My ears are pretty fussy when it comes to earbuds and IEMs. I had to downgrade from my Hifiman iems to the Apple Earpods as they provided the best fit. After going through multiple cans, my preference for earbuds/IEMs have sadly stayed the same. That is not to say that Earpods are terrible. They are perfect for when I need to stay somewhat alert of my surroundings (eg crossing roads), not needing to take them out when someone is talking (eg when the boss speaks), and being cheap enough that I won't despair if they were lost.
To complement my earpods, I am hoping to get a pair of CIEMs for serious music listening sessions. The biggest advantage they provide is a very good seal. With the better isolation, I would also expect to enjoyably listen at lower volumes. If you have experience in getting CIEMs, I would be thankful if the following questions can be answered:
(1) Did you get your impressions through an audiologist? If so, I would love to hear your experiences. If you had a positive experience and went to someone based in Sydney/Brisbane, please PM their details. I am hoping to seek an audiologist confident enough in their work that they offer redos.
(2) What CIEMs were they? Are you enjoying them? There are so many options like Westone, Shure, Ultimate Ears and Etymotics. I prefer a well-balanced sound signature with clear mids and highs. Any suggestions?
(3) Was it worth it?
Thanks!
Well, wouldn’t you be a delightful person to have to deal with. Not many things I can think of that would be ruder than trying to talk to someone while they can’t even bother to take their head/earphones out. Bet your boss is thrilled about having to talk to you while you have your EarPods in…
You do know what an audiologist does? My impression was that they helped people with hearing disorders, not experts in crispy clear mid and high sound signature headphones… Most would probably tell you to not seal your ears off and fill them with loud music. But, hey, you’ll probably have your EarPods in and won’t hear them tell you that anyway…
I have a set made that I use while on the motorbike or while at work (I work in very loud environments where I need to have people communicate with me over the noise.) I bought the earphones I liked and got them mounted at a place that does custom ear plugs.
Another thing to search would be a place that does custom musician earphones. Dealing with music, they may be better to talk to that someone that helps old people with hearing aid installs…