[echoleaf]

I recently got Panasonic RZ-S500W's and I love the sound - good bass, excellent mids, spacious. But the stock tips are uncomfortable, there's no way to wear them for more than an hour (though it does seem to get a bit more tolerable over time).

I decided to try Comply TW-400-C's first as I'd used Complys before for a pair of cheap earbuds and found them comfortable for long periods.

They finally arrived and my first impression is that the spaciousness disappeared and the mids & highs lost a bit of their clarity (or maybe they didn't & it's just hte lack of spaciousness, which is like some missing sense of 'air'). Bass seems boosted slightly. It's disappointing, to say the least, but it is waaaay more comfortable.

Is this to be expected?

 

[Tristy]

I recently got Panasonic RZ-S500W's and I love the sound - good bass, excellent mids, spacious. But the stock tips are uncomfortable, there's no way to wear them for more than an hour (though it does seem to get a bit more tolerable over time).

I decided to try Comply TW-400-C's first as I'd used Complys before for a pair of cheap earbuds and found them comfortable for long periods.

They finally arrived and my first impression is that the spaciousness disappeared and the mids & highs lost a bit of their clarity (or maybe they didn't & it's just hte lack of spaciousness, which is like some missing sense of 'air'). Bass seems boosted slightly. It's disappointing, to say the least, but it is waaaay more comfortable.

Is this to be expected?

This is pretty much my experience with all of the foam tips I've used. With Comply these characteristics are especially prevalent due to their more porous nature. The foam tips I have found to attenuate the treble the least are the MandarinEs Symbio F tips... these are denser and are made of a slightly different material with a smooth surface. This is the best foam tip I've tried that toes the line between the benefits of a silicone and a foam tip. They do seem to be slightly more fatiguing over longer periods of time however over more porous tips. Some other good options are the Blackbird foam tips which are slightly more porous than the Symbio's and less so than the Comply's and the Tennmak foam tips.

 

[echoleaf]

This is pretty much my experience with all of the foam tips I've used. With Comply these characteristics are especially prevalent due to their more porous nature. The foam tips I have found to attenuate the treble the least are the MandarinEs Symbio F tips... these are denser and are made of a slightly different material with a smooth surface. This is the best foam tip I've tried that toes the line between the benefits of a silicone and a foam tip. They do seem to be slightly more fatiguing over longer periods of time however over more porous tips. Some other good options are the Blackbird foam tips which are slightly more porous than the Symbio's and less so than the Comply's and the Tennmak foam tips.

Thanks - that's very helpful. The music sounds ok so far with the Complys but just not good enough. I might prefer some discomfort in exchange for the clarity. I'm going to try your suggestions.

 

[Tristy]

Thanks - that's very helpful. The music sounds ok so far with the Complys but just not good enough. I might prefer some discomfort in exchange for the clarity. I'm going to try your suggestions.

No problem!

 

[echoleaf]

No problem!

btw that's quite a collection of tips you have there, I hope not to match it

(just ordered the Symbios too)

 

[redrol]

Imo foam tips do not alter the sound where silicone ones cause resonances that do alter it.

 

[echoleaf]

Imo foam tips do not alter the sound where silicone ones cause resonances that do alter it.

So the silicones added the treble that I perceived?

 

[redrol]

I really think so. Far as I can tell the silicone tips cause the bore length to be increased, this does cause the tuning to change in unpredictable ways. When I say foam tips, I usually use them on resin universal fit iems, for example Moondrops. I cut the portion of the foam that extends passed the actual bore so it is even with it. Now I have basically the tip of the iem flush with the foam tip and then insert as deep as possible.
When people say foam somehow absorbs high end, no. What it does do is cut down the sound bouncing around in your ear canal which causes resonances. In other words, you get a more pure version of the intended tuning.

 

[Tristy]

btw that's quite a collection of tips you have there, I hope not to match it

(just ordered the Symbios too)

Thats a small fortune right there best to get tips (no pun intended) on which tips work the best for whatever iem you are using to save money.

 

[Tristy]

btw that's quite a collection of tips you have there, I hope not to match it

(just ordered the Symbios too)

Do let us know how / if you perceive the differences between the 2 foam tips… I could hear quite an obvious difference between the comply t500 and symbio F’s.

 

[echoleaf]

I will! No idea when the tips will arrive, I chose free shipping from their site so they're mailed into the ether like it was the 1970s.

 

[lmf22]

In general, foam ear tips attenuate the highs/treble. The amount of attenuation depends on the materials. I've tried three brands, Comply, Campfire Audio Marshmallow, and Symbio F. Comply attenuates the most, followed by Campfire Audio. Symbio F attenuates the least; it kept the most amount of highs.

 

[Poganin]

Tennmak foam tips are really good. Not only do they last forever, but they have the least impact on sound out of all the foam tips I've experimented with.

 

[echoleaf]

The foam tips I have found to attenuate the treble the least are the MandarinEs Symbio F tips... these are denser and are made of a slightly different material with a smooth surface. This is the best foam tip I've tried that toes the line between the benefits of a silicone and a foam tip. They do seem to be slightly more fatiguing over longer periods of time however over more porous tips. Some other good options are the Blackbird foam tips which are slightly more porous than the Symbio's and less so than the Comply's and the Tennmak foam tips.

I just got the Symbios today and wow - what a huge difference from the Complys. I noticed that they surface is smoother and they're a touch more dense, and they were a little more difficult to put on as well. But the high end is SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER. Thanks for the rec!

 

[Tristy]

I just got the Symbios today and wow - what a huge difference from the Complys. I noticed that they surface is smoother and they're a touch more dense, and they were a little more difficult to put on as well. But the high end is SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER. Thanks for the rec!

No problem! I'm glad they worked out for you and it's nice to know my hearing isn't completely gone