Hi,
I just bought a pair of Custom 1's and although I like them very much, I am having a big problem with the gels. I've discovered that my ear canals have 'chicanes' which turn very sharply close to the outside. My right canal is especially tight. I cannot push the gels straight into the canals; instead, they are blocked by the chicanes and float in the air, unable to sit flush with my ears.
The best result I can get from single-flange gels is from a medium (left ear) and large (right). Music quality is OK but external sound is crystal clear & the gels are very easy to dislodge; there is no seal. Dislodging the right gel even slightly usually results in loss of sound, due to the gel aperture getting blocked up against the ear cartilage. If I push the earphones (to try and get a seal) then I lose all music because the gel apertures block up against the chicanes.
The small double-flange gels are able to enter my canals - but only by using the earphone nozzle to lever the obstructing cartilage out of the way, which is very difficult to do. As you might imagine, it's also extremely uncomfortable! The flange also 'pops' loudly when removed from the canal. However, now I know what it's like to get a full seal; external sound is muffled and the music quality is fantastic considering these are the lowest-spec earphones! It's a real shame that I find these gels far too uncomfortable to actually use. The large double-flange gels are too big to enter my canals and the gel apertures are blocked up against the chicanes.
It seems like I only have one choice: unsealed medium&large single-flange gels. Surely there is something that can be done to help increase sound isolation? Can I try another manufacturer's plain foamies instead of gels (if so, then which ones)? Here's an idea; how about big gel/foamie outer-ear covers that can be slipped over the earphone nozzle before attaching the gels - or is that just silly? Do I have to get custom gels fitted, instead? Trust me to have weird ears! What should I do?
Regards, Swift.
