My first pair of earphones were a set of Etymotic ER-4s. At the time (mid 90s), ear phones were a curiosity, and Etymotic saw an opportunity to extend their hearing aid expertise to a wider market: people that can hear.
I found the Etymotics, although highly regarded, to be rather clinical and unflattering. Lots of high end detail, in fact, to this day, I still occasionally use the ER-4s to check for problems, but absolutely no low end.
I reported this to Etymotic, and they instructed me to try all the ear pieces to find the ones most compatible with my ear. While the various ear pieces changed the frequency response, none of them produced any low end whatsoever. I reported this to Etymotic and they suggested I get custom ear molds taken by an audiologist, and then I'd get low end.
So, I found a very friendly local audiologist who made house calls because virtually all of his clients are elderly and immobile. He seemed delighted at the prospect of shoving goop into the ears of someone who was not an octogenarian.
After a few weeks, I received my custom ear molds. I also had some Etymotic ear plugs made, with removable filters for various levels of attenuation. However, the ER-4 ear molds did not magically improve the low end of my ER-4s. The ear plugs were a different story altogether, allowing me to finally enjoy live concerts. Every other ear plug I tried produced a drastically uneven frequency response. The Etymotic ear plugs sounded great, just softer. I even started wearing them at trade shows which lowered my overall anxiety and allowed me to understand conversation better in the noisy environment.
Over the years, I continued to chase the earphone dragon, with usually disappointing results. My most recent set are a pair of Westone 3s, which I feel should be 'mind blowing' but are simply 'acceptable' I use the Westones for recording, live monitoring, traveling, occasional mix checking and any situation where I need to elevate myself out of the ambient noise floor, or need to dig down deep in the dynamic range.
Isolation ear phones are an ancestor of future augmented reality, as they are designed to minimize the real world in favor of a virtual aural reality. This is one reason why I like the idea of composing for listeners of the future, but that is a separate topic of discussion.
Ear phones aren't always comfortable. If they're to work properly, they need to seal the ear canal. I find them fatiguing after an hour or so. Etymotic was right about one thing, various ear pieces can change the frequency response. In the case of the Westone 3s, dramatically so. My favorites by far are the olive foamies. The problem with olive foamies is they're like any kind of ear plug - made of a material that you can't wash, so they have a limited lifespan. Silicone can be washed.
Last week, matrixsynth alerted me to the Radians two part silicone ear goop hack. You push this stuff in your ear, then jam your earphones in. My first reaction was the same as Chris Randalls, (why not do it right, and go to an audiologist?) Well, they're about 1/10 the cost of a set of ear molds (not including the appointment itself), and you can have them in 10 minutes instead of several weeks. They're about the same price as a set of olive foamies and these are washable, so, why not? Plus, they say you can get two sets of plugs out of one unit.
The Radians come in five colors. I chose the tan which could best be described as "generic white American' color. There are others including 'festive dildo', 'japanese schoolgirl' and 'please kick me in the nuts'
I followed the instructions based on the video and I have one thing to add: don't take your time. Once this stuff is mixed, you have to get it in your ear and jam the earphone in quickly. My first batch was a failure as I was able to get one earphone in, but not the other.
The second batch I acted much more quickly and was able to produce a working set of ear molds. You can hear this stuff cure in your ear. Pop. Zaaaaap.
The end result is something that sounds as good as olive foamies, is washable and more comfortable. I'll cautiously give this process a thumbs up.
