Some audiophiles spend more money on speakers than their cars.
Custom in-ear monitors (IEMs) are ostensibly the endgame of sound quality for audiophiles on the move.
Not to mention I dont want someone getting so intimate with my ear canal if I can avoid it.
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Just be ready to stuff your ears with silicone goop.
Whats the point of custom earbuds?
That means more comfort, more isolation, and a more consistent acoustic seal.
But its not uncommon to see customs with 10 drivers or more per ear.
How do I get me some customs?
These are usually physical molds, but sometimes 3D scans too.
My Campfire Solstice samples fit my ears like a tailored suit.
Its hard to describe how nice it feels to have a product thats made for you and only you.
How do I pick an audiologist?
Your bigger concern might be pricing, which can vary dramatically especially if you live in a major city.
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.
Whats the audiologist visit actually like?
She then inserted a cotton ball into my ear canal to block the impressions material from going too deep.
Next came the fun/gross part: she filled my ears with the pink silicone goop.
It was a slightly uncomfortable experience, but not a painful one.
I then simply took the impressions home and shipped them with a label provided by Campfire Audio.
Cant I just make my own ear impressions?
it’s possible for you to in theory, but I dont recommend it.
Just how well did they fit?
My Campfire Solstice review units, which use the shallower audiophile fit, were a perfect match for ears.
I also have to mention that these are some classy-looking customs.
How much noise do they block out?
They are particularly effective at quieting mid-range sounds like voices, which active noise-canceling headphones tend to struggle with.
The artist fit wouldve likely blocked even more.
Okay, but how do theysound?
Im not the jot down of reviewer to wax poetic on an audio product I like.
The Campfire Audio Solstice simply sound like a pair of really nice earbuds.
Naturally, the high isolation makes it easy to be fully immersed in the music.
Im actually a little surprised by how much I did like them.
I tend to like headphones that follow theHarman Curve, a research-backed target frequency response.
Thats not a philosophy I personally agree with, but our tastes seem to have aligned with Solstice.
How do they compare to universal IEMs?
I think its important to keep your expectations in check.
But I did not think there was a dramatic difference in raw sound quality between them.
Are there any caveats to customs?
The most obvious one to keep in mind is resale value.
And of course, they also cost more than similarly-specd universal IEMs as well.
So… should I get customs?
Ive tested enough audio products that its rare Im utterly surprised by great sound quality.
Its important to keep your expectations in check.
