Tuning sound with different tips

[ShiroKen]

Hey guys. Just wanting to discuss and gather opinions on using different ear bud tips to alter the sound signature of your earphones.

In my previous experience, I find that out of a set of 3 different sized silicone tips that the largest appears to give me the best bass performance and that the smallest tips offer the opposite effect. So I'd like to get the opinions of people using different sizes of foam tips and multi flange.

I recently bought some Victor FX500 and while the sound is impressive, I was left wishing they were perhaps a little more neutral (perhaps spoiled by my k701). I find the bass is quite strong but fortunately not muddy, and the treble could do with being a tiny bit lower. Right now mids are a little recessed, so I'm wondering if I can improve this with some new tips (I refuse to use EQ).

I'm thinking some small or medium Comply tips might be good. The small size should give a little less bass than the larger ones as per my findings, and I heard the wax filter in them also helps tame treble.

What do you think?

 

[Mad Max]

There's also the Sony Hybrids which will give you a little more bass and tame treble a bit.   If they fit.

 

[twylight]

I have a pile of 40-50 tips - they all suck compared to some molded tips.  I recently bought some IEMs they dont fit in and not using custom tips is going to get them returned.
 
I have um56 but I think there are some more.  Its a nice combination of using standard iems and still getting a custom seal/fit.

 

[LizardKing1]

I have been using the same pair of Sony Hybrids for over a year now, they are exactly like when I got them. Comfort wise they are... comfortable. I mean, they aren't foam tips. It's like an office chair: you would hardly sleep in one, but it doesn't hurt to sit there for 5 hours. When compared to any other silicone tip, they are simply the most comfortable tip out there. Sound-wise, they seem to keep the original sound. I realize that foam tips like comply suck up the high frequencies, and give you a dark sound (there's a mod that envolves cutting off the foam part that doesn't have the hard interior), but for me the fact that thy have to replaced like a month later is a huge deal-breaker. I raise my glass to the Hybrids!

 

[goodvibes]

Depends on what you use them on but the hybrids do tend to warm things up more than other tips.

 

[LizardKing1]

Foam tips warm up much more than any silicone tip, IMO.

 

[Freefallr4545]

Typical I find tips with thicker substance gives more bass. For example, I have 2 flex tips types Westones and Shures. The W's have more Flex (thinner) than the S;s and provide less of a bass hump. Larger bore openings give more treble. I Haven;t tried the TX, but I really love the way the Comply Ts's are with my Westone 3's. W3's are very tip dependent and can be siblant with the wrong tips. Ts's are perfect in this regard

 

[goodvibes]

Quote:

Foam tips warm up much more than any silicone tip, IMO.

Well yes in general but I wouldn't make it an absolute. There's more to it. Olives don't tend to sound warmer than Hybrids for instance. Damped, yes but not warmer. Hybrids are not my idea of most neutral, especially with standard dynamic openings. I like them a lot when they work tonally and use them on one of my phones.