[Spyro]

This may apply to all IEM makers but my experience here will be in relation to Westone IEMs.

The slightly longer comply tips provide a better listening experience in that they provide a larger soundstage. I have been experimenting with this for quite some time and have confirmed it. While everyone's ears may be slightly different, the "regular" sized complys provide more distance between the end of nozzle to end of tip. It provides for a better sound, period. Test it youself. If I am not mistaken, "custom" tips provide this extra distance as well so it would make sense that the extra distance on the complys will provide a better sound.

 

[ben4345]

Are you saying the deeper the "core" gets into your canal, the better?

 

[Spyro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ben4345 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are you saying the deeper the "core" gets into your canal, the better?

Not necessarily. I am saying that "added distance" from the nozzle end to you eardrum, while still achieving a great seal will provide a larger soundstage and more natural presentation.

When I use olives or another "short" tip I can great a great seal and achieve great bass confirming the great seal but the presentation is very forward and straight into my brain too much like a stage monitor. Ad-libbing a little more distance creates a little more soundstage. A U56 custom does the same thing. It's a slight difference but definitely nociceable IMHO. So the comply tips that are slightly longer help exhibit this larger soundstage. Trust me, I hate complys for sanitary reasons and am always looking for another tip option but I never find one that acheives what I describe above.

People are always worried that the comply tip closes up in their ear and inhibits sound but this is not true. The comply tip "relaxes" and opens up in your ear and more importantly...the exit hole is twice the diameter of any silicone tips to allow a more complete sound to exit.

 

[Ntropic]

I think it also depends on how you're jamming the Complys in. If you're rolling them and deeply inserting them, I don't think the gain is going to be too significant (I've yet to test for sound stage on my UM2). If you're just pushing them in your ear, then I'd imagine that you'd get that sound stage.

 

[Spyro]

I roll them and compact them...and then quickly insert them into my ear letting them expand once in.

Take a great recording and experiment. Take a favorite 45 second segment and listen with any silicone tip and then the larger comply I describe. The comply always provides more "distance" creating a nicer soundstage.

I'm talking the P-series comply. I use the regular size as opposed to the slim.

 

[tstarn06]

I agree. I get better sound with Westone 2s and also did with Westone 3s and UM3X with longer flanges/tips, and when I moved to UM56s, that advantage continued. I never was all that happy with shorter sleeves on the UM3 (sibilant) or the UM3X (sound seemed compressed). Only issue might be some folks ear canals can't abide the longer Complys.

 

[Spyro]

tstar06 - exactly, that's the best way to describe with the shorter tips...a compressed sound.