Disclaimer: Comply sent Nathan and myseld a sample of the Custom Wraps over a month ago. Of course we didn’t need to send them back.
The Why
My ears are special. Special as in they have really small ear canals and as a result a lot of universal IEMs don’t fit me unless they’re sized like the RHA T10i (Review soon) and the Fischer Audio Eterna. The problem in general is all universals keep falling out of my ear and everyone knows that when the fit isn’t right, the sound isn’t either.
And that’s why custom In Ear Monitors from companies such as JH, 1964, Vision Ears, Lear, Rhines, Noble, Cosmic Ears, UM and so many more are getting more popular by the day. CIEMs however do require you to visit an audiologist to get ear impressions made. And that’s where it can start to go wrong. Either the audiologist didn’t make them correctly or they got damaged during transport or maybe even the CIEM company messed up. In the end you could end up with a non fitting, non sealing monitor. Believe me, I’ve seen the weirdest things happen to peoples monitors.
Techniques used by the audiologists and CIEM makers have improved a lot over the years but sometimes it can still happen your CIEMS just don’t give a good seal. Until now you had only a couple of options like send it back for a refit or try fixing it yourself with nailpolish (yes, people do that). But this is where now Comply comes in.
The Solution
Every self respecting IEM user knows the COMPLY tips. Yes, those soft tips you have to squeeze before putting them in your ears. More and more universal IEM companies are supplying these wih there IEMs (like RHA and Brainwavz) and Comply now probably is one of the most famous IEM tip brands. Comply has a lot of experience with universal tips and they decided to convert some of their experience in to custom tips called wraps for CIEMs. No more refits you say? Well you could but you don’t have to.
According to Comply, the Custom Wraps have these characteristics:
Enhances Comfort: These wraps are strips of memory foam that wrap around your custom-molded IEM’s sound port for a soft and unobtrusive layer of protection.
Provides Secure Fit: These wraps create an optimal seal and channel sound directly into the ear canal, transforming your listening experience from ordinary to extraordinary.
Ensures Consistent Seal: Expanding to fit the ear canal’s unique shape, these wraps give you an even more custom fit and remarkable in-ear retention, so your custom-molded IEM’s remain secure, without irritation and fatigue.
Here’s an instructional video on how to use the wraps:
It’s not the first time we see these wraps actually, Comply and JH Audio were selling them under the name of soft wraps but I’m not sure those are still available. The Custom Wraps only come in black and the video gives you a good idea of what they look like.
The Verdict
I myself have several CIEMs from 1964, Cosmic Ears, Rhines and Fabs and luckily for me none of these have any fit issues. I tried applying the Wraps on one of my least fitting monitors but after having applied the foam I just couldn’t get them back in my ears again. I’m sorry Comply but my ears are too weird and my Customs are too well done.
If you are really having serious fit issues with your customs (being too small) and you don’t feel like doing (multiple) refits to get the fit just right, then the Comply Wraps might be exactly what you need. In my personal opinion, if you do still need a refit, I still think going for one would be better in the end but I can fully understand just going for the Wraps and not having to care about the new impressions, shipping costs, etc.
Nathan: The idea of a bit of foam and adhesive to fix an ailing custom earphone is novel. A custom earphone. An earphone meant to fit your ears. And earphone you paid good money for. And earphone that has no purpose if it doesn’t fit.
Which, if your custom fits like someone else’s custom (or like a custom you had fitted half a decade earlier), is a decent, and inexpensive idea. My Sleek Audio CT6 are now 5 years old. And fit like my older brother’s sock. The Comply tips put things together again. Thanks to a decent seal, I get fuller sound. But I’ve got to be honest: I don’t use that CIEM anymore. I’ve moved on. And after five years, and loosening fit, so would anyone. Or, they would refit their earphones.
The Comply custom wraps are a good idea in search of a problem. Custom earphones fit too well. The real problem, however, is that if you don’t get on with the Comply strips, you are left with sticky icky residue all over your earphones. If that’s your thing, sign up. If you are not, send your phones in for a refit. I can’t understand why you wouldn’t.
The wraps cost $17.95 for 10 strips and they of course can only be applied once. Once a strip has been applied it will only last for a few weeks depending on the use, so just like with the universal Comply tips, prepare to keep buying new strips.
The US Trial
US citizens have the possibility to try out the new Wraps for free after filling out a Comply survey. If you own not really well sealing CIEMs, this might be the opportunity to try for free if the Wraps are the solution for you.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/73QCCGQ
If you’re convinced already and you want the wraps right now, you can order them from Comply directly, right here.
Patrick
:O <- My expression, nice for people who have problems with universal IEMS like you.
My ears are pretty normal and the fir tree (just translated it from "Tannenbaum", don't know if this is the correctly term) works perfectly for my ears. Also when will you present a grado PS100 review? Didn't saw any on this site. Had the chance to test them yesterday.
Anyway have a nice evening – P.
Headfonia_L.
We hava Grado coming up but not that one. Grado, hmm, let me think about it.
George Lai
And when the foam accidentally dislodges inside your ear canal? And some of the glue makes the foam stick and stay inside your ear? No thanks.
Headfonia_L.
it is incredibly sticky, I doubt it will get loose if you replace them in time. But I hear and share your concern
ohm image
The foam rubbed off of my customs very quickly leaving me with the sticky film. Icky.
George Lai
I rest my case, Your Honour.
ohm image
Solution in search of a problem. Evidently, you can get the stuff off with alcohol. I’d rather go ahead with nail polish.
Mt
I got these on a whim a while ago from a hearing aid shop (Comply has been selling these for a while as Comply Softwraps, albeit in beige). The made my JH16 sound 10x better, because it turns out they they really didn’t have a good seal. they are totally worth if you suspect that your CIEMS don’t fit correctly.
Headfonia_L.
I did mention that about JH in the article. Thanks for posting and glad they helped for you!