[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmm, I can't even remember. Might have been the medium Comply in my left ear and the large Comply in my right. Oddest thing is my right ear canal is actually smaller, but the inside of my ear doesn't mesh well with the W3 housing, so I can't get it to sit flush (hence, the seal breaks and SQ suffers). I may try more odd size combos, but for now, I will stick with what works consistently. Happy camper with the W3s right now.

Here is a good price on UM-56: westone UM56

What do have to sell me at a fair price that I can use and that can finance your custom tips?

 

[K_19]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here is a good price on UM-56: westone UM56 What do have to sell me at a fair price that I can use and that can finance your custom tips?

Sorry for slight hijacking here, but will those tips also fit the 530's? Would definitely go for it if they ship to Canada.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here is a good price on UM-56: westone UM56 What do have to sell me at a fair price that I can use and that can finance your custom tips?

I have stuff to sell, but nothing you would want HP-wise. FYI, the price is actually $66 for the custom sleeves (discounted from $80). Wow, with a $50 audiologist fee, that's only $120 or so, give or take. Not bad. Let me investigate and see what I can sell. Not the PFEs or the IE8s, but there are some other phones in my collection collecting dust, so to speak.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have stuff to sell, but nothing you would want HP-wise. FYI, the price is actually $66 for the custom sleeves (discounted from $80). Wow, with a $50 audiologist fee, that's only $120 or so, give or take. Not bad. Let me investigate and see what I can sell. Not the PFEs or the IE8s, but there are some other phones in my collection collecting dust, so to speak.

Monster Turbine say bye bye now.

Also, my audiologist is only $30 a set of impressions, at Beltone Hearing Center.

 

[discombobulation]

Holy moly. I've hit the sweet spot. I had been using trimmed biflanges for ages, but I just tried the clear silicone tips (the last ones I thought I'd end up using) and found that the trebles gain more life and the bass becomes tighter, but still with the same 'slam' when called for. No mid-bass hump at all, and wider soundstage extending out of my head compared to the relatively stereo sound of the triflanges. The wider nozzle on the tips made the trebles a tad harsh once in a while, which I solved by cutting a small ring out of the nozzle of one of the other tips, and using it like a sort of bushing – effectively increasing the nozzle length/distance between drivers and nozzle opening. This eliminated those rare bits of sibilance and made the trebles more natural. I recommend that anyone who has/had sibilance issues try this 'bushing' technique with their favourite tip, it's easy to add/remove one or two bushings and A/B in order to get the perfect sound.

A lot of people find the fiddle-factor of the W3 annoying, I find it tremendously rewarding to get the perfect sound for me by experimentation. I think it just goes to show that the variety of sounds achievable with different tips + the ability of the W3 to take to EQing very well is fantastic. IMO a product with such fine tolerances suggests the engineering required to get audio nirvana. In fact, I'd think that without this kind of fiddling it would be impossible for any IEM to reach their full potential.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Monster Turbine say bye bye now. Also, my audiologist is only $30 a set of impressions, at Beltone Hearing Center.

Wow, you are making resistance very difficult. Let me check if we have Beltone Hearing Centers in Philly area. And that would make it $96, which may be doable without selling the Turbines or anything else. I have another plan, but won't have to sell phones. I have 400 CDs sitting around that I never play, and I may start selling them off after I rip them to FLAC. Waste of space. Been meaning to do it anyway.

 

[dfkt]

Does it help to mention that my audiologist makes impressions for free?

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfkt /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does it help to mention that my audiologist makes impressions for free?

I'll be more specific. When I ordered the UM-56 from my audiologist the impressions were free and I paid $70. When I would send the impressions somewhere else to order something (Livewires or Freq) then he charged me $30 for the impressions because I wasn't buying the product from him.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by discombobulation /img/forum/go_quote.gif Holy moly. I've hit the sweet spot. I had been using trimmed biflanges for ages, but I just tried the clear silicone tips (the last ones I thought I'd end up using) and found that the trebles gain more life and the bass becomes tighter, but still with the same 'slam' when called for. No mid-bass hump at all, and wider soundstage extending out of my head compared to the relatively stereo sound of the triflanges. The wider nozzle on the tips made the trebles a tad harsh once in a while, which I solved by cutting a small ring out of the nozzle of one of the other tips, and using it like a sort of bushing – effectively increasing the nozzle length/distance between drivers and nozzle opening. This eliminated those rare bits of sibilance and made the trebles more natural. I recommend that anyone who has/had sibilance issues try this 'bushing' technique with their favourite tip, it's easy to add/remove one or two bushings and A/B in order to get the perfect sound. A lot of people find the fiddle-factor of the W3 annoying, I find it tremendously rewarding to get the perfect sound for me by experimentation. I think it just goes to show that the variety of sounds achievable with different tips + the ability of the W3 to take to EQing very well is fantastic. IMO a product with such fine tolerances suggests the engineering required to get audio nirvana. In fact, I'd think that without this kind of fiddling it would be impossible for any IEM to reach their full potential.

Nice to hit the mark, right? Congrats.

 

[philthy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll be more specific. When I ordered the UM-56 from my audiologist the impressions were free and I paid $70. When I would send the impressions somewhere else to order something (Livewires or Freq) then he charged me $30 for the impressions because I wasn't buying the product from him.

Do Westone authorized audiologists sell the company's custom earpieces as well? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Do the UM56s fit on IEM headphones? I have a pair of Sony MDR-EX90LP at the moment and plan to upgrade to the 3s when I acquire the funds.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philthy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do Westone authorized audiologists sell the company's custom earpieces as well? Please correct me if I'm wrong. Do the UM56s fit on IEM headphones? I have a pair of Sony MDR-EX90LP at the moment and plan to upgrade to the 3s when I acquire the funds.

Yes, they also sell custom earpieces and ear plugs and universal fit IEM. And, many will discount them as well (up to 10-15%) if they do the impressions and you order everything from them.

The UM-56 I have would also fit on my Shure SE530 and Klipsch Image X10, and improved both sound and fit.

 

[p0wderh0und23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by K_19 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry for slight hijacking here, but will those tips also fit the 530's? Would definitely go for it if they ship to Canada.

Yes they will fit the SE530 and yes we ship to Canada.

 

[jc9394]

How long does UM-56 last?

 

[p0wderh0und23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc9394 /img/forum/go_quote.gif How long does UM-56 last?

Can't give an exact time. They should last for years if taken care of. I've had my original set for 3.5 years with no issues. I clean them with warm water and a mild soap as needed (never use an alcohol based wipe or cleaner).

 

[jc9394]

Well, I guess for the price I paying the tips, the UM-56 is a no brainer.