[JayDM]

I find myself in a bit of an odd spot with IEMs lately. Fit and comfort seem to be a big sticking point for me when it comes to finding monitors. Unfortunately my ears are picky and it’s difficult to find a pair that I I not only like to sound of but can wear for long sessions without problems. On top of having difficulty finding pairs that are generally comfortable and fit well, my right ear is also remarkably averse to getting a good seal.

Unlike with headphones, I don’t find myself wanting a large collection of IEMs, rather I’d prefer a pair, two at the most. My comfort/fit issues keep me from stepping up to higher end items that could satisfy my sonic wants as it’s a bit of a crapshoot weather or not I’ll appreciate the fit of a given pair. For that reason I’ve generally kept to mid-tier monitors.

My last 2 purchases were a bust fit wise but I really enjoyed sound wise which is remarkably annoying…

After that long rambling intro I can finally get to the point. With so much trial and error I’m giving serious thought to going the CIEM route. My issues are just not knowing anything about how comfortable they will feel in the ear. I’m aware that they’ll be made to the exact shape of my ears, however they will also be very large and insert deeper than most or any UIEMs.

When I’ve read about the differences between customs and universal I tend to see more about the ease of availability or how they hold value rather than the actual differences of having them in your ears. Fact is if I order a pair of CIEMs then I’m buying them with the idea that they’ll never be sold, so I want to make certain that I get it right. The U12t has always been the IEM I consider buying but talk myself out of considering my problems with IEM fit, so if I go the CIEM route I’ll be grabbing A12t’s

Asking anyone that either went from UIEMs to CIEMs or who constantly switches back and fourth. Is the fit and comfort or customs just a perfected form of the universals? Or is there a big general difference going from UIEMs to CIEMs? Any opinions on weather or not you think CIEMs are the right choice for me? Or just any advice in general?

It’s just been win after win headphone wise lately and I would really love to find an IEM that can hang at least relatively well with my over ear collection.

 

[Legato2057]

When I was thinking of going custom due to fit issues, I used these custom IEM tips from Eartune: https://eartune.com/collections/custom-fit/products/eartune-fidelity-custom-fit-eartips

They are a little expensive @ $150 per pair of custom silicone tips, but they are really easy to clean and should last a very long time without any degradation of sound quality.

They allowed me to test the 64Audio U12t and Nio with custom fit, before I committed to going full custom. This way, you can always sell the Universal IEM if you don’t like them (I found the U12t too dry and boring for my personal taste, so I was glad that I didn’t just the A12t’s.) You might even decide that you don’t have spend the money on full customs.

Oh, and FYI, 64Audio has a Black Friday sale every year of 20% off their Universal AND Custom IEMs if you decide to go that route.

You can also do the same thing with other IEM companies that use the same housing for most of their IEMs (Campfire Audio, Shure, Westone, etc.).

Good luck!

 

[emdeevee]

I always struggled keeping UIEM well seated in my small ear canals. I could usually find foam tips that would work but they'd wear out and need replacing which is fine.

On one of the black Friday sales from UE, I popped for the UE Pro18+ whose home kit for getting an ear impression worked very well.

I've been using them now for 2 years and they are wonderful, secure and comfortable for hours. I often fall asleep with them on. They do not feel intrusive in my ear.

I love them, and as you know, I'm stuck with them, also!

 

[diracas]

if you get to a good audiologist to get your measures then the fit will be pretty much perfect. But comfort wise you might still find that it bothers you to have something in your ear. Even if it fits perfect to the shape of your canals. Soundwise they would consistently offer the same sound, which is not the case for universals in my experience

 

[PirateFreder]

When I was thinking of going custom due to fit issues, I used these custom IEM tips from Eartune: https://eartune.com/collections/custom-fit/products/eartune-fidelity-custom-fit-eartips

They are a little expensive @ $150 per pair of custom silicone tips, but they are really easy to clean and should last a very long time without any degradation of sound quality.

They allowed me to test the 64Audio U12t and Nio with custom fit, before I committed to going full custom. This way, you can always sell the Universal IEM if you don’t like them (I found the U12t too dry and boring for my personal taste, so I was glad that I didn’t just the A12t’s.) You might even decide that you don’t have spend the money on full customs.

Oh, and FYI, 64Audio has a Black Friday sale every year of 20% off their Universal AND Custom IEMs if you decide to go that route.

