[ComfyCan]

After reading this thread last night, http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=192439 , I spent a couple of hours fooling around with different tips and the E500's. I discovered something really interesting; you can make these things sound quite different by simply changing the tips.

First, a bit of background. In the past, (w/ E4c's or E3c's), I only used Shure yellow foam tips because that was the *only* way I could get any bass. I would use a modified flange tip for exercise, but that was to avoid turning foamies into sweat-sponges and had nothing to do with trying to adjust sound quality (modification = cutting tripple down to a double so it would match nozzle length).

Now, the revelation: unlike the E3c's or E4c's, the E500's have enough bass that you can use tip configurations for reasons other than comfort and convenience--you can make subtle changes in the sound of the IEM's to suit mood or mix by changing the tips, without killing off the bass. The first discovery was that I could use the long, standard length Comply tips and get sound that was a bit more open and airy, with a little less punch in the bass department. I then tried cutting the Comply tips to match the size of the Shure tips. I tried cutting off the side intended to go into the ear canal, as well as the other side. Both configurations were different than each other, and different from the Shure foamies. That led me to playing with the rubber tips. I still don't like the hard plastic tips due to comfort reasons, so I didn't give them much attention. However, the large and medium soft rubber tips fit me well and are pretty comfortable, and give a completely different sound signature to the E500's.

In a quiet environment where isolation is not an issue, the soft rubber tips seemed to offer the greatest power and clarity accross the full sound spectrum. In comparison, the Shure foamies produce a sound that is a bit flat (I'm struggling here to find the right terms; "flat" seems a bit strong--more negative than I intend-- but I don't know what other word to use).

The Comply tips (standard size, uncut) are a bit too long for the E500 nozzles, but they will still stay in your ears. Mechanically, the result is that the end of the nozzle is not as deep in the ear canal, but you still maintain a seal. This seems to give the E500's a sound that is much more similar to the E4c's--more forward vocal presentation with recessed bass. The modified comply tips (lobbing a bit off the back end) give a similar result, with a touch more punch than the standard size but greater clarity--air-- on the low end than you get with the Shure foamies. I don't have any of the short Westone Comply tips, but I suspect they would work much like my modded versions, but would work a bit better (mechanically) because the integrity of the tube would remain intact.

In sum: although my little experiements were not suffieciently comprehensive to allow me to reach definitive conclusions about which tips would best match different kinds of music/listening scenarious, it was sufficiently interesting that I will no longer be ignoring my bag of Shure tips. It's no longer just about the quest for bass, fit, and comfort--it's about tweaking the sound.

I'm sure this is not new news to some IEM users, but for those like me who could never get any bass without foamies, you may want to dust off that bag-o-tips if you have the E500's. They pack enough punch that you can make subtle changes in the sound signature by changing tips without ruining tonal balance.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Cool. I'll have to try some of these tips. Any pics or links that we should refer to? I don't have any IEM's other than the UE 10-Pro and E500 at this point, so I'd need to shop for tips.

 

[ComfyCan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus Cool. I'll have to try some of these tips. Any pics or links that we should refer to? I don't have any IEM's other than the UE 10-Pro and E500 at this point, so I'd need to shop for tips.

Do to the kindness of a fellow headfi'er, I have finally learned how to post a pic in a thread, so here it is:

This shows my Nano in a "InCase" cover>Pocketdock>Cardas mini-to-mini>Xin SuperMicro IV> E500's w/ standard (i.e., "too long" Comply tips)--all velcro'd together as one of my "ultraportable" configurations.

I'm not much of a photographer, so here's a link showing the Comply tips from the Earphone Solutions site:

http://www.earphonesolutions.com/cocatiforum2.html

And a few more tips (most of which came w/your E500's, at least the Shure brand tips):
http://www.shure.com/PersonalAudio/P...eves/index.htm

 

[Mr.Toad]

I've tried all the tips and settled (for the moment) on the tri-flange with the stem and small flange cut off.

For my ears, it seems to give the best combination of comfort, seal, bass and treble clarity.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Thanks for the pic. I really like the idea of an ultra portable rig. I've just received (or am about to receive, I'm no sure which) a 4 GB Nano that came with the Macbook Pro that I ordered.

