[Mr Pink57]

Old Molds

So I got my new set from Hear It Now which is part of Starkey Labs which is based out of Eden Prairie, MN (where I lay my head).

So I go to the Mall of America to get my molds done, sounds shotty I know. The guy Ron said my ears had too much wax build and said I had to get them cleaned before we could do an impression (I get a lot of wax build and up and get cleanings every 6 months). So he said you can go to the Starkey Lab facility in Eden Prairie, MN and get a free cleaning plus they will do your fitting right there. Well needless to say the guy at Starkey was nothing less then great minus the hour wait I had even though I made an appointment.

I had to go back to the facility as they have never done a mold for these particular IEM's, all they wanted from me was to leave my x10s with them while they made the fitting and they would mail them back to me with the molds.

They are a bit snug right now but I suspect I will adapt as I have never had a full mold custom before. And all of this only cost me $79.99 + tax.

pink

 

[Zalithian]

Sounds good. I've been interested in that myself for my IE8's but I'm kind of low on cash at the moment. Have any sound comparisons?

 

[Mr Pink57]

As far as a comparison goes my old custom molds were for a pair of Denon C551's that just lucky fit however the ear hole did not line up exactly so the sound was kind of muffled. Well now the sound is very clear and I am getting some deep bass deep then my C551's could ever give me.

pink

 

[ottoyu34]

Looks nice! like the solid colors.

How is the sound change?

 

[Mr Pink57]

What's weird about them is they look like they would never fit but its like a glove really.

And as I said previous post the bass wants to come out and play now vs before it was rather muffled. I am listening to Iron Man live Black Sabbath and I can hear Geezer Butler filling my skull.

pink

 

[ChroniCali]

Looks great! Great price as well!

Keep us updated on your impressions as you come upon them.

 

[Mr Pink57]

Listening to Fuzagi - Waiting Room and am noticing a nice punch from the intro Bass guitar. I am also notice nice highs from the backup female vocals its not lost in a muffle I used to experience sometimes with too much bass.

Going to try my Griffin line out dock and see how that fairs now.

pink

 

[originalsnuffy]

I had some listen hears made for my Shure E2Cs.
Great investment. Many people here did not believe me when I said the molds were included in the price. Thanks for more corroboration!

I had mine fitted at Ridgedale. That kiosk may be gone now.

 

[barleyguy]

Overall, do you feel the custom eartips are worth it for the X10's? So far, anyway?

(I just ordered X10's yesterday. I sent an email to Listen Hear just now to ask them about getting earmolds.)

EDIT: I decided to go for it. I've got an appointment for the 11th of May.

Another funny thing. When I talked to my local HearRite, they said they did 3 sets of Westones this week. Custom earphones must be the rage around here.

 

[Gothamm]

what made you decide to get customs for the x10? They are often regarded as the most comfortable IEM.

 

[barleyguy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gothamm /img/forum/go_quote.gif what made you decide to get customs for the x10? They are often regarded as the most comfortable IEM.

You probably were asking the OP, but...

I've been reading that different tips exhibit different amounts of bass and treble, and finding the right tips to get the frequency response just right for your ears can take a bit of experimentation. I figured I'd just get the custom tips and have the best performance possible.

Oh, also, Starkey only has free impressions if you live near Minnesota. You can go to the headquarters in Eden Prairie or the mall in Minneapolis. My local HearRite will do the impressions and get the molds direct for $99 though, so it's only $20 extra.

 

[scottyb06]

Hmmm..... I also live in the Twin Cities and you've triggered my curiousity. I like how my X10s sound right now, but I could see the upgrade bug hitting me soon. Then again, I might get looked at funny with custom molds in an office environment. By the way, I've only had my X10s for about a month and today pulled out my original stock iPod earbuds which I listened to for a year prior to getting aftermarket phones. While I recognize that this sounds obvious, I absolutely could not believe the difference in sound quality and was shocked that I actually listened to that crap for over a year! I'm hopeful that my X10s last a long, long time because I absolutely love them.

 

[Mr Pink57]

Quote:

Originally Posted by barleyguy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Overall, do you feel the custom eartips are worth it for the X10's? So far, anyway? (I just ordered X10's yesterday. I sent an email to Listen Hear just now to ask them about getting earmolds.) EDIT: I decided to go for it. I've got an appointment for the 11th of May. Another funny thing. When I talked to my local HearRite, they said they did 3 sets of Westones this week. Custom earphones must be the rage around here.

I have never heard of HearRite. Do you have a link to a website or a phone number for them? Post here or via pm.

Also Rush - Der Trommler is a much nicer soundstage with the new customs. I think the best way I can describe it after thinking about it is a out of head expierience. Since the IEMs do not actually sit in my ear I feel the sounstage spreads out past my shoulders vs in the center of my head. However, I have heard people stay x10s have one of the best soundstages.

pink

 

[barleyguy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Pink57 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have never heard of HearRite. Do you have a link to a website or a phone number for them? Post here or via pm. Also Rush - Der Trommler is a much nicer soundstage with the new customs. I think the best way I can describe it after thinking about it is a out of head expierience. Since the IEMs do not actually sit in my ear I feel the sounstage spreads out past my shoulders vs in the center of my head. However, I have heard people stay x10s have one of the best soundstages. pink

I can't seem to find a website for them. If you go to starkey.com and click "Find a Professional", and type "CO" for the state, and Denver for the city, there are lots of them listed there. They may be in other states as well. They seem to work closely with both Starkey and Westone.

EDIT: Soundstage is one of the primary reasons I chose the X10's. I'm all about that. My home speakers are Event ASP-8's, which have amazing soundstage. If I could equal that in an IEM, that would be great.

 

[barleyguy]

Mr Pink57,

Another question. Do you think Starkey will have any trouble doing my X10's without sending them in, since they've already done yours? I'm not sure what frame of reference you've got for that, but thought I'd ask your opinion.