[alysony]

So I went to unique melody to get my SE530's remolded and they came in yesterday. At first I was concerned because all the bass I remember being there was gone, replaced with what I could only describe as disappointment and mild rage. Then I realized the kind of music I listen to (synthpop and techno) and went diving around for my bass reference audio. Once I started playing bass heads it was "ahhhh THERE you are".
 
Moving On
 
I was looking at my ear impressions and I realized that the canal in my ear is smaller than the flangless TF-10. I kind of joked that ultimate ears seemed to be a male oriented business (not saying that's wrong just interesting) but it's very strange that they would make flange portion of the IEM as big as they did.  At least this explains a lot. I like the sound the TF-10 when I can hear it. So I guess that means I like the UE sound. Not ragging on the TF-10 at all. I think they are solid earphones, I'm just not sure they were designed for both sexes.

 

[goodvibes]

There's a joke there somwhere.

 Glad you like the customs.

Are they dual or single bore and are there filters?

 

[alysony]

Single bore no filters. The little sheet they gave me showing the response shows an almost flat curve for the bass up until 1k. Does that sound right for the se530?

 

[goodvibes]

Sure, depending on how they measure but no filters doesn't sound right to me. I had a 530 with a skewed filter that left some of the bore open and that channel was too hot. I suspect some of the goodness of the 535 is actually more filter load removing a lower treble emphasis which makes them sound more even and extended even though they're not. Things like the tips you use also damp some so your inpression of lean may not be wrong. It wont be lack of bottom but the full range unit may be hot.

 

[alysony]

Maybe there are filters. I didn't really specify and there isn't anything in the paperwork. It sounds like the 530 I remember, only a little different.

 

[goodvibes]

 Now that I think about it, there's probably an acoustic filter and wax/dust filter. I bet those have the acoustic unit but I could also easily tell if the dust filter was missing. It was basically a concave weave that was pushed into the nozzle.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

Sometimes it just makes sense to go custom, but I would not remold an universal into a custom because the sound signature may be lost completely in the process. It is not only the drivers, but the physical tolerances and dimensions (length and opening diameter) of the bore, orientation of the drivers and most importantly, the sound shaping filters. The tuning might be completely off after taking an universal and making it into a custom. If I wanted to go customs, I would consider a product that was designed to be a custom to begin with because I know that it has been tuned for that specific use. I also would not buy a custom second hand from head-fi and then remold it. Again, important physical dimensions and driver placement may be lost in the process.
 
I have some small tips, which are even smaller than the UE tips,  that came with my CX300 that work with the TF10. You may just have to do that. You can buy those from Ebay.
 
I love synthpop, italo disco, space music, and anything with strong synthesizers

 

[alysony]

That's just it. The naked flange, without any tip won't fit into my ear, it's too big.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

those are really some small ears. I wonder how you managed to use the Shure E2's. They are a bit smaller than the TF10, but not by much.

 

[goodvibes]

My views are similar George. If i had a duff pair 530s, $100 for a shot at getting them back with a perfect fit does seems worth a go but I'd expect they'd need a bit of a fine tune of some type if they were mine. Of course, if they come out dull (fortunately unlikely unless there's a fit blocking issue) there's little that could be done. I'm sure there are some tips that would extend the TF10s to fit though I personally prefer the 530 anyways.

 

[alysony]

The e2c's barely fit and I'd been having a lot of difficulty even using the 530's. I could only use them for about 10 or 15 minutes. I am noticing something about the customs. I don't know if this means they need to be refitted but for some reason if I move my head down I lose the low end. I'm doubting that is normal.

 

[grokit]

Single bores, naked flanges, small tips... this thread is almost as phallic as the TF-10s themselves 

 

[DJGeorgeT]

It is probably not normal. Well, in general, If you are loosing the low end when you move your head, then it is likely that the fit is loose, which would result in the seal breaking and the bass dropping out. You could get your fit checked by an audiologist. He/she might even do it for free if it is a hearing aid shop. The other fitting problem is quite the opposite. If the fitting is too tight, certain head positions could lead to the loss of mids and highs and that's because part of your ear canal might be blocking the bores. I don't think your fitting is tight, but I might be wrong since you are experiencing a lot of discomfort. Your ear canals could have a very unique shape and a with an OK fit, you could still have loss of low end when you move your head.

 

[UniqueMelodyAus]

You shouldn't lose the low end when you move your head, did you take open mouth impressions?

 

[goodvibes]

try one ear at a time with the other blocked to see if one or both need a refit.