How do you store/transport your IEMs?
Jan 9, 2010 at 1:36 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 12

tidalwav1

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I recently acquired a pair of Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10's, which (from what I can see) seem to be discussed an awful lot in this IEM sub-forum on Head-Fi.
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I'm very impressed with the Triple.fis. What leaves a little to be desired is the carrying case that UE provides with the headphones.

To fit the headphones in the case, the cable has to be coiled tightly around a few fingers. This puts mechanical stress on the cable, as it won't bend around its own hard rubber fittings located where the split occurs. Then the relatively large IEMs themselves have to be positioned inside the loop of cable so that they won't get crushed when the case lid is closed. This puts more unnecessary stress on the cables right where they attach to the IEMs.

The headphones were a not-so-small investment that I'd like to be able to protect with a case when they're not in my ears, but getting them in the case is an annoying, cumbersome process that surely reduces the useful life of the cable. (I read before purchasing Triple.fis that that many owners end up having cable problems and buying replacement cables, even when the headphones are treated well.)

Another thought: If I wanted to spring for custom molded earpieces for the Triple.fis in the future, they would have no hope of fitting in their factory-provided case.

So...how do you store/transport your IEMs when you're not using them? Am I being totally anal/too careful? Do you throw them in a backpack and hope for the best? Are there better case alternatives? Any specific pointers for the Triple.fis would be appreciated.
 
Jan 9, 2010 at 1:42 AM Post #2 of 12
I also wrap up my IEMs (both PFE and Super Fi 5s) and put them in the included plastic case that came with the UE SF 5s. I don't really like wrapping them like this and I have had splitting of the cable on the UEs.....

I would say to try to keep them in the best shape that you can though to prolong the life of them; cables are IMO the easiest thing to fix in IEMs... also the easiest to mess up.
 
Jan 9, 2010 at 1:52 AM Post #3 of 12
the cable doesnt have to be coiled tightly to fit. i just wrapped them in like a circle and they fit just fine. ive found the UE case pretty impressive tho. i think they are the best case included for iem's that ive experienced before.
 
Jan 9, 2010 at 1:55 AM Post #5 of 12
There are various size cases available. Try Amazon. I picked up a clam shell case for $7 that is 2 1/2 inches in diameter. My brother got one that is twice the size from earphonesolutions.com. You just have to look around.
 
Jan 10, 2010 at 7:41 AM Post #6 of 12
I actually searched online for cable wrapping methods once. I used to wrap my ER6s in a small figure 8 around my index and ring finger, then coiling several inches in a tight bind around the middle. I don't do that anymore, as it bends the cables more than a freakshow contortionist. Besides, when I got my Turbines I grimaced at the thought of having to wrap their cables in that fashion. The Turbines' cable is quite stiff with a rubbery composition like Apple's pack-ins, and Etymotic uses a very thin, plastic cable that bends easily.

Anyways, I now use an 'over-under' loop that you can probably find using an Internet search engine. It's like a regular circle, but doesn't tangle easily because of how it's done. I also take care to store them in their included pouches in a way so that the splitter and jack are not under any stress, and that when the earphones go in the middle of the loop, I make sure that the part I'm bending is the cable itself rather than putting stress on the earphones' strain reliefs.

And as you can see by the gratuitous length of this post, which is supposed to be on a fairly trivial matter, I have a bit of an obsessive-compulsive complex. But hey, that pairs well with audiophilia, don't you think?

By the way, tidalwav1, how do the TripleFi 10s sound? I've been thinking of a pair after seeing prices as low as $150 on Amazon.com.
 
Jan 10, 2010 at 8:53 AM Post #9 of 12
Quote:

Originally Posted by 12345142 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I used to wrap my ER6s in a small figure 8 around my index and ring finger, then coiling several inches in a tight bind around the middle.


I used to use the "Devil Horns" method on my Apple IEMs: Keep headphone wires from getting tangled - Music - Lifehacker

Quote:

Originally Posted by 12345142 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Anyways, I now use an 'over-under' loop that you can probably find using an Internet search engine.


I did some Googling and this method seems to treat the cord very gently...I'll have to try it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by 12345142 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
And as you can see by the gratuitous length of this post, which is supposed to be on a fairly trivial matter, I have a bit of an obsessive-compulsive complex. But hey, that pairs well with audiophilia, don't you think?

By the way, tidalwav1, how do the TripleFi 10s sound? I've been thinking of a pair after seeing prices as low as $150 on Amazon.com.



I do think! I have a very similar issue...after all, I did start a thread here about transporting headphones.
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I bought the Triple.fis from Amazon.com as well when they were on sale for $99, and they sound amazing. When I first tried them, I couldn't get a good seal and was worried that it would be impossible to fit them into my ears properly, but using the included Comply foam tips solved that issue. A long time ago, I was a fan of emphasized bass, but the Triple.fis are very well balanced and seem to reproduce music as it was meant to be heard. I was amazed at the difference in sound compared to my Apple IEMs, which are still decent in their own right. I'll put it this way: I paid a fraction of the retail price on Amazon for the Triple.fis, but if something happened to them, I'd buy another pair in a heartbeat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mambo5
I use an altoids tinny. Works great.


Good call! I'm surprised I didn't think of that either. I've used Altoids tins for countless other projects (including housing the Mini-CMoy headphone amp!) so it's only logical to use them to store IEMs as well. I'll have to buy more altoids and try that out.
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Jan 10, 2010 at 9:13 AM Post #10 of 12
I wrap them up and store in the carrying case they came with. Easy and secure.
 
Jan 10, 2010 at 10:50 PM Post #11 of 12
Quote:

Originally Posted by mambo5 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I use an altoids tinny. Works great.


Yeah, I used an Altoids tin when I couldn't find my pouch. When I actually lose a pouch or get a pair that doesn't come with a case (God forbid), I'll probably resort to it. Although a few of my classmates have opened the tin, hoping to steal some mints before.
 
Jan 10, 2010 at 10:56 PM Post #12 of 12
I purchased the Sansa 3-in-1 kit. My Fuze goes in the (p)leather case, attached to my Tomahawk. My IEMs go in the hard shell case that comes with the kit.
 

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