[Jam_Master_J]

Regarding the whole punching. I had a coulpe foams from a different brand and couldn't get it to punch out well. Since I've got so many foams coming I'm willing to sacrifice a few to find the best method.

We have a big freezer out in my garage so I could soak them in water and then freeze them. Then I could drill a nice clean hole hopefully.

I was also thinking of finding a beaker/water column of the same radius as the fully expanded foamies. I could then drop a few down the column and compress, and freeze them. Then drill the compressed ones several at at time.

 

[noorudeenshakur]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobZoron Other tips for making your tips: 1. Use a hair dryer to accelerate the re-expansion of freshly-punched foamies. 2. Cut the tubing to be just a smidge shorter than the foamies' inner hole (too short and the foam will keep expanding in your ear canal -- cutting out the sound. Too long and the tubing will scratch your ear canal (ouch!)). 3. Secure your cut piece of tubing at the end of a micro screwdriver. Slip the foam halfway onto the tubing. Before setting the foamie flush with the tubing, use a toothpick to apply some crazy glue to the inside wall of the foamie. Before the glue sets, slide the foam onto the tubing the rest of the way. Come back with a hair dryer to set the glue and re-expand the foamie. /the more you know...

Those are fantastic tips. When using a blow dryer I put the foam in a shoe to keep it from flying away and in like a minute they were back to fully expanded! Awesome pointer. thanks

I agree its always best to cut the tubing a little smaller and not go for perfectly flush. Also a drop of crazy glue on the outside before putting the into the foam works superwell for holding them in place.

I find that I get better sound from using 3/4th the foam earplug instead of half like from Shure. It prvides better isolation and sound in my opinion. Nothing compares to the isolation you get from homade foamies.

 

[BobZoron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by noorudeenshakur ... I put the foam in a shoe to keep it from flying away...

I can only imagine how badly the foamie must smell after doing that.

I find that putting foamies on a microscrewdriver can serve that purpose well. Either that or set them in the bottom of a glass and wedge the dryer so that it partially covers the opening.

one thing i have noticed: the foamies will lose their elasticity much more quickly if the hairdryer is used too often. as in every day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by noorudeenshakur I find that I get better sound from using 3/4th the foam earplug instead of half like from Shure.

I'll try this next time around. I just have no idea what to do with the last 1/4. Surely, they'd make pretty silly earplugs by themselves, if they didn't get stuck in the ear canal altogether (yikes!).

As nice as it is to work with the original material, i think i'll try the Hearos xTreme next time. It features a higher NRR and a softer foam that doesn't snap, crackle and pop everytime I open my jaw.

Quote:

Originally Posted by noorudeenshakur ... homade ...

I quite agree. Foamies made by 'Hos are simply the best.

 

[campbell]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobZoron As nice as it is to work with the original material, i think i'll try the Hearos xTreme next time. It features a higher NRR and a softer foam that doesn't snap, crackle and pop everytime I open my jaw.

I've been using a very similar ear plug for my home made foamies, mostly because they are the closest to what etymotic sell. Mine are almost as good as the original; they sound just as good, however they don't seem to isolate quite as much (but still more then the standard shure tips because they are longer). Still pretty good though.

 

[xlEnt]

LOL the last plug you mentioned remind me of some other kind of plugs.... lol and in your caption you described as "cool to experiment with" lol I apologise for my immature humor.

 

[BobZoron]

I got the chance to test a preview of the prototype shure is working on for their black, washable foamies. All I can say is Wow. They look absolutely stealthy when paired with my black e4s and do a good job of not popping everytime I open my jaw. Still, the fit and comfort leave something to be desired. My right canal is a little larger, and therefore, is a little more accomodating of larger foamies. Thus, the fit is tolerable in that one, if not downright pleasant.

My left canal, however, is a little smaller and less tolerant of big plugs. Although the black foamie will settle in there ok, I can only leave it in for about 10 minutes without feeling pained. I guess I'm feeling the firmness of the foamie stretch my canal in all directions. Maybe Shure could come up with a foamie that's either smaller with the same firmness or the same size but is slightly softer.

I absolutely love the fact that they're washable and can last longer than the regular yellow foamies. I love shure and am indebted to them for their generosity and innovation. But my dollar, like my ear canal, can only stretch so far.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Shure and I don't really have "contacts" there, per se. I just really enjoy their products and am glad that they're continuing make their products better.

