Some audiophiles spend more money on speakers than their cars. Some spend thousands of dollars on extravagant headphones, and still others shell out the Benjamins for the latest overkill DACs and amps. But if you ask me, there are few things as luxurious in the world of audio as a pair of earbuds sculpted to perfectly fit your ears.
Custom in-ear monitors (IEMs) are ostensibly the endgame of sound quality for audiophiles on the move. They tend to represent the best of a manufacturer’s acoustic technology, and their bespoke nature makes them equal parts gadget and jewelry.
Trying my own set of customs is an itch I’ve wanted to scratch since I bought my first pair of fancy earbuds about a decade ago, but it just seemed like such a hassle. Setting up a doctor’s appointment and waiting weeks for the customs to arrive seemed like a lot of work for a pair of little headphones. Not to mention I don’t want someone getting so intimate with my ear canal if I can avoid it.
But when Campfire Audio offered to let me test its Solstice IEMs, a $1,500 pair of custom earbuds (I plan on shipping them back), I decided to face my fears and see whether customs are really worth it.
Spoiler alert: they are. Just be ready to stuff your ears with silicone goop.
What’s the point of custom earbuds?
Companies will often claim all sorts of acoustic improvements with custom earbuds, but the most obvious and practical benefit is simply the perfect fit. That means more comfort, more isolation, and a more consistent acoustic seal. They will pretty much never fall out, which is part of why they were popular with professional musicians long before audiophiles.
In some cases, custom earbuds are also simply able to fit more (or larger) drivers into the housing, as they can maximize the space directly outside your ear canal. That’s not technically the case with the Campfire Solstice, which uses the same five drivers as the company’s uber-popular (and universal-fit) Andromeda earbuds. But it’s not uncommon to see customs with 10 drivers or more per ear.
Still, Campfire Audio sent me a pair of Andromedas so I could see how the custom model and universal models compare using the same drivers, even if they are tuned somewhat differently.
How do I get me some customs?
The process might vary a little depending on the manufacturer, but pretty much all of them require you to schedule an appointment with an audiologist for your ear impressions. These are usually physical molds, but sometimes 3D scans too.
Your impressions are then sent to the manufacturer and are used to design a housing that perfectly fits your ears. In Campfire Audio’s case, your 3D impressions are scanned and kept on file for any future orders or alterations. Campfire Audio also offers two types of fit for their customs: an ‘artist’ fit that goes deeper into the ear canal and an ‘audiophile’ fit that provides a little more breathing room for more comfort over extended listening periods.
Turnaround time varies significantly from company to company, ranging from roughly 2 to 8 weeks after they receive your impressions. Once you receive the earbuds, you might need to give yourself some time to get used to the seamless fit, but that’s unlikely to be an issue if you’re already accustomed to earbuds with deep insertion.
Occasionally, you might have to send the earbuds back to the manufacturer for a fit adjustment, but most of the time they should be perfect from the outset. My Campfire Solstice samples fit my ears like a tailored suit. It’s hard to describe how nice it feels to have a product that’s made for you and only you.
How do I pick an audiologist?
Custom earbud makers will often have a list of preferred or trusted audiologists to choose from, but almost any audiologist should be able to make ear impressions. Making ear molds is something virtually any audiologist can do, although some have more experience with making impressions for custom earbuds specifically. Your customs manufacturer might have a set of guidelines that you can mention to your audiologist to make sure everything goes smoothly with your impressions.
Your bigger concern might be pricing, which can vary dramatically – especially if you live in a major city. I’m in NYC, and the first place I called quoted me $300 for a pair of impressions, which is rather absurd. The cheapest place I called quoted me $80 for the pair but was booked a month in advance. Ultimately I chose a place that charged me $120.
What’s the audiologist visit actually like?
While each audiologist might do things a little differently, for the most part, the process seems to be fairly consistent for silicon ear molds.
My audiologist first checked my ear canals to make sure they were free of wax buildup that might interfere with the impressions. If you’re squeamish about that, you might want to give your ears a nice cleaning the day before your appointment.
She then inserted a cotton ball into my ear canal to block the impressions material from going too deep. This was probably the most uncomfortable part of the process, as it’s really weird having someone stick something so far into your ear canal. I was then asked to bite on a bite block, which keeps the mouth open for the best fit (sometimes ear canals open up slightly when they open their mouths).
Next came the fun/gross part: she filled my ears with the pink silicone goop. That goop takes about 5 minutes to harden, and during that time, I could barely hear a thing. Once they hardened, the audiologist twisted the impressions out of my ear, and I tried not to cringe at some earwax staining the molds. Yuck.
If you want a visual overview of the process, the video below provides a decent simulacrum of my own visit: