[Decreate]

I've had my custom Phantoms for about 2 years now and about a year ago I started noticing cracks in the left shell. Just hope it doesn't worsen....they really are my absolute favourites despite newer iems having been released after them...

 

[kdphan]

I've had them since March. Bought new directly from EE, not b-stock.

5 months is a not a short period of time. As I mentioned before, there are quite a few variables as to why it developed crack/scratch.

 

[Loke13]

Ok. A few words from me. A month ago, I exchanged with @Metalomaniac. I gave up my Phantoms for his nemesis. Previously I owned Nemesis, Bravado and Phantom's. Now I have Vantage and the nemesis from trade. After I picked it up, I asked if it was b-stock. Why? Because there are clearly fewer layers of acrylic underneath the logo than on other models I've had/have. The phantoms I used were less than two years old, the first nemesis was one and half years old and looked like new. I take care of the equipment , I use only original cables and paradoxically nemesis has been in a box for the last week. The crack is not on the outside of the handset but inside. I hope we can find a fair solution for everyone . It could happen to anyone

 

[kdphan]

I'm not sure if this is worth mentioning but when I first owned an iem with semi-clear shells, I thought there was a crack inside but it turns out it was just the internal wiring making it look like there was a crack

 

[Spidermanxd]

Today I had a rather unpleasant surprise with my Nemesis: there's a scratch out of nowhere And now the service center is telling me I have to pay for shipping from Europe, both ways, which also risks paying for customs and duties. Again. And that it's possibly not even covered in warranty, as they can't say if it's a manufacturing defect or not from the pics alone (fair enough). Reshelling starts at 175 USD.

I've had several pairs of IEMs which haven't had any issues after rough daily use on motorcycle and gym for years. I've used these only at home (carefully) for just a few months, since March, and they're already breaking apart. One IEM has noticeably thinner acrylic layer (under logo). And the scratch in pic, another small one in the other one.

These cost five times as much as any of my previous IEMs and were a huge stretch to my budget. I would expect "slightly" better customer service and QC for such a high end company. I could buy a very nice pair of IEM for the cost of shipping and customs alone! Hope at least they do the right thing when I return them, and will fix them under warranty.

What a train wreck.

If it just a scratch, why so serious about it, get some clear nail polish and apply a thin layer, scratch gone, or send it back paying shipping and custom, not worth it

 

[Loke13]

I'm not sure if this is worth mentioning but when I first owned an iem with semi-clear shells, I thought there was a crack inside but it turns out it was just the internal wiring making it look like there was a crack

I don't think it's cable. Btw week ago wasn't there in this place

If it just a scratch, why so serious about it, get some clear nail polish and apply a thin layer, scratch gone, or send it back paying shipping and custom, not worth it

The scratch is inside. its not a problem for me, but if the shell breaks in a week or month, nobody will believe that it has not been mechanically damaged

 

[proedros]

I don't think it's cable. Btw week ago wasn't there in this place

The scratch is inside. its not a problem for me, but if the shell breaks in a week or month, nobody will believe that it has not been mechanically damaged

if i breaks send it then for reshelling , until then just enhoy the music

 

[kdphan]

That's definitely a crack.
I think that's part of owning an acrylic IEM. Some weird random pressure applied will cause it to crack.

 

[jwbrent]

That's definitely a crack.
I think that's part of owning an acrylic IEM. Some weird random pressure applied will cause it to crack.

I’m relatively new to acrylic/resin shells. I imagine my Odin will go through extra qc measures to ensure this flagship has no cosmetic issues. Acrylic is pretty strong, I thought, so reading about cracks is disconcerting. Does this happen if the shells clank against each other or are the pressures you allude to a common reason for such cracks?

I treat all my gear with kid gloves since I hate imperfections, especially on my more expensive stuff.

 

[kdphan]

I’m relatively new to acrylic/resin shells. I imagine my Odin will go through extra qc measures to ensure this flagship has no cosmetic issues. Acrylic is pretty strong, I thought, so reading about cracks is disconcerting. Does this happen if the shells clank against each other or are the pressures you allude to a common reason for such cracks?

I treat all my gear with kid gloves since I hate imperfections, especially on my more expensive stuff.

I'm usually really careful when changing tips and cables to not apply too much pressure on the shells.
Daily usage of sticking in your ear and pulling out (10-20x a day), and over time can cause it to crack.
I also only use hard cases when storing my IEMs. Who knows once day i'll forget and sit on the case.

 

[Metalomaniac]

That's definitely a crack.
I think that's part of owning an acrylic IEM. Some weird random pressure applied will cause it to crack.

I would say cracks on a $1700 IEM is most definitely not part of "owning an acrylic IEM." These are not some self-destructing Banksy pieces of art, but high end consumer products meant to last decades. Or so I thought when I clicked on the dotted line.

 

[Loke13]

I don't think there's any reason to panic. As in any industry and production, sometimes you just get a faulty unit. It just happens, whether it's a TV, smartphones, dap or iems

 

[Deezel177]

I’m relatively new to acrylic/resin shells. I imagine my Odin will go through extra qc measures to ensure this flagship has no cosmetic issues. Acrylic is pretty strong, I thought, so reading about cracks is disconcerting. Does this happen if the shells clank against each other or are the pressures you allude to a common reason for such cracks?

I treat all my gear with kid gloves since I hate imperfections, especially on my more expensive stuff.

Acrylic is generally strong enough even for professional use, which tends to be rougher than most applications, provided the acrylic is cured thick enough to withstand that abuse. Nowadays, acrylic shells being thin enough to crack in day-to-day use is near-non-existent, but there can be outliers. With regards to EE, specifically, back around the time the EP and X series first launched, they did have a few units pass QC that apparently had shell walls that were too thin. I know @davidmolliere had a pretty bad issue with his custom Phantom's cracking. EE did replace those units, and modified their process to make sure this wouldn't happen again. Perhaps this unit was one from that batch. If so, appealing to EE for a replacement or complementary service may not be out of the question.

I personally haven't had any issues with any of my EE units; custom or universal. I've cable-rolled on them all numerous times, even applying decent amounts of pressure for the first few cable swaps. So, I think it's pretty safe to say that they've got their process down at this point. Again, perhaps this is just an older unit that hadn't received the same treatment.

 

[CANiSLAYu]

I would say cracks on a $1700 IEM is most definitely not part of "owning an acrylic IEM." These are not some self-destructing Banksy pieces of art, but high end consumer products meant to last decades. Or so I thought when I clicked on the dotted line.

Unfortunately IEMs aren't designed to last decades. EE even has it on their website 3-5+ years depending on usage and care. I've seen other manufacturers quote the same 3-5 year range. Granted use cases vary from casual to touring professionals, but I don't think any manufacturer will say they'll last for decades.

 

[Jack Vang]

I'm a little confused. Who has the "cracked" unit @Metalomaniac or @Loke13? Is one sending it in on behalf of the other or? Either ways please DM me your name and the tracking number so I can keep tabs on it personally. Sometimes with photos it can be difficult to tell exactly what's going on so we often ask for the unit to be sent in for further evaluation. I hear you and rest assured i'll have the process expedited once I know when I can expect it and whom i'm expecting it from.