[creyc]

I just bought a pair of used UM2's and so I'll need to invest in a few tips to see what suits my ears, both in fit and musically. I'm using comply long/standard sized tips right now and they fit great and sounds good too!

With other IEM's i've preferred the rubber tips, however, but I'm interested in how they would effect the sound on these before I go buy a bunch. When I first began using them I thought they could use a bit more bass, but I'm starting to get used to it now. I was used to Super.fi 5's, but these are a bit different.

I really like the mids and highs on these, especially compared with the Super.fi's. They are much more detailed with more distinct highs and less "veil", I feel. Bass is different too. It doesn't feel as impactful, nor as punchy but it is also less sloppy and bloated. It's there, oh yes, but as of yet I'm not sure which sound is my favorite in this department!

The highs and mids are a clear nod to the UM2s.

Oh and whomever said these were comfortable wasn't kidding! They fit *in* your outer ear, and rest in the cartilage, putting very little strain on the ear canals. And they isolate a LOT.

 

[creyc]

Hey one other thing!

How does amping affect these UM2's? I know it did very little with my Super.fi pros...

 

[wakeride74]

I preferred the triflange tips with mine after cutting the stem down. The triflange had the fullest sound IMO, but it all depends on the shape of your canal too!

The UM2's benefit very little if at all from any of the portables I've heard with the exception of the Hornet, there is a magic synergy between those two for some reason.

 

[hook]

My experience with various tips on UM2s:

Full size comply - felt like they were "stuffed" in my ear. A bit dark.
Short Comply - much more comfortable - probably the most comfortable. Still a bit on the dark side, sound-wise, but nearly as much as the full size.

Ultra soft silicone - these are what I use daily - they give me the best sound and fit perfectly. Not quite as comfortable as the short Comply, but very close.

Triflange modded to biflange and tip reduced - best sounding after the ultra soft silicone, not quite as comfortable.

Silicone (the clear things) - didn't even bother, they hurt my ears.

I think if the flexi silicone fit you well, they'll give the best sound, but it's obviously a very personal, subjective thing. I suggest just tryign all of them out. One thing I did was sit in the room with my home theater system and use it's pink noise test tone to determine which tips provided the best isolation. Put IEMs in, play pink noise on speakers, turn up until I could just hear it, then try other tips....

enjoy the hunt.

Andrew

 

[creyc]

Hmm, I'm not too sure I understand the term "dark". I like the complys so far, but like I said I preferred soft silicone with Shure and UE earphones. I just dont have any tips available to try, I'll need to buy a bunch and I need to decide what to buy.

I'm guessing it's the opposite of "bright", in which case that might be OK. Personally these dont sound too bad as they are with the long complys, though it sounds like short complys will be better. (stuffed feeling) Overly bright tends to aggravate me, Shure E4C's were difficult to enjoy. So given the choice I'd prefer too dark over too bright.

 

[JeffS]

As far as tips go, I highly recommend the UM56's. Yeah, you have to go to an audiologist to get impressions made, but it's well worth the effort. Fit is perfect. Should be they are custom made. Sound is awesome, very on par with the long comply tips, which were my choice prior to going custom.

My reason for getting them was two fold. First, I had a comply tip seperate from the stem, and leave foam in my ear. It wasn't so much uncomfortable, as it was disturbing. I was able to get it out thanks to a pair of tweezers on my leatherman micra. The other reason was the cost. Comply tips lasted about a week for me. Washing is what caused the problem I believe. So, when I factored in the amount of listening I do (a lot while commuting), and how much I would spend based on the projection, it was cheaper to buy the customs. Again, I'm VERY glad I did.

On the subject of amping, I can only give a limited reply. I have UM1's not the UM2's. Mine improved greatly with an amp. I'm using a Xin SuperMini-III. I thought it made them much more detailed, and made the bass less muddy. They came up in the range of my er-6i's, and combined with the comfort, I was instantly hooked. I used the 75ohm resistance switch and the bassboost, and fell in love with the sound.

-Jeff

 

[afbug]

Try a biflange. They work for most people. My preference is biflange or Shure grey flex. The Shure grey flex will give a little more highs.

 

[sum]

I've tried pretty much every kind of tip you can put on these things without making my own or trying some other, shall we say, unique solution. I currently use Shure tri-flange, I need to cut the stem down a bit though. The Shure clear sleeves are my 2nd favorite. The complys are unbelievably comfortable, but they muddle the sound. The tri-flange however does leave me wishing for a higher quality IEM.

 

[hook]

Quote:

Originally Posted by creyc Hmm, I'm not too sure I understand the term "dark".

You are correct - by "dark" I mean the opposite of "bright". They don't really sound muffled...just...well, dark.

As much as I try to make myself think the short Comply tips sound the best (they're the most comfy for me), I still come back to the grey shure soft flex silicone ones.

I seem to recall somewhere sells bags of different tip types, you might poke around and look for that so you can try several without committing to one.

Andrew

 

[creyc]

Cool!

I remember from my days with the Shure E4C's the medium tips fit best, so I ordered up a few pairs as well as some short complys, which I'm hoping are at WORST just as comfortable as these standard sized complys.

Even more comfy? No wayyyy, but I'll take it.

Also, these IEM's seem to have a rather quick nature, with fast delays and less harmonics than I was perhaps imagining. Unless it's in my head....

 

[hook]

I, too, wear mediums in the Shure tips. I think you'll find the short Comply tips are not only more comfy (although, I found I couldn't wear triflange - maybe I have a "shallow" ear canal), but you'll definately hear a difference between them and the long ones. if you find you don't care for the short Comply, let me know....

I also keep finding myself trying the bi-flanges (modified triflange), thinking "they've GOT to isolate better than the soft silicone...". But they don't for me, for some reason.

Andrew

 

[Rican]

If there is one thing that is certain is that everyone's ear canals are different. So different in fact, that I know of a few people that use different size/type sleeves on each of their ears.

Anyway. Personally I think that the standard Comply tips provide the best seal.

Although I am curious to try the modified triple-flange sleeves and don't want to completely mess them up so if anyone can provide a proven and safe method to modify them I would really appreciate it.

Looking at the image above... How exactly do you cut the tip flange without damaging the stem?

I'm assuming that some sort of damage could occur to the stem that would lessen the opening thus limiting the sound.

Am I correct?

 

[lostbobby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by afbug Try a biflange. They work for most people. My preference is biflange or Shure grey flex. The Shure grey flex will give a little more highs.

?? is the biflange something besides a cutdown triflange? Does it come with the UM2s?

 

[afbug]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lostbobby ?? is the biflange something besides a cutdown triflange? Does it come with the UM2s?

Its a cutdown triflange. Just snip the top flange off. It doesn't come with UM2. UM2s are shipped with Complys only.

 

[Veggie_Musician]

I find Modded Sony EX71 tips to be far the best! Look for my post on them.

When I go back to bi-flanges - the sound seems harsh, small, rather 2D! With sony tips everything starts singing and open.