[AHorseNamedJeff]

So, I've done a lot pf pondering for this years Christmas list, and I've decided that my big thing (Santa gift) will be a pair of CosmicEars Flex Custom IEM's, that with the options I've chosen is around $175. This is cheaper than anything else I've ever asked for, but they still shoot down my idea. I've wanted a good pair of in-ears for portable use, and universals just hurt, so I picked CIEM's. CosmicEars is much cheaper than any other company, and I've heard they're a great value. My parents are trying to tell me to just get a 'decent' pair of speakers for my room, which to them means going to best buy and asking the monkeys there. I don't want speakers, because they'd sound bad in my small room, and I'd have nowhere to put them. Also, parents think CIEM's are a cute gimmick.

So help Head-Fi. How do I solve this issue?

 

[RickH9]

I was interested in some custom IEM's before as well, the 1964 Ears V3. After doing some research however, I've found that teenagers have constantly changing ear canals, more so than adults. If I were to get custom in ear moniters, I would have to have them reshelled possibly once every year or two until my ear canals stopped changing so rapidly. Being as CIEM's cost quite a bit to reshell, I've decided to buy some high end universal IEM's instead. Just a bit of information you might want to take into account.

 

[fuzzyash]

yes i agree with the above post
dont get custom iems as it looks like you're in high school, which is when you're still going quite a bit
id say ciems are something to consider until you're at least mid 20s, unless you want to reshell every year at ~$75 a pop

speakers usually cost much more for a decent set, which you can spend on a decent set of universal iems, eg. vsonic gr07

 

[AHorseNamedJeff]

Thanks for the info guys yeah, I'm a sophomore in high school. I'm pretty much up a rutt on what to ask for for Christmas. I know I want something headphone related. Im just not sure what.

 

[AHorseNamedJeff]

I just really wish I could be able to pick something out without my parents bickering about it. They shot down the whole CIEM idea pretty rudely earlier, and its got me in a bad mood. I wish they'd understand a bit more of the audiophile world than that its expensive.

 

[zerodeefex]

Even in a small room, a decent pair of speakers and an old receiver can sound phenomenal. I've heard plenty of setups that were modest and performed well in that price range.

 

[EveTan]

Haha, i wonder how my parents will react when I ask them to let me buy a 1964 V6 or Heir 4A XD. Been selling off all my old gear to fund something like that.

 

[proton007]

@AHorseNamedJeff
What reason exactly are your parents giving for not getting you the IEMs? 
Maybe some near field monitors would do the trick. 

 

[Dissonant]

Quote:

yes i agree with the above post
dont get custom iems as it looks like you're in high school, which is when you're still going quite a bit
id say ciems are something to consider until you're at least mid 20s, unless you want to reshell every year at ~$75 a pop
speakers usually cost much more for a decent set, which you can spend on a decent set of universal iems, eg. vsonic gr07

Yeah. I am inclined to agree with that. CIEMs, at least at your age (which is coincidentally around the same as mine), are quite a risk to take as your ear canals can still change quite a bit in shape, affecting your fit. To use a comparison, it's kind of like how you don't really want to commission a high-end bespoke suit or shoes before you finish growing, simply because the cost of maintenance becomes higher and the item can become redundant within a short period of time.
 
Consider good bang-to-buck universal (non-custom) IEMs such as the Sony EX600, Vsonic GR07, Yamaha EPH-100 et al at the 100-200 dollar range before homing in on your sound preferences and then consider a CIEM later on.
 
That said, I am opening a can of worms here, but a good stereo system set up well tends to outclass most IEMs in some key areas I hold dear (soundstaging, bass impact and texture - due to the laws of physics), particularly at the low end of price for CIEMs, in my experience. Perhaps, consider looking for a vintage stereo setup in your area with a vintage receiver like zerodeefex said, with vintage speakers. They are likely to be better than anything on Best Buy anyway. And don't worry about your parents shooting down your idea. I once foolishly asked my dad to get me a CIEM too.

 

[RickH9]

Hey! I'm a sophomore in high school as well Luckily for me, my Dad has a somewhat obsessive love towards electronics, so he actually thinks the audio gear I buy is pretty neat. My mother on the other hand, doesn't understand why I want to spend so much just to listen to some music. Anyways, hope you find something you're satisfied with.

 

[Insidious Meme]

If you have fit issues with universals, and customs aren't quite the $$ saver for your age, have you looked at getting on the ear headphones? Most are pretty portable.

 

[Eric_C]

What universals have you tried? I'm curious, because you said that universal IEMs hurt your ears.

 

[cheapheadphones]

Nice stuff, I like all the models of head phones. I love these types of electronic gadgets.

 

[hkppl]

I think this will be your first CIEM right? As previous posters said, depending on fit, CIEM may not as comfortable as universals. If it got fitting issues and need to refit, that might take some time for the CIEM company to redo the shell and ship back to you again, which means long time waiting and costs (your parent's) money for the shipments. Apart from that, as I know for CosmicsEars, they are getting more and more attentions recently and their orders are increasing. Due to their limited resources (both labor and material), they may not be able to complete your order on time for your Christmas. If universals hurts your ear, how about some on ear headphones. Some models, like the Sennheiser Momemtum, are quite nice in SQ and are portable.

 

[Golila3]

Quote:

What universals have you tried? I'm curious, because you said that universal IEMs hurt your ears.

Same question.. Some universals with the right tip are amazingly comfortable and Isolates amazingly well, maybe you just didn't find the right IEMs. I just ordered a JH-16 3 weeks ago, looks like I might experience some trouble too since i'm also grade.10. 

 
I'd say the best way to convince your parents is to earn your own money and just give them the money and ask for the credit card. Doing so really shows how determined you are.
 
@[size=17.77777862548828px]Insidious Meme[/size]  Damn I want that profile pic!