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scuwp

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#175148 19-Jun-2015 09:53
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Hi all. I picked up a set of SOL Amps canal earphones on a whim.  Couldn’t resist the below 50% clearance price, and the buttons had stopped working on the Apple buds which was annoying, so the stars had aligned, or so I thought.  I have and like the SOL V8’s so thought these should be good. 

They sound amazing, but can’t stand the way they fit, not to mention the work required to get them in, and maintain the seal properly.  I have swapped the different tips around multitudes of times for a couple of weeks now, and can’t find anything that stays in, one moment they seem OK, if I sit completely still, but any movement out they pop again.   I have pulled, prodded, poked, twisted, and tried every other imaginable method.    

When I do get them sealed in there I dare not move, talk, eat, breath, cough or bump the cable, as anything like that seems to go right through the phones and echoes’ inside my head (if you have ever had glue-ear or blocked ears it’s just like that). Any exercise while wearing them is out of the question, if they don’t fall out; the sound of my hearth thumping inside my head, or clothing rubbing across the cable destroys any enjoyment of the music. 

What am I missing?  Or am I just weird and canal phones are just not for me?




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  #1327683 19-Jun-2015 10:12
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It took me a while after my first canal/bud purchase some 10 years ago to finally establish which tips worked best.

For my Shure 530s I always found that the soft, medium, blunt tips were the best OEMs. I would roll them quite tightly between finger and thumb and then when inserting, gently stretch my ear upwards from the tip with my other hand to the one inserting the bud! This opened up the ear canal and enabled a great fit as the tips slowly expanded again. It also makes a huge difference in sound quality when you get it right.

All that said, the best thing I ever did for them was visit an audiologist, get a canal-mold done and had custom tips made! So comfy, so snug and so secure. Problem is, that will probably set you back $150 or so, which seemed worth if for $600 'phones, but perhaps not in your case?

Cheers




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  #1327684 19-Jun-2015 10:19
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Now you know why they were half price.  wink

Everybody's ears are anatomically different, so one size does not fit all.

Serious earbud users get custom molds made of their ears, but that often costs more than the earbuds.

I use high-end Etymotic earphones, which offer a choice of semi-disposable soft "eartips" - my favorite is a simple cylinder of foam rubber with a canal down its centre.

One pair of eartips lasts several months and costs about $1.




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scuwp

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  #1327717 19-Jun-2015 10:51
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Sideface: Now you know why they were half price.  wink

Everybody's ears are anatomically different, so one size does not fit all.



I still think they shop made a muck up on the price, I did ask several times to confirm what the sale sign said.  They seem to rate very highly in on-line reviews, and certainly sit among the higher end products in the stores. Came with 4 sized tips, and have settled on the original ones fitted in the box.

Does anyone else get that 'glue-ear' sensation while wearing in-ear phones?  Even the cable rubbing across textured clothing or a zip for example, creates like a rolling thunder noise transmitted from the vibrations up the cable.  Detracts from the better quality from buds.




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  #1327749 19-Jun-2015 11:20
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scuwp: ... Does anyone else get that 'glue-ear' sensation while wearing in-ear phones?  Even the cable rubbing across textured clothing or a zip for example, creates like a rolling thunder noise transmitted from the vibrations up the cable.  Detracts from the better quality from buds.


If you have an airtight seal in your external auditory canal, you may get a "glue ear" sensation (which is due to air pressure on the eardrum, reducing its movement).
Mechanical cable noise is a common problem - the Etymotics come with a little clip to fasten the cable to your clothing - this improves comfort and reduces noise.




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scuwp

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  #1327812 19-Jun-2015 12:41
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Thanks. I would like to persevere as the sound quality over the earbud style is significantly better, however I wasn't aware of, and don't like the downsides. One of the few times I don't research to death beforehand. Oh well, at least didn't waste to many $$$$




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