[Nusho]

Hi everyone!
I just recently joined the Head Fi community and im glad to be part of this wonderful group of audiophiles.
I bought the Klipsch S4i very recently ($40 bucks and I needed something that would accompany my iPhone as a headset) and decided to get a pack of Comply Foam tips for it. My ear canal is oddly shaped so none of the included silicone eartips worked. The medium and large were too big and the small was too small to give a perfect fit. I found that the double flange tips actually gave me close to a perfect seal, but they hurt the insides of my canal (again, my canal is shaped a wee bit strangely in my right ear). So I decided to try the complys. They work great and I can get perfect seals every time, but since I started using them I noticed that in my right ear canal the skin started becoming dry. I clean my ears about once a month with q tips (ok I know this isn't recommended but that's a different discussion) and my ears felt perfectly fine. I decided to do it once again after I got this problem with the complys, and noticed that my right ear was actually HURTING when the q tip was put in. I could feel that the skin was dry and it pained when I moved the q tip back and forth. I get the same problem with the complys too. When I put them in, my right ear (my left ear is perfectly fine) hurts after about a minute of listening and then it just becomes on and off. Its getting very annoying now and im wondering if there is anything I can do about it.
 
thanks,
Nusho

 

[squallkiercosa]

For some users, foam tips may itch a lot at first, and becomes bearable with time, for others they never get used to. Stop wearing them for about a month and then try again to see. For the time being try using silicone tips. Post later the results .

 

[Nusho]

Ill definitely try that. But I was hoping I could do something else besides stop using my complys cuz I love them so much! Also, silicone tips don't match well with the shape of my ear canal so they hurt too (but they don't make my ears dry or pain like the complys do. They just pain a lot when put in the ear because of the shape)

 

[squallkiercosa]

Your ear canal is irritated, you shouldn't wear IEMs for a while even if you think you can.
 
In any case, do whatever you think is right

 

[Nusho]

Yea that may be a good idea. But does this irritation happen to most people? And are there ways to make it stop?

 

[squallkiercosa]

I don't have statistical data to tell, but the answer should be no. Allergic reactions, mild infections, small foreigner particles inside the ears can cause irritation. Possibilities are endless... 

 

[Breanna S]

It definitely seems like your ear canals are irritated. I haven't heard of our tips causing that issue much, but is possible that your skin may be allergic or bothersome by them...? I would suggest not using Complys for a while and give your ears a rest until you figure out whats going on.

 

[Breanna S]

I guess for now you could use some headphones, instead of earphones!

 

[tomb]

Agreed - Comply tips are great, but perhaps not for every IEM and not for every person.
 
It may be that since you said yourself - your "ear canal is oddly shaped" - IEM's are not for you.  At least, those with regular tip options or Comply's.  You might try to have some custom ear molds made, but that's probably a mile too far for Klipsch S4's. 

 

[Nusho]

haha custom ear molds ....my wallet is gonna kill me . I am able to use the klipsch medium gels (the outside of the canal is decently large but it becomes small very quicklly ...its odd) fairly well but im not getting perfect seals, though i will just have to deal with that.
I dont think its an allergic reaction because NOTHING is happening in my left ear. Only in my right. I just think that my right ear has more sensitive skin inside the canal and thus when the foam expands and rubs against the skin, the skin starts to break a bit causing the pain. But this is only a hypothesis of course. 
Its sad to think that the only iems that will be perfect for me are ciems cuz i love iems haha. But you gotta deal with the body you have .