[bru87tr]

I know I need to crank up my planars more and smooths out the sound for me.

 

[frkasper]

The more I experiment with tips, the more I learn about my ear anatomy.

Anyone else with this sort of experience? Possible solutions or workarounds?

Same here. The way I measure the quality of the insertion is via channel imbalance. Usually my left ear is the tricky one to get it right. Came to the point of almost returning an IEM where the whole issue was in me to begin with.

The only work-around I know is to get as many eartips as you possible can. I always rotate them. What works today may not work tomorrow for me. It is what it is.

My left ear also has otitis from time to time. In those days, typically every week, it is even more difficult to get a quality insertion. Shallow, deeper, angled, you name it... I keep repositioning it until the damn singer is dead center.

When I get the imbalance solved, then there's the occlusion, followed by agony. When that happens, I give up for the day, or switch to over-ears.

Note the design of the IEM itself also plays a role on the drama above. For instance, I don't remember having this issue with my little Shures.

Yep, I can essentially block the sound off entirely if pushing the IEM far in.

Me too, in the right ear. Once again, except the Shures.

Do others of you find you need more gain/volume with foam tips?

Looks like you're not getting a good seal? For foam tips, I always go for a bigger size. If it hurts, the pain will go away in a few days. My itching tolerance for foam is typically 20 minutes though. Cartilage pain I can endure a little longer.

 

[Hypops]

Same here. The way I measure the quality of the insertion is via channel imbalance. Usually my left ear is the tricky one to get it right. Came to the point of almost returning an IEM where the whole issue was in me to begin with.

The only work-around I know is to get as many eartips as you possible can. I always rotate them. What works today may not work tomorrow for me. It is what it is.

It's at least some relief to know it isn't just me. I've been endlessly cycling through tip after tip. Just when I think I find the ideal tip, I return to it the next day to find that I can't get the same angle, seal, or depth. Argh. But then I'll go back to a tip I had completely dismissed and discover that it's perfect (for one listening session at least). Rinse and repeat.

My left ear also has otitis from time to time. In those days, typically every week, it is even more difficult to get a quality insertion. Shallow, deeper, angled, you name it... I keep repositioning it until the damn singer is dead center.

Again, very familiar. Allergies and hot yoga mean that my ears are regularly fighting off fluid and swelling. For me, the issue is usually further up the treble range than voices, but same deal. I keep obsessively trying to get cymbals and hi-hats to stay centered. And, yeah, it's definitely a bigger issue with some IEMs more than others. Haven't figured out the common denominator between all the "bad ones," so it's probably a combination of fit-related traits.

Looks like you're not getting a good seal? For foam tips, I always go for a bigger size. If it hurts, the pain will go away in a few days. My itching tolerance for foam is typically 20 minutes though. Cartilage pain I can endure a little longer.

Wow, it really seems like we have the same ears. Yeah, I haven't been able to get a legit seal from foams. I just figured that that's how they work since no one seems to make them in a large enough size for my ears. I just got a set of the SeeAudio Render tips. The silicone umbrella gets a good seal, while the foam seems to get out of the way within my ear canal. I'll see how they do over the next few days. Fingers crossed!

 

[frkasper]

For me, the issue is usually further up the treble range than voices, but same deal. I keep obsessively trying to get cymbals and hi-hats to stay centered.

I see. Voices are easier for me and it is 2-fold. If an ear is way louder than the other, it can also be a bass leakage, i.e., not a good seal. Other than that, it is due blockage/impedance. Firmer eartips typically help. E.g.: Divinus, Radius Deep Mount, TRI Clarion, and AZLAs, of course.

I'm an over-ear kind of guy. Started with IEMs when I wanted to hear more bass and I was sick of EQ'ing. So 90% of my collection are bassy stuff. The drama started when I purchased a bass lean IEM, and that unveiled the whole thing. Once you hear it, it cannot be unheard. The issue was always there, but it was swept under the carpet due the massive amount of bass I was hearing.

If there is one thing I learned over this drama was imaging. It is now razor sharp. At least one good news.

Wow, it really seems like we have the same ears.

We don't. I screwed my left ear when I was a kid. Too much fireworks.

My left ear also has a more accentuated treble roll-off than the other one. It is capped at 13kHz. On the right ear I can still hear above 16kHz, and I'm on my mid 40s. Although this may also be a collateral of the otitis.

 

[sicnesse]

Lads, I need tips similar to the final E (very narrow bore) for my titans, in order to tame the treble a bit. Unfortunately, the final tips don't stay in place and would get stuck in my ears.
Any suggestions?

 

[baskingshark]

Lads, I need tips similar to the final E (very narrow bore) for my titans, in order to tame the treble a bit. Unfortunately, the final tips don't stay in place and would get stuck in my ears.
Any suggestions?

Try foam tips, which generally tame treble too.

 

[sicnesse]

Try foam tips, which generally tame treble too.

Not really fond of foam tips
But what about this kind of tips?

 

[bru87tr]

Anyone else like the Final tips ?

 

[droid23]

The Crystal Azla are second, good fit and sound but slightly less comfort in the ear. I also had the Xelastec, I was happy with it before they began to distort and become unusable.

Got them today... and I stand corected, holy cow, I used them with my Sigmot EM6L (for now) but man, the sound opens up quite drastically with them compared to the original tips or the FA Type-E (both narrow bore). It nearly feels like another IEM now... really, can that be so drastic?

(okok, I'm not a IEM long time user, mostly I use my over ears for home and some sub-par Bose 700 in the past for commuting... my only IEMs I kept here are the old iBasso IT01, which were decent, but now I became infected with the IEM virus and am testing out new ones, one of them is the EM6L, FF Scarlet Mini which i sell already quickly, and more are coming)

 

[frkasper]

Anyone else like the Final tips ?

I do the Type E on a rotation basis and I don't have the other models. But I find them a little too soft for longer runs. My left ear tend to spit it out, but can also do deeper insertions in short time spans though.

Received their TWS version a couple of days ago. Good alternative to the other short stem eartips I have here:

• AZLA Crystal TWS
• AZLA MAX TWS
• Eletech Baroque
• NF Audio MS42
• SpinFit CP360 and Omni -- although I don't even consider these short stems

Any of the above work great for me on shallow insertions, a.k.a., preliminaries for the bigger AZLAs.

 

[mobbaddict]

Epro EP01 and Spinfit CP500 work well for me when it comes to taming treble.

 

[raibeli]

Anyone else like the Final tips ?

They don't really fit my ears in any size. I prefer the Sony EP-EX11 over them, they are slightly shorter and softer.

Tho I've completely switched over to SMP iFit tips, Acoustune AEX70 and JVC Spiral Dot++. They just work for me, great consistent seal, incredible comfort and great sound.

 

[bru87tr]

Not really fond of foam tips
But what about this kind of tips?

I seen them on Amazon and wondered if a combo sil/foam would be good. How do you like them ?

 

[bru87tr]

They don't really fit my ears in any size. I prefer the Sony EP-EX11 over them, they are slightly shorter and softer.

Tho I've completely switched over to SMP iFit tips, Acoustune AEX70 and JVC Spiral Dot++. They just work for me, great consistent seal, incredible comfort and great sound.

That’s how I felt about the clarion.