Hello everyone, this is Alex. Today, I bring you a buying guide and recommendation for eartip pairings with the Que IEMs. In an in-ear monitoring system, eartips are a crucial component, significantly influencing the sound performance and signature. As the key accessory connecting the earphone nozzle to the ear canal, they have a notable impact on the physical propagation of sound, ultimately affecting aspects like soundstage, technical performance, and imaging. Additionally, eartips directly relate to wearing comfort. After some experimentation, I found the Que responds very noticeably to eartip changes. Coupled with frequent inquiries from friends about eartip recommendations, I decided to conduct a large-scale eartip comparison.
All my listening impressions will be based on the Que’s stock silicone eartips, describing the changes brought by other eartips relative to them, and are specific to the Que earphones only. However, you can also use this as a reference for the general characteristics of different eartips, keeping in mind their performance may differ significantly on other earphones.
First, a quick primer on the general sound tendencies of eartips based on their physical attributes:
Nozzle Diameter: Narrow → Wide; Stronger bass quantity/definition → Enhanced treble extension/brightness, increased sibilance
Nozzle Length: Short → Long; Sound becomes more intimate/in-your-head → Better soundstage depth/layering, treble may become crisper
Material Hardness: Soft → Hard; Sound is softer, more natural → Increased resolution/treble brightness, may introduce coloration
Insertion Depth: Shallow → Deep; Sound becomes more relaxed → Improved mid-treble clarity/energy, more orderly soundstage
Finally, and most crucially: Seal
Regardless of an eartip’s physical attributes, achieving a good, stable seal with the ear canal is the foundation for all sonic performance. A poor seal leads to bass leakage, resulting in a thin, weak sound, and makes all other tonal tendencies irrelevant. Therefore, when choosing eartips, ensuring they provide a stable and comfortable seal for you is the first priority before considering sound signature. My testing also used sizes that ensured a proper seal, so please pay attention to this when choosing your own.
Stock Eartips:
Sound: Vocal presentation is slightly wide, soundstage is moderate, separation is good, harmonic reproduction comes natural.
Fit: Material is on the hard side, length is moderate. With the right size, they fit securely but may not be ideal for extended wear.
AZLA SednaEarfit Xelastec:
Sound: Significantly improves instrumental resolution, adds more linearity and clarity to edges/contours. Mid-high frequency instruments are brighter and more vivid. However, vocal presentation becomes noticeably wider, sounding less natural. These tips are likely suited for instrumental music lovers.
Fit: Made of liquid silicone rubber, material is firm and elastic with high surface friction. Insertion meets some resistance, but seal is excellent. Wide flange provides strong support.
Nostalgia XWB:
Sound: Enhances overall energy and cohesion in a balanced, natural way, leaning towards a livelier, brighter signature. Vocal presentation tightens, breath details become more apparent. An excellent all-round upgrade choice.
Fit: Material is soft. Shape is slim and long, tapering at the end, allowing for deeper insertion. Fit is stable and comfortable, isolation is good.
AZLA SednaEarfit Light:
Sound: Soundstage shrinks, sound becomes more intimate, enhancing envelopment and atmosphere. Overall slightly warmer with a slight bass increase.
Fit: Wearing experience is essentially the same as the stock tips.
Final Short Type E:
Sound: Imaging edges become noticeably blurred, resolution and energy decrease. Overall sound is easy-going, soft, relaxed, and natural.
Fit: Extremely short length, easy to fit snugly. Makes the ear cavity have more contact with the body of the IEM, suitable for long-term wear. Isolation is excellent. Flange is soft and unobtrusive. Overall experience is fantastic.
Pentaconn Coreir AL Alloy:
Sound: Noticeably improved lateral soundstage. Treble becomes brighter, resolution slightly increases. Metal nozzle tips are a popular trend recently. Their core principle is to more directly reflect sound through the metal nozzle, enhancing coloration and soundstage perception, somewhat similar to replaceable nozzles on some earphones.
Fit: Can be a disaster for some. The nozzle is too long, hard to fix in position, and can press uncomfortably on the ear.
Acoustune AET07:
Sound: Sound impression is almost identical to stock tips.
