Epro Propeller Pro01 Silicone IEM Ear-tips
Ear-tips:Ear-tips are personal. What that means is that everyone is going to have different results. Though for those of you that are keeping score……….there are ear-tips which can garner wide-spread popularity and sales success. Now remember how I said everyone is going to have different results? Well those same individuals are even going to have better or lesser ear-tip success depending on the IEM they use a specific ear-tip with. Not only that, their ear-tip results can vary in time. Meaning quite often an older unused pair of ear-tips will work-out at a future date with an older IEM.
Or:
Even an older ear-tip will find a home on a new IEM you have not even purchased yet! So it’s safe to say this is an almost random thought process, don’t even try to get scientific on it……….as such facts at times will lead you astray. Reason being is we are taking an abstract object (the IEM) and attempting to join it to an individual ear-shape. The concepts here have to do with having the ear-tip position or holding the shell partially in place. That and the ear-tip is the single thing responsible for air-tight fitment. Meaning there is partial air-tight fitment and substantial air-tight fit. There is air-tight fit that only works in one IEM position, and even air-tight fitment that lends itself to freedom of IEM movement.
The next level:
The next level has to do with attributes that ear-tip designers and engineers install into a specific design. Marketing can also be enhanced if the public in general understands the ideas in design and (in-turn) agrees with such marketing. It is safe to say that in the last 5 years there have been many, many new styles of ear-tips introduced. Contrary to what you may think I’m not going to explain how some are true inventions which progress sonic improvements with IEM use. Why?
This business of IEM ear-tips is almost infinite in how each set of tips work-out. Though there are a few marketing and true design ideas.
1) Different materials besides regular silicone
2) Variations of silicone
3) Variations of surface texture
4) Shape
5) Design (propeller fins or occlusions in the nozzle path)
6) The use of multiple materials to make a hybrid ear-tip
Shape and materials:
So you can start to see how this is a very convoluted subject. And realize that while there may be a provable science to this, it is meaningless. Why?
If you don’t get and enjoy fitment for starters.
And again all this is very personal. Though myself I use only one ear-tip in about 80% of my reviews. And I will be the first to laugh at this propeller style of fin placement at the ear-tip nozzle.
Sure the fins may do something, but truly the one thing I can prove is that placing an occlusion inside the nozzle exit will effectively be creating an effect like a smaller nozzle. Yep.
So to a point none of this matters. We should not try and over think this business. What we should only do is place the ear-tips on the IEM and listen. Sure there is also psychology at work too. Meaning if you think the ear-tips are performing a certain act of sound sculpturing you will magically hear it. That is the subjectivity of the waters we swim in. But to talk about shape and materials……….
EPRO came out with a new ear-tip called model EP00 a year or two ago. The ear-tips for me were too thin-walled. Meaning they were in my option too thin-walled to not exert enough outward force to gain an air-tight fitment in my use……and after reading a little I found others had this exact same issue. So in comes two new models, the EP01 and this review model, the PRO 01 model. Gone are the flimsy walls.........and also a slightly new shape is introduced. Where the EP01 is a horn shaped ear-tip, and the PRO 01 is a propeller shaped ear-tip.
To quickly summarize these ear-tips the PRO 01 is $12.99 for three ear-tips and they play out to introduce a slightly darker more focused sound to your IEM. The horn-tips are called the EP01 and sell for $13.90 for three pairs. When ordering you can get three different sizes or three of the same size, or of course two of the same size. These Horn ear-tips will get their own review to follow this review. So when I said the Propeller ear-tips play-out into a slightly darker idea really I was comparing them to the EP01 “Horn” ear-tips. Just like the musical instrument, the Horn will take and amplify the sound as the back part of the nozzle diameter is smaller and the exit area is larger. Typically I’m a fan of wide-bore ear-tips. Yet the secret here is the EP01 ear-tips are longer than the regulator donut shaped wide-bore ear-tips I use. This added feature will at certain times add to usability, especially with IEMs that need a slightly longer nozzle length to work with my favorite wide-bore ear-tips.
The propeller fins:
Look at first sight the fins may look gimmicky, I get that. I mean as a consumer you have to realize there are 100s of choices. One time I was on vacation and at a headphone shop and saw these SpinFit ear-tips. Because I wanted a longer ear-tip than I normally had included with my IEMs I made a purchase. Now after arriving home the SpinFit ear-tips only partially worked, but worse than that it seemed like it a matter of days the silicone walls became structurally flimsy and they scored a few points less……to the point that they became unusable. Now this is not what you would expect from a recognized brand. And to be fair SpinFit makes all kinds of shapes of ear-tips. My point? You never really know no matter how the ear-tips are made until you use them for a while and live with them. But……..but, it is advantageous to have a few different ear-tips on hand, especially trying new IEMs you have never used before.
