Why Ear tips Matter for In-Ears

In-ear headphones, or IEMs (“In-Ear monitors”), are extremely popular due to their compact size, lightweight design, and great portability. Whether as a true wireless version or traditional wired IEMs, both options have their appeal – though the former has become an almost ubiquitous sight in everyday life.

Audiophiles, however, still prefer wired in-ear headphones for their lossless audio signal transmission. Yet in the end, both versions share one important trait: they deliver excellent sound quality in a highly compact form factor.

However, there’s one small yet extremely important detail that many people overlook, and it’s what I’d like to talk about today: the eartips!

An in-ear headphone may look great on the spec sheet, perform well technically, and receive glowing reviews, but excellent sound quality is still far from guaranteed for every persons’ ear!

This isn’t just because we all hear differently (though that’s certainly true), but due to the fact that many people don’t realize how crucial a perfect “seal” – that is, an ideal fit and seal in the ear canal – is for the sound quality of IEMs. Even when they do know, they sometimes struggle to find the right eartips that truly fit.

Do you fall into this category? If so, keep reading!

Eartips come in a variety of materials – not just the common silicone or foam options, but also more modern innovations like “liquid silicone” or hybrid designs with an inner silicone section and a foam outer layer. The industry continues to innovate, constantly striving to improve our listening experience.

In general, it can be said that foam tips tend to provide better isolation from the outside world and may even deliver stronger bass. That happens because the foam can “actively” adapt to the shape of the ear, sealing the ear canal completely. However, foam tips can sometimes reduce the brilliance in higher frequencies, which can also be an intentional advantage, depending on the IEM and personal preference, of course. 

In contrast, with traditional silicone tips, users often need to find their own perfect size for an optimal fit.

The most important factor, however, is not (just) the material but primarily the size, width, and length of the eartips. These need to fit both your ear canal as well as the specific IEM you are using. Not only are our ear canals as unique as a fingerprint, but every in-ear monitor also differs in shape, design, and especially the length of the nozzle – the part where the tips are attached – which plays a crucial role.

With a longer nozzle, the use of shorter tips may be an advantage, depending on the shape of the ear canal. For short(er) nozzles, the opposite is usually true. In addition to achieving optimal sealing, it’s essential to ensure high wearing comfort – after all, the goal is to enjoy excellent sound quality for an extended period of time, without pain. 

As a general rule, you should always try out the tips included by the manufacturer. In some cases, this might already suffice if the right and optimal sizes for you are provided. Some manufacturers even include a wider variety of sizes in the box, rather than limiting the selection to the standard sizes “S,” “M,” and “L”.

Important: Try different sizes for each ear! It’s common for different sizes to achieve the perfect seal for the left and right ears. Personally, I often use size “M” in my left ear and size “L” in my right ear, depending on the model. I do that simply because my ear canals are different in size and slightly different in shape, too.

Another tip, especially for users of true wireless in-ear models that come with an app: many manufacturers now include a “fit test” feature in their apps. This can help determine the optimal size of ear tips by running a quick test to evaluate how well the selected tips fit and seal.

If the included tips don’t deliver the desired or optimal result, there’s a vast range of ear tips available from third-party manufacturers such as “SpinFit”, “Azla”, “Comply”, “FiiO”, “Dunu”, or “Divinus”, to name just a few of the more well-known options (and there are, of course, many more!).

If you decide to take your in-ear headphones a bit more seriously, it’s almost inevitable to purchase a few eartips on a trial-and-error basis and test them out at your own pace. While this may initially involve some additional costs, it also allows you to identify which shapes and sizes suit your ears best. Once you’ve built a personal collection of eartips, every future in-ear purchase becomes a relaxed and sonically rewarding experience!

Final tip: Always pay close attention to the manufacturer’s specifications when buying eartips! Most manufacturers provide a chart that details the width, height, and length of the eartips for each individual size. This is important because, as if things weren’t complicated enough, these dimensions can vary between manufacturers.

Happy experimenting and enjoy your listening experience!

At Headphone.Shop, we believe that the best insights come from real experiences. That’s why we’ve invited our community of passionate customers to share their thoughts on their favorite products and topics. These reviews and articles are written by real people, for real people – giving you honest perspectives from those who know and love the world of high-end audio. Read our blog for more Community Insights.

Many thanks to our community-author Fabio de Feo.