Fit: Wearing performance is also consistent with the stock one, maybe a bit softer.
JVC Spiral Dot++ FX12:
Sound: Vocal edges/contours almost disappear, becoming comfortably diffused with strong atmosphere. Instrument body remains intact. Overall imaging becomes more intimate, and high-frequency sibilance is reduced.
Fit: Shape is thick, short, and soft. Easily fixes and seals the ear canal. Fit gets high marks.
Divinus Velvet:
Sound: High-frequency quantity is noticeably reduced. Mid and low-frequency performance is solid and full-bodied.
Fit: Material is on the hard side. Shape is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Wearing experience is similar to stock tips, possibly with better seal.
YSLEZL SY60:
Sound: Sound is transparent, relaxed, clean. Soundstage improves in both width and depth. Resolution increases slightly. High-frequency quantity increases noticeably, but low-frequency definition and energy aren’t lost much. Imaging is clear, with slightly enhanced linearity.
Fit: Extremely soft with high friction, fits very stably. Material is thin, so isolation is average. (Considering the low price, offers high value.)
AZLA SednaEarfit Standard:
Sound: Typical long-nozzle tip effects: enhances bass definition, resolution, and quantity (punchy). Treble can be slightly aggressive, resolution dips a bit, mids are somewhat masked.
Fit: Nozzle is long and firm. Can allow deep insertion but may also push the earphone body away from the ear. Fit can be terrible for some.
AZLA SednaEarfit Xelastec 2 (Mesh):
Sound: A mesh filter tip. Significantly slows down the speed of mid-high frequencies. Arguably more suitable for high-resolution earphones with electrostatic drivers to balance speed, but on the Que, it loses resolution and imaging clarity. Not really recommended here.
Fit: Basically consistent with stock tips.
AZLA SednaEarfit Crystal 2 (Mesh):
Sound: Another mesh filter tip, but with larger mesh gaps, so impact on speed is less. Frequency response is balanced and mild. Soundstage is slightly narrower than stock. Vocals are more focused. Suitable for users concerned with earphone hygiene, effectively blocking dust and earwax.
Fit: Overall short body, flange is large and thick. Seal and stability are excellent. Feels suitable for commuting.
Kbear TRI Horn:
Sound: Extremely wide bore design. Weakens bass definition and quantity. Enhances midrange vocal/instrument resolution and presence. Soundstage performs better, but dynamics and energy are noticeably weakened. Overall, the trade-off might not be worth it.
Fit: Can fit and insert into ear canal relatively well. Fit experience is above average.
AZLA SednaEarfit MAX for TWS:
Sound: High-frequency quantity and speed are somewhat reduced, overall slightly darker. Mid-low frequency energy is retained well. Vocals are restrained and focused. Soundstage shrinks slightly.
Fit: Short, small, and soft. As a TWS-specific tip, comfort and isolation meet expectations.
Acoustune AET08:
Sound: Bass is awesome! Greatly increases bass quantity and definition. Mid-high vocals and instruments are pushed farther away, becoming thinner and reduced in quantity.
Fit: Nozzle is long, flange is soft. Fit is very stable, seal is excellent.
Pentaconn Coreir Brass:
Sound: Noticeably enhances the lushness and extension of mid-high frequencies. Adds more texture/grain to vocals, details and breaths become more apparent. Technical performance also improves somewhat. A very impressive upgrade option.
Fit: Like the AL Alloy version, almost a disaster.
Softears UT Titanium:
Sound: Slightly reduces bass definition, slightly expands soundstage. Balancely improves mid-high frequency transparency and technical performance.
Fit: Includes a titanium metal nozzle section, which can press uncomfortably on the ear. Fit cannot get a high score. (And it’s so expensive!)
Spinfit CP100:
Sound: Slightly expands soundstage, changes imaging positioning. Separation improves slightly, resolution decreases a bit. Tone is more restrained, slightly warmer, reducing listening fatigue.
Fit: You can always trust CP series for fit. Slim and soft, adding with the unique rotational design, they conform almost perfectly to the ear canal. Can be rated on par with the Short Type E.
(This review will be updated irregularly with more eartip models.)
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