DIY Molded In-Ears (Cheap & Easy)

GMGM

GMGM

Inspired
I stumbled across this video when building my in-ear rack. When it came up again in my fee, I decided to try it. And I'm glad I did.

In ears are all about seal. I thought I had a great fit before with foam. But there's no competing with molds. They don't change the frequency response of your IEMs, but you'll retain more of your low end, and can run your mix a little bit quieter since there's less bleed coming in - that is a huge win.

Plus, you can finally see for yourself whether molds are worth it, comparing the exact same ear buds (just switch back and forth between your old foam tips and the DIY molds).

Time will tell how the silicone holds up to abuse. It's convinced me to look into get a better set of molded ears. I'll keep the foam around for an emergency backup, but there's no going back on these. I'm order more silicone kits today, so I can convert the rest of my IEMs.

The process is super easy. Wash hands/ears. Mix up the 2 part puddy, and shove it in your ears. Then stuff the IEMs into the puddy in your ears. Pull 'em out after ten minutes, and let them sit for a day. Tidy them up with cuticle scissors, and enjoy.

And if you screw it up, or hate the result - just pull it off and toss in the trash, go back to your old tips.

A+++ highly recommended

My dirt cheap KZ ZS10's are now my favorite in-ears.



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...c2633320154a6&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

 
Last edited:
Cool... I had customs a long time ago, and my ears changed over time, instantly worthless. So I switched to universals, they seal well enough, sound better than my customs, and are easily replaceable. I have a backup pair still in the box in case of disaster. Personally I can think of 100 other things i'd rather spend money on than custom iems. Performance of the cheap brands have gotten too good. This seems like a cheap way to get a better fit if you have issues with fitment. Thanks for the share.
 
GMGM said:
I stumbled across this video when building my in-ear rack. When it came up again in my fee, I decided to try it. And I'm glad I did.

In ears are all about seal. I thought I had a great before. But there's really no competing with molds. They won't change the frequency response of your IEMs much, but you'll retain more of your low end, and can run your mix a little bit quieter since there's less bleed coming in - that by itself is a huge win.

Plus, you can finally see for yourself whether molds are worth it, by comparing the exact same ear buds (just switch back and forth between your old foam tips and the DIY molds).

Time will tell how the silicone holds up to abuse. It's convinced me to look into get a better set of molded ears. I'll keep the foam around for an emergency backup, but there's no going back on these. I'm order more silicone kits today, so I can convert the rest of my IEMs.

Process is super easy. Wash hands/ears. Mix up the 2 part puddy, and shove it in your ears. Then stuff the IEMs into the puddy. PUll 'em out after ten minutes, and let them sit for a day. Tidy them up with cuticle scissors, and enjoy.

And if you screw it up, or hate the result - just pull it off and toss in the trash, go back to your old tips.

A+++ highly recommended

My dirt cheap KZ ZS10's are now my favorite in-ears.



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...c2633320154a6&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Click to expand...

I have always wondered about this as I figured there were some cheaper solutions. Going to give it a go with my CCA/KZs
 
I have the putty inbound now. Last gig I kept losing my right IEM and it is a universal. It was driving me nuts. It's worth a shot to give it a try.
 
Dave Merrill said:
I wonder how well this would work w the cheapo earbuds i use for exercise and couch music.
Click to expand...

I think this is fair game for any earbud. At least based on the fit, and the audio functionality. Just keep in mind that bluetooth earbuds need to be charged, and they often have built in microphones and or switches/sensors. So it might be a little more difficult to leave openings for those parts. Maybe if you were just looking to replace just the 'tips' (on the mine, I made the molds basically fit the full contours of my ears, not just my ear-holes).

I have more silicone arriving tomorrow, so I can do the rest of my IEMs. I'm curious about my Airpod Pro 2 buds. But I'm still not sure how much abuse they can take (how many times can I install and remove them from my earbuds before they rip or crack or break down).
 
I’m going to give this a try with my KZ ZS10 Pros. I’ve been using the Comply memory foam tips which give a better seal but they get kinda nasty after a few sets and I’m replacing them often.

IMG_8307.png
 
GiRa said:
I'd like @lqdsnddist to comment on the risks, if any, about doing this by yourself.
Click to expand...

The material I linked to claims to be non-toxic and hypo-allergenic. I probably wouldn't eat it. It seems to handle clean-up well via baby wipes, and I can pop the IEMs out and give them good washing in the sink with dish soap.

I can't speak to the potential for bacterial growth inside any crevices or air pockets that might be left over from the mold process. But the same risks exist in standard IEMs and the various differnt tip materials.

It's only been about 2-3 weeks, and my first molds still appear to be holding up. I was a little concerned that they might start to dry out and crack under repeated washing and use, but so far so good.

