[AudioDwebe]

How long do customs last, exactly? And for that matter, how long have custom IEMs been around?

I keep reading that in about four years or so, they'll no longer fit properly and require a refit. Then, I'll read in another thread (or even the same one) that customs last longer than what's typically mentioned 'round here, i.e. approximately four years.

Has any member here had a custom IEM that has continued to sound like new AND fit well beyond the aforementioned four year timeframe?

I'm unsure of the history of Head-Fi, but occasionally will see members who have joined circa 2002. So my assumption is that Head-Fi is at least about seven years old. Were custom IEMs available at that time for audiophile use, or were they strictly made for musicians' monitoring purposes?

Is anyone aware of any conclusive evidence showing custom longevity, or is it going to be one of those things that no one really knows because people generally upgrade and move on before the custom's useful lifespan?

Thanks.

'Dwebe

 

[Sennshead]

that's a tough question to answer. It seems that there has been some discussion about this lately. The custom tips don't change, but if you believe the audiologists, your ear canal will change, and I've heard it said that you can expect to need a "check-up" about 1xper year. I don't think that your ears are going to change that much in a year unless you're going through some big growth spurt or something, but who knows...you might just give one of them a call...I don't think people usually change their hearing aids every year, and that seems to be the same kind of thing.

 

[Berlioz]

This question has been asked a few times before, and I did quite a bit of research into it. Assuming that you're past growing (over 25 on the conservative side of things), then you will not outgrow your custom molds.

I'm not quite sure how this rumour started, but it's just not possible. Ask any manufacturer of custom IEM's, or better yet, ask any hearing aid manufacturer, and they will tell you the same thing. Young children will outgrow their hearing aids extremely quickly, and an improper fitting may become more and more uncomfortable after a while, but those are really the only cases I can think of.

People generally replace their headphones due to wear, or (around here at least) because something better has been released.

I advise you though, to not believe a word that I say, and simply send off some emails to the people who really know (audiologists, IEM and hearing aid manufacturers, etc.). They will give you the truth. There are a lot of opinions floating around on these forums about the issue, and some of them are regrettably inaccurate. Just as people come to us when they want to learn about audio, you should go to the pros when you want to learn about ear canal growth. Hope that helps.