[root]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shochu the review is so convincing that i am now totally confused between the new T2pro and UE-10pro. could somebody let me know how is the ease of insertion between the hard acrylic shell and the much softer 40 shore bioplast silicone? i imagine it is much easier with the hard acrylic (just a simpler twist and push)? also how prone is the bioplast silicone to material degradation (due to age), thus effecting its ability to seal in the longer run? is it going to shrink a bit, also resulting in fitting/seal problem? is it a non-porous material (easier to clean, thus more hygienic? i have this concern because in one of the threads it was mentioned that bioplast and biopore being silimiar. biopore sounds porous to me? i was very close to ordering my UE-10pro, now this ACS T2pro is very quickly coming up to be an IEM of choice for people who've actually heard both? should i be ordering the ACS instead of the UE-10pro?

It is as easy to insert T2PRO/T2i as in the case of UE-10 Pro's. It's just a simple twist and push as well. At the beginning, as with every IEM's, you will probably have to learn how to properly insert them. After a few trials it becomes a habitual action and your second nature.

I don't exactly know how long Bioplast silicone lasts. If it ever shrinks somewhat the soft material should make up for the changes adjusting itself according to the ear canal (it's impossible with UE-10 Pro's). I guess it'd be hardly possible to lose a seal with these. If, however, it happens, you can always ask ACS to put another layer of material e.g. and the problem is solved.
As I said, there is no other IEM as comfortable as these are. You can listen to these in the long run without any traits of discomfort.

Yes, it is a non-porous material and it's very easy to clean.

I can say that ACS' T2PRO and T2i are my IEM's of choice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aroundsound Iv'e just got my T2i's and the sound is fantastic.

I'm glad you feel the same. Congratulations!

 

[blueguitar322]

Are these available for US customers?

 

[root]

They are available only in the U.K., but I don't see any reason why not to get them if you are in the U.S. If going directly and straight to the ACS' H.Q. is not an option for you, one can always get an audiologist who will take impressions of your ears. Should you decide to get these, try to go to the best audiologist possible to do it right.

 

[shochu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueguitar322 Are these available for US customers?

not only are they available to us currently residing outside UE, but we get a VAT refund as well. i just received a reply from andy. copied & post below:


how prone is the bioplast silicone to material degradation (due to age), thus effecting its ability to seal in the longer run? is it going to shrink a bit, also resulting in fitting/seal problem? is it a non-porous material (easier to clean), thus more hygienic? i have this concern because in one of the threads it was mentioned that bioplast and biopore being silimiar. 'biopore' sounds 'porous' to me?

We manufacture in a medical grade silicone designed specifically to be worn in the ear. It does not shrink or degrade in any way and delivers a significantly better product than those made with traditional acrylic materials which do degrade and the soft versions of which are porous. We have been manufacturing all of our products from silicone since the mid 90's. It is non porous and in the final stage is coated with a special lacquer. The life expectancy of the earpiece is approximately 4 years - not because the product changes, but as we get older our ears change shape and the integrity of the seal degrades. This is only an approximation and it varies from person to person, but we have some clients who have used custom products that have lasted up to 7 years and some who have had to replace after 3.

i happen to be living in jakarta, indonesia at the moment.
i have quite a bit of concerns when it comes to fitting issue. obviously, it will be tidious, not to mention expensive if we have to do refittings due to shipping costs. i have a small theory. softer silicone material are able to 'conform' a little bit to the shape of ear, thus giving a better seal and 'more forgiving' to minor fitting issue than hard acrylic material. would you agree with this somewhat? or do you have another opinion/previous experience?

The most important aspect of any custom earpiece is the quality of the impression and a poor impression will only result in a poor product. Whoever takes the impressions must make sure that they extend to just past the second bend of the ear canal and fill the whole of the Concha part of the outer ear. Good audiologists understand this and we reject poorly taken impressions as it wastes everyone's time. In controlling this aspect of the process we rarely have to remake. In your case, it is worth finding someone who really knows what they're doing in this area. You are right about silicone vs. acrylic, but also the silicone body of the mould interacts much better with the transducers and delivers a richer sound. They are also significantly more reliable because of the shock absorption properties of the silicone. (you can probably tell that I'm a big fan of silicone. My business is built around providing hearing conservation solutions for people who have to communicate in very hostile conditions, both noise and environment and the reliability of earpieces is paramount. Without question, silicone delivers although it is much harder to produce in this material than in acrylic.

also, since you will be shipping the unit out of UE, would it be possible for me to save on the VAT? if so, how much will the final price come to. if not, i guess the £495 would be the final price? would the price include shipping costs? i will be shipping the unit to my father's office in Hong Kong, to avoid the hassle and security issues with the Indonesian custom. We will arange to have the T2pro hand carried back to jakarta on our own.

We can deliver to you vat free (£421.27) but our price includes delivery to UK addresses only, so the carriage charges would be down to you I'm afraid. The saving on the vat may just about cover the shipping costs.

i sense a T2pro coming my way quite soon.

 

[shochu]

here's andy's opinion on opened vs. closed mouth during ear impression session.

