know what the output impedance of the Cowon J3 is, but I'm guessing it's not low enough for the Miracles because it can drive them very loud but cannot yield a controlled treble (treble sounds splashy and uncivilised) or a solid bass response (the bass sounds lacking but suddenly 'appears' when connected to a more appropriate amp stage) with the Miracles. However, I've seen discussions here on Head-fi that mention the iPhone having very low output impedance, so it's possible that the iPhone will drive the Miracles better than the J3. I suggest you maybe ask around a bit in the UM threads here on head-fi, to see if anyone's using this combination.

 

[Dahaka]

Thanks, I will do.
I wouldn't want to spend ~£500 and end up with mediocre sound.

 

[watkins01]

Sorry to drag up an old thread but I'm in Manchester tomorrow and thought it would be a good chance to get impressions done. Can anyone shed some light on my options?

 

[Mython]

Sometimes it's not so much about the company as it is about the individual audiologist, but nonetheless, I've had very professional service for impressions at Hidden Hearing's Cardiff branch, so perhaps it might be worth you trying their branch in Stockport, if that's not too far out of Manchester for you (approximately 6 miles).

 

[watkins01]

Sometimes it's not so much about the company as it is about the individual audiologist, but nonetheless, I've had very professional service for impressions at Hidden Hearing's Cardiff branch, so perhaps it might be worth you trying their branch in Stockport, if that's not too far out of Manchester for you (approximately 6 miles).

Hidden hearing appears to have some branches closer to where I actually live so that could be an option, just thought there may be somewhere people know of in Manchester, while I'm there.

 

[Takeanidea]

Do em yourself that way you know you've got them right. This whole business about losing your hearing is hogwash

 

[Mython]

Do em yourself that way you know you've got them right. This whole business about losing your hearing is hogwash

 
 
 
Great.... so everyone who takes your advice is automatically an expert at inserting foam dams reliably, even though they can't see what they're doing?

 

[Takeanidea]

An expert is someone skilled at performing a complex task. In this case there are no experts.
It's so ridiculously easy.
The hype surrounding this issue is bewildering to me. Did you know that most of the audiologists in this country rarely even do ear impressions for the purposes of making ciems? The ones I met or spoke to either weren't familiar with the voucher system for acs even though they were agents on the website or they simply weren't interested.
As for the 2 boots audiologists I had the pleasure of dealing with, they were idiots.
I would spend your time getting your ears nice and clear of wax buying the silicon compound yourself and sending your ear impressions off to your ciem people.
I are some ear plugs up this morning to help me sleep. I have several pairs but after reading yet another don't do it it's too dangerous thread I simply had to.
You don't need a mirror you don't need assistance and it takes only 15 minutes per ear. Some silicon compounds are less than that. The stuff I use goes off in 10 minutes and it's obvious when the impression has set as well.
I left mine in as they went off and went to sleep with the outside din a gentle murmur and £2 in materials used.
Another element to add to this debate is if you do your own ear impressions and fill out your own paperwork you know it's going to be right rather than having to rely on these experts who seem to have a knack of doing it wrong if they're prepared to do it at all.

 

[Mython]

My point is that if you wish to do it yourself, then great - more power to you.
 
But, anonymously typing away on an internet forum, advising others to do it themselves is, IMO, quite irresponsible, because no matter what you say, there is substantial risk of getting things wrong, with some extremely unpleasant consequences. That's not scaremongering - it's a simple statement of fact.
 
Qualified audiologists don't use otoscopes for fun - they use them so they can accurately and safely place the sponge/cotton dam without injury, and without leaving any gaps that would lead to it failing to effectively perform its intended function of preventing silicone from reaching the eardrum. Just blindly stuffing a dam into your own ear is not the same. One has no clue whether it is properly positioned without any gaps for the silicone to creep past.
 
You may well have made 'earplugs' for yourself, but, as I'm sure you realise, a CIEM rends to require impression material to pass the 2nd bend, and that's pretty deep. That's not something to be taken lightly.
 
If some well-meaning Head-fier reads your suggestion to do it themselves, and then ends up damaging their ear drum or some other injury, it won't be you that has to go to hospital, will it?
 
Just because you're gung-ho about the process does not mean it is safe or responsible to advise others to do the same.

 

[Takeanidea]

Oh dear.
I give up.
I must be a genius.
Or you must be misinformed.

 

[Takeanidea]

I made a couple of much deeper impressions today and made myself some sleeves to compare what ACS do with my ear sleeves. ACS get a much better sound quality from theirs than the silicon I use.
Those deeperr impressions are probably the 20th set I've done.
Still alive.

 

[falcomomo6464]

I don't know if digging up an old thread is against the rules, but I wanted to put the info out for future reference of anyone interested:
 
I have gone to Paul at Universal DB in Stockport for impressions.
He's got a lot of experience.
The price was not a lot (can't remember, but seemed like the going rate).
He also produces a 3D scan of the impressions and emails you the file (the open standard file format for 3D printing / viewing etc etc) at no extra cost.
 
 
(...now if anyone knows as good a place in London, I'd love to hear!)