[davidhunternyc]

Yes, I too think this is a fantastic post. To buy the SE530's or UE11's? That is the question. I don't own either of them but would like both of them. But if it is difficult for me just to sleep with foam ear plugs in my ears, so how would it feel with hard acrylic in my ears? I think very uncomfortable. I did read though on other posts that the UE11's were somewhat more comfortable than the UE10's though. But supposedly the UE11's "sound" better than the SE530's. Mrdeadfolx has both and he has posted comparing the two. But then again, he went to UE's headquarters and had his molds done there. So far, he seems happy with them. We need more people to chime in on this fantastic post by David Mahler.

 

[DavidMahler]

the UE11s feel the same as the UE10s......theyre made of the same acrylic shell.... I was at the factory and saw both of them made.

If you are looking for the best sounding universal money can buy at this point.....its definitely the triple fis, however the Shures are a bit more comfortable and sometimes surpass the triple fis when dealing with rock and jazz music.

By the way, if your sole experience with universals is the etymotics, please note that I find the etymotics to be the least comfortable universal.

Also note, when putting universals in your ear you don't need to shove them through the canal........that won't effect much of the seal......if there is foam blocking your ear canal from outside noise it really won't make a difference if the foam is smushed inside your canal.....why be so uncomfortable?

the amazing thing about the triplefis is that THEY DON'T NEED TO BE PUT INSIDE THE EAR CANAL......in fact they are quite big and probably can't fit in your ear canal.......its all about blocking the passage way of outside noise

The new Sonys are good too, but do not isolate nearly as well

 

[Sovkiller]

In my short experience with IEM's that is a myth IMO, you can get very good sound out of universals as well, if they fits you properly, and I still do not believe that the sound change so dramatically with custom molds, sorry....

In my case I feel more comfortable with the universals than with the customs, to be honest...of course the customs I have sound better, as they are better monitors overall, three ways, three drivers, etc...

My advice is that if you get a good fit with universals, and feel comfortable, do not bother to go any further, unless you live around the block from the manufacturer and can afford to go there for refits several times, until you get the exact fit you need, not the case in the majority of the cases according to what I have heard around here...

 

[ClieOS]

I alway think IEM's fit is a case by case, person by person's issue. IEM is so intimate that even the different movement of the jaw bone can make or break the fit. I won't be surprise to find people who can never get a good custom mold and people who can never get a comfortable seal with universal - I like to believe there is a bell curve and it is just no so easy to find out which side of the curve a person will fit in without trying out various fitting extensively.

 

[IZCool]

Also it might be worth keeping in mind that, with regards to the comfort thing, some IEM manufacturers use soft material for their customs. This may not have as many of the same problems as the acrylic (but I don't know from personal experience as I only have a pair of silicone customs). FWIW, the silicone customs are much more comfortable than any of the tips that were with my Shure E5.

 

[FrederikS|TPU]

You can get the same sound from a universal. The customs just gives you a better fit if done right. You must have some very tricky ears David since you had to take a lot of trips to the audiologists. My LWs are the most comfortable IEMs I have ever had the fit is just right, but I had to do some minor adjustments myself by adding several layers of clear nail polish.

 

[channum]

Good topic though I'm not sure it's all that revolutionary as many seem to say. If you read those humongous threads on Livewires, FreQs, or UE10/11s with an objective viewpoint you see a very clear picture: Some people find their customs the greatest thing since oxygen. These people write at length about how fantastic they are, about how wonderful they feel compared to universals, about how it's the greatest audio purchase they ever made. The rest of the people, those that actually own them, are posting about how they're sending in their customs for the Nth refit after spending a week carefully adding nail polish to determine where and how it needs built up or some analogous fit/sound issue. Some of those rest wind up returning them, a few wind up on the custom pep squad, and most seem to reach a point of "well, this seems good enough" and move on to other things neither very disappointed nor very pleased.

I became very infatuated with the idea of customs last winter after beginning to believe I wasn't going to find a universal to suit me. After I read all those threads, at first merely seeking info on which custom to go with, I realised that they weren't necessarily a fix for my problems. Once I realised I could wear UE's super.fi 5 well enough I decided it was between Livewires and TF10s, and after even more reading of tales of refits and settling on "good enoughs" for custom fits, I opted for the TF10 (which got swapped for SA6, but that's a whole other matter

).