And more importantly, I've been tracking of the settings on my transmitter/pack. I had previously engaged a bass boost on my pack, and set the output volume right up the middle (noon on the dial). With molds, I've been ablet o turn the bass boost off, and set the pack between 10:30 - 11:00 o'clock. I have no idea what means in terms of loudness / dB, but it's quieter than it was. And I can wear them longer without fatigue, both in terms of physical comfort as well as listeining faitgue.

I'm sure there is a downside, but so far - I can't see it. I'm on cloud 9. I've never once looked forward to wearing my IEMs before.


This was an experiement to determine whether it would be a worthy investment to get a better set of commercially molded IEMs. I have an older set already (by a company that no longer makes molded IEMs). I hated them, they sound worse than my cheapest pair of IEMs (these KZ's used the experiment). But all indications point to getting a better set of proper IEMs. But all the companies make such good ad copy, that it's hard to weed through the marketing BS, and figure out which ones to buy. Option paralysis will likely keep me in the DIY molds for at least a few months.

Apologies for my over-enthusiasm. I feel like a dog with a new toy, and can't shut up about this. So again, I'm sorry for all the hyperbole.
 
The fact that it went well for you and that you are happy about it is only positive. No worries!

I'm mostly worried about the molding process itself. You need to get past the first bend in the ear canal (IIRC) to get a good seal or good sound properties. I wonder if something can go wrong in the process or if there's something to know/think about. That's it.
 
GiRa said:
You need to get past the first bend in the ear canal (IIRC) to get a good seal or good sound.
Click to expand...
Perhaps, but that is not the goal here as I see it.

I’m just trying to get a better fit and seal to the outside of my ear, with the mold going no further than the original monitors did.
 
Yeah - I could see having some issues with the material separating and leaving something behind, if it wasn't mixed well. They make it pretty easy to know, as it's supplied in a 2-part formula (white and red halves). So visually speaking, it's pretty see when you have a good mix. I've had to fish out a piece of a broken ear plug on stage before with needle nose pliers (do not recommend). I suppose material separation is always a possibility though, given the differences from one ear to the next.

I first mixed it up, and stuffed it in my ear as far as it would go [EDIT- This is a bad idea, use cotton/foam to keep material from going to far into your ear canal]. Then I jammed the IEMs into the puddy. So there was plenty of pressure to make sure the mold reached every possible place in there. It does go pretty deep. But you'll probably end up trimming quite a bit of it away. You really only need a little bit to surround the opening of the 'speaker' itself. I left maybe 3mm or so, beyond the mesh screen of my drivers.
FWIW.
 
Last edited:
The stuff we normally use for ear mold impressions is usually a two part product that goes in a dispenser gun and has a mixing tip. The stuff it’s pretty viscous which is what you want as you don’t want to distort/stretch the canal with to much force/pressure as then your mold will be tight/overly large.

The stuff also has a lot of oil/grease so while it firms up in a few minutes, it never gets rock hard, and it don’t stick to anything like skin or hair so it’s comes out easily which is important.

We don’t just shoot it in the ear though, we have little foam or cotton stoppers on a string we put down there first to keep the impression stuff going to far.

It’s called ‘blow by” when it gets past the “otoblock” and can be pretty serious as it can rupture your ear drum or damage middle ear bones. Usually have to schedule surgery with ENT to remove it.

Even having all the tools and material I don’t think I’d do one on myself. Just easier and safer to have someone else do it who can see what they are doing. I typically would not use any old silicon product either as I wouldn’t want to rip out skin and hair if it’s stickers than expected.
 
lqdsnddist said:
The stuff we normally use for ear mold impressions is usually a two part product that goes in a dispenser gun and has a mixing tip. The stuff it’s pretty viscous which is what you want as you don’t want to distort/stretch the canal with to much force/pressure as then your mold will be tight/overly large.

The stuff also has a lot of oil/grease so while it firms up in a few minutes, it never gets rock hard, and it don’t stick to anything like skin or hair so it’s comes out easily which is important.

We don’t just shoot it in the ear though, we have little foam or cotton stoppers on a string we put down there first to keep the impression stuff going to far.

It’s called ‘blow by” when it gets past the “otoblock” and can be pretty serious as it can rupture your ear drum or damage middle ear bones. Usually have to schedule surgery with ENT to remove it.

Even having all the tools and material I don’t think I’d do one on myself. Just easier and safer to have someone else do it who can see what they are doing. I typically would not use any old silicon product either as I wouldn’t want to rip out skin and hair if it’s stickers than expected.
Click to expand...

Good tip regarding cotton/foam stoppers. And if you factor for the amount of silicone I trimmed off the final product, plus the amount that would've been saved by pre-stuffing cotton/foam in my ears - I'm sure I could've made two full sets from one kit.

I also hadn't considered ear hair. My ears are neither hairless or hairy, jut normal - somewhere in the middle. Luckily not enough to be a problem for the mold.

