Can anyone elaborate on the differences, pros and cons of these?
It seems to me if one is spending hundreds, even thousands on IEM's it would seem customs are the way to go given that everyone has different ear/canal shapes?
It also requires getting custom molds, sending them in (or their digital equivalent), waiting for the manufacturing, sending them back for adjustments if needed, having a more difficult reselling, etc..
There are also few notable exceptions like A12t vs U12t where many more positives are mentioned about the universal. And some really expensive IEMs (*cough* Forte *cough*) only come in Universal.
Given the aforementioned process, I’m not interested in a CIEM in general, even though I’ve wasted too much money on some IEMs. This is probably because I’m not performing on a live stage so sound isolation is not nearly as important. And since many “custom universal” IEMs with good tips fit my ears well..
tldr: it’s a judgment call with trade offs and varies by individual preferences / perceived usefulness / ear shape / sun spots / mangrove trees etc.
The real question is: “why more expensive IEMs sound better”? Super-litz internal wires? I kid, and not kid. Some decent $50 IEMs have just as much or more fun than much more expensive models, and many models all over the price range use the same (or very similar) internal drivers..
For what its worth, some companies offer IEMs in both Universal and CIEM flavors. ThieAudio L3 can be ordered either way; some are saying there are slight design differences in the CIEM version that improves the unit. In that case the difference is only $50 or so.
I had some custom tips made for my old Shures at one time. The difference was subtle at best and the fit was never quite right. Then I discovered good tips like the JVC Spiral Dot and the Sedna Azla
Some cons with customs can be soreness of the outer ear due to impression, got to clean them often, ears change in size so eventually will need to be reshelled.
cons of unis, not all shells fit in everyones ear, finding the right tips.
small issues for customs. they are a great way to go. i think a ciem for full enjoyment and a nice uni for whenever is a good way to go.
I’ve never had CIEMs made. Though I’ve wondered about them. I’ve also read interesting experiences by folks going the custom route. Also my main flagships are solid metal. As far as I know they don’t make solid metal CIEMs, at least not yet.
The issue here is fit is everything. If you don’t have fit two things happen, one it’s not comfortable and you are always adjusting. That’s the physical difficulty. The second is you loose bass and soundstage. Literally the IEM will not sound it’s best without perfect fit.
My IER-Z1R don’t come as CIEM. The Noble Encore K-10s do? But I just wanted universals. Though I’m curious about the change. Typically people talk about slightly extra bass with customs.
The 64 Audio N8 was a universal that you could try but on order they only came as CIEM. What happened was people tried the demo universals at the store, but after sending their mold measurements in and having CIEMs made, they sounded way different with way more bass.
But the downside is some universals simply don’t fit everyone. The downside of customs is folks ears can change over time and you need a re-shell. Of course the measurements may be off and need to be done again. Or of course the manufacturers didn’t get the CIEM made right which would cause the fit to be off even if your ears were measured correctly.
I normally keep my gear along time and wanted metal flagships.
I agree with Darkestred on customs for full enjoyment and universals for general use.
I have found myself picking up universals for use in most cases. I just find the whole situation more convenient and comfortable. Maintenance is easier too. I have also found that in the last few years that I have been reselling my IEMs so it is better for that too.
I haven't really done an apple to apples comparison with a custom version and a universal version of the IEMs that I have, but I wouldn't say that the custom IEMs are substantially better than my universals to the point where I don't use universals at all. Nowadays I only really use customs for music work or DJ work.
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I kid, and not kid. Some decent $50 IEMs have just as much or more fun than much more expensive models, and many models all over the price range use the same (or very similar) internal drivers..
