[sparks]

I have been using my Etymotic ER4's with the foamies for a long time and have never been sure which way to put the foamies on the phone. One end of the foamie appears to be smooth while the other is the same as the sides.

Does it matter which way you install them, and is there any reason to put them on in a specific manner?

Thanks,

 

[blueice]

The smooth / shinny side should be the end that goes into your ear first. For greater comfort, better sound. You might also want to cut the foamys abit shorter. Do a search for ety mod written by JaZZ.

 

[sparks]

Thanks. After all these years, I find out I've been using them incorrectly. I'll check out the mod. Appreciate your help.

 

[nightfire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sparks Thanks. After all these years, I find out I've been using them incorrectly. I'll check out the mod. Appreciate your help.

Hah! Free upgrade for you!

Definitely, it makes a huge difference. The waxy/shiny part is what maintains the seal, and is, unfortunately, the first part to degrade.

 

[sparks]

Too bad I threw out all the old ones. Just think, I could turn them around and get more mileage out of them.

BTW, the Etys sounded good to me, even backwards.

 

[Bunnyears]

I have tried them both ways, even putting one on the left one way and one on the right the other way and never noticed a perceptible difference. There are people who claim that by cutting them shorter they improve bass, but I think that's probably a placebo effect. The truth is that if you get a good seal, it doesn't matter which way the foamy goes in. Technically, by cutting them shorter and bringing the driver deeper into the ear it should decrease the soundstage rather than increasing bass, but when I did that there was not enough of a difference to justify the effort, except in the comfort of the foamy (cut end was sharp and uncomfortable).

If you don't have a good seal then the sound is going to be distorted. There is definitely a difference between the way the triple flange tips sound from the foamies, but I think that is a fuction of the seal and isolation.

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightfire Hah! Free upgrade for you! Definitely, it makes a huge difference. The waxy/shiny part is what maintains the seal, and is, unfortunately, the first part to degrade.

The shiny side does not maintain the seal. The seal is maintained by the memory of the foam. After being compressed too many times, the foam loses its memory and doesn't expand as fully, thus the seal is not as good. Just compare the diameter of a very used foamy to a new one. Also compare the amount of time the foam needs to re-expand. New foamies feel tighter than old foamies and that's the most important thing, the tight fit.

 

[burningskulls]

Oh Err your sexual innuendo is priceless

 

[swmtnbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears The truth is that if you get a good seal, it doesn't matter which way the foamy goes in.

Exactly right. If the foam is expanding to fill the ear canal completely that's all you need.

As for the "shiny" side of the foamie, I was always under the impression that it was there to prevent the foam from absorbing wax and moisture. By inserting the shiny end first, it acts as a barrier to these substances and thereby extends the life of the foam.