[linuxworks]

am I making too quick a snap judgement?

just got them today from amazon ($50 shipped, too good a price to turn down). I *thought* they'd be really great but they don't seal well for me. none of the rubber pieces fit and the foamies don't feel comfortable at all.

I'm not talking about break-in of the audio element but the physical fit. its not 'working' for me.

have people found that they got used to this model, over time? is it even worth the pain?

not sure I want to play around with alternate foam or rubber inserts. maybe I am just not into this kind of iem? there are people who just can't deal with these, right?

 

[Shadowghost6]

Have you ever used iems before? I use Shure olives with them, and they're not any less comfortable than other iems. I'd suggest trying Comply/Shure tips.

 

[synaesthetic]

You're talking about ER-6i, yes?

Go buy some of the Shure black foams (commonly called "olives" here). They will fit on the stems of the ER-6i with a little effort, and are vastly superior, in terms of fit and comfort to any of the tips that ship with the 6i.

I would not use a pair of Etymotic earphones with the stock tri-flanges; they're uncomfortable, a pain to seat properly and have no bass. Give the Shure olives a shot and I guarantee you'll have new love for your ER-6i.

 

[NDS]

Cut the tri-flanges into bi-flanges or order bi-flanges. The tri-flanges go in too deep into my ear canal while the bi-flanges are perfect. (I use medium sleeves on most headphones)

 

[linuxworks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by synaesthetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif You're talking about ER-6i, yes?

ja, man.

Quote:

Go buy some of the Shure black foams (commonly called "olives" here). They will fit on the stems of the ER-6i with a little effort, and are vastly superior, in terms of fit and comfort to any of the tips that ship with the 6i.

ok, I'll give it a try! glad to know that the tips that come with it aren't considered 'gold'. they sure seem like junk tips to me.

Quote:

I would not use a pair of Etymotic earphones with the stock tri-flanges; they're uncomfortable, a pain to seat properly and have no bass. Give the Shure olives a shot and I guarantee you'll have new love for your ER-6i.

strong words, spoken with confidence

ok, I'll give them a try! thanks.

 

[linuxworks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NDS /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cut the tri-flanges into bi-flanges or order bi-flanges. The tri-flanges go in too deep into my ear canal while the bi-flanges are perfect. (I use medium sleeves on most headphones)

I'm not sure I would have THOUGHT to convert tris into bis (lol). neat idea. that really works for people??

yes, they do go too deep. exactly the problem. does ANYONE like the stock tips?

 

[synaesthetic]

There are a lot of people who like the tri-flanges, and when inserted according to Etymotic's own step-by-step process, they are indeed impressive-sounding. At least, that's what I've heard, as I've been completely unable to get tri-flanges to seat properly.

I've tried cutting them down to "bi-flanges" and this does nothing for me. They do not seat or seal any better, but they are marginally more comfortable.

The best tips I've found to use with the ER-6i are the Shure black foams or Comply foams. The Shure foams are easier to use, last longer, are black so don't get disgustingly yellowed from earwax and they give the ER-6i a much-needed boost in the low end.

The Comply are slightly more comfortable and isolate slightly better, but they are very expensive and they lose their ability to expand very quickly. Also, they're a light off-white/gray, so they get very disgusting-looking very quickly. I've heard of people being able to wash Comply foams, but when I tried it, they remained discolored from earwax.

Another good option for the ER-6i are the Shure gray soft flex sleeves; the kind that ship with the E3c, E4c and E5c. They fit just fine and are quite comfortable, but isolate less than the Shure black foams. They also produce a far darker sound, masking a lot of the Ety detail and cutting a large portion of the sparkle off the highs. I used these tips for a very long time due to their general durability and ease of use until I discovered the black foams.

 

[Punnisher]

I just tried the Shure Olives on my new er6i and they bring the best out of the er6i. Much much larger soundstage, more bass and treble seems a little less harsh.

I have had a love/hate relationship with them for the last 2 days. Now I'm considering keeping them.

 

[Taikero]

I've found that each new earphone takes about a week or two to really get used to the sound of it (Or for it to burn in).

Each one has its subtleties that have to be explored to get the best out of it.

 

[torres]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punnisher /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just tried the Shure Olives on my new er6i and they bring the best out of the er6i. Much much larger soundstage, more bass and treble seems a little less harsh. I have had a love/hate relationship with them for the last 2 days. Now I'm considering keeping them.

what is shure olive? what does it work for?

 

[nickdawg]

I like the rubber ear tips. I prefer the sound and fit of silicon sleeves to foamis always. For earphones, the medium single-flanged tips usually work the best for me. They fit just right and I barely know they are in my ears. Compared to foam tips that are puffy and give my ears a "stuffed" feeling. I also prefer the triple flanged earplugs for hearing protection. I find the cone-shaped tips really comfortable. Maybe I'm just weird or something?

 

[dandrop]

Linux,

Glad to see you here on head-fi (from SD right?) It took me a few days to get used to the fit. The rubber tips seal pretty well for me, but they irritate and make my ears itchy after a while.

I think i might have to order the Shure Black foams and see how it fits.

 

[FYDave]

Ordering the black foams is certainly a good idea. I was actually looking around for foams that suited me better than the Comply ones with my UE S.F 5 EB's. I realized that the Shure foams don't fit but then I remembered reading about the modifications done to ear buds by some people.

I actually ended up going to CVS, buying a twenty-five pack of Flents Quiet Please! earplugs and using a belt hole puncher to make a clear hole the entire way through.

So far, this little makeshift rigging is actually working beautifully. I've got the foams on both my Super.fi 5 EB's and my Super.fi 4vi's. The 4's actually never really had a problem making a great seal but the issue I had was that the seal was actually SO strong that it really did feel like the inside of my ear canal was being turned in to a vacuum and putting them on after a little while became rather irritating.

Let's see how this foam rigging of mine works in the long run, eh? :]

 

[oldschool]

Initially putting the triflanges can be difficult. In time you will learn to pull your ear in the right place and straighten the ear canal. You should have no problem sliding them in then.
I prefer their sound to that of the foams, but I haven't yet heard the olives of Comply.

 

[lazpete]

Quote:

Originally Posted by synaesthetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif You're talking about ER-6i, yes? Go buy some of the Shure black foams (commonly called "olives" here). They will fit on the stems of the ER-6i with a little effort, and are vastly superior, in terms of fit and comfort to any of the tips that ship with the 6i. I would not use a pair of Etymotic earphones with the stock tri-flanges; they're uncomfortable, a pain to seat properly and have no bass. Give the Shure olives a shot and I guarantee you'll have new love for your ER-6i.

Borrowing the tread, if thats ok?

When you guys refering to black foams, do you meen these:
Shure * - Black Foam Sleeves

Regards