[Scott_Tarlow]

can u give me the email of the person you contacted... been trying for like 1 week.

 

[brconner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinocelt /img/forum/go_quote.gif From another thread: Quote: Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict At the UE table I thought the UE4Pro universal demo IEM using Complys tips sounded quite similar to the UM3X I tried earlier with my Westone UM56 custom tips. It's difficult to compare directly when running from room to room to do it. I told them that if the Triple.fi 10 pro had sounded as good as the universal demo of the new UE4 that I would still have them. The UE11Pro demos did seem to be much closer to my ES3X, and I slightly preferred them to the UE10Pro demos which were still very good. I also preferred the UE11Pro demo more than the JH demos (again, likely due to the different tips and not being made for my ears). The gap in performance between the UE4Pro demo and UE10Pro wasn't huge, but it was bigger than the gap between the UE10Pro and UE11Pro demo which was smaller. Emphasis mine.

Can anyone else that has tried both give a comparison? Thats making me second guess a little more haha. I could definitely get the TF10's and then reshell them, but after total costs and everything I might as well get the UE7's or the UE10's which is more than I'd like to spend right now.

 

[charlie0904]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brconner /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can anyone else that has tried both give a comparison? Thats making me second guess a little more haha. I could definitely get the TF10's and then reshell them, but after total costs and everything I might as well get the UE7's or the UE10's which is more than I'd like to spend right now.

usually people reshell their old tri10pro. for new, go straight for UE7 or UE10 should be a wiser choice.

PS: i am skeptical about dual driver custom against a triple driver universal too.

maybe i should just get a headphone.

 

[spideyman409]

1st Q: Have you heard UE's sound before? If you haven't then it'd definitely be wiser to go the cheaper route TF10.

I've heard the SF5/TF10 and if the SF5 sound like the UE4s then go straight to the TF10. The thing about customs though, is you get better isolation which helps "improve" the sound you would get from the "SF5" equivalent UE4. But the first question at the top should be the main thing you ask yourself.

 

[Spyro]

How does isolation improve sound?

 

[lisztian420]

I dunno. I think it's really about the placement of the drivers and crossovers. But again.... I dunno.

 

[Bilavideo]

Or try this.

Get the Triple Fi 10. Enjoy them. And when you're ready to go custom, get your measurements taken and submit them to Westone for the UM56 tips - which are just under $120. Now THAT's the "poor man's UE10." What's more, you can put those tips on anything.

 

[gameboy115]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bilavideo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Or try this. Get the Triple Fi 10. Enjoy them. And when you're ready to go custom, get your measurements taken and submit them to Westone for the UM56 tips - which are just under $120. Now THAT's the "poor man's UE10." What's more, you can put those tips on anything.

Just wonder UM56 fits 10 pro?

 

[Bilavideo]

There's a complication. While UM56 fits most universal monitors, UE uses a sound tube with a larger aperture, which creates fit issues between Triple Fi and most tips. On the other hand, those same tips often contain a removable tube designed to make them fit the smaller aperture of most universals. If you remove the removable tube, you end up with a larger aperture which fits the sound tube of the Triple Fi. I've not done this with rubber flanges, but I've done it successfully with Comply foamies.

UE plays games with the consumer. It outfits the Triple Fi with medium-sized foamies but leaves out the larger foamies. I fixed my own complaints of Triple Fi's slipping by modding some large foamies to use them with my TF10's. It worked like a charm.

Getting back to the fitting issue with UM56 tips, the gel tips shown on the company's website show a similar condom-like sheath, similar to the removable tube I spoke of. If removed, it would leave a hole large enough to accomodate the sound tube of the TF10. What's more, priced at less than $120, it would be a lot cheaper than paying for a UE10.

 

[Bilavideo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyro /img/forum/go_quote.gif How does isolation improve sound?

Isolation deals with transient resonance (translation: outside noises). The worst thing about earbuds is their inability to block most of this stuff, which is why they end up getting cranked until your eardrums explode. It's also why most earbuds have lousy bass, and the only real substitute provided is muddy midbass that sounds like sonic mud.

IEMs provide a lot more isolation, capable of cutting out more than 20 decibels of crap that would interfere with your jams, but the quality of the isolation depends on the quality of the seal. That's why fit matters. I find foamies disgusting (They look like germ farms) but they perform so well, I can't say no to better sound.

Better isolation also helps in another way. There are speakers that leave escape holes at one end of the baffle to create "bass extension" but such bass tends to be boomy and uncontrolled. A better method is "dynamic suspension," where the speaker cabinet is used to seal in the air, which is then used to correct the suspension of the cone when it moves. This gives tighter, more controlled, bass - the stuff that keeps the presentation clean and not boomy. A better, tighter, seal helps give the bass your IEMs were meant to provide, without having to crank up the volume and without losing the balance.

By providing the best fit possible, customs provide the best isolation, which provides better isolation, better bass and a healthier sound level.

 

[Spyro]

I can't understand how a foam or comply wouldn't already provide the best fit and isolation. It completely fills your ear canal accordingly to it's shape. What more does a custom do?

 

[steviebee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyro /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can't understand how a foam or comply wouldn't already provide the best fit and isolation. It completely fills your ear canal accordingly to it's shape. What more does a custom do?

Good point - I always wondered this. In terms of seal anyway. Unless some of that magic custom pixie dust is sprinkled in the cables, drivers?

 

[cyberspyder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steviebee /img/forum/go_quote.gif Good point - I always wondered this. In terms of seal anyway. Unless some of that magic custom pixie dust is sprinkled in the cables, drivers?

The sound tube extends further down your canal maybe?

 

[Nar1117]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyberspyder /img/forum/go_quote.gif The sound tube extends further down your canal maybe?

I'm no expert, but I would assume that the acrylic material used in custom molds is a better sound insulator than the foam tips. Also, since most custom earphones occupy the majority of your outer ear canal, they block more ambient sound from getting close to your canal.

Since the fit of a custom earphone is superior to a universal earphone's, the drivers are given a more direct and relatively unobstructed path into your ear. Also, the single-bore design of a universal presents the problem of the frequencies from multiple drivers mixing prematurely and thus not as well as a dual-bore design that most high-end customs adopt.

Each of the benefits of a custom earphone alone are not enough to make a custom better than it's universal counterpart (a la TF10pro/UE10 and UM3X/ES3X), but when they are combined, they make for a generally fuller, richer, and more immersing experience.

 

[Spyro]

Good post. That makes sense. But I still can't fathom 3X the cost and non-re-saleable. I'll continue to suffer with "universals."