[burtomr]

  The grip on the canals feel like it's on the mid section and it feels like it "wants" to push the iem out, instead of holding it in. I can't really describe this. It makes me concentrate on trying to "keep it in" rather than listening to the music.

 
You need to start doing regular Ear Kegels to build up your canal grip...

 

 

[bangkokkid]

  Finally got my K10s! Love the sound already. Kudos to the Noble Team and all the email exchanges. You guys have been very patient in answering my questions! I do have a pretty disconcerting issue though...
 
Well, I'm not sure if it's just getting used to my first ciem, but the insertion depth doesn't feel as deep as it should be. It feels...
1) like it wants to drop out sometimes
2) movements pushes the ciem out, losing the seal - a tiny smile will push it out for sure. I can feel the iem moving outward when I try to smile - slowly - until i hear the vacuum pop. Well the angle of iem goes off first, and it sounds weird cause the angle of the canal is off (i guess?)
3) my SM3s with westone star foamies (the red long one) feels like it inserts deeper.
 
Oh no.. refit? How's that like? Not deep enough? Make it slightly longer? Not tight enough?Do I have to resend another ear impression? Never done it before. I'll be headed off to taiwan in a couple of hours for a 9 day trip so I guess I'll hold on to it for the meantime.
 
How do you guys deal with oil? My canals feel a little oily and I'm not sure if it contributes to 1 & 2. Might be.
 
The grip on the canals feel like it's on the mid section and it feels like it "wants" to push the iem out, instead of holding it in. I can't really describe this. It makes me concentrate on trying to "keep it in" rather than listening to the music.

 
Can you post pictures of you wearing the CIEMs? Also, did you take your ear mold impressions in the "open mouth" position?

 

[doublea71]

Make sure you're inserting them correctly - this link may help: 

Spoiler: CIEM Fit Guide

http://theheadphonelist.com/custom-in-ear-monitors-fit-guide/

You may need to get a refit, but hopefully not. Good luck!

 

[bangkokkid]

  Make sure you're inserting them correctly - this link may help: 

Spoiler: CIEM Fit Guide

http://theheadphonelist.com/custom-in-ear-monitors-fit-guide/

You may need to get a refit, but hopefully not. Good luck!

 
Yes, but if you need a refit please do not try to fix the CIEMs yourself (sand paper, organic nail polish, blue tack, etc..) or approach an audiologist about the issue. 

 

[FullCircle]

Send photos of you can, side shots of them inserted in your ears. 
 
 
Thanks

 

[du3z]

   
Can you post pictures of you wearing the CIEMs? Also, did you take your ear mold impressions in the "open mouth" position?

 

 
sorry for the messy background! yes, the ear mold impressions were taken with a bite block.
 
 
 

  Make sure you're inserting them correctly - this link may help: 

Spoiler: CIEM Fit Guide

http://theheadphonelist.com/custom-in-ear-monitors-fit-guide/

You may need to get a refit, but hopefully not. Good luck!

 
Thanks! I actually saw that link while typing my post, so it made me think if it's a size/fit/depth issue. I'm not particularly sure.
I've held in, twisted it - don't think it can go any deeper XD

 

[FullCircle]

   

 
sorry for the messy background! yes, the ear mold impressions were taken with a bite block.
 
 
 
 
Thanks! I actually saw that link while typing my post, so it made me think if it's a size/fit/depth issue. I'm not particularly sure.
I've held in, twisted it - don't think it can go any deeper XD

 
 
 
Really need a closer shot, and with a focus on the top portion of the CIEM area.  The helix area is usually the problamatic area for most people.

 

[du3z]

   
 
 
Really need a closer shot, and with a focus on the top portion of the CIEM area.  The helix area is usually the problamatic area for most people.

 
Okay, dropped you a PM!

 

[Sorensiim]

  I have a question....
 
Does making a CIEM in US or China make a difference in quality?
 
Is US built more superior?

Well, take a look at the general level of customer satisfaction here in the Noble thread vs. the JH Roxanne thread (JH builds in the US).
 
Edit: Sorry about replying to age-old questions but I've been busy at work so I've fallen far behind on Head-Fi 

 
I should demand some form of monetary compensation from my employer! It's not fair that I have to forego surfing the forums, they should actually pay me for.... Wait, they do. Damn.

 

[Mython]

  .... I'm not sure if it's just getting used to my first ciem, but the insertion depth doesn't feel as deep as it should be. It feels...
1) like it wants to drop out sometimes
2) movements pushes the ciem out, losing the seal - a tiny smile will push it out for sure. I can feel the iem moving outward when I try to smile - slowly - until i hear the vacuum pop. Well the angle of iem goes off first, and it sounds weird cause the angle of the canal is off (i guess?)
3) my SM3s with westone star foamies (the red long one) feels like it inserts deeper.
 
   
The grip on the canals feel like it's on the mid section and it feels like it "wants" to push the iem out, instead of holding it in. I can't really describe this ....

 
 
Here is one possibility:
 
Some people who are new to CIEMs do not realise that CIEMs should 'lock into place' behind the 'crus' of the helix. If you fail to twist/push the CIEM so that it locks behind this part of the ear helix, then you'll never get a reliable fit or seal.
 
I've tried to photograph this to illustrate it for you, but if you need any further clarification, please ask. The part of the CIEM that I have pointed to with the arrow should sit UNDER  / BEHIND the flap of skin where the arrow is pointing. If you twist the CIEM correctly when you are inserting it, you will find that it becomes quite natural for the CIEM to sit comfortably under/behind this part of the ear helix:
 

 
 
 
Unfortunately, it is not very clear, in your picture, if you have the CIEM correctly in place, because your hair is partially hiding the CIEM, but it does look like the CIEM might not be fully in place, under the crus of the helix.
 

