Comply T-400 foam tips... Wow!

[skip252]

Besides the places you named I'd check Home Depot or a similar big box home improvement store. I've seen dispenser boxes of 100 for contractors in the $20-$25 range. Don't know if you want to spend that much on an experiment but that's were I've seen even the smaller packs cheapest.

[CrowdAds]

[tienbasse]

Originally Posted by Aardvark

I might try and see if there is a deal on at Ratshack and take another punt on a 5 pack...large and then do the wash and rinse or use a bit of peroxide followed by a soak and rinse to keep them going longer.

No peroxide my friend, it WILL attack most plastic materials (trust me, I'm a chemist and peroxide exposure is how we compare polymer resistance to natural degradation).
Soap and warm water are more than enough to dissolve earwax.

[FLMikey]

This past weekend I tried a DIY with foam tips. I found this thread, but I wasn't too impressed with my results. I didn't follow the steps directly though because I wanted a silicone core center with a foam coating. I took off the eraser from a pencil and the circumference made a great hole for me to put a silicone core in there. But the sound I got wasn't as good as a standard silicone so I decided to forget the whole thing.

But in that thread the op bought his ones at Lowe's and got good results placing the plug directly on the nozzle. I never tried it so I have no idea how it'll affect sound quality.

[FLMikey]

Reporting back in...tried another DIY with the decored foam I made last weekend, so I now have tips like the monster foam tips. I used a single flange medium long MEE tip (should work with any single flange tip I think). Flipped the silicone flange tip up, then I put the decored foam on the stem and flipped the tip back down. That's it. The fit in general feels a lot more tighter like the earphones aren't going to move at all (using a SP-51 earphone now).

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by FLMikey

Reporting back in...tried another DIY with the decored foam ... I used a single flange medium long MEE tip ... Flipped the silicone flange tip up, then I put the decored foam on the stem and flipped the tip back down. ...

If it's like "Heady's IEM ear tip mod" its been around for a long time and should work great with any of the cheap single flange tips.

[FLMikey]

Yip that's it. Instead of the leather puncher I use the pencil eraser holder. I had never seen it before, but I should've figured someone did it before me. The only minor difference is with the MEE medium extra long, no foam shows.

[skip252]

Originally Posted by WalkGood

If it's like "Heady's IEM ear tip mod" its been around for a long time and should work great with any of the cheap single flange tips.

So that's where I saw that! I couldn't remember where I saw that but as soon as I saw the pictures I knew that's where I saw the leather punch idea.

I've got some cheap tips and a leather punch around. Local drugs stores have packs of hearing protectors for a few bucks. Guess it's time for a little DIY. I'm one of the lucky ones that don't have much trouble getting a good seal and don't have any problems getting mine to stay put. This won't be a priority for me but if I can reuse some of the old tips and not cost myself much, why not?

[JK98]

I don't know what the Comply tips cost to make, however imo they would be much more popular if they were cheaper, perhaps $10 or less for 3 pairs of the T400.

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by JK98

I don't know what the Comply tips cost to make, however imo they would be much more popular if they were cheaper, perhaps $10 or less for 3 pairs of the T400.

I fully agree, except they should be cheaper and without knowing for sure, I'd say at $10.00 bucks they'd already be making a few hundred thousand percent mark up.

Edit: But someone has to pay for these lawsuits

[FLMikey]

Originally Posted by ComplyGuy

also, comply is having special black friday & cyber monday specials coming up.

I checked the site today and didn't see anything? Is this still going to happen?

EDIT: Found it. 25% off using "ComplyThanksgiving"
Will be trying the S series like you recommended for $10 shipped.

[Addicted]

I was looking at the Comply tips as an option for me but I'm worried about them possibly adding bulk or extra pressure in my ears. I have silly small ears, even the smallest Phonak tips begin to ache after a while, but foam tips seem to be praised especially for their comfort. I was just wondering if anyone had experience with similarly tiny ears as to whether the t100's would be any good as they look a little slimmer than the official t130 and I've seen elsewhere that they do fit the PFE's? I would just buy them but it is an expensive experiment at £15 for 3 pairs over here :\

Sorry WalkGood I know its a little off topic but if they do fit I'll buy some to fit my Radiopaq's too which would be the t400 lol :P

[steinburger1109]

Hey guys, I'm back! And with more info!

