KinGensai
500+ Head-Fier
For a while now, I have been collecting tips to find a versatile collection to use for my IEM collection on the assumption that fitment is the most important consideration. Not long into this process, I noticed tips change the sound presentation somewhat based on the geometry of the core and design of the flange(s) due to the change in airflow, although it hasn't been very pronounced up until now.
The Maestro SE has introduced some thought provoking changes to my previous assumptions due to how difficult it has been to choose an optimal tip solution for it, and now I have some questions arising from this experience.
1: the MSE thread has commonly reported that switching from universal to custom has changed the presentation of the bass (muddy to cleaner is the prevailing notion) and an 8k resonance peak is tamed.
2: my time using the universal fit MSE so far comports with the anecdotal accounts conditionally. It does have some flub in the bass and a sharp peak at 8k, but only with some tips and shallow insertion depth.
This got me to thinking about what these two things mean. Custom fitting seals the IEM better, but it also removes the need to use a silicone tip, and certain tips seem to affect the sound in a beneficial way (cleaning up & slightly lightening up the midbass and reducing the 8k peak). What is the difference between the tips?
The primary difference I see in the offending tips and the good tips is the core. Most IEM tips have a core that extrudes from the nozzle opening a few millimeters, which funnels the air and concentrates the movement to create relatively higher SPL levels depending on how restrictive the core is. The tips I found were helping the MSE were tips that have a significantly truncated core and have a bore wider than the nozzle. For a reason I can't articulate, I also perceive a more diffuse sound presentation that presents spacial cues more "naturally", for lack of a better term.
What could the reasons be for this? The MSE features an elongated nozzle that probably has something to do with the MSE's elevated bass presentation, which is relatively uncommon amongst the IEMs I own, and I suspect that there is a correlation because IEMs I own with a shorter nozzle (Anole V14 amongst others) seem to benefit from the longer core vs the shorter core.
The Maestro SE has introduced some thought provoking changes to my previous assumptions due to how difficult it has been to choose an optimal tip solution for it, and now I have some questions arising from this experience.
1: the MSE thread has commonly reported that switching from universal to custom has changed the presentation of the bass (muddy to cleaner is the prevailing notion) and an 8k resonance peak is tamed.
2: my time using the universal fit MSE so far comports with the anecdotal accounts conditionally. It does have some flub in the bass and a sharp peak at 8k, but only with some tips and shallow insertion depth.
This got me to thinking about what these two things mean. Custom fitting seals the IEM better, but it also removes the need to use a silicone tip, and certain tips seem to affect the sound in a beneficial way (cleaning up & slightly lightening up the midbass and reducing the 8k peak). What is the difference between the tips?
The primary difference I see in the offending tips and the good tips is the core. Most IEM tips have a core that extrudes from the nozzle opening a few millimeters, which funnels the air and concentrates the movement to create relatively higher SPL levels depending on how restrictive the core is. The tips I found were helping the MSE were tips that have a significantly truncated core and have a bore wider than the nozzle. For a reason I can't articulate, I also perceive a more diffuse sound presentation that presents spacial cues more "naturally", for lack of a better term.
What could the reasons be for this? The MSE features an elongated nozzle that probably has something to do with the MSE's elevated bass presentation, which is relatively uncommon amongst the IEMs I own, and I suspect that there is a correlation because IEMs I own with a shorter nozzle (Anole V14 amongst others) seem to benefit from the longer core vs the shorter core.