Help me get a better earphone seal!

May 24, 2010 4:06 AM

Will these triple-flange sleeves work with Shure SCL2 earphones? If not, does anyone know of a third party vendor that makes compatible triple flange sleeves for the SCL2? I'm having a hard time getting any of the included sleeves to form a seal with my elfin ears.
posted by mattholomew to Technology (7 answers total)

Not what you asked, but have you tried cutting down the stock sleeves? I cut off the largest flange so that I now have double- rather than triple-flange sleeves. They work very well that way.
posted by jon1270 at 4:53 AM on May 24, 2010

On second glance, perhaps I'm misunderstanding and you're saying that your headphones didn't come with the triple-flange sleeves? I have different Shure model...
posted by jon1270 at 4:56 AM on May 24, 2010

Have you considered contacting Shure and asking?

Do you have a question about the product that will best fit your needs prior to purchase?
Please call our pre-sales support at 1-800-25SHURE (800-257-4873).

posted by Thorzdad at 5:20 AM on May 24, 2010

You can also take your earphones to an audiologist and get a set of custom molds made. I've done this with etymotic research earphones and had a great improvement in comfort and sound quality. According to the user's guide, you can also do this with the SLC2.

Depending on where you live it, should cost about US$50 -- $100 for a pair of custom molds.
posted by quidividi at 5:27 AM on May 24, 2010

Give them a call and see if they fit; I can't remember the exact tube size on those. However, I have used the triple flange sleeves before and find them really quite uncomfortable. They do form a strong seal, but it's a lot of stuffing of silicone up your ear, which isn't exactly pleasant.

Are you making sure to roll the foam sleeves between your fingers to compress them before inserting them into your ears? It definitely takes some trial and error with all the different options and sizes to find the ones that best match your ears.
posted by zachlipton at 8:13 AM on May 24, 2010

I have some similar 3rd-party sleeves that I use with my Shure earbuds, and I had to cut off the 3rd flange because they were too long to fit in my ear canal. I sliced it right where the stem joined with the 2nd flange, and they work just fine now. I think they might even be designed to be cut down.
posted by crookedgrin at 8:21 AM on May 24, 2010

Response by poster: crookedgrin, do you remember the brand/where you got those 3rd party sleeves?
posted by mattholomew at 8:30 AM on May 24, 2010