[Cya|\|]

I've done a search, and read about 10 or more threads, but still I have a few questions deciding between the two options, and would like to have a clearer understanding of the pros and cons. Since Chinese manufacturers sell customs cheaply, price is not an issue.

My main worry is the changing of the ear canal, and thus the "durability" of customs, in terms of needing a remolding after a few years. What if for example one wears braces, ar has TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorders)? Will the fit change over time and require a remolding? Has anybody ever had this issues, and maybe can explain how many years had elapsed before a remolding was needed? How about a small change in fit, that maybe made the custom a little more painful, or loose (thus reducing isolation)?

In terms of comfort and sound, I haven't been able to find a consensus. It seems there is not a clear answer, maybe someone can elucidate on that?

 

[taxifahrer]

Based on my experience, no remolding is necessary unless something serious happens to your ears. I had my ciem for years and never had issue with it.
In terms of comfort and sound, ciem is best fit but can be tiring for long hours of use. Uiem is usually comfortable too, so all depends on your personal preference. Sound-wise, this is also a pretty subjective issue. I still prefer my ciem way better than any uiem l've owned.

One thing you should be aware is that my ciem always get very oily after hours of use, which can be a pain. You will feel there is a pile of stuff stick in your ears...with oil. (but it happens to uiem too, especially with comply tips.)

 

[ProtegeManiac]

In terms of comfort and sound, I haven't been able to find a consensus. It seems there is not a clear answer, maybe someone can elucidate on that?

Comfort depends on how accurate the mold is. If it's stiff material with an inaccurate mold then it will be more problematic than a pliant ear tip that doesn't completely fill out the irregular space (but otherwise still isn't jamming a too large tip in there).

Sound is problematic for comparisons because you'd have to take into account having the exact same driver configuration. At best, some people might have tried some UIEM shells to demo CIEM models in shows and major meets (like CanJam). Even those however aren't guaranteed by the manufacturer to sound absolutely identical because the way the eartips compress and how the CIEM will fill out the ear canals better will change the sound a little.

 

[Fred Wang]

I personally never found universal IEM's comfortable and, according to the audiologist that did the molds for my CIEMs, the entrance to my canal narrows enough at the beginning that make universals not sit well anyways. With CIEMs, I can usually wear it for about 3-4 hours without any issue in terms of comfort. I've had them for about 3 years now, with no changes in comfort. My understanding is that, unless you're young enough that you're physically still growing, or had a lot of physiological changes, that CIEMs will generally still continue to fit.

In terms of sound, that's hard, because I've never done a direct comparison of the CIEM and universal IEM of the same make/drivers/tuning. I wear my CIEMs when I'm out and on the bus, as well as on the off-chance I'm doing some performing (which is almost never these days), and I appreciate that they seal out a lot of background noise without the need for active noise cancellation.