DIY IEM ear molds

[scuzzy]

I searched and didn't find anything on DIY molds. if there is a thread, please direct me and apologies for the redundancy.

I decided to use the Radians ear plug kit and make some molds. I was able to do 2 sets of molds from one kit. I was glad, as I got one usable set out of the 2. It wasn't a bad process, but I did drool all over holding the mouth open.

They are comfy, isolate well, and stay put when I talk/smile etc.

If you have gone down this path, please post! I bought another Radians mold set to have another go at it, once I have the house to my self.

 

[JRA]

i've made my own DIY molded plugs: they work great! i had to muck up a pair before i got it right.

but, i found some great fitting tips (for me) that actually slip in/out of the canal a little more easily while providing the same critical seal, so i use them. i consider them as comfortable as the molded ones, but i may not need the comfort that others are seeking.

IME: molded, or tips from amazon, or elsewhere = doesn't matter if the seal is good! glad yours are working for you!

 

[drpepper]

There may or may not be dedicated threads, these have been brought up in a number of IEM threads though.

There are certainly people that get results they're happy enough with and others not so much. I tried the Radians kit for poops and giggles and didn't (and can't) really arrive at a usable result...at least one that I'd be satisfied with.

Nothing against anyone going out on the $10 limb and trying (that's what I did), but from my experience and also having molds that were made by an audiologist, I see the DIY process as having some challenges that, for myself, would make finding the best foam or silicone tip the better choice. There are also some options for having custom tips/molds made for universals that I'd weigh.

Generally, I found that I had a problem getting decent depth. Maybe this is just my ears and my efforts, but that aspect was unsatisfactory for me. The other problem I had, which is insurmountable, is that the geometry of my outer ears and ear canals don't allow the IEM nozzle to remain centered while the mold is curing...my ears don't match the angle of the nozzle, so when I put universals in my ears with say foam tips, the foam obviously conforms to my ear, but there is also a small amount of give that flesh has to work together with the tip. Inserting the IEMs I tried with no tip, the nozzle isn't centered but is actually pushing against one side of my ear canal. When the the same nozzle is pushed into uncured mold material in my ear, the material is displaced and the cured mold ends up with either paper thin side or the nozzle completely displaces the mold material and effectively leaves a hole in the side of the mold.

 

[walterw]

tried the radians with no luck, the rubbery result was too soft to hold together

then i went for the decibullz version which softens in hot water then hardens into hard plastic.

i just followed the directions but swapped in my in-ears for the included plastic earplugs

it was a little risky because once done there would be no easy way of removing it but i was successful and now my westone universals fit like custom molds!

The other problem I had, which is insurmountable, is that the geometry of my outer ears and ear canals don't allow the IEM nozzle to remain centered while the mold is curing...my ears don't match the angle of the nozzle

i found the trick for that was to keep the ear tips on! i use the medium "olive" tips and just put the mold stuff around the body of the earbud and up the shaft, so it all hardens in the right shape and in the right place, with the mold plastic conforming around base of the tips

It wasn't a bad process, but I did drool all over holding the mouth open.

use like a little pill bottle or something you can bite on and then put your lips around so you don't drool