Comply Isolation Plus Tx-500 Large

Having been unable to wear earbuds for the best part of a year (never had a problem prior), due to getting incredibly sore ear canals within minutes of wearing, I tried numerous earbud tips of various size and material to try and find a fix but all to no avail. Finally came across the Comply Isolation+ TX-500 (small), a little more expensive than what I'd payed for other tips, but I'd nothing to lose at this stage, having missed a year of podcast/music to help the working day pass by, I had to give them a go, honestly I was expecting the same issue to ensue, but I was completely wrong, from the first moment I tried them they were completely comfortable without any reoccurring problems arising.I've now been using them for a solid 2 months, 4 days a week, 5+ hours per day, without any issues to report...that's a result for me, and a high recommendation!

In-ear headphones are loved or loathed. What camp you fall in to seems to always be about whether you can find a good seal in-ear. You don't get better than Comply tips for seal or comfort. Developed for aircraft pilots originally. They'd have to use them for long stretches in a very noisy environment I'd imagine! So anyone with in-ear headphones should at least consider Comply tips to get the absolute most out of their listening experience. Headphones in the £100+ range are often shipped with Comply Tips as standard.You have to check which type fits your headphones, and I like the these TX- ones with the earwax guards, as not all headphones have mesh at the end of the aperture and cleaning at that end can therefore be a nightmare! And these are the most noise isolating in the range which is perfect for travel but not safe for exercise out and about!I see a couple of reviewers weren't too happy with the sizing. I use the Large ones. I've owned so many headphones and tried so many different types of tips. I'm almost universally a Large in one ear and a medium in the other. The Comply tip sizing is the same, I don't find them unusually small. They're more forgiving though so that's why I use Large in the ear which is more of a Medium! I find it just fine. Other types would not be so forgiving.Regardless of what type of tips used, the sound quality difference when you find the right fit for that tip-type means I always take the time to find what works. And you do get mixed packs to trial. I did that first time I bought them to be sure. One reviewer here said at times when he took his headphones out it left the Comply tips in his ear - only to be extracted using a precision tool. Scary! Because they're so soft I wonder if that reviewer is trying to stuff a tip far too big in to his lug, expecting to feel a fit that exerts more pressure than you get with Comply Foam tips? They expand as they warm up too. The whole point of these is that they feel soft and don't put the pressure on your ear that you get from other tips. That's why I can have them in for hours and still feel no discomfort. For that gent I'd suggest trying a medium and then give them a full minute to expand to your body heat . How's that?Another reviewer bemoaned their durability. Comply do offer sport tips which are more rugged apparently. Not tried them.But again form fits function here. It's that very quality of softness that provides such a good, comfortable seal. Knowing that they're vulnerable to physical damage means I just ensure I store my headphones in their hard case rather than leaving them lying. So for me not a big deal.The few that have degraded a little just prompted me that it was time ti bin them and move onto the next pair anyway.These are dispoable tips by the way! So surely no one buying them would expect them to last for ever? I'd imagine given bacterial infection possibilities I wouldn't want to try. Comply's advice is to use a clean cloth, damp with water, if you ever need to clean them - no alcohol disinfectant. They also suggest you replace them every 3 months.There's no question to me that they enhance your listening experience. I can rest my head against the window in a train, or lie on a pillow for hours, and not feel any discomfort. The great seal, and therefore increase in sound quality that this provides, is significantly better than any of the multitude of other tips I've tried. For my current £80 Denon AH-C400's, but also for cheaper phones I've owned in the past too.So whether you think Comply Foam Tips are worth it comes down to whether or not you think the benefit in listening experience is worth it relative to the cost of disposable tips. For me it's a no brainer if you've spent more than £60 on your in-ears. You're just not getting their full sound quality potential otherwise, and if you listen to tunes for any extended period these t'ings offer peerless comfort.Worth a trial or you'll never know what you're missing!

I've always had massive fit issues with in ear monitors. I find most silicon tips just slide right out, have a really poor seal, or are very uncomfortable. I had reached the point where I had all but given up on using anything in ear as I was constantly pushing them back in as they fell out, often before I could reach the front door, let alone exercise. Then I was introduced to memory foam tips.I've tried most brands of foam tips and Comply are the best by far. I'm an isolation plus fan all the way. They create a great seal without discomfort even during exercise when most tips would just walk out of my ears. They also give great noise isolation compared to silicon. Don't forget to "roll" the tips before insertion (as per instructions) and do hold them in place for around 15 seconds while they warm up and mould themselves to your ears. You'll get deeper insertion, better isolation and less chance of them slipping out if you do this.The downside of Comply is a tiny effect on treble and bass with some iems, though this can be a bonus if you've got a pair prone to high frequency resonance. With most iems it's negligible and certainly doesn't interfere in the way a bad seal does.Another thing to be aware of is memory foam tips don't last forever, regardless of manufacturer. All are degraded by the natural oils from your skin and will break down over time. I wash mine regularly and they last for ages, a practice I'd recommend regardless of what eartips you use.If you really can't get on with comply and have fit/seal/comfort issues then try AZLA SednaEarfit XELASTEC which I find to be the best silicon type tips by far. They aren't as comfortable as Comply, do need frequent washing and don't last forever before they start to lose their properties either. They also don't come close to Comply for isolation.Overall Comply are the best and will last as long as I would want to keep an eartip without replacement.

Expensive I'd say, for what you get...but in line with others on here... The reason for buying these I think are two fold... firstly the wax guard stops any wax buildup on the speaker mesh... which is almost impossible to clean effectively, and which eventually mutes the sound completely. At least you can pull these off and soak them in something to disolve the wax. Also, the noise cancelling is pretty good, and the fit is superb due to the memory foam. As people have stated...they won't last forever, but treating them gently and cleaning a little wax off them occasionally seems to keep them in reasonable order. Definitely important to try all three sizes if you're unsure....as it will affect comfort AND effectiveness.