 
 
Please check and let us know 

 
 
 

   
How do you guys deal with oil? My canals feel a little oily and I'm not sure if it contributes to 1 & 2. Might be.

 
The ear is naturally slightly oily/waxy (your ear canals would itch like crazy if the skin was completely dry). But if you feel it would help to slightly reduce the amount of oil/wax, then it is possible to carefully(!) wipe some away, using a cotton bud. I just took a photo of myself, in the mirror, during my morning beauty routine

:
 

 
...but many audiologists and doctors recommend that people never insert a cotton bud into their ear canal, because if you go too far in or press too hard, there is the potential to do some harm.  Personally, I've used cotton buds all my life and never had any problems, but I am very gentle and careful, and don't go too deep. I should also point out that I always rest my hand against the side of my face whilst inserting and using the cotton bud - never do it with your hand in the air, like the girl in the above picture. Ultimately, though, you must make your own choice as to whether or not you wish to use cotton buds to clean your ears, and one should never aim to get the ear canal completely free/dry of oil/wax.
 
 
.

 

[FullCircle]

+1 

 

[du3z]

Thanks for the pictures, they are really descriptive!
 
Yeah, I'll try to see if it helps, though - I've been trying to do just that. The flap behind my 'crus' isn't alot of space and the shell itself doesnt stick in all the way. Maybe the impression didn't cover there, I don't know. Could use an expert in the flesh! Cya guys in a bit. Off to taiwan~

 

[Mython]

  Thanks for the pictures, they are really descriptive!

 
You're most welcome.
 
 

  .... the shell itself doesnt stick in all the way.

 
Just to clarify this a bit more - the CIEM will always stick out a little bit. That's normal, because of having so many drivers in the earpiece. When I said that the CIEM should sit under the flap of skin (crus of the helix), I only meant the ridge of plastic that I pointed to - with most people's ears, the amount of plastic that fits beneath the flap of skin is approximately 6-8mm, or roughly half the thickness of an average CIEM shell.
 
 
Quote:

   
Maybe the impression didn't cover there, I don't know.

 
 
Some people do have poor impressions, but we all generally try to steer people into getting better ones done, if that happens (e.g. http://www.head-fi.org/t/684787/noble-audio-the-wizard-returns/3990#post_10535447 ,  http://www.head-fi.org/t/684787/noble-audio-the-wizard-returns/1530#post_10176492 )
 
It is extremely unlikely that the Noble team would have gone ahead and made your CIEMs from substandard impressions.
 
I don't work for Noble and am not (yet) even a Noble customer, but I know they take fit, finish, and customer satisfaction very seriously. As someone who is merely a fellow CIEM user, I genuinely suspect that your current issue is probably due to not yet being familiar with fully inserting CIEMs. There's a knack to it, which one soon learns, but it can seem strange in the beginning.
 
 
 
Before I proceed further, I need to point out that different areas of a CIEM may have different pressure points for different people, but, broadly-speaking, what follows remains generally-applicable:
 
 
 
You mentioned:
 

   
.... the insertion depth doesn't feel as deep as it should be.
 
 the angle of iem goes off
 
The grip on the canals feel like it's on the mid section and it feels like it "wants" to push the iem out, instead of holding it in. I can't really describe this.
 

 
It is absolutely appropriate that new CIEM users be very careful when inserting their CIEMs, because the ear canal is a delicate piece of the anatomy and should be treated with care and respect. However, as I mentioned previously, there is a knack to inserting a CIEM and because there are so many angles and bumps and voids in the ear canal, it's not just the crus of the helix that needs to be successfully 'navigated' when inserting your K10s.
 
What you described in your above quote suggests to me that you haven't inserted your K10s deep enough within the ear canal, and here's why I'm saying that:
 

 
 
Can you see how this part of the CIEM 'kicks-out'/bulges a bit? Well, until the CIEM is fully inserted, this part of the CIEM will feel uncomfortable in the middle part of your ear canal, and it will feel like the CIEM is trying to come out. That bulge on the CIEM that I've circled needs to go past a certain point in your ear canal, and then it will suddenly feel very comfortable and very secure. When you have successfully accomplished this, you will find that the ridge I described earlier will also fit very easily and snugly behind the 'crus' of your helix. The same thing is also true of the 'kick'/bulge I mentioned in the earlier link (http://www.head-fi.org/t/684787/noble-audio-the-wizard-returns/1530#post_10176492), where the CIEM has to fit near the 2nd bend of the ear canal. Basically, there are lots of lumps and bumps, in the middle and deeper parts of the ear canal, that you need to get the CIEM to slide just past and then it'll be comfy and secure, but if it's not quite all the way there, then you'll get a rubbish acoustic seal and the CIEM will exert uncomfortable pressure on all those lumps and bumps, and they'll retaliate by trying to 'eject' the CIEM from your ear, at every opportunity!

 
In summary, although you need to be extremely slow, gentle, and careful, I suggest you take the time to patiently wiggle the CIEM more deeply into your ear than you have yet done. Don't be afraid. Just be slow and careful and you should eventually find that it suddenly clicks into place perfectly. Only learn this when you have the time to sit alone, in a comfortable chair.
 
Bonus tip: don't try to learn this whilst you're sitting on a bus! (but sitting on an aeroplane, on the way to Taiwan, should be OK, once you're at cruising altitude

)

 

[Mython]

@ OK-Guy -    I wanna see some pics of the Munich show!

 

[Watagump]

  @ OK-Guy -    I wanna see some pics of the Munich show!

 
Yeah, lets see some Bratwurst, even though I go get some at a German deli in Orange.