Hanesu
1000+ Head-Fier
I remember that about 10 or 15 years ago, I had always admired CIEMs as the "Holy Grail" of portable audio - I always wanted some but that time I could not afford them.
That time, CIEMs looked (and were) totally different from universals and I was always sure that they must fit perfectly and their much higher price is totally justified.
About 1 year ago, I finally orderd my first custom IEM - I was SO exited...
....but in the end...I am disappointed to be honest.
I got them refitted once, because my ears really could not get used to the shape at the beginning. But even after refitting I did not like the feeling of something in my ear that was a lot harder and sat a lot deeper than the soft ear tips I got used to for many years.
Getting a seal took longer than with universals because there was no flexible and soft material that adjusted to its surrounding to create a vacuum. Because customs sit deeper, they are also way more prone to ear wax from my experience. And taking them out quickly in situations when you need to...is way more difficult than with universals and takes practice. And finally, I cannot sell them easily!
In 2020 there are so many nice semi custom universal earphones. After having tried many of them and comparing to my "custom experience" - I must say I definitely know now that I prefer universal. The only advantage I could detect using customs is that they do not fall out easily (as they are originally intended for stage use) - but that does not play any role for me.
So I finally decided to get my customs reshelled to univesal!
I know, this is just my personal experience/opinion - but anybody here who made similar experiences?
That time, CIEMs looked (and were) totally different from universals and I was always sure that they must fit perfectly and their much higher price is totally justified.
About 1 year ago, I finally orderd my first custom IEM - I was SO exited...
....but in the end...I am disappointed to be honest.
I got them refitted once, because my ears really could not get used to the shape at the beginning. But even after refitting I did not like the feeling of something in my ear that was a lot harder and sat a lot deeper than the soft ear tips I got used to for many years.
Getting a seal took longer than with universals because there was no flexible and soft material that adjusted to its surrounding to create a vacuum. Because customs sit deeper, they are also way more prone to ear wax from my experience. And taking them out quickly in situations when you need to...is way more difficult than with universals and takes practice. And finally, I cannot sell them easily!
In 2020 there are so many nice semi custom universal earphones. After having tried many of them and comparing to my "custom experience" - I must say I definitely know now that I prefer universal. The only advantage I could detect using customs is that they do not fall out easily (as they are originally intended for stage use) - but that does not play any role for me.
So I finally decided to get my customs reshelled to univesal!
I know, this is just my personal experience/opinion - but anybody here who made similar experiences?
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