[KeVan]

I've been noticing a lot of earwax were collecting on the tip. So it basically meant these eartips were 'cleaning'/removing all this inner earwax. I've read that having some earwax is actually good for your ears - they help provide lubricant and protection from dust and foreign objects. So by having them 'removed', aren't you damaging your ears?
 
And I remember in the past, the reason people would advise you not to use Q-Tips too much is because they essentially push the earwax further and further in, and this will just cause clogging. And it seems like these 3 flange tips need to be pushed quite far in.
 
So I am wondering, are these 3 flange tips essentially bad for your ears?
 
Side note:
I also noticed the shape of my ears are quite different - the earphones fit my left ear very nicely and not so much for my right ear. Probably due to when I was a teenage, I used to only listen with one ear piece on my right ear. It is also explains why my right ear has poorer hearing. So I try to take better care of my ears now.

 

[H20Fidelity]

I usually clean my ears with Q-tips twice a day. Once in the morning / once at night. No major deep surgery just a quick clean on the outer edge of my ear before using my headphones. I think this might be a question for your doctor as he'd be able to give correct advise over peoples opinions on a forum. It's a touchy subject when coming to someones hygiene habits and whether or not an incorrect method.

 

[Xinn3r]

+1, I'm interested to know too... I use the small sized ety triple flange and at the beginning it hurts... and I can't get a good seal... should I try a bigger tips?

 

[supersleuth]

Quote:

+1, I'm interested to know too... I use the small sized ety triple flange and at the beginning it hurts... and I can't get a good seal... should I try a bigger tips?

Yes. I had the same experience when I first got my MC5 and was trying different tips; I quickly discovered that I needed the larger triflanges to get a good seal- the small ones went in too deep (and still wouldn't seal reliably) and were very uncomfortable. After a few days' adjustment to the large triflanges I've used them comfortably ever since.
 
And then there are many different foam options which are frequently discussed around here.

 

[kmhaynes]

The Ety 3-flange tips don't usually go deep enough to hurt anything -- it may feel uncomfortable at first, but you get used to that.  They will go deep enough for most people to pick up some of the outer edges of earwax in your ears.  The wax traps dirt, etc that gets into the ear canal, preventing it from reaching the delicate ear drum and other parts.  But the Ety tips will not remove all the wax by any means.
 
When your Ety tips comes out with some wax on it, just wipe it off, pinch it out of the opening and go on.  Every couple of days, take the gray tips off, wash them in warm water, dry them and put them back on again.

 

[KeVan]

Thanks for the replies. I've actually switched over to the large flange eartips. For the left ear, the large flange actually provides less of a seal than the small flange, simply because the large won't go as far in. However, I like it better like this. It gives decent sealing, without being too intrusive. And plus, I couldn't get the super deep seal with my right ear when using the small ones for some odd reason (probably because when I was younger, the right ear became 'stretched' from listening to music with only the right ear). 
 
I'm wondering, does anybody know where I can get replacement ACCU filters? Those small little blue filters. I 'accidentally' took one of the filters out while tinkering with the earphones, and realized that once you do, you pretty much have penetrated through the filter, rendering the filter useless. So I'm down one replaceable filter and would like to get more for the future.