which brand custom ear tips ...

[zero7404]

hello,

i decided to buy custom made ear tips/shells for my iem’s and wanted to ask about quality, durability, etc.

of the well-known, i took a look at ADV. as well as Sensaphonics, same or similar pricing but Sensaphonics wants $50 more for any color variant (making a set out to $200).

wondering which brand to choose from, perhaps different manufacturers use different silicone bases, coatings, etc.

not too familiar with that, this is my first purchase of this kind. tired of dealing with universal fit tips and adjusting for a good fit.

got my ear impressions ready.

 

[zero7404]

anyone have some opinions, feedback for what you use ?

 

[davidcotton]

Depending on available budget, thought about going full custom?

Ryansoo did a review of adv. tips which you should be able to find.

 

[zero7404]

Depending on available budget, thought about going full custom?

Ryansoo did a review of adv. tips which you should be able to find.

i did think about full custom iem's, but decided to go with universal iem's for my needs.

i did a few searches intially and didn't see something come up, also searched for this user and not getting results. could you be more specific, if you know where the review is a link would help, ty

 

[davidcotton]

https://everydaylistening.net/2020/...lity-custom-iem-tips-review-the-intermediate/

 

[zero7404]

https://everydaylistening.net/2020/...lity-custom-iem-tips-review-the-intermediate/

thanks for that.

if i were going to pick away at the details of their pros and cons, i would err towards going with a set of UE 5 Pro's instead.

but practically speaking, i'd rather get 2 sets of these made for 2 different iem's I own and manage that way.

my disclaimer here is i am an everyday listener that although i appreciate really good sq and audio performance, not necessary for my needs - i know already that whatever setup i choose will be more than good enough over the variety of poor quality earphones and iem's out there.

 

[davidcotton]

Not sure if adv offer the option or not, but it might be worth asking for a digital copy of your impressions before they start (or sensaphonics for that matter). That way you can simply email your impressions across if you decide to get other customs done by the ones who use 3D printing..

 

[zero7404]

thats a good idea, not sure they would be willing to do that for customers who send impressions to them.

the more i look at my options, am narrowing down to a few options:

i suppose this place is a good place to get opinions on this, would you rather ? ...

Shure SE535 + custom shells

or ...

UE 5 Pro

would like to stick to around the 500 USD or less ballpark.
Theres pro's and cons for each one but some opinions could help with deciding (sound, convenience, comfort, etc.)

 

[davidcotton]

Depends if you want a one piece unit or two. A pair of ue5s will be quicker to put in or take out. Also depends if you want acrylic or silicone as well.

 

[zero7404]

i like the modularity of custom shells with universal iem's.

some drawbacks as you highlight, like time/effort to wear them. maybe with silicone - heat and moisture in the inner ear canal are trapped .... is there a difference between acrylic and silicone ? ...

a full acrylic custom iem would be fine for me if i know it's comfortable to wear. its more unforgiving vs. silicone, when eating or talking dunno if it's going to be uncomfortable.

 

[zero7404]

going to try one last go at universal fits to see how that plays out .... before returning to custom-made.

going with the Meze Rai Solo + Shure RMCE-TW1

 

[davidcotton]

Bear in mind that impressions change shape after a couple of weeks, so if you have a set then it would be a shame to waste them. Go with the tips if you want as it will be a cheap way to see if you want full customs in the future.

 

[zero7404]

i wasn't aware they would change shape over time, especially short periods. reading around it looks like 1-3 months is recommended ....

in that time frame, i suppose i should get them scanned. i think iem manufacturers do that anyway, but outside of placing an order for iem's where can i get a 3D scan of my impressions for me to keep ?

edit:

i spoke with the provider that made the impressions and they said the impressions should be good for 1 year. i will just revisit the box and make sure they are resting in a good orientation and taped down.

 

[zero7404]

out of curiosity, how many folks here who own universal fit IEM's have success with proper nozzle alignment + universal ear tips that insert just past the ear canal arpature ? what i mean by proper - is that the ear tip of the IEM is meant to align and insert into that part of the canal ... that would form the seal once fitted .... correct me if I am wrong

for me, no matter what universal ear tip options i've tried with universal IEM's I am not able to get the ear tips aligned exactly. manufacturers choose a nozzle angle relative to the body of the earphone - and that either works or it doesn't with one's ear shapes.

i want to rule out any errors on my part with the fitting process, before moving forward with custom shells.

 

[davidcotton]

out of curiosity, how many folks here who own universal fit IEM's have success with proper nozzle alignment + universal ear tips that insert just past the ear canal arpature ? what i mean by proper - is that the ear tip of the IEM is meant to align and insert into that part of the canal ... that would form the seal once fitted .... correct me if I am wrong

for me, no matter what universal ear tip options i've tried with universal IEM's I am not able to get the ear tips aligned exactly. manufacturers choose a nozzle angle relative to the body of the earphone - and that either works or it doesn't with one's ear shapes.

i want to rule out any errors on my part with the fitting process, before moving forward with custom shells.

Try large ear tips and a shallow seal. You can get seal tests on the sensaphonic site to help tell you if you have a good one