DIY custom moulds

[Takeanidea]

This is great fun but a bit hit and miss. The putty is simplicity itself to mould into a perfect fit for your ear. I made earplugs for my surfing with no problems at all. I didn't need a mirror.
I put the klipsch x10i into the mould as they were setting and didn't get the placement anywhere near correct. I had to introduce new holes and it looks messy. Any ideas how to get the holes done cleaner?
it looks like pushing a tube of similar size into the pre cured mix then shoving (sorry inserting ) into your ear is the way forward. A pre done hole is a lovely smooth finish wheras whittling out an entirely new aperture was a mess.
Despite that the moulds are a good fit and extremely comfortable. The sound can be turned down compared to comply or stock tips etc.

 

[Takeanidea]

My thoughts on this - I have made 10 sets of ear moulds, the only ones that gave me any bass extension was the Klipsch X10i mould. The rest are too fiddly to get a nozzle to project into your ear canal. In the end I kept comply tips for the ear canal for the bass extension and used the rest of the mould for a perfect fitting IEM. I am not convinced the material supplied is as good as the comply foam for sound quality.
The problem for IEMs is microphonics , this is greatly reduced with custom moulds.
ACS etc do them much better in that they can do a beautiful finish and the tips are part of a one piece design, but there's a satisfying feeling in taking your phone to another level for the price of a pint.
I shall be able to walk in comfort with whatever IEM I own from now on.....

 

[Takeanidea]

My latest effort

 

[jaejw1]

how did the last ones woork out for u,,, the ones u have pictured

 

[Takeanidea]

Hi, these ones give me all the benefits of a deep seal just like you'd expect from tiny drivers like the klipsch x11is. There is no longer any need to push mould into your ear canal not that that is a hassle. The custom is there to reduce microphonics wind noise and increase the comfort for long term use. The seal of the ear tip and the subsequent sound quality without the mould was great so it was just a case of thinking how I could keep exactly the same sound signature and add comfort etc to the mix. And this is what I've come up with so far. The size of the mould can cause the ear tip to pull out. You can add shape to increase the tightness of the fit once you have the basic design hardened off. None of this is difficult to do.

 

[Takeanidea]

Okay I think we're all agreed, the last prototypes I showed you were ugly. They also had the habit of pulling the drivers out of my ear canals over time.
The latest design is for my Sony XBA4ip iems. I couldn't get a decent fixing to the housing itself so I thought what if I try without attaching them and fixing the collars inside my earlobes and putting the ear tip in through the gap.
I think I now have a workable design that will last because it's not being twisted at it's weakest point. And it's also not spoiling the look of the earphones either.
Micro phonics on these iems are still the same with this method.

 

[Takeanidea]

Interestingly , I have been to 2 Audiologists to have my ear impressions taken. Visit 1 , fair enough was advised to get the wax out of my ears. Visit 2 , the wax revealed the extent of my Surfers Ear. Advised to see my Dr. I Saw the Dr. the next day he confirmed the condition and said there was nothing needing doing as I wasn't in pain and could hear fine.
Visit 3 3 days later to a different branch of Boots. After 2 people arguing with me over the appointment time the chap had made his mind up, he was not doing the impressions, it would be too risky.
There was no explanation of the possible dangers my condition would give over anyone else's ear canals. Nothing I could do or say , including the fact that I had done over a dozen ear imressions myself with no pain or complications made any difference.
I spoke to ACS and they were dismayed for me . I spent 10 minutes making impressions of my left and right ears and they said they were absolutely fine for constructing a set of ear sleeves. I have sent them off to them, and I wish I'd never set foot in Boots. The modern world lives in fear of anything that doesn't tick every box on their risk charts, they palm you off to someone else unless they personally can make a killing by applying a surcharge.
Too much fear not enough living. It's no wonder I rarely use shops

 

[robthebiggerman]

Be careful I agree...The radians stuff just can't go that deep it's not a problem unless you miss use it or try and push to hard or something. If its too runny when mixed, dont put it in your ear. It should be like thick clay. Just don't be a retard and it works well without risk.

 

[what?]

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[what?]

i like your style


 

Quote:

My latest effort

 

[Takeanidea]

At last ! I think I am getting there. Obviously the earphones I have pictured look crude and amateur, coupled with the fact that lots of care has to be taken when using the impression material....
I am now using one part material that reacts in water at 60 degrees. It's called thermoplastic. It cools rapidly and starts going off in 1-2 minutes and if it's hard enough to pack together in the palm of your hand you can put the material in your ear much more safely without the fear of the material breaking apart inside your ear and getting stuck in your ear canal.
The real benefit of this material...it's remouldable. The shape can be fine tuned by placing near the spout of a boiling kettle for instance. The fit and cosmetic look can therefore be as good as time and patience and perseverance allows

 

[Takeanidea]

 

 

 

 

[Takeanidea]

These are earpods with 3 vents. They are difficult to customise but as you can see 10 minutes work and they fit like a glove . Another 10 minutes of work on each should make them look more polished . This was my first custom job for someone else

 

[sodasoda]

That's how I thought all would do it, I iwas wondering these videoshad inserted the earphones itself into the mold in the ear, and risking to stick crap in your canal.

I saw an eBay item of Radians and wondered if I could stick them around with earbuds inserted to get isolation and enhanced fit. I also don't need to be in ear, jaybirds