Oh yea absolutely. Its pretty much the first thing I do with a new pair of IEMs. Gotta do that tip rolling. I actually have a little felt bag with at least a few dozen pairs of tips I have collected over the years that I cycle through.
But even with tip rolling I still have difficulty finding IEMs that are truly comfortable over long periods. I find the "ergonomically" shaped ones especially difficult Or really any that are supposed to be worn over the ear. Perhaps my ears are just not shaped "normally" but they usually create at least one pressure point somewhere that inevitably leads to discomfort. Some worse than others. I actually keep the bag of tips in my kit so I can swap them out on the fly, as some days one pair of tips will often seem to work better than others.
So lately I have been gravitating more towards the barrel type, or at least IEMs that can be worn down, as it usually means the tip itself is the only point of contact, instead of the housing or body of the IEM too. Not to mention the benefit to me that I also just dislike having a cable over my ear.
Hi
@mashuto,
Good tip selection ain't easy, I stuck to Complys in Medium myself for a long time before I branched out to try other tip materials & shapes though prior to Complys, way back, I was using Klipsch X Series tips for a bit.
Dekoni Mercury tips also work well & they last quite a long time.
Personally, a method I always find helpful, is sit with a chosen tip pair for
5 to 10 mins at least without listening to anything, if there is any discomfort, you will know right quick, oh & prior to sitting there quietly, gently push the tips in as much as the ear allows.
As 90% of the time, ear tip discomfort also happens when not proper insertion or resting properly against the pinna or outer ear canal so make sure to check this every so often as well as from the start.
Ears naturally wriggle or breathe & some ears do it more than most which is why most people have issues with good fit for IEMs or complain about
'poor sound' from improper seal & isolation.
@DanWiggins will like this but till recently, especially the Slicone H Tips, particularly the Large Single or Large Double Flange have worked for me quite well, especially the latter on more tricky to wear IEMs so I suggest giving those a try if you haven't already.
Barrel type IEMs, Periodic included, do potentially help fit to a certain extent but definitely for really good fit & isolation, short of deep penetration into the ear canal which isn't recommended unless said tips are really long, over ear tends to be the most secure.
Though saying that, I have used IEMs with cable hanging down which are quite secure & fit well too.
Just personal preference tends to be over ear though realistically, I don't mind either.
I do understand the dislike for over ear cables, I sometimes dislike them myself but that tends to be how the cable feels & tugs against the ear in some situations but personally, it is a small issue which only occurs about 2 % of the time during usage.
Hope this all makes sense.
Hope you have a great day !
. Thanks for the help.