 

[craftech]

Quote:

Originally Posted by craftech [Well, I didn't *think* they did - until I tried to remove it! The foam came off easily, but I can't get the tube off! Still, this probably won't matter, since (for me) it is easy to leave the tube on the earpiece and slide the foamie onto the tube. I wonder if, long-term, the thicker tube would put pressure on the sound tube and possibly crack it?] ============== Dvallere, What exact size tubing would you then recommend for the Ultimate Ears so that this doesn't happen? You said make a 1/4" hole in the foam and insert tubing with a 3/16" ID. If that is too tight, what size would you recommend? Thanks

Anybody?

 

[noorudeenshakur]

Quote:

Originally Posted by craftech Anybody?

I wish I could help you out. My suggestion is to take a measurement of the original UE plastic tubes that were originally in the foam. I would take a guess that 1/4 " tubing for a 1/4" hole would be what you need. I use 1/8 tubing for my 1/8 hole for my UM2's


The best thing about making you own foamis is there is so much variety in materials to experiment with. Given the variety of ear sizes and shapes of canals you are bound to find one thats just perfect for you and works better than originals.

 

[noorudeenshakur]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobZoron I quite agree. Foamies made by 'Hos are simply the best.

lol.......probably more of a freudian slip than an english as a second language one.......still.....it is funny.

LMAO

Fo Sho...Foamies made by Ho's is da bomb

 

[dvdonly]

Quote:

What exact size tubing would you then recommend for the Ultimate Ears so that this doesn't happen? You said make a 1/4" hole in the foam and insert tubing with a 3/16" ID. If that is too tight, what size would you recommend?

Craftech, with regards to tubing size for the ultimate ears, I measured my sf5pro nozzle and found it to be 6mm (or roughly .236"). So 3/16 will be too tight and most likely 1/4" will be too loose. I do believe you can find 6mm tubing.

NOTE: I haven't made any DIY foamies, just helping you out with the measurements. If you have success in making them, please post your experience here for all of us UE users

 

[craftech]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvdonly Craftech, with regards to tubing size for the ultimate ears, I measured my sf5pro nozzle and found it to be 6mm (or roughly .236"). So 3/16 will be too tight and most likely 1/4" will be too loose. I do believe you can find 6mm tubing. NOTE: I haven't made any DIY foamies, just helping you out with the measurements. If you have success in making them, please post your experience here for all of us UE users

Thanks for that. I think what I will try is 6mm ID rubber vacuum tubing (it will stretch as well). I think I have some for automotive work. If not I will try drilling out the 3/16" ID vinyl tubing with a 6mm drill bit and see if that works. Will post back the results.

Thanks again.

 

[dvallere]

Quote:

Originally Posted by craftech Anybody?

Yikes, sorry; I sold all my IEMs and haven't revisited this thread. But I got another pair of UM2 today so decided to reread this and try to make foamies for them. The tubing on the Comply tips is a bit funky, so I am simply pilfering the Comply tubing and sticking it into the new Moldex modded plugs.

Anyway, I'd guess that a 1/4 i.d. tube would probably be better for the Super.fi foamies, since the 3/16 was just a tiny bit too snug. In the long run the o.d. of the tube (and hole in the foamie) probably doesn't matter, as long as the tube fits into the foamie hole and the earpiece stalk fits into the i.d. of the tube.

That's just guesswork, though, because I don't have the Super.fi anymore to test.

Good luck,

D.

 

[jSatch]

I love this thread. I'm hooked on giving it a go with another set of phones, iM716s.

BTW- the Ear Plug Store, who is a sponser of Head-fi (see sponser list on top of this page), carries the E-A-R Classics in several size packages (from 1 pair to several thousand), and in different sizes (small, med, large).

They also carry a wide variey of other earplugs. Take a look at their comparison page ( http://earplugstore.com/foam_plug_information.htm ). Very similar plugs to several pre-made eartips. I've ordered several models and hope to experiment soon.

Their prices are very reasonable, and they support Head-fi. 'Nuff said.


(FYI- my only relation with the Ear Plug Store is the order I just placed)

 

[beedee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvallere I've been playing around with the swirly color earplugs by Moldex (which is a pretty gross sounding name, eh?) for my Super.fi 5 Pro and am pleased to announce I've finally gotten it (though I am using tubing from my old UE foamies; haven't gotten around to buying new tubing yet). The hole punch for Super.fi needs to be 1/4" and the tubing will need an inside diameter of 3/16". I am cutting the earplugs roughly in half (not being exact, but making them a little longer than the stock UE foamies). Right now I have the first successful one in my right ear. Sound quality is seemingly even better than before, and bass is increased. I might say "improved," but most of my stuff is rock. My whole ear canal can feel the bass now; previously the feeling of the bass was like being tapped inside the ear with a pencil. Now it's really a tiny bassy thump throughout my ear. Also, these are way softer than the UE foamies, which always seem like brillo pads in my ears. Going to Ace Hardware tomorrow for tubing! 9 cents a pair, yeah! (Compare to $3.30 a pair when shipped from UE. Ugh.) Thanks again, noor!

