[grandcross]

I know this has been asked several times already, but I've heard two different ways of cutting the triflange and I'm not exactly sure which method is better.

well, I just recieved my shure e4cs and they came with triflanges. I put them on and they're better then even the foamies/soft flex sleeves, IMO. Problem is, they hurt quite a bit. Since I have small ears (only the smallest flex sleeves work in my ear), how would I cut the triflange so it fits my ear better?

- cut the largest flange
- cut the smallest flange

I'd think the largest flange...but I'm not sure yet. And are there any disadvantages/advantages of cutting flanges other then comfort?

 

[solvexyz]

You also could modify the sound signature a little bit. That is why I got several ert triflanges and try to mod it differently and find out which one suits me the best.

 

[NiceCans]

I would decide based on how far the tips go into your ear . . . . . if they go in deep enough to cause discomfort then cut off the Small tip, if they do not go in too deep but feel too large, then cut off the Large tip.
That's what I did with my Ety tri-flanges.

 

[BRBJackson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grandcross are there any disadvantages/advantages of cutting flanges other then comfort?

Trimming the tri-flanges moves the driver further into the ear, which many folks (myself included) find improves SQ.

 

[TWIFOSP]

The triflanges hurt my ears too, they went in too far, didn't seal properly. I would have given up on them completely if I didn't already have a good experience with Ety triflanges.

In short:

I wouldn't suggest cutting the flanges off until you've cut the stalk first. Also, I wouldn't suggest cutting the larger flange, at all. This one is probably the most important to getting a good seal. I personally find that a 2 flange (smallest cut off) fits fairly well, but the seal is intermitent and 3 flanges sound best.

In long:

I've cut several pairs of the Shure tri-flange and here are my experiences:

1. Cut the smallest flange off.
This fit a whole lot better, but the stalk was still too long and the seal still wasn't a good one for my ear. The edge of the e5c was not pressing up against my ear.

2. So I cut the stalk a little bit. I now had a shortened stalk with 2 flanges. This fit pretty good, and I used this for some time until I decided to order a couple more tri flanges to mess with.

3. Leave all 3 flanges on, and trim the stalk a little bit at a time. I ended up cutting about 2 cms off of it. My goal was to get the plastic portion of the e5 directly against my ear, while not having the tri-flange in too far. I cut a little bit at a time, only doing one ear at a time so I could compare the lengths back and forth.

I ended up with a really good seal that I can break my raising my eyebrows. This was good since I use them in public a lot and can hear outside noise at a moments notice.

I tried another set by doing a longer stalk and trimming it down to a 2 flange again, and the fit was fine, but I prefered the sound and details of the triflange better.

My suggestions if you only have one pair:

Try cutting the stalk to size first. Cut a little bit off of one, and keep going until it feels right. Then do the same to the other one. I wouldn't cut the flange off until you've experimented with cutting the stalk. I'm fairly certain that Shure makes the stalks entirely too long on purpose so you can custom fit them to your own liking. If not, then most peopels ear canals are 2x as long as mine

Your mileage may vary, so just experiment until you have a good fit. After getting my tri-flanges perfect, I prefer them in both sound and isolation over any of the shure foamies. The ety foamies, however, on the shures, are better. But I prefer being able to break the seal of the tri-flanges.

Happy listening.

 

[solvexyz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TWIFOSP I ended up with a really good seal that I can break my raising my eyebrows. This was good since I use them in public a lot and can hear outside noise at a moments notice.

Haha, I guess you will be constantly raising your eyebrows. Got to watch you doing that

I gotta have to try something like that. I can not use my shure e4c at the office due to that I can not hear anything around me, and I hope I can have a successful mode like that.