[jonas808]

Azla SednaEarFit Vivid Edition

Bore size: narrow
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.75

At first glance, these look like colourful version of SednaEarFitLight Short. Upon close examination, they are very different in looks, feel and sound. SednaEarFit Vivid Edition feels softer and plusher. It has a narrower bore and sounds livelier than SednaEarFit Light Short. Bass is punchier, better texture and definition. Vocals sound cleaner, clearer and slightly forward. Upper-registers are brighter and slightly more extended than SednaEarFitLight Short. This eartips definitely deserve the “Vivid Edition” title. Not suitable for bright or shouty IEMs.

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

Anybody try these tips?

 

[rarewolf]

TENNMAK do the best foams. Tougher, last longer and slower rebound (makes them stay compressed better while you insert them. Comply do a wider range of styles and internal diameters for different sized nozzles. Tennmaks work out at a quarter of the price and they do free shipping!

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000493425366.html

Alternatively if you haven't tried foam/silicon hybrids, then EarTlogis Mix460 are worth a look (listen)

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002401665966.html

I had a strange experience with stock foam tips for my Sennheiser IE600s last night. I don’t necessarily like to use foams, but I’ve been desparate to find something comfortable as isolating. If you hadn’t already heard, these IEMs are reviewed for their extended bass and treble, but upon listening I had to wonder where the bass disappeared to, and without bass for balance the treble was extra sibilant.

They isolated well and were comfortable, and I tried everything … removing/replacing-twisting-pressure … to find the bass response I was used to… nothing… until I happened to pull my skin in front of my ears forward… voila, lots of bass. However, this didn’t remain, as soon as my skin relaxed the bass was gone. And, then I happened to try inward pressure at the top of the IEM at the base of the connector, and the bass again returned, and remained for the remainder of my listening session.

Could this be a characteristic of foams, these IEMs, or my ear canals? I’ll admit after using IEMs that I’ve come to believe my canals are a bit strange, but I haven’t had problems with silicone tips where the sound quality has been much of a problem. Yet, for these foams the bass completely disappeared, and yet was fixed with such a minor adjustment.

I don’t believe I’ll trust using foams again, leastwise without first listening to something I’m used to first just to make sure they’re installed properly.

 

[Carpet]

I had a strange experience with stock foam tips for my Sennheiser IE600s last night. I don’t necessarily like to use foams, but I’ve been desparate to find something comfortable as isolating. If you hadn’t already heard, these IEMs are reviewed for their extended bass and treble, but upon listening I had to wonder where the bass disappeared to, and without bass for balance the treble was extra sibilant.

They isolated well and were comfortable, and I tried everything … removing/replacing-twisting-pressure … to find the bass response I was used to… nothing… until I happened to pull my skin in front of my ears forward… voila, lots of bass. However, this didn’t remain, as soon as my skin relaxed the bass was gone. And, then I happened to try inward pressure at the top of the IEM at the base of the connector, and the bass again returned, and remained for the remainder of my listening session.

Could this be a characteristic of foams, these IEMs, or my ear canals? I’ll admit after using IEMs that I’ve come to believe my canals are a bit strange, but I haven’t had problems with silicone tips where the sound quality has been much of a problem. Yet, for these foams the bass completely disappeared, and yet was fixed with such a minor adjustment.

I don’t believe I’ll trust using foams again, leastwise without first listening to something I’m used to first just to make sure they’re installed properly.

Have you tried SpinFits? The swivel feature might help if you have trouble getting a good seal with other tips. I haven't found they seal any better than tips without that feature but YMMV.

 

[rarewolf]

Have you tried SpinFits? The swivel feature might help if you have trouble getting a good seal with other tips. I haven't found they seal any better than tips without that feature but YMMV.

Coincidentally, I’m trying CP145s now. Their isolation is good, bass is so far excellent, but I haven’t yet tried them with tracks that would represent extended treble. So far I like them. They’re as comfortable as anything else I’ve tried, but also needing to release a bit of pressure every 30min. Next, I’ll compare listening again with the stock silicone tips for treble. I do have to admit these Spinfits still allow transparent and accurate treble, so far…

Edit… I spent several hours swapping ear tips, and finally settled in with Spinfit CP100+ tips for my Sennheiser IE 600 IEMs, which beat out the stock silicone, CP145s and JVC Spiral Dots for comfort, and the Final E-types for bass quantity. However, my primary take-away is that comfort can be difficult to find, and that it’s due mostly to my own ears.

