[MrDerrick]

I finally got my sleeves today in the mail! Been a very long 5-6 weeks of waiting. 
 
So initial impressions....
I'm surprised how shallow they go into the canal compared to my foam tips however still provide a better seal. They seem to go in quite easily compared to what I first thought, may be due to the shape of my ear. Also I found they are sensitive in how they sit, if they are angled slightly wrong it can cause quite a bit of discomfort. 
 
Isolation seems to be on par with the etymotic foam tips that I use which is good, I fly weekly for work so I will get to see how they isolate against plane engine noise. Sound quality wise they sound pretty nice, compared to my daily tips the etymotic foam, the bass is more controlled and detailed. I also was trialling Star silicone tips however they were uncomfortable for anything more than an hour of use and lacked the bass details and amount. 
 
I currently have the Alpha Design Labs iHP-35M cable however I may need to change as the connector is quite large meaning the loop circumference is large and doesn't sit closely to my ear. The cable is quite thick as well so it does make it slightly uncomfortable. 
 
Overall very happy that they came out pretty well, I was worried about the issues that some people had in terms of quality control and being in Australia it's difficult to get things sorted. Will test these for longer sittings to see how they fare. It's a shame that we don't get the swirl option through the Australian branch but oh well, I am happy with how the Crystal Smoke turned out, was glossy which is what I wanted as photos looked matte.
 

 

[moedawg140]

Looking good, thanks for the impressions, MrDerrick! 

 

[kino lau]

   
I am happy with how the Crystal Smoke turned out, was glossy which is what I wanted as photos looked matte.
 

 
The Crystal Smoke looks Great! I'm actually trying to resolve an issue with one of my sleeves. There is a small hole in one of them and the surrounding silicone is so thin that it'll only get bigger over time. I spoke to Claudia at Sensaphonics and she instructed me to go back to my audiologist, since he has my impressions. It they get the impressions, they'll re-shoot the sleeves. These pictures aren't the best, but I needed to try and show the audiologist what I was talking about, since I hadn't received a call back after a few messages were left on their VM. I'm hoping that I can get this resolved quickly.
 
 

 

 

[fzman]

My custom sleeves fit the demo KSE1500s I was able to listen to for the last few days.  

 

[MrDerrick]

Nice!
 
How do the KSE1500 sound?
 
I tried the sleeves with my SE425 and they also fit, however they have a bit of room in there which could probably be filled in with some sort of temp filler. So if you plan to upgrade you can probably go for the SE846 mould to allow for future upgrade

 

[moedawg140]

  My custom sleeves fit the demo KSE1500s I was able to listen to for the last few days.  

 
Thanks for the info!  Is it a "perfect" or "almost perfect" fit, or would it be advisable for a SE846 SCS owner to obtain the KSE1500 version of the SCS (when it is available)?

 

[fzman]

   
Thanks for the info!  Is it a "perfect" or "almost perfect" fit, or would it be advisable for a SE846 SCS owner to obtain the KSE1500 version of the SCS (when it is available)?

 
In terms of sonics and staying in place, I think it was fine.  My sleeves result in a downward cable exit, I really only had my set to test-so I may be the lucky one......   I thought I'd have the demo 1500s for a bit longer, but they were picked up yesterday by Shure, so there is not going to be a redo any time soon.  (I am sure the demos are in very high demand). In my case, it was a relief to know that, even if I upgrade past the 846s, I would not lose my investment in the Sensaphonics.
 
I have wide, flat, very curved ear canals, so it is customs all the way for me.  I really loved the 1500s, even though I am not really a stat guy, and the compatibility with the Sensaphonics was the straw that will probaby break my wallet's back.

 

[theuprising]

Forgive me, but what in the world is the point of this? These are 1000 dollar universal IEM's, if you are willing to use custom sleeves might as well get a real CIEM so the manufacturer can spread out the insides, giving it a soundstage otherwise impossible in a closed universal IEM. Heck for running you can get the sport bud silvers for 250, 350 if you didn't get your ears analyzed yet.

 

[MrDerrick]

  Forgive me, but what in the world is the point of this? These are 1000 dollar universal IEM's, if you are willing to use custom sleeves might as well get a real CIEM so the manufacturer can spread out the insides, giving it a soundstage otherwise impossible in a closed universal IEM. Heck for running you can get the sport bud silvers for 250, 350 if you didn't get your ears analyzed yet.

 
When making the decision to upgrade to the SE846, I wanted to audition the IEMs first as I don't like going by people's reviews as everyone has different preferences. So at the time CIEMs for me were out of the picture unless they offered a universal version to try and being in Australia I was limited in choices.
 
I had no intention of buying the sleeves as at first I was fine with the foam tips however I found I wasn't getting a good consistent seal on my right canal.
 
The SE846 will definitely be my last universal IEM before when/if I go CIEM.

 

[csglinux]

Forgive me, but what in the world is the point of this? These are 1000 dollar universal IEM's, if you are willing to use custom sleeves might as well get a real CIEM so the manufacturer can spread out the insides, giving it a soundstage otherwise impossible in a closed universal IEM. Heck for running you can get the sport bud silvers for 250, 350 if you didn't get your ears analyzed yet.

I think of the SCS as a deluxe set of ear tips. For me, universal-fit foam tips give better isolation with a lower profile, but they hurt my ear canals after a while. These SCS give a custom-mold fit that exerts no pressure on the ear canal and can be worn indefinitely without any discomfort. Owning the SE846 together with the SCS gives you the best of both worlds. If you only own a CIEM, or you only own a universal IEM, then you are missing out on one of those experiences.

 

[rawrster]

I think of the SCS as a deluxe set of ear tips. For me, universal-fit foam tips give better isolation with a lower profile, but they hurt my ear canals after a while. These SCS give a custom-mold fit that exerts no pressure on the ear canal and can be worn indefinitely without any discomfort. Owning the SE846 together with the SCS gives you the best of both worlds. If you only own a CIEM, or you only own a universal IEM, then you are missing out on one of those experiences.

 
It depends on how universal tips fit for you. The tips that have always fit me well were the olive tips and luckily I don't have any pain or discomfort regardless of how long I use them. I did have custom tips before for another headphone and I didn't like them that much. I would rather have the comfort of a CIEM over a custom tip but that's just me. 

 

[moedawg140]

It depends on how universal tips fit for you. The tips that have always fit me well were the olive tips and luckily I don't have any pain or discomfort regardless of how long I use them. I did have custom tips before for another headphone and I didn't like them that much. I would rather have the comfort of a CIEM over a custom tip but that's just me. 

Have you personally felt/owned the full sleeve SCS, to be able to make the statement that you prefer the comfort of a CIEM over a custom tip?

 

[rawrster]

Not the one by sensaphonics but I already know that the material is not for me.

 

[moedawg140]

Not the one by sensaphonics but I already know that the material is not for me.

So silicone then, fair enough. Please do not correlate custom tip with the SCS, as both are completely different in my and other's personal experience.

 

[csglinux]

   
It depends on how universal tips fit for you.

 
I agree. And it also depends on how good your audiologist is, whether you had your jaw open or closed, and whether you were sat still, talking, singing, break-dancing, etc., while taking the impressions. It also depends on what's made from those impressions (manufacturing process, materials, etc.). Like life, there's lots of uncertainties and the only way to really know if they'd work for you is to try them. Granted, there have been a few issues and some folks (myself included) have needed to tweak their original set of SCS, but the vast majority of people seem very happy with them.
 
Personally (and this is only me), I'd never buy another CIEM. I've had two and was disappointed with both sets. The SCS effectively give me a CIEM when I need it and a UIEM when I don't.