[Phos]

Ordinary IEMs don't seem very comfortable to me.  I believe it has something to do with how my ear canals appear to be about twice as tall as they are wide.  I know that because I got a set of custom ear plugs recently.  Because of this, small foam tips aren't secure and medium foam tips form a pressure point, and the silicone tips are much the same.  
 
So that's why I'm looking around for other options.  Are custom tips for normal IEMs at all common?  I don't see them brought up very often, so I assume there are some kind of disadvantage to them?  (Or maybe just lower margins)  Are there any IEMs with stock tips that are proportioned like my ear canal?  I didn't pay much attention at the time, but I seem to recall the older Ultimate Ears universal fits to have elongated tips.  I've seen both silicone and hard acrylic IEMs, what are the advantages and disadvantages of these materials?  
 
I still have the impressions from the ear plugs, but they were done closed mouth so I don't think they're very deep.  

 

[Phos]

Lil' bump, does anyone need more information to give a hand?  

 

[schof]

I am sorry if this is completely obvious, but have you tried comply's? I have been really pleasantly surprised with them. If you haven't tried them, I'd recommend giving them a shot. I don't know anything about the shape of your canals(hehe that sounds dirty), but my fiance has TINY ear canals, and even for her the comply's are comfortable.
 
Again, sorry if this is too stupid of a response, I am fairly new here.

 

[strannik]

Custom sleeves huh.. wow those aren't exactly common. Usually when people talk custom they go all out and buy full custom IEMs. Only place I know that makes those is 1964 ears, well regarded company here: http://www.1964ears.com/products_customsleeves.html
I'm sure other companies make them as well, I just haven't heard, like I said, not too common.
 
That will set you back $100 though, plus shipping and any costs if your current impressions aren't good enough. 
 
My ears are weird as hell as well, I've tried just about every type of tips for universal IEMs, including complys as schof mentioned. Complys are definitely the most comfortable tip I've had, though their durability isn't great and I found the sound to be a little off. Try them, they might work out great.
 
 
Quote:

Ordinary IEMs don't seem very comfortable to me.  I believe it has something to do with how my ear canals appear to be about twice as tall as they are wide.  I know that because I got a set of custom ear plugs recently.  Because of this, small foam tips aren't secure and medium foam tips form a pressure point, and the silicone tips are much the same.  
 
So that's why I'm looking around for other options.  Are custom tips for normal IEMs at all common?  I don't see them brought up very often, so I assume there are some kind of disadvantage to them?  (Or maybe just lower margins)  Are there any IEMs with stock tips that are proportioned like my ear canal?  I didn't pay much attention at the time, but I seem to recall the older Ultimate Ears universal fits to have elongated tips.  I've seen both silicone and hard acrylic IEMs, what are the advantages and disadvantages of these materials?  
 
I still have the impressions from the ear plugs, but they were done closed mouth so I don't think they're very deep.  

 

 

[Phos]

I haven't tried comply tips yet, I'll need to give them a shot.  If that doesn't work, I found out recently that Westone also makes custom tips.  
 
Edit: And does anyone know what the advantages/disadvantages of different custom materials are?  

 

[strannik]

Search is your friend  These two threads might be informative:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/537437/acrylic-vs-silicon-housing-for-custom-iem
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/426008/how-long-will-our-customs-last-vinyl-vs-silicon
 
Quote:

Edit: And does anyone know what the advantages/disadvantages of different custom materials are?  

 

 

[ZeNmAc]

The discontinued klipsch custom series has eartips that are more tall than they are wide.  Elliptical shaped (parabaloid-ish to be correct

).  I always had problems with iems slipping out for anything besides very shallow insertion.  My klipsch custom 3's seem to fit pretty well.  I think one of my ear canals is slightly larger than the other, just enough so that the left ear is harder to get a seal with.  Biflanges fix that problem since there are two places for a seal to be made, so even if the first one doesn't seal on the left side, the second does.
 
With that said, custom 3's are discontinued and have an annoying cable.  You may have better results with real customs, or the westone custom tips.

 

[Phos]

Thanks for all the help, I'm interested in the sensaphonics bundle with the SE425, partly for the iPhone compatible replacement cable.