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As soon as I see some interest in producing those cables I'll have to give them a try..
The connection is called "MMCX" which is used by Shure and (IIRC) Ultimate Ears, so there may already be some workable aftermarket cables out there.Ditto gregcss, I've had no complaints re cable microphonics in my hf series Etymotics.ACHiPo, who did your tips? I recently had impressions made for my Shure SE535s and I showed my Ety tips to the audiologist who said they weren't done right- they should go justpast the second bend of the ear canal and mine don't. Had two sets made at different times and they both look the same. They were done by Etymotic's "official" provider (who I won't name here). Is that who did yours? Sensaphonics, the recommended supplier for Shure, can do them for Etys too so I may try them sometime.
My Ety hf's are pretty good as far as cable microphonics go. Cables for the ER's look like a twisted pair arrangement which apart from the removable connector seem to be similar to the originals.
Save your money on the custom molds, I had some made for my ER-4S and I did not like them complete waste of money. I now use Comply foam tips, better isolation, better fit, better comfort levels and cheaper too.I do have custom molds earplugs which I love, using the 25db sound reduction filters.
ACHiPo- I had a local audiologist make my ear and impressions also, then I sent them off to have those impressions made into the finished product. That's what I was asking, whether those final pieces, the ones that actually go in your ears, were made by Etymotic's recommended supplier. Russell and toocool4- I had custom tips made for both my Etys (twice actually) and my Shures. The first set for the Ety's I wasn't completely satisfied with, so I remade them a couple of years later. The new ones (from a new set of impressions) fit more snugly, at least in my ears- the right tip has a habit of coming off of the headphones in the carry case etc. I have a discount voucher with the company which I may use to redo the one that comes off.Are customs worth the money? I would have to say, overall, probably not. They were the only way I could get the Shures to fit properly and give good isolation though. For some reason, none of the foam tips I tried with the Shures worked for me. I tried Shure factory tips, Westones, Etymotic- none of them worked well (except the hollow 'ball' style, which fit well but provided meager isolation), so I sprang for the customs. For some people, the custom tips may be advantageous. They are with the SE535s for me. For the Etys, not so much. Those work well for me with the medium-size comply foam tips. I use the custom tips though, because I already bought them. If the stock tips work for you though, save your money. The cost of custom tips would pay for a 10 year supply of Comply tips. The silicone tips are easier to use and keep clean (I use some small hand wipes on both types of tips) but that alone doesn't justify the price. The company that makes the Shure tips even has the gall to ask a $50 dollar upcharge for different color silicone. I have a dollar says they pay the exact same price for every tube of goo.One other thing: The audiologist told me that the shape of the ear changes over time, due to the fact that cartilage keeps growing and is also affected by changes in body mass (like the 100+ lbs I am trying to lose). So those $1399 custom IEMs may need to be replaced after ~3 years just because of that. I didn't find much difference in isolation performance between Comply foam and custom silicones, so I guess it all depends, like everything in this hobby.
