[COLOR=FF0000]Supra Ear-tips Roundup[/COLOR]
Choose your favorite lure from the tackle box
I spent the morning perusing my ear-tip collection and thought I'd share the results, since many were wondering about using other tips than Comply. There were many that fit but didn't sound good enough to include in the details below. There were also many that just have too big a bore to use without a make-shift adapter of some sort. I found those to not really gain any substantive improvement over the tips that fit without modification, so I've not included those as well. What I have included are 12 pair of the best performing tips, for me, that fit the Supra nozzle without modification.
The Supra come with Comply T400 foam tips. I find the Compy tips to sound excellent. Some may be concerned about treble attenuation due to foam overhang but that is not the case here. The tips slide all the way down the nozzle and there is very, very little foam remaining past the nozzle opening. I will refer to these as the stock tips in the roundup and all other tips sound changes will be based upon how the stock Comply tips sound. The blue foam tips pictured above are the large version of the T400 and they will be separately covered below.
In general the main difference I find, across all iems, between silicone and foam are as follows:
Foam bass has a softer edged note with no extra reverb or bounce to the sound. I find this is due to their more porous and absorbing nature, whereas silicone tends to seal tighter with the least air leakage for me (assuming perfect fit/seal). Silicone bass tends to sound ever so slightly harder hitting, with harder edged bass notes that can at times have a bounce or reverb to the bass. It's subtle, most noticeable in direct a/b with foam, and I don't always detect it. Treble can also be affected the same way to my ears. Treble can sound cleaner and smoother with foam, IF there is no foam overhang affecting attenuation. If an iem treble is naturally hot or tizzy, silicone can at times exacerbate this for me. Though at the end of the day I tend to prefer silicone tips, due to better ease of quick fit, more bore width choices and more length/depth of fit choices, which can help me taylor the overall sound with a bit more precision.
Exhibit #1
Top Row: Phonak Audeo PFE silicone, Spin-fit silicone, Sony MH1 silicone
Bottom Row: Earsonics Bi-flange silicone, Meelec Bi-flange silicone, Sony Hybrid silicone
Starting on the top row with the Phonak Audeo PFE silicone tips, I found these to produce the most U shaped frequency response of the bunch. They gave perhaps the most suction like seal of all the tips with the strongest, hardest hitting bass and treble emphasis. While fun sounding for some songs, they would not be my tip of choice for the Supra, especially for longer listening sessions.
Second on the top row are the Spin-fit tips. Unfortunately the Spin-fits run a little on the small size, so these medium tips were a little too loose in my ear, requiring the deepest fit of all the tips in order to get a decent seal. I suspect if I had large Spin-fits they might indeed be winners as comfort level match Ortofon tips (Ortofon tips are not included in the roundup due to too loose a fit on the Supra nozzle). Treble was just ever so slightly attenuated compared to the stock tips but not as attenuated as the Sony or Earsonic tips. Bass was somewhat lighter due to the less than ideal seal; again, I think larges would have made all the difference in the world here.
Last on the top row are the Sony MH1 tips. These are very, very similar to the Sony Hybrids with a slightly more rigid silicone structure. The smaller bore attenuates treble a bit more from stock tips and some may prefer this. Bass hits harder than stock and fit is easily one of the more comfortable fits. I can see these being a community favorite.
Starting on the bottom row are the Earsonics Bi-flange tips. These give the most treble attenuation of the roundup due to having the smallest bore and the deepest fit. Due to the attenuated treble, these also sound more on the bassy side. I found these too dark for my preferences, robbing some of the Supra's magical air, but if one is adverse to treble brightness, they would be worth looking into.
Second on the bottom are what I believe to be Meelec Bi-flanges. I seem to have two kinds of Meelec Bi-flanges- some that the bore is too wide to fit on the Supra nozzle, and this pair which seems to fit perfectly. I'm unsure which model this particular pair fits in the Meelec product range. These tips provide a very comfortable fit for bi-flanges and are one of my favorites on the Supra. Overall sound is balanced with similar bass emphasis as stock tips and perhaps just a hair less treble emphasis due to slightly deeper fit.
Last on the bottom are the Sony Hybrids. See above for MH1 sound, as the Hybrid sound is identical. The only difference is the softer silicone, providing a more comfortable fit that rivals the comfort of foam.
Exhibit #2
Top Row: Jays Foam (discontinued), HiFiman Bi-flange silicone
Bottom Row: Comply T400 foam (stock tips), Jays Silicone
Starting on the top row are the Jays Foam. Unfortunately these appear to be discontinued, as I haven't seen them available anywhere for the last year. They have a fairly dense foam and provide a slightly bigger bass presence over stock and treble sounds pretty similar, but due to their blunt shape, I find them a hassle to get proper fit.
Last on the top are the HiFiman Bi-flange tips. These are probably overkill for the Supra, unless you have very large ear canals, as their bulk will push the Supra out a little further from the ear. Bass was similar to the Sony tips but with similar treble levels to the stock tips. As just mentioned, these should probably only be considered if you have really large canals and most tips are too small for you.
Starting on the bottom row are the stock Comply T400. As mentioned before, these sound excellent to my ears. Bass is clean and fast without any extra ear reverb. Treble is also clean, precise and airy. There is no foam interference across the top of the nozzle to cause treble attenuation issues.
Last on the bottom are the Jays silicone tips, which are still readily available. The Jays tips have the widest bore of all the single flange tips used, therefore they have the brightest treble reproduction, while having similar bass to the Sony tips. Jays silicone tips tend to run on the large size. The large pictured are more like an XL. Jays silicone is one of the thicker, more firmer tips. If you find Sony's too supple and leak to easy, then Jays may be a good choice.
Exhibit #3
Left: Comply TS400 Foam
Right: Vsonic GR07 Silicone
On the left are Comply TS400 foam tips. I tend to prefer this shape of Comply on the Supra, as I can get a better seal and tighter fit with the rounded shape of the TS series. Sound is identical to the stock tips and one of my top 2 choices for the Supra.
On the right are the original Vsonic GR07 silicone tips. These are not Sony knock-offs but Vsonic's own unique tip. The bore is halfway between the Jays silicone and Sony tips, which gives me the most similar treble presence to the stock tips. Bass is similar to the Jays and Sony tips as well. The Vsonic silicone is firmer, like the Jays silicone, but gives me a comfortable and tight seal. Currently these tips are the other of my top 2 choices for the Supra.
So to conclude, I find Comply TS400 and the original Vsonic GR07 silicone tips to be my favorites, with stock tips, Sony MH1 and Hybrids, as well as Jays silicone all coming close but just shy of my favorites.
