[dj nellie]

I've been reading the posts on Head-fi for a few months now, but this is my first post. Thanks to the insightful posts, I now own a pair of Westone 3s in addition to the Shure Se530s that I already had, and I'm absolutely loving them.

After I bought the SE530s, I was never totally satisfied with the sound I got with any of the stock tips or the Comply and yellow foam tips I bought. I get a perfectly comfortable fit with every tip, but my main complaint about the 530s is that the sound seems veiled and slightly dark--I can never get the right amount of bass impact and treble energy.

So after spending weeks reading the helpful posts on this site, I decided to get fitted for a pair of UM56 tips. I hoped that they would solve my sound quality issues and provide the "perfect for every situation" tip: perfect for sound quality, comfort, sleeping, working out, etc.

Unfortunately, I have been through several refits on both sides and still am not totally satisfied. The first set came back with the left tip only sealing if I lowered my head, and the right tip was too short to deeply seal. The next two sets were slightly improved, but with the same basic problems of needing constant adjustment and rotation to maintain a seal.

The main problem, at least with the longer left tip, is that merely opening my mouth (to yawn or eat) or turning my head right will dislodge the seal, and I hear air rushing in. The seal will generally return eventually, but it's very annoying and not what I expected. The right tip won't dislodge when I open my mouth, but its shortness means I only get about 70-80% of the isolation I get with the stock tips.

So my question, to those of you who own UM56 or other custom tips: Is this normal? It doesn't seem like custom tips can give and take in the way that foam or tri-flange tips can, to compensate for changes in the shape of the ear canal when you open your mouth or turn your head. The sound quality has definitely improved--the highs have brightened and the overall sound seems to have opened up. But without a comfortable fit that stays secure, it's not worth it to wear them.

I've already been through several refits, and I feel like I'd be unreasonable to ask for another, but I want to confirm what other users experience. I know that posters like HeadPhoneAddict and qusp seem 100% satisfied with their UM56, so I want to know if they have any of the problems I have. On my Westone 3s, the fit is slightly better, but the problems are basically the same. Not to mention, I find the sound quality better with standard P-series Complys--better bass and soundstage at least.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

 

[jkozlow3]

My UM56 tips should be coming in later this week. I sure hope I don't have as many fit issues as you

 

[charlie0904]

my um56 is just right not perfectly but no issue for me. my movement of jaw and head does not loses the seal.

did you wear them correctly? ear wax/oily ear canals like me?

 

[dj nellie]

I believe I'm wearing them correctly. I angle the tip so that it points slightly upward. After I lose seal, I even rotate the earpiece so that it can plug up my ear canal again.

So when you eat or turn your neck to either side, you don't feel the tip lose its seal? How much isolation of sound do you get? And do your UM56 tips have a long nozzle shape, or are they short?

When I remove the tips, I do notice some slight oiliness, but I don't think I sweat more than normal. Even after wiping the tips down, I have problems with losing seal.

 

[ilney]

Hmm, something is wrong. My UM56 seal tight no matter what I do: opening mouth wide, laughing, turning head... you name it. How did you take your impressions?

My UM56 isolate perfectly. I never image I could hear the first few notes of Bolero on the bus.

 

[dj nellie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilney /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmm, something is wrong. My UM56 seal tight no matter what I do: opening mouth wide, laughing, turning head... you name it. How did you take your impressions? My UM56 isolate perfectly. I never image I could hear the first few notes of Bolero on the bus.

Ok, thanks for letting me know. I'll go in for 1 more refit. I took my impressions while biting a small block to keep my jaw open, but maybe my jaw needed to be even wider.

Do your UM56 sit deep in your ears and are they long? I have a hard time understanding how they could stay in place during a substantial change in the shape of your ear canal, e.g. when yawning or eating--they seem meant to conform to only 1 shape. How do they self-adjust when you're moving them around in your ears by opening your jaw?

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Mine were long and symmetrical in length, sealed perfectly tight without leaking or breaking seal with movement, and were comfortable. I lost them a few weeks ago and ordered another set Friday. So we'll see how it goes.

 

[charlie0904]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj nellie /img/forum/go_quote.gif I believe I'm wearing them correctly. I angle the tip so that it points slightly upward. After I lose seal, I even rotate the earpiece so that it can plug up my ear canal again. So when you eat or turn your neck to either side, you don't feel the tip lose its seal? How much isolation of sound do you get? And do your UM56 tips have a long nozzle shape, or are they short? When I remove the tips, I do notice some slight oiliness, but I don't think I sweat more than normal. Even after wiping the tips down, I have problems with losing seal.

my UM56 tip is about 6-7mm into ear canal. mine doesn't lose seal even when yawning. my ear impressions taken at around 7-8pm so during daytime my seal is not as tight as night by its still alright. my ear impressions are not symmetric.

did you try changing an audiologist? open jaw impressions?

 

[dj nellie]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I'm going to get a new set of impressions taken tomorrow. My original ones were taken open jaw, but hopefully they'll be a little more accurate this time. Honestly, I'm a little disappointed in Westone for designing 2 tips with totally different lengths, one of which loses seal when doing something as routine as opening my mouth. In addition, I've tried to give specific feedback on how to improve the fit each time I've sent them back.

But I realize that the process is more art than science, and I seem to be one of the few who has issues with his UM56. In any event, the Westone 3s have made me a Westone fan for looong time. I'll post back with impressions of my next set of tips.

 

[dj nellie]

Just got my new set of UM56s. Both tips (especially the right) are much longer and seem to fill up more of my ear canals. This seems to help them stay in place even when I open my jaw or turn my head.

Westone rocks. It took a little while (3 months since I first took impressions), but in the end they gave me a superbly crafted product. My advice to anyone getting UM56s: If you have similar problems to what I had, be sure to give specific feedback and ask to elongate the tips and maybe make them wider to grab onto more of the ear canal.

My only complaint is that the fit is so tight and the insertion so deep, it's causing some soreness. But I'll take this over a poor fit anyday.

As for sound quality, the bass quantity seems diminished but it's cleaner and a bit more defined. The mids are a little more prominent, and overall the sound seems somewhat more intimate--smaller soundstage. I loved how my Westone 3s sounded with Complys, but this is an overall improvement. I think if you're happy with the sound and fit you get from universal tips (especially the bass), there may not be a compelling reason to get customs. But if you think the bass is bloated or the soundstage too boomy (which I didn't), the UM56 will fix those issues.

 

[jkozlow3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj nellie /img/forum/go_quote.gif Honestly, I'm a little disappointed in Westone for designing 2 tips with totally different lengths, one of which loses seal when doing something as routine as opening my mouth. In addition, I've tried to give specific feedback on how to improve the fit each time I've sent them back.

The order form for any custom earpiece (hearing aids, earphones, etc) has checkboxes for short/medium/long. It's up to your audiologist to check the correct box - particularly when ordering a remake if you have fit issues. I don't think Westone "designed" more than 1 tip - they can simply vary how far into your canal they go for comfort/fit.

Mine were originally ordered by my audiologist in "medium" length but I just had another set of impressions with a wider-opened jaw and "long" length specified for a remake. I also had fit issues where I would lose the seal way too easily with my first pair.

Glad your second pair worked out better. Hopefully mine will as well.

 

[Opentoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj nellie /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just got my new set of UM56s. Both tips (especially the right) are much longer and seem to fill up more of my ear canals. This seems to help them stay in place even when I open my jaw or turn my head. Westone rocks. It took a little while (3 months since I first took impressions), but in the end they gave me a superbly crafted product. My advice to anyone getting UM56s: If you have similar problems to what I had, be sure to give specific feedback and ask to elongate the tips and maybe make them wider to grab onto more of the ear canal. My only complaint is that the fit is so tight and the insertion so deep, it's causing some soreness. But I'll take this over a poor fit anyday. As for sound quality, the bass quantity seems diminished but it's cleaner and a bit more defined. The mids are a little more prominent, and overall the sound seems somewhat more intimate--smaller soundstage. I loved how my Westone 3s sounded with Complys, but this is an overall improvement. I think if you're happy with the sound and fit you get from universal tips (especially the bass), there may not be a compelling reason to get customs. But if you think the bass is bloated or the soundstage too boomy (which I didn't), the UM56 will fix those issues.

Wait a minute. Isn't the reason for getting custom tips is for a perfect fit and seal all the time? You said it causes some soreness and said to ask to make them a little larger so they grab better but that's defeating the whole process of custom stuff? I've always wondered how custom tips or custom IEM's made a good seal since they couldn't adjust to your ear canal changes and movement. How in the world does a rigid hard plastic IEM adjust in your ear?

 

[Oomingmak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Opentoe /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wait a minute. Isn't the reason for getting custom tips is for a perfect fit and seal all the time? You said it causes some soreness and said to ask to make them a little larger so they grab better but that's defeating the whole process of custom stuff? I've always wondered how custom tips or custom IEM's made a good seal since they couldn't adjust to your ear canal changes and movement. How in the world does a rigid hard plastic IEM adjust in your ear?

If the impression is done right there's no need for it to adjust because it just stays in place. Impressions are done with the mouth open and I suppose it's so that when you speak, yawn, eat etc the seal isn't lost.

 

[baertracks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj nellie /img/forum/go_quote.gif I believe I'm wearing them correctly. I angle the tip so that it points slightly upward. After I lose seal, I even rotate the earpiece so that it can plug up my ear canal again.

I'm having the same type of problems on my UM56s. I can't even get the right one to stay sealed even when I keep my mouth closed. I'm going to ask for a new longer version.

I've only used this set of UM56s on two int'l trips. However, I looked at them closely and was very surprised to see that both ear pieces are cracked at the ends, and the some large chunks actually fell off of the right ear piece. Where those pieces went I don't know. I hope they are not in my ear!

Maybe it was all of the adjusting in trying to get them to seal that resulted in the cracking. But to have that happen after two trips seems odd.

Has anyone else had a problem with cracking and crumbling ear pieces? Mine are vinyl. Should I be asking for replacements made from another material?

 

[dj nellie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Opentoe /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wait a minute. Isn't the reason for getting custom tips is for a perfect fit and seal all the time? You said it causes some soreness and said to ask to make them a little larger so they grab better but that's defeating the whole process of custom stuff? I've always wondered how custom tips or custom IEM's made a good seal since they couldn't adjust to your ear canal changes and movement. How in the world does a rigid hard plastic IEM adjust in your ear?

The original soreness I felt was just from constantly rotating the tips, taking them out and re-inserting them. Now I feel a dull ache because the tips fit so tightly. Taking them out is actually painful too because of the tight fit. It's a little better after using the "Oto-Ease" lubricant to put them in, but I'm basically resigning myself to not being able to use these for longer than a few hours at a time. Like you, I also wonder how customs can stay in your ear the same way that foams can; the answer seems to be that they have to fill up most of the ear canal and fit tightly in order to hold in place with jaw and neck movement. But it's a fine balance, since a too-tight fit can cause soreness.

As for cracks in the tips and parts falling off, that definitely doesn't sound normal. I would send them back. I have the silicone, which are supposed to be more durable. I do notice some gray lines on the wide part of the tips, but I think these are superficial scrapes rather than cracks. The UM56 are supposed to last 2-3 years, from what I've been told.