I'm not an advocate of open jaw impression technique - unless, of course you want to listen to your music with your mouth wide open!! It has merits for hearing aid users in helping to eliminate acoustic feedback created by the close proximity of the microphone and receiver of small in the ear hearing instruments. We don't use this method ourselves and don't experience any fit problems as a consequence. Properly formed impressions that extend just past the second bend of the ear canal and fill the whole of the outer part of the ear are all that is required to achieve a good result.

question for root, johnrich, aroundsound and everybody else who has ACS custom IEMs. did you have your impression taken with your mouth closed or opened? if opened, how much? did you use a bite block? if so, how thick was it?

i feel that this would be very crucial in getting the perfect fit. both UE and sensaphonics specifically mentioned that the mouth/jaw should be open.

thanks

 

[root]

I had my impressions taken just the way Andy said without using any bite block. The fit and isolation are perfect. I can do everything with my mouth and the seal remains the same no matter what I do.

I wouldn't like to be impolite, shochu, but maybe you should keep your conversation with Andy private? Unless of course you have Andy's agreement to post it here... Just being precautionary, you know.

 

[aroundsound]

Quote:

originally posted by shochu: question for root, johnrich, aroundsound and everybody else who has ACS custom IEMs. did you have your impression taken with your mouth closed or opened? if opened, how much? did you use a bite block? if so, how thick was it?

I had mine impressions taken by Andy without using a bite block and the fit and seal are great. I too was concerned that other sites clearly stated that it was important to use a 'mouth open' method but, having listened to Andy, I was confident he knew what he was talking about. He does.

Hope this helps.

 

[JohnRich]

my impressions were done with my mouth slightly open and the fit is perfect.

 

[shochu]

guys,
thank you all for your replys.
i hope to have my impression taken today.

root, no problem, i asked andy if he'd have any issue with me posting the emails here. and he said it's ok.

but if anyone here thinks it's offending, please shoot me a PM and i'd be more than happy to edit the post.

 

[sclamb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shochu here's andy's opinion on opened vs. closed mouth during ear impression session. I'm not an advocate of open jaw impression technique - unless, of course you want to listen to your music with your mouth wide open!! It has merits for hearing aid users in helping to eliminate acoustic feedback created by the close proximity of the microphone and receiver of small in the ear hearing instruments. We don't use this method ourselves and don't experience any fit problems as a consequence. Properly formed impressions that extend just past the second bend of the ear canal and fill the whole of the outer part of the ear are all that is required to achieve a good result. question for root, johnrich, aroundsound and everybody else who has ACS custom IEMs. did you have your impression taken with your mouth closed or opened? if opened, how much? did you use a bite block? if so, how thick was it? i feel that this would be very crucial in getting the perfect fit. both UE and sensaphonics specifically mentioned that the mouth/jaw should be open. thanks

I had mine done with mouth open and a bite block. If you insert your little finger into the opening of your ear and then open your mouth you will feel the ear canal open up. Remember that IEMs are primarily designed for stage use, and as such a singer is very likely to have a lot of jaw movement. Having the impressions done with the ear canal open means that the fit will be tight and remain so when the mouth is fully open.

As Andy said in one of his replies, open mouth impressions are useful if you will listen with your mouth open. They are also useful if you sing with them in.

Simon

 

[root]

It's perfectly fine then shochu. Good luck with your ear impressions!

 

[mcygn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by root Here it is. My first ever audio-related review (bear with me if you can, please). Enjoy! A comparative REVIEW and a complete guide: Advanced Communication Solutions ACS T2PRO & Advanced Communication Solutions ACS T2i.

Thanks for the review, root. Could you say a bit more about the experience of using the teflon cable vs the nylon cable?

what is the memory wire like around the ears, feel wise, in particular?

would you recommend one over the other and if so under what circumstances?

best
mc

 

[root]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcygn Thanks for the review, root. Could you say a bit more about the experience of using the teflon cable vs the nylon cable? what is the memory wire like around the ears, feel wise, in particular? would you recommend one over the other and if so under what circumstances? best mc

Both types of wires are ok. I've been using them interchangeably and see no major difference in terms of comfort.

The memory wires in T2PRO help keeping it all in place and I can see the reason of these being used by professional musicians on stage. They just snug comfortably around the ears.

It's the same, however, with T2i because of the very nature of the cable and the fact that it is soft.

I like both of them alike so it's hard to recommend one over the other. It'd be the best to check them out and see for yourself. I think that T2PRO can indeed be a little more practical for on-stage use and T2i are ok for casual listening to the music. It can, however, be vice versa, so I really cannot tell...

Regards.

 

[JohnRich]

The teflon cables are comfortable and since the exit point from the molds is aligned with the correct direction for the wire I think there will be less strain and likelyhood of problems with the wires worn over the ear with the teflon option.

 

[aroundsound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnRich The teflon cables are comfortable and since the exit point from the molds is aligned with the correct direction for the wire I think there will be less strain and likelyhood of problems with the wires worn over the ear with the teflon option.

I am enjoying my T2i's at the moment with the softer cable and have had them made with the exit point to the same direction as the teflon cables. That is to say to the top so that they are the correct direction for going around the ear.

They are really comfortable going around the ear or droping down in 'normal' IEM fashion. They wrap around the ear without the need for any additional help from a memory wire. I've worn them down my back and the front and they are great. They have a toggle to pull them securley around your neck.

You could choose the teflon coated cable for other reasons but in terms of strain or comfort I don't think this is a problem.

Oh and by the way the sound is fantastic.