I'm thinking about doing something similar to what you show in your pic. The idea would be to have something that won't ever be a bother to lug around (i.e., to have music and no excuses). I like my 60 GB iPod Video >> TURBO dock II >> Hornet (or SM3V6). But it can be a little bulky.

I'd like to have a rig with the Nano and the smallest possible amp (maybe a Xin of some sort, perhaps someone can recommend one - the smaller the better) and also the smallest possible connectors (i.e., even the TURBO dock II is a little bulky by the time you add a stiff cable into the mix). If it gets too complicated, I'd probably just stick with the Nano and E500 with no amp.

 

[CFP]

My "ultraportable" rig: iPod Shuffle > E500, no extension cord

 

[ComfyCan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus Thanks for the pic. I really like the idea of an ultra portable rig. I've just received (or am about to receive, I'm no sure which) a 4 GB Nano that came with the Macbook Pro that I ordered. I'm thinking about doing something similar to what you show in your pic. The idea would be to have something that won't ever be a bother to lug around (i.e., to have music and no excuses). I like my 60 GB iPod Video >> TURBO dock II >> Hornet (or SM3V6). But it can be a little bulky. I'd like to have a rig with the Nano and the smallest possible amp (maybe a Xin of some sort, perhaps someone can recommend one - the smaller the better) and also the smallest possible connectors (i.e., even the TURBO dock II is a littel bulky by the time you add a stiff cable into the mix). If it gets too complicated, I'd probably just stick with the Nano and E500 with no amp.

The SuperMicro is really tiny and light, although a bit boxy and the case is subject to potential breakage. Here's a better pick, that shows how I velcro it to the flap on the case, and to the pocket dock, w/ the cardas wrapped around the pocket dock. :

The case has a clip that will fit on a belt or armband, as well as a velcro thing you can hang over anything you want. There are plenty of options, but the amp is really tiny and no trouble at all to carry. Here's a link to a review I did on the amp, with comments (and photos by competent photographers):
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=192145

Now, I'll stop hijacking my own thread

--I do want to hear if anyone else has found different, but equally pleasurable tip configurations using the E500's..

 

[jdimitri]

You REALLY should give the clear ones a go
They are the most neutral out of all the tips (soft ones gives harsh highs and takes off some of the bass)

 

[ComfyCan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdimitri You REALLY should give the clear ones a go They are the most neutral out of all the tips (soft ones gives harsh highs and takes off some of the bass)

I gave the clear ones another chance. The big ones still feel too big and the small ones still feel too small for my ear canals, but I hear what you're saying though; they sound distinctly different, but still good. They definitely sound better with harder rock than the soft rubber tips, for example (based on the tracks I sampled anyway).

There probably won't be any "universal truths" here because of the differences in ear physiology and subjective preferences, but I think the overall point is worth exploring: You can enjoy the E500's in different ways by changing the tips for different rigs, genres, or mixes--something that was not true (at least for me) with lesser IEM's.

 

[doctorjuggles]

I've seen a lot of chat about turning the tri-flanges into 'bi-flanges', which does the trick, but I'd also like to point out the old trick of keeping them tri-flange but trimming the stalk itself, so that the base flange sits closer to the driver housing itself.
I tried both mods and while I agree that everyone's opinion on the sound will be different, I found the stalk trim to work better for sound and therefore I'm just throwing the option into the mix for anyone who wants to try it.

The reason it seems to work is because, in comparison to the bi-flange mod, you're not only changing the depth that they go into your ears, but you're also changing the point at which a seal is created, so this mod might work better for people who are struggling to get a seal with the tri-flange tips.

Just a note to remind anyone trying this to shave off a small amount at a time and try it out after each adjustment.

Totally agree with the rest of what's being said, you really can change the sound with the tips (the E5c also had this characteristic, although not to the same degree.)

I personally prefer the tri-flanges for all situations, although I find the soft-flex sleeves to be the most comfortable and use them for the times when my ears are sensitive or when I want to lie down with them in.

 

[razer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus Cool. I'll have to try some of these tips. Any pics or links that we should refer to? I don't have any IEM's other than the [size=medium]UE 10-Pro and E500[/size] at this point, so I'd need to shop for tips.

Somehow, I hate this sentence...