Radians CEP001-0 Custom Molded Earplugs, Orange

I fashioned a pair of custom in ear monitors using this kit and a $9 pair of Panasonic HJE120's. I bought the Panasonics because they were very highly rated despite being being so cheap.Following the instructions, but using only half of the mixture to make both ears. I first pushed the goo gently into my ears, then pushed the Panasonics (with the stock rubber pads removed of course) into the goo, careful to line things up carefully and create a very small lip around the bottom of the earbud with the foam. Took about 15 minutes to cure properly - starts popping like pop rocks after about 5 minutes in.You really do need a dremmel to finish the job properly. I tried using a drill bit to bore the hole and it didn't work out well, so I ran over to Depot and picked up a dremmel. My second pair was much more successful than the first.This combination makes a surprisingly excellent IEM solution for $20 measly dollars. You just can't beat that with a stick. The seal is perfect, isolation is strong, the fit is comfortable and the audio is great for live performance. It's got bass emphasis, similar to Beats headphones. The mids are clear, the imaging is decent (not great, but not bad at all) and the highs feel rolled off above 6 or 7k, just as I would have done manually to help reduce ear fatigue.I found that boring a larger hole helped to restore some of the highs.For $20, this is just exciting. Yes, I'd rather have a pair of audiologist fitted $1000 IEMs with 6 drivers. But until that day, this is one hell of a second place.

Reviews for these are all over the map, but after using them for a few months now, I have to say these are spectacular (I use them for shotgun shooting). The key is proper mixing of the ingredients... Since these are so cheap, I went ahead and bought two sets initially with the mindset that I would probably botch the first set, which I proceeded to do.For the first set, I followed the manufacturer's guidelines of dividing the two ingredients into equal portions and then combining each set. Absent a laboratory-grade scale, this is very difficult to do at home. As a result, the first pair of earplugs never properly cured because the ingredient proportions were slightly off. For the second pair, I decided to combine both ingredients without dividing them into equal portions and then proceeded to divide the combined ingredients for each ear. This ultimately provided a great finished product that cured in the 10-15 minutes indicated by Radians. Keep in mind, however, that if taking this approach, you have to move very quickly and insert the compound into both ears simultaneously.

I have bought 3 of these packs. There is definitely a 'knack' to getting them to work properly beyond what I saw in the instructions:1. Mix them thoroughly. After taking too long to get them into my ears, I rushed and ended up with one that wasn't mixed enough and didn't get solid.2. Mix quickly. You should not take more than 10-15 seconds to mix them and get them in your ear. The first one was mixed for about 30 seconds and it was already starting to set up as I was putting it into my ear.3. Keep your mouth open. I did one with my mouth closed and one where I had put a hand towel in my mouth to ensure it would be open and not moving around. I read that your ear canal is smaller when your mouth is open and keeping your mouth open ensure a good tight fit. If you don't want them tight, keep your mouth closed. Don't move your mouth around...Don't talk or chew.What is the 'right mix'? Divide each of the two containers in half (half of one mixed with half of the other for each of your 2 ears). Put equal parts of each container on your palm. Mash them together and roll them around quickly. After 5 seconds, look. If you don't see streaking, put it in your ear. If there is still streaking, roll and mash some more. Again, don't mix for too long as it WILL set up and the result will be chunky rather than smooth.

Here are some way I use this product. I use the Blue for swimming and showering. I have the red for my MP3 Bluetooth ear buds. I use the tan for blocking noise at work. I recently purchased the Orange for sleeping.See my images for how I mix this compound, but here is how I get the most out of this product. I first make a rectangle of each mixture and then cut into 4 even pieces. If you have small ears, you can cut in 4ths. If you have medium, cut in 3rds. If you have large ears, cut in half. Getting both parts even is very important. I then mix it long ways by rolling my hands back and forth for 3 seconds. Then into a ball by rolling my hands in circles for 3 seconds. I do this for a total of 7 times or about 21 seconds - very fast. Why 21 seconds, because this stuff sets fast and 30 seconds is too long.I only concern myself with the front part of the ear. The gap in the back creates a pocket to reach in with a finger to extract. I'd also like to mention that I use to push really hard to get the material into the ear hole. I found that this is best for blocking noise, but does bother my ears in the long run. I now just put the mix ball into my ear and press lightly into place. I found that I can trim anything on the outside without any problems, so it doesn't have to be perfect. For swimming, I use half for each ear and press as much as I can into the hole. This is really the only way to keep the plug in place and keep the water out.In the long run, I usually get one ear perfect and the other one is just okay. That's why I only use 1/4 most o f the time, so I can do it again if needed. It doesn't really matter, as I start to notice some discoloring after about 3 months. Then it's time to make new ones. Ear wax does build up on these and refuses to come off. As of this review, I've made about 20 tan, 6 blue, 4 red and 2 orange with about 75% of them coming out as expected.What I like best about these plugs is they are a perfect fit when done right. Other types hurt my ears. If I get these right then I don't have any issues at all. Some tips when making them are, do not talk or move your mouth. Don't grind your teeth, chew gum or drink anything. Keep it in you ear until the popping stops - usually 20 to 25 minutes. In short do nothing. Lay down, rest your head and let the material cure.All in all I have used most of the colors. The tan and orange colors are the best and easiest to work with. I highly recommend these if you have the time and patient to mold them to a perfect fit.