It is a good topic, but it is stating what really should be obvious for those who do their homework: customs are for when you're willing to invest the time and money into seeking that ultimate fit IEM, not when you're simply seeking a good IEM. If you find a universal you're happy with for both SQ and fit, it seems unlikely going custom is going to net you anything but bragging rights.

 

[Sovkiller]

Well it seems that at the end the customs did not do it for me, I will try to begin the process tomorrow to return them, unless they offer me a definitive solution for the comfort, and make them sound the way I expect them to be...

 

[rlanger]

My custom e500s are light years ahead in terms of comfort from what I experienced with them as universals.

I can wear them all day long without discomfort or fatigue and also have no trouble sleeping with them.

i found with my universals, that I was constantly adjusting and readjusting them, and would have to take them out of my ears at least once every hour or so.

I think ears are much like fingerprints, each person's are unique, so everyone's experience with customs will likely also be somewhat unique.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlanger /img/forum/go_quote.gif My custom e500s are light years ahead in terms of comfort from what I experienced with them as universals. I can wear them all day long without discomfort or fatigue and also have no trouble sleeping with them. i found with my universals, that I was constantly adjusting and readjusting them, and would have to take them out of my ears at least once every hour or so. I think ears are much like fingerprints, each person's are unique, so everyone's experience with customs will likely also be somewhat unique.

The comfort is a matter of getting the right fit, but that is a big problem, as not all ear shapes are alike, and all they have is the impressions, but not your ears to check what is going on, any slightly off presure point and they become really painful, as they are solid acrylic, how many times you send then for refits before you got them right? Mine is going for the second one and still have problems...

Well I had similar problems with some IEM's as you describe, but with the Klipsch soft gels, that problem went away, I could wear them for hours, and no problems....if they just were made of a softer material that could adopt the shape of the ear, that will be great...

 

[rlanger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif The comfort is a matter of getting the right fit, but that is a big problem, as not all ear shapes are alike, and all they have is the impressions, but not your ears to check what is going on, any slightly off presure point and they become really painful, as they are solid acrylic, how many times you send then for refits before you got them right? Mine is going for the second one and still have problems... Well I had similar problems with some IEM's as you describe, but with the Klipsch soft gels, that problem went away, I could wear them for hours, and no problems....if they just were made of a softer material that could adopt the shape of the ear, that will be great...

Didn't need any refits, they were perfect the first time.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlanger /img/forum/go_quote.gif Didn't need any refits, they were perfect the first time.

Let me tell you that you were really really lucky, I do not know of any single case yet, that have not need refits, at least once, in hard acrylic molds, the ones made out of silicone are different...

 

[EyeAmEye]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif Let me tell you that you were really really lucky, I do not know of any single case yet, that have not need refits, at least once, in hard acrylic molds, the ones made out of silicone are different...

...and then there was one...or three

UE11, FreQShow & Sleek custom. All done right the first time, no refits. By myself no less.

To answer the OP's question, I wouldn't necessarily say universals can't match customs, even though I would easily place all 3 customs above all the universals I've owned (and there have been many).

 

[trickywombat]

Did not need refits with my Livewires, either. The right piece tends to lose its seal when I move my mouth, but otherwise the fit was great the first time round.

In terms of comfort, I think my Yuins are more comfortable. In terms of isolation, my ER6 gets better isolation with the flanges.

Customs, in my experience, provide a good mix of comfort, isolation and sound quality in a portable package. Customs are not the epitome of the ideal/perfect earphone.

3 things are important to get customs to work

• A perfect ear impression - an elusive goal in general
• Realistic expectations - hard sometimes given the hype and advertising
• Ears that fit the customs. Yes, they're called 'customs' because they're customized to your ears, but some ears just work better with customs than others. Individual results may vary.

 

[vii_haven]

I'd say Customs = Better Isolation. You missed out a word there. As for SQ, it really depends on the person using it. There are people who love the triple.fi and and the q-jays (and they are great IEMs), but I personally prefer the Westones, Livewires and Futuresonics sound. So SQ is really up to individual taste.