Interesting take, thank you for the input. I don’t forsee my self buying a pair brand new for the asking price of $30+, but it’s nice to read about various experiences from multiple sources still because if a lightly used pair or 2 show up on the classifieds, I’d probably bite out of curiosity.
Tips are by far the most subjective part of this hobby, imo, and I’ve found that most tips will follow the guidelines that have been laid out for years (wider nozzle = more treble/upper mid presence etc…) but some break molds like the Clarion tips. One look at those things and you’d think they’d be shout monster but nope, for my ears, they open the sound up but also add some bass presence for some reason. I have no idea why this is, but I’ve experienced it.
I think I finally found the tips that solve the fit issues on my S12s and Kailua that had me using TS400 foam tips only on them.
The tips that have come closest to staying those sets have all been on the shorter end, but the extremely short and soft Whizzer SS20s seem to be excellent so far
Ahhh yes, the SS20 tips are fantastic! I need to grab a few more pairs of those to have around for sure!
@Ohmboy Hey, brother. I usually use Small to Medium, but it depends on the IEM. For longer nozzles, I’ll rock a S - M, but for shorter nozzles, I’ll usually have to use the largest tips possible.
I’ve got a pair of medium Coreirs I can send out to you foc (maybe 3hrs use) I found the large was a way better fit, shoulda gone large in the first place (I’m a L with most tips) but their sizing looked like the M would be ok but sadly no
Maybe if you want them and they don’t fit you you could pass them on to one of your crew?
True their sizes do seem a bit larger than usual and I would probably try M first as well despite usually using L sizes (which are usually 13mm width).
I keep coming back to my Xelastecs for the form fit and grippy surface…you give up a little comfort for performance but that is the incongruity of performance…and that’s the trade-off I’m willing to accept
Big bore tips are my thing and the Azlas fit the bill…wish they made a longer bore version like they do for their Sednaearfit lights…sometimes I like a deeper fit one size down for some of my sets
These are very interesting. Can’t find to much on them on there site. So is it a seperate sleeve that goes over the ear tip? Or how does it work. Will probably end up buying them(you know how I am with eartips and cables? @Ohmboy
This might be a weird question to ask but, do you guys clean your tips regularly? I try to do it once a week and I have a little bit of a system in place for which tips need to be cleaned.
If I am tip rolling, I have a small plastic container on my desk of the clean tips I intend to try.
Then, once I’m done with them if they don’t work for the IEM I’m trying it on, it goes in a separate plastic container letting me know they need to be cleaned. Once the dirty container is filled, I usually fill it about a fourth of the way to the top with 70% IP, shake it up a bit, mix the tips in there, take them out, and dry them on a paper towel. I’m not even sure if this is the proper method to do it, but it’s worked for me so far. Any other suggestions?
I only ever “deep clean” tips as needed or if I am sending something out on loan or putting it in storage/preparing to put them on the market. I also run isopropyl and wipe with tissues, as well as running a “thong” of twisted tissue from the stem to the bore, similar to how one wipes and runs patches through a gun barrel.
Edit: I should clarify, this is ONLY for silicone tips; with TPE (Xelastecs and Crystals) or Foams, I just either toss 'em or never use them before passing them on.
I’m pretty anal about the tips…my ears tend to produce more wax than most…I think… but it’s usually not a subject brought up by me to my cochlea crew so I might be mistaken
I soak my Xelastecs in warm water for a awhile to bring back their shape and then wipe them down with isopropyl just like you…just a mindless hygiene habit like brushing your teeth
@Toecutter@Sonofholhorse Makes sense, seems like I’m doing the right thing then. I’m just afraid of bacteria growing on the tips themselves after being in the storage container. I am just so afraid of getting an ear infection honestly so I guess I clean them more frequently than normal. I also think my ears produce more wax than usual, so I do typically need to clean my tips and my ears on a more frequent basis to keep them from getting filthy.
Anyway, thanks for the thoughts, gentlemen.
PS. The velvet tips are not worth the hype imo. They’re smooth, sure, but I reckon there are a few other tips I’d rec over these. @Rikudou_Goku put it well in his post about them.
Agreed. I prefer how stiff the umbrella is on the Radius tips as well. Both of their shapes are very similar, with the Velvets having a strange seam half way through the umbrella.
Only factor I see that the velvet is better at is availability, you can get it from more stores than the deep mounts which seem to be only available on amazon jp, ebay and some other random places.