Question for you - I'm not sure if you're an audiologist or an IEM maker. But it sounds like you know the answer either way :) So at the risk of moderators moving this thread to the "Vendors" sub-forum, what does this process usually look like for most people? Do you start by making an appointment with an audiologist or ENT? Or do you start with the IEM manufacturer, and they tell you where to get the mold/casting done? I assume none of them will accept a DIY silicone mold like this, eh? Most of the IEM makers I've been looking at are awfully vague regarding this process.
 
GMGM said:
I first mixed it up, and stuffed it in my ear as far as it would go.
Click to expand...
This is where I would be cautious, as the video said not to do this and I could see where problems could occur. My daughter is deaf so we had alot of experience with earmolds in her early years (She's an adult now) and she had a profound loss, which meant her hearing aids were very high power, which require a better seal. A professional was doing this so were prepared for any issus, but I am not sure for our use we need to go as far in.

I just got my kit delivered and going to give it a go tonight per the video instructions.
 
guitarplayer1969 said:
This is where I would be cautious, as the video said not to do this and I could see where problems could occur. My daughter is deaf so we had alot of experience with earmolds in her early years (She's an adult now) and she had a profound loss, which meant her hearing aids were very high power, which require a better seal. A professional was doing this so were prepared for any issus, but I am not sure for our use we need to go as far in.

I just got my kit delivered and going to give it a go tonight per the video instructions.
Click to expand...
Let me know how it goes, my kit should be here Thursday.
 
lqdsnddist said:
The stuff we normally use for ear mold impressions is usually a two part product that goes in a dispenser gun and has a mixing tip. The stuff it’s pretty viscous which is what you want as you don’t want to distort/stretch the canal with to much force/pressure as then your mold will be tight/overly large.

The stuff also has a lot of oil/grease so while it firms up in a few minutes, it never gets rock hard, and it don’t stick to anything like skin or hair so it’s comes out easily which is important.

We don’t just shoot it in the ear though, we have little foam or cotton stoppers on a string we put down there first to keep the impression stuff going to far.

It’s called ‘blow by” when it gets past the “otoblock” and can be pretty serious as it can rupture your ear drum or damage middle ear bones. Usually have to schedule surgery with ENT to remove it.

Even having all the tools and material I don’t think I’d do one on myself. Just easier and safer to have someone else do it who can see what they are doing. I typically would not use any old silicon product either as I wouldn’t want to rip out skin and hair if it’s stickers than expected.
Click to expand...
Thank you.
 
GMGM said:
Good tip regarding cotton/foam stoppers. And if you factor for the amount of silicone I trimmed off the final product, plus the amount that would've been saved by pre-stuffing cotton/foam in my ears - I'm sure I could've made two full sets from one kit.

I also hadn't considered ear hair. My ears are neither hairless or hairy, jut normal - somewhere in the middle. Luckily not enough to be a problem for the mold.

Question for you - I'm not sure if you're an audiologist or an IEM maker. But it sounds like you know the answer either way :) So at the risk of moderators moving this thread to the "Vendors" sub-forum, what does this process usually look like for most people? Do you start by making an appointment with an audiologist or ENT? Or do you start with the IEM manufacturer, and they tell you where to get the mold/casting done? I assume none of them will accept a DIY silicone mold like this, eh? Most of the IEM makers I've been looking at are awfully vague regarding this process.
Click to expand...

Audiologist here, most places I’ve worked, be it hearing aid dealers or ENT offices would always do ear molds for a modest fee. Doesn’t take long or much material so if it’s like a quick $25-50 for five minutes work they won’t turn that away. I no longer work in the private sector though so not sure what prices are like these days.

They can then give you the silicon molds which you can then send in.

Some places actually have a little 3d scanner thing which you put the mold in and it spins around and takes laser measurements or whatever and they can then provide you with the file.

Most IEM companies can accept it as they otherwise just scan and print them on their end anyways, and hardly anyone still makes actual cast of the ear impressions. Generally you can ask for your impressions back too. We never did as we’d just make another but if you say wanted to go to a different vendor etc you could send them your molds and you wouldn’t need to pay someone to shoot another one. Sometimes ears change though so if it’s been a few years I’d just do new. If your spending good money on IEMs might as well have them fit best they can.


Worth saying again here to…. Consider jaw open impressions if you sing. Many people’s canal shape changes with jaw open, stick fingers in your ear and talk and you can feel it, so if you do the mold with your mouth closed the IEM might fit great until you open your mouth to sing then can pop out or leak a lot of sound etc, so I’m a fan of jaw open impressions
 
lqdsnddist said:
Worth saying again here to…. Consider jaw open impressions if you sing. Many people’s canal shape changes with jaw open, stick fingers in your ear and talk and you can feel it, so if you do the mold with your mouth closed the IEM might fit great until you open your mouth to sing then can pop out or leak a lot of sound etc, so I’m a fan of jaw open impressions
Click to expand...
Good info. Does it work in reverse? If you take an open-jaw impression, might it cause issues if you keep your mouth closed?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom