Can't be bothered reading this whole thread. To the OP. Get some comply tips. I know how you feel. All the tips provided by Etymotics are all uncomfortable. Comply tips are extremely comfortable. But they only last a few weeks of course.
You got to make do with the other brands and do some mix and match to get you the best for yourself. Shure Olives are good for me and easily obtainable in my country. My country doesn't sell the Etymotic Foams.
You just need to remember that a good solution is one that fixes the problem, stock or not. And as a matter of fact it is recommended that you change your foam tips regularly and clean the rubber ones with non-alcohol based antiseptic.
You can't save money on Tips due to hygiene reasons, unless you make custom molds. Even those will require cleaning.
I am with you. I had Etys (4P with S cable) and sold them (preferred the M5s at the time). Then, got lucky and picked up the 716s for $20 on newegg, and spent another $20 on a mod (47ohm) and wow, they are fantastic, especially with olives/Complys and the MiniboxE+ (though they sound pretty good though the spartan FiiO E3 as well). Lately, I have used the Klipsch Image gels (bi-flanges) with the 716s, and they work well too. And I am not much of a silicone fan, but these tips are comfy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mape00 /img/forum/go_quote.gif <IMHO Comply foam tips or Shure olives make the ER4 more comfy. I'm very satisfied with my comply tips, as they make it much easier to get a good seal, plus they don't get itchy and make my ears hurt after a couple of hours of usage like the tri-flanges do. As for them sticking out, the APS cable would be an improvement, albeit a very expensive one.
I like iM716 almost as much as I like my etys. They are close to the ER4 in sound signature and maybe more comfortable in some ways. With small comply tips, it takes a couple of seconds for me to get them in deep so that they sound good (they are, however, not as obtrusive as the ER4, which need to go deep even with complys in order to sound its best). Sound wise, they are of course not better than ER4, but the difference isn't as huge as the price might suggest.
If you use your IEMs you WILL have to buy replacement tips. If those replacement tips are from a different company, who cares? That's one of the great things about the top IEMs - the ability to mix & match tips to find the ones that fit YOUR ears the best. Or, expand your search even further by modding any of the zillions of cheap foamy earplugs into your own style of tips.
I find the tri-flange tip to be the best sounding after extensively trying all the other tips (including shure olives) over the last month or so. I pretty much insert the whole er4p into my ear and they don't stick out at all. I can lay on the side of my head even and I don't find them uncomfortable. It took some conditioning though.
But I also have Stax SR-001 and got used to those as well and those are infamous for being torture devices.
My main qualm with foam based tips such as the included foamies or the shure olives is that they seem to transfer too much vibration to my inner ear. At first it seems this property helps the bass but after switching back and forth I think it's detrimental and muddies up the lower frequency band. The tri-flange in comparison sounds so much more clear.
If I understand you correctly the sound signature of the Etys (that I enjoy so much) is rather unique and I'd be better off trying to attack the comfort problem than looking for a replacement IEM (with the specified budget).
Originally Posted by antk /img/forum/go_quote.gif Guys, thank you all for your responses !
If I understand you correctly the sound signature of the Etys (that I enjoy so much) is rather unique and I'd be better off trying to attack the comfort problem than looking for a replacement IEM (with the specified budget).
Correct ?
Probably. Shure olives or comply foams are held in high regard for the 4Ps.
Originally Posted by antk /img/forum/go_quote.gif Guys, thank you all for your responses !
If I understand you correctly the sound signature of the Etys (that I enjoy so much) is rather unique and I'd be better off trying to attack the comfort problem than looking for a replacement IEM (with the specified budget).
Correct ?
Absolutely those iems are sonically amazing why throw them for something that you may not be happy with when all is needed are just some more comfortable tips. They may in the end give better comfort a better seal and all at a very budget friendly price. With every thing considered I say that is the most economical and safe bet for your beloved headphones and whole heartily agree with the suggestions for the comply tips. Cheers
Originally Posted by antk /img/forum/go_quote.gif Guys, thank you all for your responses !
If I understand you correctly the sound signature of the Etys (that I enjoy so much) is rather unique and I'd be better off trying to attack the comfort problem than looking for a replacement IEM (with the specified budget).
Correct ?
Yep (despite jinx2001's silly rant). And if you love them enough and can spend the money the APS cable both ups the sound and reduces to "stick out" factor to nearly nothing and lets you get rid of the pod in the middle of the cable and is less microphonic but it is expensive.
I'm also with darkkopi (I think it was) about the HF2 which for practicallity with the iPhone now have taken the place of my APS ER4 and they stick out less than the ER4
Not T400. Those are for canal phones with large sound tubes. The Complys that work with the Etys (or Altec Lansings) are the P series. Check complyfoam.com, and you will see.
Also, not sure what nc8000 was referring to in his post above, cause there is no pod in the ER4P cable. He must have been thinking of the AL im716. However, that APS cable mod does sound like the best place to spend your money, rather than new IEMs.
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