[nc8000]

I have my ER-4's and love them and have been thinking.

Can you have custom tips done to fit on them ?
Is this just a plain stupid idea or has anybody actually done this and if so with what result ?

I have mailed Etymotics but they have not replied after a couple of days so I thought I would air the subject here.

 

[DanT]

Westone does it.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/ety...37/index3.html

Custom adaptor for ER-4 earphones - Style No. 34 :: Westone

EDIT:Sensaphonics also does it (picture with er6)
Sensaphonics / Products / Etymotic Earphone Sleeves
[size=xx-small]
PS. I have not tried them nor know anything else about them[/size]

 

[filipelli]

There was a member here who got customs and posted pics. Do a search!

 

[nc8000]

Thanks a lot, that was exactly what I was after.

 

[nc8000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by filipelli /img/forum/go_quote.gif There was a member here who got customs and posted pics. Do a search!

Yep, it's the first link DanT posted.

 

[Mr. Tadashi]

Member EFN had bought some custom tips from Hearyourself.com here is his thread on it. http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/hea...s-pics-260795/

 

[gchang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nc8000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have my ER-4's and love them and have been thinking. Can you have custom tips done to fit on them ? Is this just a plain stupid idea or has anybody actually done this and if so with what result ?

Here is a foto of my ER-4s with Sensaphonics custom ear molds. They are especially comfortable because they are made from soft surgical rubber instead of the harder compounds.... The ear molds fit completely into the ear canal and just sit in place without any compression. The fit is more confortable than the original ear pieces, because there is no feeling of the foam expanding - no tension.

The result is an excellent sonic experience, with well over 30db of noise rejection (I cannot hear a person talking right next to me, and sometimes I put them on without playing music just to lower the noise in an airplane).

The downside is that you will probably think twice when using them out on the street - you can't hear car horns or other warning sounds!

gary

 

[intoflatlines]

An iPod shuffle headphone out to an amp? How does that sound?

 

[Mr. Tadashi]

I just got a pair of Westone molds that are made from their OtoBlast silicone. I haven't had the time to realy use them yet my self but, from putting them on to make sure they fit they are really comfortable, compared to the foam tips. Also the turn around time manage to be pretty quick for me.(One week turnaround from the time of impressions/order.)

 

[gchang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by intoflatlines /img/forum/go_quote.gif An iPod shuffle headphone out to an amp? How does that sound?

Quite good, as a matter of fact.... I wouldn't try this with a tube amplifier with a larger voltage swing, but, when comparing the outputs of phones and mp3 players there are very little differences electrically between a headphone output and a line level output.... aside from a volume control and a few other details. These outputs are designed to drive a wide variety of inputs.

By Ohm's Law, the headphone output is less as the impedance rises, such as plugging into the Xin Reference, which has a typical higher impedance input (as least it is higher than most headphones, that is...).

gary

 

[tstarn06]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but after that post, I feel somewhat better about the fact that neither of my DAPs (Zune80 or Sony A816) offer line out options, but I do believe they sound better with an amp using the HP out, depending on the phone, of course. I didn't find an amp helps much SQ-wise on the Sony DAP, but it does with the Zune. Not sure why.

 

[antonyfirst]

How does the Zen Vision M (lineout) sound when amped, compared to the Zune (amped)?

 

[tstarn06]

Good question. I have to do an A/B test, since it's always hard to compare the two unless you go back and forth quickly. Also, only have one Minibox, so I would have to plug and unplug, since I want them to both be using the same amp to do an apples to apples comparison. Also want to use the same tracks (with the same bitrate), of course.


Family is going away tomorrow, so good, quiet time to test it out, using different phones as well.

 

[tstarn06]

To the OP, I have a set of custom molds (made by FutureSonics, for their EM3s), and the Ety ER4P/S phones I had fit the sound holes very snugly, yet I didn't really like the sound. Mainly, because I felt the end of the sound tube on the Etys didn't reach close enough to the end of the insertion part of the sleeve (the part that goes into your ear canal). As a result, I found something seemed missing from the Ety SQ. I also tried using the sleeves with the Atrios and the AL716s, and same result. Both of those phones fit snugly into the sleeve hole, since they are not that different than the Ety tube (the Atrio is a bit thinner).

With my custom sleeves, the end of a phone's sound tube only goes about half-way into the insertion tube. With most of my sleeves (foamies or olives or soft flex), the sound tube is near the end of the sleeve, closer to the ear without any interference. Just my two cents.

The FS custom sleeves are exactly like the ones in the photos. Soft silicone, very comfy, complete seal. But sound??? Just didn't cut it for me, and believe me, I wanted them to work (they cost me $185, with audiologist). Also, the Etys will stick out pretty far, since they are longer than many IEMs (and do not go straight down, as the Atrios do).

 

[antonyfirst]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Good question. I have to do an A/B test, since it's always hard to compare the two unless you go back and forth quickly. Also, only have one Minibox, so I would have to plug and unplug, since I want them to both be using the same amp to do an apples to apples comparison. Also want to use the same tracks (with the same bitrate), of course. Family is going away tomorrow, so good, quiet time to test it out, using different phones as well.

Good, I'm very curious about the results.
Also, is it true that Microsoft is coming out with a lineout cable for the Zune 80? How so?

Thanks.


---

To Jan (nc8000), I especially liked this impressions thread about EFN's custom molds for ER4S: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/hea...s-pics-260795/
It seems Hearyourslef does a very good work, at about 100$-150$ which is a no brainer once you have decided to keep Etys as primary IEM.