Custom tips for universal iem’s

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by rhythmdevils, Dec 7, 2020.

  1. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    What’s SBAF’s opinion on this? I have trouble with most tips staying in my ears for whatever reason despite having very little earwax. They get slippery and fall out even when they fit nicely at first.

    I did some googling and UE says it’s a bad idea because it changes the nozzle length and thus the sound.

    but I’m curious what the intelligent people here have to say. It could be a game changer for me if it worked.

    and I’m curious if they fit multiple universal iem’s or if they’re molded to only fit one.
     
  2. Zhanming057

    Zhanming057 Friend

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    Personally, been there, done that, not a fan. UE is right. You might like it more afterwards but it will totally change the sound of an IEM and it's hard to predict what it'll do to a particular pair of IEMs. UIEMs aren't built with solid silicon tips that fill your ears in mind. Usually you get a lot more bass but otherwise, it's hard to say.

    The silicone ones also break really easily. I think Sensaphonics stopped making them because they kept breaking. Not sure if ACS still does them but they are also very severely constrained by nozzle size, so definitely not for every pair of IEMs. As for fit, I've seen universal versions that just replace the normal tip, and a variant specific to Shure/Westone that goes around the entire IEM.

    If you have trouble with UIEM tips, get a custom mold. Nothing really replaces that experience.
     
  3. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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  4. Zhanming057

    Zhanming057 Friend

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    Problem with that is the nozzle bit becomes a major weak point because of how thin the silicone/acrylic is.

    I had a pair for Shure's years ago, when I had the SE530 and later on the 535. Never really liked it on both. Either way, you're paying for the cost of the earmolds, and the shipping, and then $150 or more for the tips, and perfectly respectable CIEMs start at something like $500 and you know exactly what you're getting. Seems like a no brainer to me.
     
  5. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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  6. Bina

    Bina MOT - Shanling

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    These shells are for people who are building their own DIY earphones. These have simple nozzle that is made to fit standard eartips,

    Not really something you would use for custom shaped eartips.
     
  7. Walderstorn

    Walderstorn Friend

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    I recall a few years ago, on Kickstarter was a pair of IEM's that supposedly with certain temperature were "moldable" and that would give u a rough version of a custom fit but i can't find it now.

    Would that be even possible? Would be great to have something similar to replace the "inner shell" or even adapt to it to fit flush in that part of the ear so it would have less chance of falling.
     
  8. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    oh f**k me. Maybe I can cancel the order. Pretty cool though. These days it’s getting a lot easier to make your own iem’s with shell molds and BA drivers all available on eBay.
     
  9. Bina

    Bina MOT - Shanling

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    If you really wanna experiment with custom tips on really cheap, there are two ways I tried like 10 years ago:

    - Silicone swimming earplugs, moldable under hot water. Easy to shape, but can be tricky if you then try to drill/cut through them to fit the earphones.

    - Heat moldable plastic. I got these small plastic balls, that under hot water become moldable and you could fit them into your ears (but it demanded little bit more force than the silicone plugs or standard ear impression materials). After cooling down, this is just hard plastic, that is easy to drill and cut to somehow fit onto your iems.

    I made pair of these custom plastic eartips for my younger sister, as she has really tiny ears and no standard eartips could properly fit her at that time. She was using them with fitted Sennheiser CX300 for a quite few years.

    This is fairly simple and fun DIY project, but one important warning I got for this from my friend audiologist - Make sure to check your ears by audiologist before trying anything with these DIY/home made custom eartips or ear impressions. As in worst case scenario, you can end up pulling out your "inner ear" by accident.
     
  10. iDesign

    iDesign Almost "Made"

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    The ability to successfully use custom sleeves on most universal in ear monitors is entirely dependent on your ear and canal sizes. For example, persons that have small ear canals typically find custom sleeves cause the monitors protrude far outside of their ears and can look unsighlty. Remember, everyone has different ears and what worked for someone else may not work for you. An experienced audiologist will be able to tell you right away if your ears are candidates for custom sleeves.

    I was not a good candidate and that's why I own custom monitors from 64 Audio after years of struggling with universals.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2020

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