Oh the propeller fins? Really who knows if they work or not, I’m no scientist, but I do know the extra material in the nozzle port goes to diminish a little of the upper frequencies. And that my friends is the true value here.
Changing the tone:
If you are trying new IEMs for the very first time it is safe to say tone is probably the most important feature the new IEMs hold as an attribute. Second to that the technicalities go to finish-up your sonic experience. So……as we have learned the wider the nozzle diameter the wider the stage. Yet there are other factors too……like how far does the opening of the nozzle ports go from the final end of the ear-tip? Does the firmness pushback of the ear-tip wall help to lock in bass. And all the variations of such concepts………meaning how comfortable are the ear-tips? How do they fit the inner diameter of the nozzle they have contact with? All this affects tone too. But it is safe to say most people are going to try and use a different source to modify the final tone. Each of us has a collection of sources which can be put into use to enjoy the final outcome of tone. Often an enthusiast will combine a darker source with a brighter IEM, and vice versa. Plus often there will be cable which either enhances properties or diminishes properties, always trying to find synergy somehow.
Still:
What we think is there are ear-tips which work on only a section of the frequency response. This means there is a chance that the lows or the highs or even the midrange can get a particular emphasis found with an ear-tip. An emphasis or a diminishment……..remember don’t try and over think this…….simply try-out combinations of gear. And if for whatever reason your ear-tip doesn’t work out, save it because it may come into use later on at a future date, on a different IEM, or the same IEM.
I use instinct to try and guide me, and often it is not right, but often it can be right. Plus when you consider I use the same ear-tips about 80% of the time, the odds are in my favor.
Nozzle length:
Nozzles are simply the designers way they think to get the IEM to fit, that or they are purposely trying to get the owners of the new IEM to experience the sound after a certain nozzle depth is achieved. This can go both ways here. Meaning at times we need the ear-tip to physically make-up for the IEM nozzle being too short. This extra length allows our ear-canals to grab onto a longer ear-tip and reach air-tight fitment. Or of course the long deep fitting nozzle which may utilize one size smaller ear-tip to go way deep inside? You see there are very few rules to this, though once rules are introduced, then there could be a reason to break them. We simply don’t care anyways………remember don’t give this too much thought, if the nozzle is extra long try a smaller ear-tip. If the nozzle is short, try a longer ear-tip. One time I used a hybrid ear-tip that was a silicone with a foam center to somehow reach a better fitment with shorter nozzles instead of a longer ear-tip……..so there is a place where rules get bent, as this is a situation by situation deal.
Model: Propeller Model Pro 01
Available sizes: S, M, L
Inner nozzle diameter: 3.7mm
Fit for catheter diameter 3.9mm-5mm earphones
Outer diameters:
S
Height: 7.5mm
Width: 10.0mm
M
Height: 7.5mm
Width: 12.0mm
L
Height: 7.5mm
Width: 14.0mm
Have fun:
While maybe some of this stuff is boring, the results never are boring one bit. Because when close to perfect results are found there will be drama in the best of ways. An IEM investment is only going to sound as good as the fitment is. It is safe to say a few IEMs have been sold (on the used market) due to both sound issues relating to fitment, and fitment issues causing the IEM to simply not work-out in the end. Odds are often in your favor if you have a wide selection of ear-tips. Again don’t concentrate too much on this but roll a few ear-tips and don’t concentrate too much on the outcome…….simply let it happen. When the right ear-tip is found normally you will know it, as positioning of images start to form, bass notes hit firmer and the stage expands to a desired size. The next question has to do with holding the IEM in place, that if all is well, then it will stay with the sonic attributes and tolerate movement to a point.
Nirvana:
The very best outcome could be that you are able to leave the IEM in place and never fool with it. Or maybe adjust it only so often, whatever the outcome is, it is probably best to get your mind off of the idea of an IEM in your ears at all………and simply focus on the music at hand.