They've pretty much held on par with my original impressions. They continue to be more comfy, isolate better, and sound better than the stock silicone ones I'm used to. In the past few days, I've used them working out (bad idea, will explain later), in a noisy gymnasium, on a bus, and at home (mostly quiet). I decided to do a slightly more scientific test as far as sound quality goes by using them with the same headphones (Fischer Audio Eterna rev. 1) and switching between silicon and foam tips. I listened to the following tracks, all LAME MP3 V2 or V3 on my Zune or my laptop:

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
In Flames - Reflect the Storm
Pendulum - Set Me On Fire
Chris Webby - Goin' Down
Skrillex - First of the Year (Equinox)

Again, what I noticed most was the bass, it was even bigger than the already big bass from these headphones. Next was isolation. In all of the locations I was at, I didn't turn my Zune above 10/30, and I couldn't hear anything but the music. They seem to mellow out the highs a little compared to the smallest silicone tips that I use, about the same as with the double-flange. And now I'm getting tired and forgetting what else to say, maybe I'll finish up later.

Ah, right, working out... See, I'm a moron who didn't think first about what may happen to rather spongy foam when I start sweating a lot. Well, the tips soaked up a lot of sweat, and then slid out of my ears. Don't wear them while exercising, stick to silicone for that.

Originally Posted by Addicted

I was looking at the Comply tips as an option for me but I'm worried about them possibly adding bulk or extra pressure in my ears. I have silly small ears, even the smallest Phonak tips begin to ache after a while, but foam tips seem to be praised especially for their comfort. I was just wondering if anyone had experience with similarly tiny ears as to whether the t100's would be any good as they look a little slimmer than the official t130 and I've seen elsewhere that they do fit the PFE's? I would just buy them but it is an expensive experiment at £15 for 3 pairs over here :\

Sorry WalkGood I know its a little off topic but if they do fit I'll buy some to fit my Radiopaq's too which would be the t400 lol :P

I have fairly small ears (canals, at least), and they fit me blissfully. I use the double-flange tips because I like the sound sig better with them, the small tips fit me best. I can hardly ever get a great seal with my right ear. The foam tips fix all that. They're very comfortable.

[IDvsEGO]

Originally Posted by JK98

I don't know what the Comply tips cost to make, however imo they would be much more popular if they were cheaper, perhaps $10 or less for 3 pairs of the T400.

agreed. at $10 for 3 I would already have tried some. The 25% code pretty much just brings them down to the same price as I would pay at my local radio shack ($15). The only advantage would be I could try the spherical set. My RS only has the standard t400.

[tienbasse]

The spherical model is worth every dollar you'll pay.

[steinburger1109]

I do intend to grab a pair of Ts's sometime. But I'm hoping these three pairs last me a good long time. It seems as though they will. I've been able to remove one pair three times for various reasons with no tears, they continue to expand back into their original shape, and don't appear to have any other signs of wear.

[FLMikey]

Well I got the S-400 today and put 'em on my SP-51. Tight fit, but they're on now. I can see how removing and putting them on frequently will cause tears. They fit really really well.

It causes an amazingly perfect seal for me.

I don't notice a huge difference in sound. I think the main difference is the seal it creates allows more of the bass to come through. Highly recommend for people trying to achieve that "perfect" seal if silicone's aren't cutting it.

So how long will they last is the question. So far I love 'em, so will be using the advice posted in this thread to maintain them. I'll report back in the future. If I get 4 months (I know that's asking a lot based on what I've read), but if they make 4 months they're a great deal. Thanks Steinburger for making the thread!

P.S. Oh yeah, I'm going to try working out with them. Based on what you said, I'll just use it on days where I lift mostly and don't sweat copiously. Cardio days I'll figure something else out...maybe some Monster Supertips??

[steinburger1109]

Good luck with the workout, let me know what you find. I was doing cardio and sweating my balls off, but I believe they started sliding out pretty early on in the workout. Can't really remember that great, as it was a little while ago.

[FLMikey]

Some point over the weekend I'll give it the workout test. I've been listening to them for a few hours now non-stop. These are extremely comfortable haha...loving the comfort factor

[FLMikey]

Reporting back in after purchasing the S Foam Tips quite some time ago. I have yet to workout with them, but I'm happy to report I'm still on my first pair. For my usage, they're great and worth every penny. I use them about 3 - 4 times a week for about 2 - 3 hours and keep my ears relatively clean. I don't fiddle with the tips at all. I see no need to. I just pop 'em in and go and they still seal great. Also, I'm not sure I would buy any of the more expensive ones because these cheap S series work great for me. Just letting others know it may be worth checking out if you find silicone tips uncomfortable and want a quick good seal.

[steinburger1109]

I'm still on my first pair, as well, though they're starting to look a little disheveled. I'll probably soak 'em in some warm water tonight, But more than four months is pretty damn good. I could see dropping 15 bucks a year on these suckers.