[Alucard77]

Hi All,
 
First post here, and I have to say I am very impressed with this site.  There is a lot of information here, so I thought I would sign up and ask my questions here since you guys know the best.
 
I have been using the Etymotic er6i for

years now (2 seperate pairs that both broke after almost 2 years of use on each).  After my second pair broke, I was going to move on to Shure as I was hoping for better quality.  Having come to this site I stumbled across the Mc5s.  Since I like the sound of Etymotic, I decided it would be better to stay in the family and see what the new IEMs can do.  I have to say they are very nice.  As was already said, they are like regular Etymotic with better bass.  So they are worth picking up. 
 
There is one big problem I have with them.  In comparison to the er6i, the shaft from where the sound comes out of (not sure what that is called), is a lot longer on the Mc5s.  It is good for holding on the sleeves, however, it makes it very uncomfortable in the ear.
 
Since I have been using the er6i for

years, I know how to get a solid seal on the iems.  With the Mc5s, I cann't get a solid seal without having pain in my ears.  Literally, it will hurt. This is because the inside of my ear is shallow and takes a sharp turn.  With the shaft being longer, it pushed uncomfortably on my ear and causes pain.  I tried both the small 3 flanged tips and the large 3 flang tips.  Both had the same effect.  At the moment I am using the gliders which are pretty confortable, however, I don't think it gives me the same amount of isolation I am use to from the er6i days.
 
Having said all of that, I have been looking at the custom ACS sleeves.  I read through through the posts and it seems pretty hit or miss with these things.  But I did want to ask some questions on a seprate thread devoted to the Mc5s only.  I am hoping someone with the ACS and Mc5s can give some feedback here.  So here goes:
 
ACS Questions:
1- What is your experience on the fit of your ACS sleeves?  Are they too lose, too tight, just right?
2- How many times did you have to get them fitted to be right?
3- If you are in the NYC area, which audiologist did you use?  Would you recommend him/her to others?

- How is the isolation on the ACS sleeves in comparison to the other sleeves that Etymotic provide?  How is the isolation in comparison to the gliders?
5- Do you think $100 is too much to pay for the sleeves, or do you find it justifiable?
6- Are there other companies you would recommend for sleeves?
 
Mc5 Questions:
1- Do you feel that the fit is more uncomfortable then previous Etymotic iems?
2- With the Mc5s, do you recommend over the ear, or hanging design for the ACS sleeves?
 
Thanks for any answers you guys can provide.  I want to do some final research before pulling the trigger.

 

[slaters70]

I have Westone UM56 custom sleeves and used them with my MC5, and now with the ER4Ps I just bought (decided I wanted the 4Ps more), and those two Etys are very similar. For one, the ACS or any other custom sleeves are only as good as your audiologist's skills in getting impressions. If they are done right, you are probably good to go. Having said that, I had my impressions done once, but ended up with two separate sets of custom sleeves (one was free) done a one-week interval (long story), and for some reason, the left sleeve on one of the pairs (not sure which batch) is not giving me a good seal. So in this case, it is Westone's fault, not the audiologist. If I had just one pair and that had happened, I would not know who to blame. But since there were two sets of sleeves made from a single set of impressions, the blame goes to Westone. I am not going to bother trying to get it fixed now, too late. So I use the good pair and have a right backup.
 
Anywho, that long explanation is about the fit issues that can develop from custom sleeves. Make sure the audiologist goes to the "second bend" as it says on the JH site (or any custom site).
 
Isolation? If done right, the customs are about the same as the Ety triple flanges (rated at 35DB), but maybe not as isolating as the grey foamies (which are rated at 42DB), but good enough. A good seal and you will barely hear ambient noise, if at all.
 
As for paying too much? I got my UM56s from a Westone-authorized audiologist for $115, and that included both the impressions and the sleeves. I think Etys' ACS deal is $100, as you note. I had mine made for UM3Xs, but they work with most any thin nozzled IEMS (Shure, Ety, Fischer DBAs, MC5s, SM3s), so that's good. I am very happy to have a pair, and I used them very successfully with the MC5s.
 
No, I don't feel the MC5 fit is more uncomfortable than other Etys, in that the HF5, HF2, ER4P are all similar. It is the er6i, which I also owned, that the odd Ety shaped phones. The MC5s are hard to wear over the ear, but that's preferred always, because it eliminates microphonics. Otherwise, a shirt clip is manadatory.
 
As for other sleeves, the UM56s are flat bottomed, so the ER4Ps (or MC5s) do not go deep into the, as it seems they do with ACS sleeves, so the ACS option may be best in terms of comfort (less of the hanging down effect).
 
Finally, as for pain and the Etys, I guess I am used to the triple flanges and foamies, as either one doesn't bother me, but the customs are best comfort-wise, by far.
 

 

[csokane]

I had the same problems with mine, but then I get some shure olives for them. The olives are ridiculously comfortable.

 

[slaters70]

Good solution.

 

[Alucard77]

I have a quick question about isolation.
 
I have a reciever at home that has its lowest volume at -80db.  So when something is rated as 35db, does this mean that I can bring my reciever up to -35db and should not be able to hear anything, or does it mean that I won't be able to hear anything from the reciever once it hits -45db.  I am just trying to do some tests at home.
 
Also, do you not hear ambient noise with music on, or music off?  I know with the gliders, I hear ambient noise (voices and such) very slightly with the music off.  Once I have the music on, I hear nothing but the music.

 

[Alucard77]

Just wanted to bump this real quick.

 

[csokane]

Again dude, the olives are amazing with the MC5s. They sound great and the comfort is terrific.

 

[Anaxilus]

Klipsch gels work on the MC5s also.

 

[andrewmorio]

Have you tried the Comply foam tips/small?