Edit#2… I returned to the CP145s, over the CP100+, in spite of the latter having the more appropriate inner barrel size. To my weird ears the CP145s offer a more accurate bass and treble… but don’t ask me why because both appear to be the same except for designing for different diameter nozzles. I just have to be careful of not leaving an ear tip in my ear…

 

[Fantanest]

I kind of like the tips come with Xelento. Spinfit will be my next to-go.

 

[Carpet]

I kind of like the tips come with Xelento. Spinfit will be my next to-go.

the KBEAR 07 are my favorites, they came included with TRI Meteor. A pack of five different sizes for about half the price of one pair of SpinFits.

 

[arar]

Has anyone had the issue where it feels like many of your tips seal too well? Like you stick 'em in your ear and it feels like an actual vacuum is created inside your ear, cause you basically hear nothing from the IEMs? ...

The (large) spring tips seemed to have fixed this pretty well! Still occasionally get the effect when putting them on, but they seem to sort of.. fix themselves automatically if I just wait a bit. Feel very nice to wear, watched Severance on my iPad for a few hours yesterday with these and had zero comfort issues.

Boy did they boost the bass compared to the spinfits though, like damn. Had to adjust my EQ a bit to compensate.

 

[evoljeft1992]

I just tried the Azla Crystal, I personally find it is better than xelastec, seal very well and it seems nice and matching for every iem, haha.

 

[Carpet]

I just found out that KBEAR 07 now come in a pack of 5 pairs of the same size. My favorite tips, so that is going to save me a fortune in postage!

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001869773798.html

KBEAR 08 for smaller nozzles has a double pack of 2 pairs each SML. That ones not a good deal, cheaper to buy 2 packs with one pair of each.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001921704534.html

 

[whirlwind]

I just tried the Azla Crystal, I personally find it is better than xelastec, seal very well and it seems nice and matching for every iem, haha.

Next time I need tips I will give these a try.

I love the xelastec.....once I discovered these I never pursued any other tips.

 

[Pinkus]

Have you tried SpinFits? The swivel feature might help if you have trouble getting a good seal with other tips. I haven't found they seal any better than tips without that feature but YMMV.

I had Spinfits and maybe I should dig them out again but I've no idea what this swivel feature is that people keep mentioning. They just seemed like they went straight in and out.

 

[Carpet]

I had Spinfits and maybe I should dig them out again but I've no idea what this swivel feature is that people keep mentioning. They just seemed like they went straight in and out.

The pinched in part at the top of the stem means the main part of the tip can tilt away from straight down the bore of the nozzle. Supposed to help if your ear canal isn't straight. It doesn't seen to work any better than regular tips for me but YMMV.

 

[DaveStarWalker]

Hi folks,

I am impressed :

https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0991HN...&linkCode=w00&linkId=&creativeASIN=B0991HN97Q

Really impressed...

This entrie in Audio review (https://www.audioreviews.org/guide-to-iem-silicone-eartips/) :

Canal Works CW Single Nozzle 《肉球》”Nikukyuu” (CWU-GECM)

Bass: 4.75
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 4.50

This eartip is basically Canal Works CWU-ECM with silicone “gel” infused to the inner-cavity of the cap. Improved bass and lower-midrange over the “non-gel” version. Not suitable for bright-sounding earphones.

I was expecting a lot from them, and here, unlike the Azla Crystal, I wasn't disappointed, but... I was blown away.

With the Aure Audio Ringo's (uiem with a tonal balance that I consider perfect or almost, and a superlative quality about timbral accuracy), it is just sublime. Sublime. Also, the insulation is excellent (train, subway...).

What struck me, it is that I FINALLY have with universal tips (which are appropriate to my morphology) a perceived absence of coloration, with body, impact, harmonic richness, accuracy, volume (holography), and much, much, much of smoothness: the timbres are splendid and in a word, the restitution is (there again FINALLY)... realistic

And as usual with the silicones doped with foam (here it is a gel), the dynamics as well as the transients, are insane.

The definition over the whole bandwidth is 5 stars.

