[Silverprout]

  2V RMS? That's quite a lot to be used on the go. Interesting, would be great if it can be fed directly from the DAP.

2W, my DAP (NWZ-A15) is delivering around 10mW (0.01W)
You need a powerful DAP (around 500mW minimum) but my circuit can be reduced by 80% with SMD components.

 

[raptor18]

This is why i believe we should use the correct lights our resins require,
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cewcrle7TR4
 
Since i use Egger, i will also need blue light together with UVA. The Egger LP/H manual clearly says to use EL1 (incl Plus N2) and EL2. It does not state anywhere EL4 which only contains 6 UVA lights.
 
I also had loads of problems with my UV Nail Lamp i bought from Aliexpress. The one i bought is of absolute worse quality. It wouldn't light up the Osram bulbs i bought, they would simply only blink. I had to remove the starter that is mounted inside the G23 socket of the bulbs for it to work and it seems the bulbs that comes with the ****ty aliexpress nail lamp does not contain these starters.
The lamps gets lit without a starter and i still haven't figured how this is possible yet but i can see that they aren't receiving enough current / voltage to be lit correctly. 
 
I then bought a proper UV Nail Lamp locally which has much better electronics inside with two heavy Electromagnetic ballasts. The Aliexpress version is very simple and light with no electromagnet ballasts but a very low quality electronic ballast.
 
It has taken me several days to figure this out so i feel i need to warn anyone here buying these low quality uv nail lamps.
A rule of thumb for me is that the bulbs should blink before they light up. If they don't, they don't contain a starter and then you won't know if they receive proper voltage / current. I could be wrong but i feel more comfortable this way.
 
See attached image to compare the cheap bulb without starter and the osram with a starter.

I also bought a Wax heating device from aliexpress that can barely melt the paraffin wax. I've promised myself many times before not to buy noname electronics from aliexpress.

 

[Mython]

 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Just noticed that 1964 are achieving a very substantial  large-bore=>small-bore  ratio with the tubing on their ADEL module:
 

 
 
Or perhaps they are using a moulded plastic manifold, but I can't quite see a definite junction between the two, if that is the case.
 
Or maybe the ADEL module sits in an unusually deep solid acrylic portion of the shell, with that void (at the junction of ADEL module and it's dedicated soundtube) being moulded or drilled-out of the solid acrylic.
 
I recall Starkey (now M-Fidelity) using what appear to be custom-moulded sound tubes, on the SA-43, which is a nice way of maintaining consistency across numerous customers' pairs of CIEMs. It's always struck me as strange that more CIEM vendors don't use this approach, unless BAs have a less consistent batch frequency response than one would hope. Perhaps we will see more of this approach, with the increasing momentum of 3D printing technology (in which case, it might be done as an integral feature of the printed CIEM shell itself)
 

 
 
 
...whilst I'm on the topic of peculiarities in CIEM construction, I've never noticed any CIEM maker (professional or DIY) doing what Sony did with their soundtubes, here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/739725/sony-announces-the-just-ear-brand-of-custom-iems/60#post_10993232
 

 
 
Anyone else have examples of such peculiarities not frequently seen in mainstream CIEMs?
 
 
I do appreciate that this is a DIY CIEM thread, but some cross-germination of ideas can be a positive thing, and I don't see why commercial makers should have all the fun.
 
In that spirit, here's some more food-for-thought, to get the old grey cells whirring:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/753632/introducing-the-worlds-first-lear-patented-nss-natural-stereo-sound-earphone-technology

 
 
Shotgunshane drew my attention to UE's updated UERM ('UE Pro Reference Remastered') this evening, and I noticed something similar to the earlier discussion, above, albeit presumably tuned in a different manner:
 

 
 
It continues to surprise me how few commercial CIEM-makers employ a consistent pre-configured moulded tubing assembly, like those used by Starkey/M-Fidelity, and now, UE; especially considering that 3D-printing can so easily prototype and produce such items.
 
 
 
As I see it, it could:
 

1. save significant assembly time for each pair of CIEMs
2. increase product consistency (& symmetry), in terms of internal appearance
3. increase product consistency, potentially, in terms of frequency response
4. potentially improve shock-resistance/robustness, because the BAs can be encapsulated within the tube-assembly, rather than the tubing being attached to the BAs only at the tiny nozzles (yes, I know acrylic or cyanoacrylate may be used to reinforce the joint, but still...)

 
 
 
And, as UE are (partly) demonstrating, there are tuning possibilities easily implementable in this kind of assembly which would be too much hassle if manually created on a per-CIEM basis, with conventional tubing. Examples include:
 

1. deliberately convoluting the walls of the moulded tube
2. extending the length of the moulded tube, back&forth, in a manner not viable to bend conventional tubing
3. inclusion of a resonant cavity (e.g. Helmholtz) at some juncture along the length of the moulded tube
4. tapering of the moulded tube (could be used for horn-loading or some other reason)
5. more complex combinations of the sound tube outputs from each BA in the CIEM configuration, either all in parallel, or in partial Y-combinations, etc. etc.

 
The sky's the limit, acoustically-speaking.
 
 
 
So, in spite of how few commercial CIEM-makers are currently employing this approach, I nonetheless predict an increase in popularity, in the near future.
 
.

 

[jbr1971]

Has anyone else that has been using the ballistics gel from Clear Ballistics been having trouble with air bubbles forming around the impressions after pouring?
 