You can also do the same thing with other IEM companies that use the same housing for most of their IEMs (Campfire Audio, Shure, Westone, etc.).

Good luck!

That looks like a game changer, thanks for sharing that! The only potential downsides I can see would be that they make the iem sit farther out(if one cares) and I wonder how bone conduction would work through them, I'd imagine they would dampen it. Have you noticed any effect on sound with them?

 

[JayDM]

I agree I’m grabbing a set as well

 

[Legato2057]

That looks like a game changer, thanks for sharing that! The only potential downsides I can see would be that they make the iem sit farther out(if one cares) and I wonder how bone conduction would work through them, I'd imagine they would dampen it. Have you noticed any effect on sound with them?

There was definitely an issue with my 64Audio Nio’s sitting farther out than I would like, which is one of the main reasons that I went and got the custom N8’s. I didn’t really notice any negative change in sound when I used the custom tips. I would imagine, the bone conduction would not work too well with the custom tips acting like an insulator between the IEM and your ear canal.

 

[Mattyjm]

I find myself in a bit of an odd spot with IEMs lately. Fit and comfort seem to be a big sticking point for me when it comes to finding monitors. Unfortunately my ears are picky and it’s difficult to find a pair that I I not only like to sound of but can wear for long sessions without problems. On top of having difficulty finding pairs that are generally comfortable and fit well, my right ear is also remarkably averse to getting a good seal.

Unlike with headphones, I don’t find myself wanting a large collection of IEMs, rather I’d prefer a pair, two at the most. My comfort/fit issues keep me from stepping up to higher end items that could satisfy my sonic wants as it’s a bit of a crapshoot weather or not I’ll appreciate the fit of a given pair. For that reason I’ve generally kept to mid-tier monitors.

My last 2 purchases were a bust fit wise but I really enjoyed sound wise which is remarkably annoying…

After that long rambling intro I can finally get to the point. With so much trial and error I’m giving serious thought to going the CIEM route. My issues are just not knowing anything about how comfortable they will feel in the ear. I’m aware that they’ll be made to the exact shape of my ears, however they will also be very large and insert deeper than most or any UIEMs.

When I’ve read about the differences between customs and universal I tend to see more about the ease of availability or how they hold value rather than the actual differences of having them in your ears. Fact is if I order a pair of CIEMs then I’m buying them with the idea that they’ll never be sold, so I want to make certain that I get it right. The U12t has always been the IEM I consider buying but talk myself out of considering my problems with IEM fit, so if I go the CIEM route I’ll be grabbing A12t’s

Asking anyone that either went from UIEMs to CIEMs or who constantly switches back and fourth. Is the fit and comfort or customs just a perfected form of the universals? Or is there a big general difference going from UIEMs to CIEMs? Any opinions on weather or not you think CIEMs are the right choice for me? Or just any advice in general?

It’s just been win after win headphone wise lately and I would really love to find an IEM that can hang at least relatively well with my over ear collection.

I used to own a UERM that i used daily; until it broke and i went back to universal iems. My biggest piece of advice? when getting customs is the perceived bass you hear will be about 20-30% more than on a universal pair (i hate to use numbers to back up sound impressions but there's that).

Seems like you are aware of the sunken cost when getting customs, so i won't delve into that.

Biggest things about customs is keeping them clean. I would invest in a pelican case (at least a 1010, maybe a larger one if you're running a DAP/ dongle). As a shop owner once told me, customs either are in your ears, or in the case.

Fit-wise, Ccstoms are probably the most comfortable things i've worn, maybe with small iems (IE600, etc) taking second place. (If done correctly), they should feel locked in and should not move about in the ear.

 

[MaxwellDemon]

As someone that has gone a whole decade with a custom and now back to universals and tried both the custom silicone tips and CIEMs...

If fit and comfort are an issue, acrylic CIEM is the way to go more than silicone tips. While I enjoy having the option to use the silicone tips, slipping it into my ears is a bit of a struggle compared to how easy it is for an acrylic CIEM. There's also the added factor that your IEM sticks out of your ear, so the weight distribution of the IEM can be felt differently. When it comes to usability and comfort, CIEMs just cannot be beaten for me and this is the primary reason why I continue to stay with IEMs.

When it comes to testing the tunings of an IEM, universal isn't too different from my experience with the VE Elysium (tried the universal and got the customs). Mattyjm above noted the specifics to be aware of. Bass might not be as punchy or powerful, but it isn't a significant one. The sound signature will be present!