[BloodSugar00]

Title pretty much sums up my situation and what I want to rectify/improve. I imagine this is in part, at least, IEM model specific as W3 have a particulary short bore length (which lends itself to greater succeptibility to tips coming free of it and/or off in ear). However, I know it can happen with other universal-fit IEMs from reading of the forums here/other's accounts and from my own experience, both (I have encountered such with various tips/fits with SA6, Image X10s and TF10s also).

So any tips to improving the security of eartips on W3 nozzle and/or nozzle of IEMs in general would be greatly appreciated!

I have heard/read previously that rubbing alcohol, applied to bore surface and/or concerned tips, helps create a stronger adhesion between tip and IEM bore. However, I have also read that using alcohol with your ears is not adviseable, albeit taken from an old Lewislink thread- the one he was banned for I believe; I have searched this btw

- where the debate against using alcohol was more concerning direct application of it to ear canals to help with the above and/or clean ears; would using rubbing alcohol be a good idea in the application I cite above, ie only on IEM nozzle and/or tips to be used, to help establish securer connection between tip and nozzle interface, and not direct applied to ear canal surface? If so, is surgical spirit rubbing alcohol (or, rather, the exact substance one would recommend/a viable alternative/effective)?

I have tried applying that numerous times to W3 bore to improve how well earpieces retain tips on them, granted, not applied to tips aswell- can't see any way of doing this/getting it on inside surface of tip that slides on nozzle except soaking and I don't have enough of the stuff to do this/this method would not seem feasible/economical-, and it's been pretty much ineffective-providing only slight improvement.

Any other tips?


Cheers

,

Steve

 

[talisman42]

While I don't change my tips often, the trip flanges fit very securely on my W3. Are your tip flanges old? Have you used the trips on other IEMs?

So far, the tips I've used are Shure Olives, Silicones, and Triple Flange. The comply foams were the only ones that felt a little loose.

 

[BloodSugar00]

Well, since posting this thread yesterday and gaining no quick replys, I decided to try and find a way to apply the surgical spirit I have to the lining of the inside of the tips (the part that interfaces with the earpiece nozzle when put on it). I achieved this by taking a thin, darn (or darning, is it?) needle, coating/wrapping it in a thin layer of tissue paper, and then simply dipping this in the surgical spirit before applying it to desired eartip surface by inserting into chamber/hole/tunnel and twisting and moving, sliding and rubbing etc until I was satisfied I had done a decent job of it, as much as I could estimate by feel/sense. This seems to have been somewhat of a success as tips have stayed on since the application (and time left to dry off), I'd guess at, 2-4 hours of useage with maybe one or two interruptions/ earphones having to be taken out then reinserted. The tips did come partially free, however, either whilst in ear and/or upon removal, maybe a third to halfway down the bore length, which would indicate that there is still a problem and/or that they are likely to come free/be left in my ear/s with not much more useage. Something to monitor.

Before conducting this 'experiment', and after posting this thread, I had noticed that on one earpiece, not with the other, when placing and properly putting/fixing on a tip to it, it would rather rapily force it off on it's own, reject it as it were! I noticed it by chance and then, after numerous, purposeful tests/ watched observations, realised it was doing it every time. Strange one. I studied the nozzle and theres nothing physically altered with that. I can only imagine that there some opposing chemicals on the tip and nozzle, respectively- perhaps, the surgical spirit previously applied to nozzle only (but then why is/was this only happening with one earpiece?)-, were causing an oppositional/repellent force strong enough to progressively force tip off bore- anyone have any thoughts on that?

I also tried to use my medium grey, supplied silicones with my W3 and, whilst initially successful/the nozzle retained the tips, both on own and with insertion and removal from ears, the same issue depicted above with regards to one earpiece displacing a firly secured tip 'by itself', happened with the same earpiece and a grey silicone; it wouldn't stay on at all. I conducted the above, detailed procedure in applying surgical spirit to it's bore lining but, with this tip varietal, this has had no success in aiding affected earpiece to retain tip on it's nozzle by itself.

With regards to your questions talisman42, the tri-flanges are newish and certainly in good condition ( I purchased an additional 3 pack acessory for the purposes of further tips/fit experimentation with my W3 soon after I aquired them but hadn't conducted it so at least one pair was unused until recently; have recently used all sets as I've encountered this problem more and more). Secondly, no, they havn't been used with any other IEMs.

 

[Punnisher]

Clean the inside of the tips and the outside of the nozzle with rubbing alcohol, or at the very least a clean cloth.

Sometimes oil from your fingerprints can make the nozzles slippery. This happens over time.

It may also be the way you're removing the iems. Twisting or rocking back and forth might help.

Lastly, it could be a common problem caused by the tip's hole being too wide or the material being to malleable.

 

[mrbrad]

Two things I have learned over time. First, the nozzle on the Shure e3C is somewhat larger than the one on my UM3s. So, if I move tips from my UM3s to the e3C, then they are loose when I put them back.

Secondly, just the process of removing and replacing tips tends to loosen them some. So, I have tried to keep them in place as much as possible and they tend to stay pretty tight.

 

[BloodSugar00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punnisher /img/forum/go_quote.gif Clean the inside of the tips and the outside of the nozzle with rubbing alcohol, or at the very least a clean cloth. Sometimes oil from your fingerprints can make the nozzles slippery. This happens over time. It may also be the way you're removing the iems. Twisting or rocking back and forth might help. Lastly, it could be a common problem caused by the tip's hole being too wide or the material being to malleable.

Thanks for the suggestions and/or tips/advice.

. The cleaning practices you've suggested are exactly what I'm now doing- surgical spirit is the equivalent of rubbing alcohol in the UK (taken from a quick google search)- and I'll monitor the results.

Oil from fingerprints; that hadn't occurred to me to be honest (I had just assumed it was grease/wax/oils etc from ears but a combination of both makes logicl sense).

The way I'm removing my W3- this had ocurred to me (as, at least, a contributory factor). This and/or in tandem with how this tip-IEM configuration/fit complements my ear anatomy (and/or cos of way I'm inserting them/fitting them and the complemenation interface this creates). I'll go back and check this out and/or look at other ways of inserting/fitting W3 in my ears, see if there's not an improved way I can do it.

To address your last point, yes, I had suspected that as a possible reason, also. One of the holes on one of my tri-flanges is somewhat enlargened, nothing drastic but noticeable (though I think this is an earpiece that may have been in useage longer ie an older tip so wear not that surprising or alrming). I am mildly surprised to be faced with silicone/non-foam tips possibly wearing out, however, as, though I've heard on head-fi that such tips do a lifespan, also, aswell as foams (though, in their case, naturally much shorter), and that this makes sense from comon sense/experience perspective- pretty much everything wears/degrades-breaks over time-, I havn't actually encountered it! Then again, that makes sense as the W3 are the only IEM I've owned, thus far, that I've used, almost, pretty exclusively for the longest length of time I've owned and been using IEMs, whilst also maintaining the use of only one tip varietal with them (the tri-flanges).

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrbrad Secondly, just the process of removing and replacing tips tends to loosen them some. So, I have tried to keep them in place as much as possible and they tend to stay pretty tight.

Thanks for your input

. On the point I've quoted, I certainly agree with you (from applied sense and experience, both), however, when your tips won't stay on it becomes a different scenario

 

[rawrimevil]

Same issue with my tf10... To (sort of) rectify the whole problem I've been twisting them out at a larger angle instead of pretty much pulling them straight out. Gets pretty irritating after a while though. I would really appreciate a permanent fix to this issue, or I might just go and reshell them heh.