I can get the gel poured fine without any significant bubbles, but it appears the interaction between the impressions and the gel is causing bubbles while it sets. Is it the large difference in temperature from the room temp moulds and the hot gel?
 
Any tips on what I can do with the impressions to keep the bubbles from forming?
 
Maybe putting the impressions in a cup of hot water beforehand to warm them up? Or curing a thin coat of fotoplast over the impressions?
 
Thanks,
 
Jody

 

[MuZo2]

As I see it, it could:  

1. save significant assembly time for each pair of CIEMs
2. increase product consistency (& symmetry), in terms of internal appearance
3. increase product consistency, potentially, in terms of frequency response
4. potentially improve shock-resistance/robustness, because the BAs can be encapsulated within the tube-assembly, rather than the tubing being attached to the BAs only at the tiny nozzles (yes, I know acrylic or cyanoacrylate may be used to reinforce the joint, but still...)

 

I have been advocating it since 2011
http://www.head-fi.org/t/616728/ciem-digital-manufacturing-hybrid-iem

 

[raptor18]

  Has anyone else that has been using the ballistics gel from Clear Ballistics been having trouble with air bubbles forming around the impressions after pouring?
 
I can get the gel poured fine without any significant bubbles, but it appears the interaction between the impressions and the gel is causing bubbles while it sets. Is it the large difference in temperature from the room temp moulds and the hot gel?
 
Any tips on what I can do with the impressions to keep the bubbles from forming?
 
Maybe putting the impressions in a cup of hot water beforehand to warm them up? Or curing a thin coat of fotoplast over the impressions?
 
Thanks,
 
Jody

You will need a pressure pot
 
http://www.smooth-on.com/Tools-Supplies-and/c1_1273/index.html
 
Edit: If you find a cheap one, tell me I found a pressure spray which can be hand pumped to 2-3 bars. I think 2-3 bars can be sufficiant.

 

[raptor18]

Can someone enlighten me how it is possible to fit 3x3.1mm holes at the tip for the medium #13 sound tubes?
 
I just tried to do a 3 x 2.4mm test drilling but couldn't do it.
 
Are the tubes shifted from 3.1mm to something smaller at the tip? I thought we wanted to the opposite for the treble tube to create a horn to extend the treble...

 

[jbr1971]

  You will need a pressure pot
 
http://www.smooth-on.com/Tools-Supplies-and/c1_1273/index.html
 
Edit: If you find a cheap one, tell me I found a pressure spray which can be hand pumped to 2-3 bars. I think 2-3 bars can be sufficiant.

 
Interesting idea. Although, at $800 there is no way I can justify that.
 
Looks like plan b will go into effect. "Painting" and curing extra layers of fotoplast over the irregularities in the shells caused by the air bubbles in the mould.
 
The first test run was quite promising as an effective way of smoothing them out.
 
After all of the tests I have done I just hope I have enough fotoplast left to get at least 1 good set of shells.

 

[MuZo2]

   
Interesting idea. Although, at $800 there is no way I can justify that.
 
Looks like plan b will go into effect. "Painting" and curing extra layers of fotoplast over the irregularities in the shells caused by the air bubbles in the mould.
 
The first test run was quite promising as an effective way of smoothing them out.
 
After all of the tests I have done I just hope I have enough fotoplast left to get at least 1 good set of shells.

Did you use wax?

 

[jbr1971]

 
Did you use wax?

 
No, I figured the hot gel would just melt it off making it not worth the trouble.
 
Or will the melted wax create enough of a barrier to help against the bubbles?
 
Could be worth a try.

 

[Squirg]

Hello HFers!  Long time lurker -- 1st post!  I told myself I wasn't going to post anything until getting through this entire thread and I feel like I know you guys now.  We should get together sometime!  I love the idea of a conference of sorts.  Anyhoo,.. here goes...
 
So, I have been procuring supplies and honing my shelling/soldering skills.  It doesn't seem like there has been a lot of discussion about hybrids here.  I have some Astrotec AX-35's which incorporate a Knowles ED driver and a 10mm Dynamic.  I like the sound, but I am a drummer and require more low end.  I just got in some CI drivers (22955) to fatten it up.  Has anyone out there done anything like this?  Add a driver to an existing set-up?  The AX-35's are small enough to put in an empty IEM shell with the CI.  But, wondering if I should open up the aluminum shell and take out the components, or simply throw the entire shell in a CIEM shell with a tube and wire up the CI in parallel (or series?), add a red filter and call it good.  Is this a dumb idea?   Any tips for wiring this up would be greatly appreciated!  I also have a set of SE215's that I am thinking of throwing into the mix.  Thoughts?...
 
Thank you for all for the inspiration!!!

 

[DanMar]

DIY plug
 

 

[DanMar]

Modified Brainwavz M5 housings with Vsonic VSD5 driver! VSD5 shell was too bulky and with no MMCX... So I used silicone mold and polyurethane Polytec EasyFlo 60 Liquid Plastic to make plastic shell with embedded connector. The sound is clean as was on VSD5. Fully sealed shell with foam stuffed back.
 

 

 

 

 

 

[Walderstorn]

Those actually look nice.

 

[ihate]

Does anyone know how to turn an earbud into in ear phone? I realized my Sennheiser MX760s sound superior to my IEMs but with zero bass and isolation. If I can find a way to attach a triple flange to it, it will be satisfying as hell. The final product should look like Panasonic's cheaper IEMs. Sort of classic big-driver earbuds with canal extensions...