[msflsim]

Sorry if this has been discussed before, but im curious as to how long you use your pair of foam sleeves before you throw them away and start using a new pair?
This goes for all IEM's that come with the foam fitting option.
Also which is the best (comfort/sound wise) foam to use? (shure universal yellow, ety big gray etc..)
Thanks
Nik

 

[jerryg]

3 years!

 

[jeffc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by msflsim Sorry if this has been discussed before, but im curious as to how long you use your pair of foam sleeves before you throw them away and start using a new pair? This goes for all IEM's that come with the foam fitting option. Also which is the best (comfort/sound wise) foam to use? (shure universal yellow, ety big gray etc..) Thanks Nik

About once a week. After a week, the plugs get "soaked" in earwax and are very yucky.

 

[gshan]

2 months so far, and no end in sight. Waxy after a few weeks of use, but a minute of cold water + soap and brand new again.

 

[Jeffreybar]

I have used foamies for up to about 3 months with fairly frequent washing. Unfortunately, the seal suffers pretty badly after the first washing, and i'd say more than a month and i've lost about 50% isolation and a lot of bass response. If they fit you, a good way to prolong foamy life is to use the Ety ER4 black foamies instead of the Shure yellow ones. They don't show up wax anywhere near as much, so they don't look as nasty. More importantly, when you wash them (and get the resulting loss in foamy elasticity), you'll lose less seal because they're longer and there's more contact surface with your ear canal. Just remember to have a spare pair on hand...they take anywhere from 24-72 hours to dry out after washing to get to usable dryness again, as opposed to just a few hours with the Shures. Wonder why that is?

 

[cire]

been using my ety foam tips for about 3 weeks...i'm not looking forward to having to buy more....

 

[Jasper994]

It really depends upon how much you are using them... I use them a lot and can't generally get more than two weeks out of them (including at least one bath in hydrogen peroxide).

 

[msflsim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeffreybar I have used foamies for up to about 3 months with fairly frequent washing. Unfortunately, the seal suffers pretty badly after the first washing, and i'd say more than a month and i've lost about 50% isolation and a lot of bass response. If they fit you, a good way to prolong foamy life is to use the Ety ER4 black foamies instead of the Shure yellow ones. They don't show up wax anywhere near as much, so they don't look as nasty. More importantly, when you wash them (and get the resulting loss in foamy elasticity), you'll lose less seal because they're longer and there's more contact surface with your ear canal. Just remember to have a spare pair on hand...they take anywhere from 24-72 hours to dry out after washing to get to usable dryness again, as opposed to just a few hours with the Shures. Wonder why that is?

I like the sound of Shures with the foamies, all the other sleeves are 'nice' (convinient) but foamies to me sound the best.
I tried washing mine after two weeks, but as u said, they loose a lot of seal and bass response..I guess ill try the long ety foams..
When i washed the yellow foams, they had to dry for a day or so before i could use them again (if u call them usable now)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cire been using my ety foam tips for about 3 weeks...i'm not looking forward to having to buy more....

Same here, i enjoy my IEM's so much, but if im gonna have to buy bags of foamies every couple of months then i need to consider and go custom mould...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasper994 It really depends upon how much you are using them... I use them a lot and can't generally get more than two weeks out of them (including at least one bath in hydrogen peroxide).

I use them every day for at least 2 hours (sometimes up to 8hrs)

 

[Otophonus]

How much are a pair for ety or shure ?

 

[setmenu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeffreybar ...they take anywhere from 24-72 hours to dry out after washing to get to usable dryness again,

Use a hair dryer!
I used to wash my ety foamies in very hot water then blast them with a hair
dryer to dry and re inflate them.
Works a treat.
But, they never return to 'as new' condition, they appear softer and slightly more
springy.
I would guess during washing and or prolonged usage some of the rubber additives
are removed and the properties change.
They don't appear to retain or regain their original properties for any length
of time after a certain amount of use or a clean.
To my ears the condition of the foamies makes a very significant difference
to the performance of the ER4, so new = best sound.
I now buy the ety foamies in bulk and just accept it as part of their overhead.
How long they last depends on mow many insertion/removal cycles they go through.
Generally I get anywhere form 2 days to two weeks depending on the above.

Needing to keep a stock of disposable [and somewhat expensive] plugs handy
is somewhat annoying but I have yet to find a better sounding solution as for
as the Etys are concerned.


Setmenu

 

[ken36]

Shure triflanges are the only way to go.

 

[abufaris]

I've just washed my E4c foamies for the first time and they are back to their original full bass capabilities. However they have changed colour slighly and I don't think they'll last too many weeks.

I looked at the price of a couple of packs of replacements and will order some. It's expensive, especially when I have to ship from North America to Australia.

I don't like consumables and this is pushing me close to the custom fit UE5's as a replacement. I'd prefer a one-off payment.

 

[nicknameless]

I have just got my E2cs. Used them about 5 times. They have a bit of earwax on them. I don't think I am going to wash them. What is the most the can hurt they will get a bit of ear wax. But I was thinking of trying the Soft Flex then you can buy seperatly. For $18 for 5 pairs CAD it is not that bad. But I don't know if they will isolate or sound as foam. Is there any other ones I can use? I know you can buy tri flanges for shures but not E2c. Is there only the orange foams the normal flex and soft flex for e2cs? What is the best way to prolong them? Very good thread BTW. Does washing reduce the sound quality much? Is there any flanges I can get for them?

 

[tucker71]

My Futuresonics 3's are my on-stage Ear monitors. (I play Bass guitar)

I put on a new pair on Thursday night (before the 1st gig of the week) and by Saturday night....I have to throw it out.

We do three sets per show. And my hands sweat a lot. That's a lot of dirt and grime on my hands that then gets transferred to the foamies.

I wish those little things were machine washable.

 

[immtbiker]

If you pour hydrogen peroxide in each ear for 5 minutes, once a week, your earwax and dirt float to the top, and out of your ear when you drain them. The popping sound lets you know it's working. If you don't hear bubble popping sound, then your ears are clean (don't use Q-Tips). This also has been proven to avoid colds and infections. I learned this from scuba diving.
My foamies last a whole winter, and I have to wash them 2 or 3 times during the summer. Warm soapy water, then a fresh water wash, and they come back to life (both Ety's and Shures).