[Jajo]

Hey guys..
 
I got my customs around a month ago after a couple refits due to pain in my ear canals.
 
Since I got them back, I still don't know if my fit is good or not. 
 
In the beginning, my right ear felt a little loose but I had a good seal judging by the "finger rubbing test."  The left ear felt nice and tight, and even felt sore after a while.  The seal was fine there also.
 
Fast forward to the last couple days, and I'm all confused.  When I first put my IEM's in, it feels like my left ear slowly adjusts to the IEM being in place.  The sound seems bad, and the seal isn't too great.  After a couple minutes, things feel fine. It feels as if my ear forms around the IEM. Meanwhile, the right piece feels great.  
 
I have also noticed that my ears produce a little bit of oil.  If I move them around a little to adjust the IEM's, the acrylic gets oily.  So I always make sure to clean the shells after and before every use.
 
So anyways, is anyone else frustrated with customs?  When they're in good, they sound outstanding.  
 

 

[koonhua90]

Hey there, I have also ordered the 16 and they should be coming by this week or early next week. I will tell you how it fits. I had made custom tips at the North Hill Hearing Aids Center, and so far the tips fit fine. The audiologist, Dr. Carol Black seems very experienced.

 

[rawrster]

Although I Have zero experience with tips they might be easier since they don't touch the majority of the ears like customs do. Actually with one side on my custom it isn't the tip area but an area surrounding the ear that needs to be redone. Although that's only a week old and no refits yet. You would think however after a couple refits it would fit fine.

 

[Jajo]

Quote:

Hey there, I have also ordered the 16 and they should be coming by this week or early next week. I will tell you how it fits. I had made custom tips at the North Hill Hearing Aids Center, and so far the tips fit fine. The audiologist, Dr. Carol Black seems very experienced.

Yeah, she seems like she knows what she's doing.  She's very nice, also.  I hope your 16's turn out super.
 
Rawster, sorry if I was unclear, but when I said IEM's, I was referring to my customs.  

 

[rawrster]

Quote:

Yeah, she seems like she knows what she's doing.  She's very nice, also.  I hope your 16's turn out super.
 
Rawster, sorry if I was unclear, but when I said IEM's, I was referring to my customs.  

And so was I
 

 

[koonhua90]

Quote:

Yeah, she seems like she knows what she's doing.  She's very nice, also.  I hope your 16's turn out super.
 
Rawster, sorry if I was unclear, but when I said IEM's, I was referring to my customs.  

 
Ya, she is nice and knowledgeable. I had done my impression there twice now, and even though I might be able to get it done nearby at UPMC, I chose to take the 1 hour bus ride to go there. If any, I'd give her the utmost recommendation. Hopefully the 16 will fit my ears like a glove. I was a tad worried since I read that your custom iem didn't turn out that fitting that well. We'll see how it goes. Ear structure also plays a big role in fit. According to her, my ears are on the small side.
 

 

[Jajo]

Quote:

And so was I
 

Oops my mistake.  Thanks for your input, though.

 

[HappyFi]

I wore customs back when I did stage work because the fit was really secure (and budgets need to be wasted on stuff), but I never really understood them for casual listening. Different strokes for different folks of course, but it seems akin to someone casually wearing olympic skier goggles for shades. Lots more surface area pressing up against your skin, meh. I don't see the SQ benefit, though obviously some customs also have excellent technology built in. Just referring to the housing itself. To each his own.

 

[mnagali]

I like customs for my "casual" listening because I am able to wear them for hours on end without my ears getting sore, much longer than any universal (even w/foams).
 
As for the housing itself having more surface area pressing against the skin, I always considered that a good thing as more contact area = more evenly distributed/decreased pressure?

 

[HappyFi]

My ears are the models by which all human ears are judged. I kid. I can see how the distributed pressure would be a good thing. By casual I just meant as opposed to professional usage. I know that personal music enjoyment is a serious affair. Maybe I'll give em another shot one of these days.