Just got Er4p...need some help with insertion, lol

[rbf1138]

Right now, they seem to droop a bit, and the only way I get the full sound, and hear bass and clarity, is if I manually hold them up a bit to aim straight into my ear...am I inserting them incorrectly, or is my ear canal too small to support them? Any help/tips are appreciated.

They also feel a bit large in my ears...somehwat pressurized, and a little painful...will this go away? Do people typically adjust to this?

 

[JeffS]

I have the 6i's not the 4p's but they use the same tripple flange tip.
There are a couple of things that may help.
Moisten the tips. Many people just give them a quick lick.
I've had good experience using a little dab of purel hand sanatizer
as well as chapstick overnight treatment.

The chapstick overnight (purple squeeze tube) was recommended because
it include a silicone based lubricant that uses the same ingredient found in specalized products.

This will help them slide in deeply to get the good seal and support themselves. The better the seal, the better the bass.
The commonly suggested method to check for seal is to rub your fingers
together firmly next to your earlobe. If you hear a sound, it's not sealed.

The pain should subside within a week of listening depending on how often you use them. Canal phones take a bit of time to get used to, but once you do, it's a great experience.

As far as adjusting to it, it's been said in this forum that the etys don't burn in, YOU burn in. Your ears aren't used to having anything that large that deep in there. (uhm....you know what I mean)

Definitely use the shirtclip to hold the cord steady. This will reduce weight on
the drivers in your ears, as well has help reduce microphonics.

Lastly I believe that the 4p should have come with multiple tip styles. Try them all until you find one that you like. Everbody has different ears so it's a bit of trial and error to get the best fit for each individual.

hope this helps.
-Jeff

 

[rbf1138]

thanks for the tips...I've been trying the foamies also, but they dont seem to become compact enough when i roll em down, and the plastic inside pokes my ear when i insert them...i know i have to be patient with getting these to fit right...I'm just getting nervous I'm going to end up sending em back. Can anyone tell me what the Shure E3cs feel like compared to these, as far as comfort goes? I think I have relatively small ear canals, so that may give you an idea of what might fit me best. Thanks again.

 

[mbk]

Also, make sure you're using the "arm-over-the-head earlob tug" insertion method. Basically, use your free hand to reach over and pull the top of your ear up and out and then insert them with your other hand. This ensures that the tip goes in nice and far, which should prevent them from falling out. Also, it doesn't build up as much pressure because you're letting the canal seal after the phone is inserted.

 

[rbf1138]

I should add...my mom's an audiologist. I guess having custom made plugs would solve this problem completely, wouldnt it...How much will that cost me, once she takes the molds?

 

[mbk]

You could actually get custom molds for the ER-4P from Sensaphonics. That would be far cheaper:
http://www.sensaphonics.com/etymotic.html

Custom IEMs will cost you $550 for Ultimate Ears UE5c, $750 for Sensa Prophonic 2X-S, or $900 for UE10Pro.

Edit: Oh wait, were you referring to custom molds for the ER-4Ps? Oops. Sensa doesn't seem to post prices on their site and I don't know how much they'd cost. You could call them and ask if nobody on here knows.

 

[jpelg]

I recently got a set of Comply Ear tips for my ER4p's. I've always used the white silicone tips, but wanted to try something more comfortable for longer use. So far I like the Comply tips a lot. Very comfortable, and nice sound. Slightly rolled off as compared to the stock tips, which is actually a good thing.

I ordered them from Westone Labs. FYI.

 

[jesse_w]

Are they washable? I just looked at Westone's site and it appears the UM2s only comes with those tips... Which would mean they have no long lasting tips. If they're the same tips you have though the Ety tri-flanges should work..?

jesse

EDIT: OT, it sounds like you don't have them in quite far enough but they're sealing too much where you've got them. IME if it feels pressurized they're not in right. When I have them in I can just feel a little (maybe half at most) of the last flange sticking out. If you get them in this way and then it feels 'pressurized' try breaking the seal by pulling them up or around without pulling them out further, or maybe pull up on your ear to equalize the pressure. You just have to work them around a little bit sometimes to get it right. Once you get them in correctly though, you should know immediately. You shouldn't feel any pressure, and they should feel firmly in place when you move your head.

 

[JeffS]

I talked to someone over and Sensa about 2 weeks ago. the custom molds for the etys are 150 (not counting what your audiologist charges for the impressions).

Since your mom does it, I'm guessing there wouldn't be an extra charge. I'm in
chicago, so I can just walk to their offices...

good luck.
-Jeff

 

[rbf1138]

150 is a bit much for me to spend...how do the shur e3cs fit in the ear compared to the etys? Smaller phone?

I do believe I've got the seal corect, and they do sound great...but, theyre kind of fatiguing. I get a headache from them...damn

 

[DanT]

The shure e3c and the ety-4 tips can be interchangeble. In fact I'm using shure foamy right now with my etymotics they are slightly shorter., Ety has also small size foamy, for small ears, I never tried the shure tho

 

[mbk]

Yeah I found them very fatiguing. That's not uncommon. The E3c's small silicone tips might fit your ear better if the tri-flange is not going in far enough. You might also want to try Ety's small foam tips. You can see them here:
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er4-acc.asp

 

[Jon L]

try the bi-flange mod or foamy mod for the Ety's.

Bi-flange mod is when you cut off the smallest flange of the tri-flange, which puts the opening right in line with beginning of the in-line ety filter. I find this to be easier to insert/seal in MY ears with less long-term discomfort. Sound 'may' be slightly better.

I don't like foamies for sonics, but you could cut a little off, too.

 

[rbf1138]

Ok, frankly, I'm just not liking the feel of these phones. They gave me the worst headache ever last night, and I can't seem to do any better today, so they're going back. Now, I'm thinking about trying the Shure E3cs...how do they compare comfort-wise to the Etys? How do they feel compared to Sony EX70/71s? Thanks.

 

[Elec]

You should give the Etys a month or two before you give up on them. It took me about that much time to get used to mine. At first they gave me headaches and made my ears hurt or itch. This goes away after a while. It also took me some time to get used to the sound. My main headphones were Sennheiser HD545s and going from them to the Etys, I found the Etys to be kinda sterile and boring. After using them almost exclusively for a week or two, I went back to the Senns and was amazed at how fat and thick and almost overly-warm they sounded. It's all relative to what you're used to.

I prefer the foam tips, as the white silicone ones make my ears itch and sometimes create an unpleasant pressurized feeling like you described. I agree about trying the bi-flange method, if you're not worried about "wrecking" a pair of tips. They won't go in as far but may seal better because the first flange going in is larger.