My first attempt to ditch those (IMO) lame UE foamies. These are definitely a primitive prototype. Practice makes perfect!! I found some AOSafety disposable E-A-R Plugs and cut them in half. I used primitive tools found around the office--1/16"dia. steel rod, 1/8"dia. steel rod & modified clip to keep the foamie compressed flat. I used the heat method (cigarette lighter approx. 20 sec.).The 1/16" rod was heated and poked through first. Then the heated 1/8" rod followed. Using a clean 1/8" rod, I cleaned out all of the excess foam debris. After allowing the foam to fully expand I used my hole expansion tool (a couple of modified paper clips) to temporarily expand the hole to insert the plastic tubing. Both of my UE foamies had separated from the inner plastice tubing, so I'm using those with no glue to hold them and they stay in fine. I'm thinking McGyver, but my wife thinks my methods are more like Fred Flinstone.

Oh well, the result is much more isolation, warmer sound, better comfort, and they are much easier to insert IMO. The stock UE foamies don't compress long enough to get them in your ears well IMO. Anyway, just wanted to share. Here's a pic.

 

[jSatch]

I’ve been experimenting with 3 DIY foamies: E-A-R Classics, the yellow ones that look similar to the Large Ety ER4 tips; Hearos super soft, supposively similar to the Westone Comply tips; and the 3m 1100s, which to me appear similar to the picture of the ETY ER6i medium size foam tips.

Construction: I found that compressing the earplugs like a coin and then drilling did not give the best results. Maybe others fared better with hole punchers. In fact, the very soft Hearos plugs never retained their original shape and ended up looking like a piece of Juicy Fruit gum on a tube.

I then tried the (excellent) advice of Sugarfried and froze the plugs. Pretty simple- squeeze the plugs, throw them in water until they expand, then toss them into the freezer. Even the contoured tips of the Hearos and the 3M 1100s were easy to work with like this. In a rigid, frozen state they are also easier to cut shorter, if you wish. Thank you Sugarfried!!! But please wear gloves, in case you slip.

After they dried I tried crazy gluing the tubes into the E-A-R Classics. The glue ruined the foam as well as the elasticity of the tube. I would recommend cutting a smaller, tighter hole and nixing the glue. Unless someone can recommend another glue that works well.

The Sound: The E-A-R Classics sound remarkably similar to the supplied, stock foamies of my Altec iM716s (Etymotic clones). Except for color (the iM716s are black), they also look and feel alike.

Very different from the coarse, open cell PVC foam of the E-A-R Classics are the smoother, less stiff urethane derivatives. The Hearos are very soft and comfy. These are purportedly similar to the Westone Comply tips. I see why they are so loved. But these were just too small for me. Note: my left ear requires a large size tip (foam or flange), whereas my right a medium. The 3M 1100s are denser than the Hearos. Importantly, the bass and fundamentals really came out with these. Vocals and mids had more dimension, a fuller, rounder sound. They were noticeably (to my ears) better than the other foamies, or the silicon flange tips. I think this difference may not be entirely due to fit as the stock foamies, E-A-R classics, the flange tips and the 3M 1100s all fit equally well. I think the urethane is the difference. Maybe this is part of the nice, warm frequency balance the Westone UMs are noted for. I did have to maneuver these around a bit to get the sweet spot. Kind of like Play-Dough though. I just needed to push the edges of these in against my ear canal, even after they expanded (which takes awhile with these), a little more for a better seal. Maybe due to my large ear canal.

The iM716 has a bass / high definition switch. I found the bass in HD with these tips to be about equal of that of the supplied tips, the E-A-R Classics, and the modified tri-flanges (I cut off the smallest flange) in Bass mode, with possibly a warmer overall sound in HD than the others in the Bass mode as it impacted more of the frequency range. These phones have substantial bass now. I’m having fun skipping around my whole catalog. Everything sounds nicer, fuller, less analytic, even though the transient speed of these drivers is still apparent.

Another potential advantage may be, I’m not sure yet, longevity. The open cell structure of the PVC (eg., E-A-R Classics) tips may tend to have fewer cycles of compression and expansion than the denser celled urethane tips. There have been many complaints regarding the longevity of foam tips on this site. I don’t know if anyone ever compared longevity with material (eg, PVC vs. Urethane).

Later-

PS- From what I've said, I would suspect the urethane Hearos would yield the same beneficial effects as the 3Ms, assuming you don't have a very large ear canal.