I don’t have any experience with IEMs, but do have a pair of BL03s on the way (whenever Drop decides to ship them to me). In the meantime, I wanted to reach out to you IEM users and ask: Have you experienced any issues with earwax and your IEMs?
Some background: I tend to have a lot of earwax buildup overtime and occasionally will clean it out. I’ve never had a pair of IEMs, just shitty earbuds. Being that an IEM is in-ear, I am interested what experiences people have had with IEMs and earwax, what it could do to the IEM (damage or otherwise), and how to maintain/protect them from earwax.
In my experience, IEMs will eventually get dirty but they have a mesh to protect the driver(s). For cleaning, I don’t have anything to suggest, honestly.
IEMs can make your ears produce more earwax, though. Also, they push the wax further.
Haha, everyone’s favorite topic.
What I personally do is to make sure you have some desiccant packets to wherever you are storing it. BL03 should come with a small pouch. The packet will help solidify… things.
About once a week, I would point the nozzle downwards and use the brush to remove anything off. You definitely don’t want to brush things further into your nozzle.
Yes, I constantly have problem with too much earwax, particularly with foam tips. I have some blue foam tips that came with the Tin T4 that turned swamp green after the first couple uses. I just gave up and started cleaning them with a cotton shirt after I use them to avoid clogging the nozzle.
You could take the subject even further.
Lot of Earwax = sound changes / issues, not just with IEM’s.
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Care and Maintenance
How to Clean your IEMs After Use
Wax buildup and moisture are the biggest things that can cause issues with the monitors. Keeping them clean and dry will keep the IEMs in their best working condition.
To begin cleaning the IEMs, wipe down the outside of the pieces with a soft towel or microfiber rag and a bit of rubbing alcohol. The alcohol will break up and clean any wax or dirt on the shell and also help evaporate any excess moisture on the IEM.
Periodically, remove the cable and clean the sockets. The socket area is a prime spot for corrosion to occur due to sweat. If this area is left unattended, corrosion will build up and ruin the socket, and possibly the cable. (Note that repairs due to damage from corrosion are not covered under our warranty.) You can clean the cable the same as the outer shells of the earpieces. A soft towel and rubbing alcohol will help remove sweat and keep the cable in good condition. Clear cables will eventually turn green due to Oxidation, a natural process that occurs when the wires are repeatedly exposed to sweat. This “greening” of the wire will not affect the sound or quality of the cable.
To better maintain the inside of the IEMs, you can use the loop styled end of the supplied cleaning tool. This loop will help you reach any wax or dirt that has built up in the shallow part of the canal. Please be advised that there are soft tubes and several filters that are used to regulate driver output inside the sound bores, and if one of those tubes or filters is punctured, it will affect the sound quality. We do not advise inserting any foreign, non-approved object down into the sound bores in the canals.
For deeper cleaning, we recommend using a Jodi Vac. It is a small vacuum cleaner with a dull “needle” end on it. This can be safely and gently inserted into the IEMs to help remove deeper wax. Never insert any kind of liquid or other cleaning agents into the IEM.
Lastly, if the monitors are being used in a situation where moister or sweat is a big factor, never put the IEMs directly back into the case. Let them air out and dry for a bit. When you do put them back into the case, try to also include a small dehumidifier or silica packet. This will help draw moisture away from the drivers and out of the canal.
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And of course there are cleaning products for IEM’s.
I found if I cleaned my ears on a daily basis this became a non problem after a couple of weeks. But each of our ears are different so milage may vary.
Yeah it can be a problem for I have experienced it with my BLON BL03s, the right side part of that IEM as minutes passed got muffled so basically I have to clean it up with a pair of Q-Tips with some alcohol on. Same goes to my left side recently, and with that done to both pieces it is all good as new and no issues have occurring again so far.
Also, just clean your freaking ears from time to time just to reduce the chances of your IEM’s sounds ruined by your earwaxes. xD
Not going to lie, I have a lot of Q Tips around here for use every time my ear holes itches or something, I just have the urge to use Q Tips with my ears every time it itches or something is in my ear that needs to be removed.
Also I clean my IEMs and even my headphones as much as I can so that they are not going to get dirty or something and maintain their pristine look.
Holy crap guys! Please be careful about sticking anything down your ears, including Q Tips, unless advised by your doctor. You can definitely damage your hearing and that’s permanent.
It should go without saying, but don’t use rubbing alcohol in your ears either. It will dry out the skin in the ear canal, leaving them susceptible to infection which can lead to deafness. Not just loss of hearing, deafness.
I wondered about this as well a year ago. I have had issues with earwax because of allergies. The iem will get earwax in the tips, but it’s super easy to get rid of. What i found interesting is I have had less earwax issues since using iems regularly. For whatever reason it has actually helped me, not caused issues like some have experienced.
It’s funny that you mention that. I’m still getting use to them and haven’t used them a lot (comfort has been a struggle), but last night I had a good long session with them and felt like my ears were clearer after.
Sorry!!