Maintenance and ear-tip age:
Cleaning your ear-tips with regular hand-soap should be a regular habit. Often if the ear-tip starts to feel too oily or simply for hypoallergenic reasons you gain a quick wash-up……just go by what works. For these reasons I found foam ear-tips to not be a style of preferred tips for me. Though again, remember this is very personal to where many love the foam ear-tips. Though it should be noted at times ear-tips can change a little. Even silicone ear-tips in certain styles can start to change the way they grab onto the nozzle, and become loose or not tight fitting. Typically the IEM will offer many different ways of holding the ear-tip in place. Meaning there are lips on many IEMs, and some with-out edge nozzle lips. It is again these ideas that have me disregard nozzle diameters and simply learn what works by trying it out. The difficult concept here is that the nozzle diameter can act as a clue to if the ear-tip will fit your IEMs or not. But if you already have a number of IEMs in your collection there is a good chance that most random ear-tips will at some point work-out.
Your personal tone taste and ear canal:
A lot has gone into trying to simplify purchases on-line by trying to understand your frequency response curve. This on the surface means that if you see a graphical representation of an IEM frequency response that if you have liked............and a prospective IEM too shares a graph, then you will be home free. I believe this does work at times, especially if you study the treble, but does not always work out and even causes a risk of not trying an IEM that could actually bring you great joy. One reason I say this is if you went to a public venue and enjoyed the music, there is pretty much a 100% chance if you go to another musical location that the bass will be different. Different reverberations, different balance of highs to lows, different emphasis in the midrange too. So you may start to realize that your enjoyment of music is not simply a graph. Also graphs fail to include reverberations, technicalities……and at times it is very hard to judge the bass to treble balance at hand. Graphs should only be helpful guides in the end. Which that said…..ear-tips that worked well for you on the same IEM may have worked-out well in 2022, but they will not work in 2025……no matter how many times you try. Maybe your ear-canal changed shape, maybe the walls of your ear-canal became dryer and not as moist? Maybe your tone choice changed from a few years ago…….meaning now you like a brighter tone and have become interested in more treble, less bass? These concepts are real and one of the reasons we need to keep old ear-tips on hand, and always be experimenting with new choices.
The entire signal chain affects the end-tone:
This may seem like a given, still I have to talk about it here. The Cable can make the IEM sound bright or dark, or anywhere in-between, The DAP source has a character that can be midrange forward, or dark, so including ear-tips choices can offer alternatives to help you dial in the sound one more level. Shown here is the Sony WM1Z which offers a deep bass contrasted with a bright treble. Next in the photograph is the more mid-centric Sony WM1A, and finally the ifi GO blu which is both a Dongle and Bluetooth receiver. Typically Bluetooth will offer a slightly less contrasty signal showing a little less bass and offering a slightly diminished stage presence, which is another place where the choice of ear-tip can help with IEM fitment and increase or change the character of the device signal, to align it more with the style of tone that’s pleasing.
A few visual comparisons:
Left to right:
Top row: The silicone long wide bores, and the TANGZU Divinus Velvet silicone
Bottom row: My favorite silicone purple wide-bore ear-tips, then the Singolo wide bores
Left to right:
Top row: Kiwi Ears Flex Ear-tips, EPRO Propeller ear-tips
Bottom Row: My favorite silicone purple wide-bore ear-tips, EPRO Horn ear-tips
Conclusion:
This single review goes to outline how I have found the new wave of EPRO ear-tips as an improvement. Still since ear-tips are incredibly subjective there is always the possibility of some outsiders liking the older EPRO EP00 model more. The best that we can do is simply to have fun and try different ear-tips, as when a favorite gets found it is golden. This sound is ultimately the finishing touch which is the final outcome of the entire signal chain. Meaning we started with source, then added a cable, then that cable entered into an IEM. Finally that IEM is either perceived correctly or not due 100% on the ear-tip of choice.
Let me get this straight?
We can gather the best DAP we can afford? We then use a specialist cable to try and gain clarity, or change the tone to our liking? We then match that cable signal to the correct sounding IEM choice………….only we are clueless as to the IEM sound unless we happen to find the very best ear-tip? That my friends is how and why ear-tips are so very important. That and the fact that ear-tips in their own non-electronic-audio way determine the comfort level (and sonics) of the IEM, either in-whole or in part!
$12.99 for three pairs
https://penonaudio.com/ePro-Propeller-Pro01-Silicone-Eartips.html
Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the EPRO Propeller ear-tips review sample.
Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.
Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm balanced
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm balanced
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03 4.4mm balanced
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
HiBy R3 II DAP 4.4mm balanced
ifi GO blu Bluetooth DAC/Amp
