[guroo270]

Hello all,
 
My wife is an audiologist and she wants to upgrade my ear gear.  I just got a new iphone 4 and I want to get some new buds.  Do I go with the custom molded RH1's (custom single driver earbuds with a flat outer for easy on/off with a helmet because I ride motorcycles, but they are just single driver only), or do I step up to the ES2's (dual driver custom musician monitors, not as flat for helmets but would still probably do just fine), or do I go universal fit Westone 4's?  This step would cut my wife pretty much out of the process, and I do kind of want custom ones, but the audiophile in me wonders if the 4 universal is so much better that it doesn't matter that my ears are completely occluded, especially if I'm only running 1 or 2 drivers.  Thoughts?  Thanks for the help.  
P.S.  cost is an issue.  The universal 4 price range is about the most I'm willing to spend, and I'm leaning towards the ES2's, even though they are a little out of the price range.
 
Just did a little more research and it looks like the AC2 might be the way to go?

 

[guroo270]

Thanks for all the input guys.

 

[joshuamercer]

If you're going to be riding your motorcycle, the additional audio fidelity you gain from the W4's probably won't matter because even though you are ear-sheltered with the foamies, the wind noise will knock out a lot of the detail.  From personal experience with a full face helmet, you're gonna have some painful pulling out moments with either custom or universal IEMs when you're taking off your helmet.  The way your ear is designed, it's tapered from the top of your head to the bottom so when you pull the helmet off your head you actually end up rubbing the monitor piece with the cheek pad until it just comes out, and it's not comfortable to say the least.  I don't think the RH1's are gonna be any different. 
 
What you might check in to though if you are determined to have hearing protection while wearing a helmet is the Westone CR line of customs.  They are designed for racers, so maybe the shape of the earpiece was taken in to account for those customers who would also fall in line with your wants and needs. 
 
I will say though, if you're interested in the custom monitors for more than just motorcycle riding then you should consider the ES2 a pretty accurate fun IEM.  There are certainly much cheaper 2-driver models but what i really liked about the ES2's was their vinyl heat sensitive tip.  It made a really great seal once my ear temperature warmed it up and kind of expanded it a bit. 

 

[guroo270]

Thanks for that.  I've actually decided to get the RH1's, due to the fact that I can't get a dual driver in the helmet fitting, then, in 6 months or so, I'm just going to throw down on some ES5's or whatever is best at the time.
 
On a side note, my wife did one molding for me with my mouth closed, and another with my mouth open, biting down on some little blocks.  It was very uncomfortable, but it gave me a more snug fitting.  Just an FYI for you guys if you can't get a proper occlusion.