[gibant1]

Hi, I'm considering getting some Penon Volt earphones and was wondering if it's worth going for a custom fit. What are the real benefits and are there any downsides?

 

[msing539]

Have not owned customs. The benefit is fit and isolation. The downsides are increased cost, difficulty in resale/huge loss in value, and our ears can change shape over time... in a few years, your customs might not fit the same.

 

[gibant1]

I'll stick with standard ones, I'm not having fitting issues (after I started using Azla ear tips) and the ears changing is a little worrying. Thanks for the information.

 

[Sifo]

Same pair of CIEM from 2016 still fits fine but it's gonna be different for everyone. It's a personal experience and thus it's a personal decision. I am exclusively CIEM and won't buy anything that is universal only, because for my situation there is no downside.

 

[Bret Halford]

Variable ear shape can also affect the sonic performance of IEMs, compared to the standardized cavities, driver placement and bore structure of UIEMs. The impact will depend on how unusual your canal may be, and how sensitive the design is, but particularly "tubeless" IEM designs seem a bit prone to variation on the CIEM side in this respect.

That said, some IEMs are designed for deep insertion depth as a canal reference point and will sometimes sound a bit too resonant up high when using comparably short tips on a uni...

For me, it depends a lot on the specific IEM and company. With my FATfreq Grand Maestro I went CIEM but for my Rn6 I went UIEM... other times increasingly like for my EE Legend Evo there's no choice anyway.

 

[Seyley]

I got here too late as it seems you've made up your mind. I've have 3 sets of C.I.E.Ms. The considerations raised are valid, but have a low percentage impact or possibility.
(1) increased cost,
Of course, they are custom made individual to you, like anything custom it comes with an additional cost.
Individual fitting to you or one size fits all?
(2) difficulty in resale/huge loss in value,
I have no intention of reselling any of my sets, too personal even if the originating company were offering to re-shell the set.
Huge loss in value applies to be universal and C.I.E.M.. same consideration is linked to both.
(3) 'our ears can change shape over time... in a few years, your customs might not fit the same'.
the operative phrase, "might". If it is your intention to loose or gain 4 stone in body weight, then of course various body parts will be altered. If you intend on wearing 'plugs' (earrings) of ever increasing size, then that might lead to the C.I.E,Ms or Universals not being a snug fit.
My 12 year old C.I.E.Ms are still comfortable and I would say they have a 98% fit rating.

Sorry about my biased review, but I don't do universal earphones very well as I have to mix and match the buds to get a decent fitting and it is guaranteed that if I lean my head in one direction that earphone will fall out.

The weight of the C.I.E.Ms are another factor as my earphones are very large, my customisation prevents 'fallout'.

 

[dunring]

I just do the scorched earth approach when buying IEMs and buy several sets of tips from different makers until one fits them and me perfectly. Customs are ok if you're convinced you'll never sell or upgrade them, since it's a huge loss in resale value since the custom molds won't fit your next pair. Just get 3-4 sets of differing tips until they fit.

 

[gibant1]

Thanks for all the advice, I have been following Dunring's approach until this point. The cost isn't an issue and I don't sell stuff as I can't be bothered dealing with unscrupulous people which has been my experience, in the past. I shall ponder the advice before pulling the trigger one way or the other. Again thanks all, appreciated.

 

[SCYJ]

One consideration is also the custom faceplates of some CIEMs. I wanted my Grand Maestro's faceplates to have my signature as a design, so i figured might as well go all the way for a CIEM since my signature on the faceplate is likely going to be too personalized to retain resale value.

Another consideration is whether you have secondary/tertiary use cases instead of selling it off. While I predominantly listen to IEMs while on desk, I also listen to music while in the gym but with TWS. If there ever comes a day where my CIEM becomes second/third choice and does not get much desk-time, I can always use it as my gym set instead of worrying about it collecting dust in my drawer if I dont sell it off for a huge lost.

 

[gibant1]

Plenty of food for thought