I wish I had custom ear molds made long ago when I realized I liked the Ety ER-4's so much. I am finally getting fitted for them next week then made by Westone for about $130-pair. I am tired of inserting the triple flanged tips and am really excited about getting the quality sound with simple insertion. I have to take them on and off at the office which makes the flanged tips inconvienent and I would use them more if I had the custom molds
I'm considering custom molds as well. I currently use the black foams because of the way they feel in my ears, very full and secure. When you finally get them please update the thread with your impressions.
Does anyone know where I can get these done in the UK?
Does anyone know if the Ety's are removable from the molds if I wanted to change them with ER-4P's and for changing filters etc.? I will post my findings when I get them.
The Etys are readily removeable from the Westone molds.
If you're choosing a Westone mold, the material I would recommend is the OtoBlast silicone in matte finish.
- Westone's normal W-1 silicone is IMO too soft and absorbs some of the lower-frequency energy, while the OtoBlast is harder and doesn't have this problem.
- Westone's OtoBlast silicone is very 'grippy' and hard to insert if you get the gloss finish (the very attractive 'water clear' look that you will see in Westone's photos of the material), but goes in much easier if you choose the matte finish.
I haven't tried Westone's vinyls, and hard acrylic, which would have been my first choice, isn't available for this mold because of the way the mold has to deform to grip the stem when you insert and remove the Etys.
Originally Posted by episiarch /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Etys are readily removeable from the Westone molds.
If you're choosing a Westone mold, the material I would recommend is the OtoBlast silicone in matte finish.
- Westone's normal W-1 silicone is IMO too soft and absorbs some of the lower-frequency energy, while the OtoBlast is harder and doesn't have this problem.
- Westone's OtoBlast silicone is very 'grippy' and hard to insert if you get the gloss finish (the very attractive 'water clear' look that you will see in Westone's photos of the material), but goes in much easier if you choose the matte finish.
I haven't tried Westone's vinyls, and hard acrylic, which would have been my first choice, isn't available for this mold because of the way the mold has to deform to grip the stem when you insert and remove the Etys.
Wow, thanks for that valuable information. Is that otoblast silicone in matte finish also "clear" in color? I was wondering what would be the least noticable or best looking appearance? I was debating on getting 2 pair made and combine cost if I was going to use ER4P/ER4S but if you can switch then I will only need one pair then. One last question I had is the microphonic noise from the cable lessened with the custom mods vs. the tripple flanged tips?
In matte finish, the clear silicone is more like a frosted glass kind of a look.
*None* of these will be unobtrusive. The Ety transducers fit into them in such a way that they stick out to the sides a great deal more than with triflanges and other in-ear tips. If noticeability is an issue for you, no aftermarket custom earmold for the ER-4 that I have seen will satisfy.
So even if the earmold itself were not too obtrusive in your ear, the overall rig is quite obtrusive.
The microphonics are diminished considerably compared to triflanges. However I find microphonics are improved even more by switching to Comply foam tips.
If you need something relatively unnoticeable and with minimal to no microphonics, I'd recommend the ER-6 worn behind the ear Shure-style. That's what I use in those situations.
I was hoping to go with the Ety for all portable usage but I am going with the Shure 310 for my MP3 while doing house work, sports, etc., and get the custom mold for both right now. I think the molds are going to be a big bang for the $! How much is a perfect seal and total comfort worth......priceless, IMO.
I went and had the impressions made and the doc said that they could loose their fit in as little as 2 years and as much as 5. The more you remove them and wear them will also shorten their life as far as fitting perfectly. He said you will start to notice that you have to press them in more ofrtn to properly fit or seal. The change is because of our ever aging bodies but noted that large weight fluctuations are for sure to make the fit change. I went ahead with them anyway @ $130 a pair but he said you will love the difference because they go past the first bend in the ear and time will tell if the investment was worth it. I go back in 2 weeks for the fitting and have 60 days for any adjustments that need to be made.
I made custom ear molds using epoxy putty and a dremel tool for ~$20 with plenty of stuff left to make molds for everyone else. I put el-chepo earbuds in mine and made earphones. Disposable, but sounded 2x's better.
Perfect seal = much better sound. It might even make them sound completely different!
Originally Posted by -=Germania=- /img/forum/go_quote.gif haha
I made custom ear molds using epoxy putty and a dremel tool for ~$20 with plenty of stuff left to make molds for everyone else. I put el-chepo earbuds in mine and made earphones. Disposable, but sounded 2x's better.
Perfect seal = much better sound. It might even make them sound completely different!
Have you considered mass marketing these? There are lots of people who are tired of waiting on the Westone 3 and they may be willing to consider yours instead.
First of all, I hop[e to get more than 2-5 years out of these but I have spent more on other audio with less gain in sonic quality. I am sure they will be worth having them made by Westone with quality materials. If I feel they are not snug enough they will make another pair slightly larger than the scan of the mold if I feel that my ears would be comfortable. Anyway for the possibility of audio nirvana I am sure I will forget the price pretty quickly. My doc was thinking his prices have not been increased in a few years and was going to look into that possibility in the future. I will post back with the results after Oct 11.
How much has anyone else paid for a pair from a professional (not home made) anyway?
I picked up my long awaited Westone custom ear molds from the audiologist. I listened to both pairs of Etymotic ER4S and Shure SE310 with the new molds and they are really amazing but a little tricky to insert right now.It might be my odd shaped ear canal opening which is like a small slit or that they mold them to go past the first bend of the inner ear but that is why the sound can not be better unless they surgicly implant them in my head. The Ety is more obvious looking and a full ear type mold that locks in the top flap of the ear. The Shure is not noticeable because it looks like just a molded tip of it and does not gain support from the mold like the Etys. I like them alot and just like anything else, they will take a little gatting used to. I would not have wanted to fit the molds by myself since I have such a small canal and they also put cotton all the way in so they can mold past the first bend in the canal then shoot the goop in.
I would really like to thank "episiarch" (head-fi member) for posting the suggestions on this topic.....Thank you
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