[Spasticteapot]

I've always had trouble with IEMs not fitting my ears very well, and I'd like to take a crack at making some tips based on molds of my ears. Having this done professionally costs hundreds of dollars, however, and the probability of improperly aligning the drilled hole for my IEMs means that I'd like to be able to make a few pairs cheaply.

I found this really nifty kit online which us used to make foam impressions of the ear for earplug creation (which costs over $100 - ouch!)

Custom Ear Plug Trial Kit (For Four Impressions) - Do-It-Yourself Impression Kits For Custom Plugs and Molds

Presumably, if I can get a two-part mixture for the right sort of soft, rubbery silicone I could pour as many earplugs as I wanted and get a very good seal indeed.

Thoughts?

 

[earpods]

If you are making your own earplugs, I would advise going to an audiologist to get the impression taken. It’s important to get a good impression done if you want ear buds to be 'isolating' and reduce outside noise. If you want to avoid occlusion (that hollowed up feeling) you need an impression of your ear canal that goes as least as far as the second bend

I work for a company that makes ear moulds, so I am familiar with the process of taking impression even though I've not done it myself. I tried out the earplugsuperstore home impression kits; it was not fun. It is a scary enough experience when you have a trained professional doing it, but injecting goo into your ears yourself is just plain worrying espically when you have to go so deep; and after I'd done it my impressions weren't good enough to be made into ear plugs, the canal part wasn't long enough even though it felt like the impression material was about to touch my brain

Aside from it being difficult and scary to do, it is sooo dangerous to be doing an impression by yourself, compacted ear wax or the impression material going to deep could bust your ear drum, any dirt in your ears will be pushed deep in

"Never put anything in your ear bigger than your elbow"

But the plan off making earbud tips yourself is pretty good and it seem feasible; just go see an audiologist for an impression

 

[jlemaster1957]

If you are making your own earplugs, I would advise going to an audiologist to get the impression taken. It’s important to get a good impression done if you want ear buds to be 'isolating' and reduce outside noise. If you want to avoid occlusion (that hollowed up feeling) you need an impression of your ear canal that goes as least as far as the second bend

I work for a company that makes ear moulds, so I am familiar with the process of taking impression even though I've not done it myself. I tried out the earplugsuperstore home impression kits; it was not fun. It is a scary enough experience when you have a trained professional doing it, but injecting goo into your ears yourself is just plain worrying espically when you have to go so deep; and after I'd done it my impressions weren't good enough to be made into ear plugs, the canal part wasn't long enough even though it felt like the impression material was about to touch my brain

Aside from it being difficult and scary to do, it is sooo dangerous to be doing an impression by yourself, compacted ear wax or the impression material going to deep could bust your ear drum, any dirt in your ears will be pushed deep in

"Never put anything in your ear bigger than your elbow"

But the plan off making earbud tips yourself is pretty good and it seem feasible; just go see an audiologist for an impression

This thread never took off but I am reviving it. While I echo the writers concerns about earwax being shoved into the tympanic membrane and that it is advisable to be sure, that’s not the case for those without significant earwax problems, there are ear canal cleansing kits that use a blue bulb syringe and a buffered water solution to cleanse the canal before undertaking the process. In terms of the ‘second bend’ of the canal, I’ve never been sure what people who write about this are talking about, I’m a doctor I look in ears every day and while there is a curvature to the canal there is no corner to go around (otherwise how would a doctor ever be able to see your tympanic membrane)? And about shoving things in your ear canals, if you are a regular IEM user aren’t you doing that every day? Even my Etymotic ER4XRs or Hifiman RE800S’s go as deep. Anyway I discovered this link to DIY eartip production that I am going to attempt and will report back - in case anyone coming after me ever sees this (though it feels like throwing a message in a bottle off a deserted island here). I have been trying without success to get a good fit with my 64 Audio U12Ts with out success and I figure I may as well have a go.