This is not a DIY product like the Symbio Mandarin Es for example. The two earpieces are exactly the same. The shape is bulbous with a very good quality black silicone. The finish is flawless, especially in relation to the gel. The bore is relatively narrow. This is not suitable for uiems with large cannulas/stems.

Afterwards:

- So you need a narrow cannula (for example can not be mounted on my Kaiser Encore).
- Not "universal" = perfect with my Ringo, no go with my Fitear f(a)111 (bad fit and seal), no go with my Kaiser Encore's (see above)
- It has to fit (only 3 sizes: S, M and L; I wear L, the other 2 don't fit me at all; zero percent; so it can be a hit or miss... ).
- Care must be taken to find the best insertion on the (classic) uiem cannula.
- In my opinion, it is ruthless as it is transparent, detailed and extended over the whole bandwidth... Never had such a result. I do think it must be painful with shiny iems...
- Expensive. Only available in Japan...

Set: Aure Audio Ringo uiem, tricopper plussound x8 balanced cable, Aune m1s dap, low gain, fast filter. All types of music listened to.

To be continued

 

[klyzon]

after sticking CIEMs for the past 4 years, am back to tip rolling since my u12t just arrived.

After testing multiple tips, have manage to narrow down to 2 tips

Tips tested

1. Spinfits (100, 145)- a little too soft for my ears, S was too small, can get a slight seal, M was a nightmare, the silicon folds in my ear canal, L is good, more shallow insertion but i still get a good seal
2. Final Type E - this was meh for me, not comfortable to my ears
3. Spiral Dots - Had 2 sizes for this, M and ML. M is the most comfortable, 0 pressure on my ear canal but it is quite a loose fit and i'm kinda worried about it slipping out. Getting some seal with M. ML feels a little large tbh, good seal, comfortable while wearing. But after a long session, after removing it from my ears it feels a little sore
4. Symbios - Had M leftover for this and tried it for 10mins. It was just as i remembered, very hard foam with a silicon layer encasing it. Fit wise it was great, M for symbios feels a little larger than M for spiral dots, so was able to get a good seal.
5. Spiral Dots++ - had ordered these but its gonna be another week before they come. Ordered ML size and hopefully the newer and softer material will eliminate the soreness after removing it from my ears

Feels like ultimately i'm gonna test further more with symbios and spiral dots/spiral dots++. Don't have a chance to try Azla Sedna yet as the light version isn't available readily in my country.

If you guys think i should try other tips, do give me suggestions. Sound wise I'm flexible as long as it doesn't affect the sound sig too much. Most important for me is comfort

 

[DaveStarWalker]

Have you tried Crystal, they retain the same properties as XELASTEC but less sticky and do not deform over time.

Hi,

No the sound is different between Xelastec and Crystal. Not the same product at all. I was expecting that, but this is not the case ...

Crystal = More details (treble, medium), more "transparent", more bass quality (articulation, lisibility), more air and openess, but less general texture, less weight, less bass quantity, Less mid bass and lower midrange but best precision. Lack of harmonic richness ? (subjective pont of view). Less isolation and grip than Xelastec. But durable.

It wasn't a great match with Kaiser Encore (they are picky, notably with the treble) and Fitear 111 (thin sound). Not bad with my Aure Audio Ringo (near perfect tuning to my tastes, and I think near perfect tuning ), but no magic. More technical than musical, and lack of isolation in the parisian subway...

Xelastec = great isolation, great details (but not the best), great slam and body (overall), mild general coloration (= very little veil ? mid flavored). Not the best extension, smoothness and precision at the extreme of the bandwith. Not the best for soundstage expansion. Little dynamic compression ? Not durable (I found this is the main flaw, as the price). But...

The deal with the Kaiser Encore (maybe a real synergy = the Xelastec tame the KE) and very good with the 111.

Very good with the Ringo's, very good isolation... but... due to it's very good tuning, the flaws of the Xelastec were apparent to my ears... By the way, It was a good match and a good "compomise". But not perfect. Far best results with Canal Works CW Single Nozzle (肉球) (see here : https://www.head-fi.org/threads/best-iem-tips.626895/page-118#post-17026215 above this page).

For my KE and Fitear I am especting Epro horn tips and s400 Audiosense. Curiosity.

But at this time, since a few years, Xelastec are my bet match with these two uiems.
My 2 cts