Cons — Dirt attractors: need regular washing; can get out of shape and need to be re-shaped in hot water; not for short-nozzles iems; pricey.

Distinctive Features — Best fitting of all eartips I have used; enhances vocals in many earphones.

Executive Summary

The Azla Xelastec are completely unique short-stemmed wide-bore eartips in that they provide the perfect fit through their incredible grip AND move vocals forward in many earphones.

Introduction

Azla is a company out of Korea that offers two earphones, an amplifier, and lots of different silicone eartips. Their most famous product has been the Azla SednaEarFit Original Series, consisting of four models, two of them long-stemmed, two of them short-stemmed, all of them wide-bores.

These are very popular with audio enthusiasts, typically hard to get outside of Asia, and mostly sold out. The designs are based on the analysis of almost 800 ear shapes. All Azla products are manufactured in the Republic of Korea.

Xelastec Design

Azla have recently added the Xelastec eartips to their portfolio, short-stemmed wide-bores made of German Kraiburg TPE different to any other earphone on the market.

TPE is short for Thermoplastic Elastomers, also known as thermoplastic rubbers, a class of copolymers or a physical mix of polymers (usually a plastic and a rubber) that consist of materials with both thermoplastic and elastomeric properties.

The benefit of using thermoplastic elastomers is the ability to stretch to moderate elongations and return to its near original shape creating a longer life and better physical range than other materials [see Wikipedia].

The material is extremely grippy and also extremely deformable. The umbrella moulds perfectly into the shape of one’s ear canal. Fit, hold, seal, and isolation of the Xelastec are therefore perfect.

And when the eartips retain their deformed shape, the original shape can be restored in a bath of warm to hot water (but not too hot; rinsed off with cold water). The TPE is unfortunately a dirt attractor, but can be washed easily with water.

In terms of earphone fit, the short stems require a certain nozzle length. The inner stem diameter of 3.6 mm is stretchable enough to fit standard 4.5 mm nozzles. All Azlas come in 6 different umbrella sizes (see size chart above) to fit any ear canal. Be aware that their sizes are unusual: Azla’s L corresponds to other company’s XL. Check your numbers before ordering.

Sound?

I typically do not give sonic descriptions of eartips, as different designs yield different results depending on earphone and individual ear canal. The Azla Xelastec are somewhat of an exception as they have a tendency to work well with more iems than other makes models in my experience.

I have not found many earphones the Xelastec did not make a difference to the better. Their risk of failure/dissatifaction is smaller, but you pay for it.

In my experience (almost 1 year of testing them), the Xelastec show the biggest improvements with V-shaped sound profiles. They move the vocals forward and therefore, passively, the bass backward, considering the human ear hears the whole frequency spectrum in context. Bass boom was decreased or disappeared altogether.

This worked well for me with the Meze RAI Solo, Shozy Form 1.4, Shozy Form 1.1, Shozy Rouge, and NiceHCK NX7 Mk3, in less so with the KBEAR Believe.

In comparison, the Azla SednaEarfit (Original Series) Light, shortstemmed, boost the bass and move the vocals back in many iems. The difference is substantial.

What KopiOkaya says

Co-blogger Larry Fulton alias KopiOkaya summarizes the main characteristics of the leading third-party eartips in his famous eartips guide, including the Azla Xelastec. His professional opinion is as follows:

Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft, grippy and sticky
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 5.0

The most expensive eartip in my collection. Isolation is impeccable. If you love vocals, THIS IS IT! Vocal presence is extremely 3D. Best of all it doesn’t affect bass and treble. Projects soundstage a bit narrower than regular SednaEarFit.

Concluding Remarks

The Azla Xelastec are probably the best and most versatile eartips on the market – and unfortunately the most expensive. They work well with most earphones and have a higher rate of success “fixing” an iem’s sound than the competition I have tested, particularly when addressing the vocals department. Yes, they are pricey but they need to be in the “tips box” of every audio enthusiast.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Gallery

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Disclaimer

The Azla Xelastec eartips were kindly provided by Azla in Gangnam almost a year ago. And I thank them for that.

Get more information from Azla’s Xelastec product page.

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The post Azla SednaEarfit Xelastec Eartips Review – Vocals Enhancer appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Availability of Spinfit tips can be a bit spotty
– Some experimentation required

INTRODUCTION

Third-party eartips are one of those things that you end up with a large collection of as you fall deeper into audiophilia. The reason is quite simple: universal earphones (i.e. non-custom IEMs) require fiddling with the tips more often than not. Moreover, eartips are just about the cheapest (and often most reproducible) way of tuning an earphone. So we all end up with boxes of eartips of our own, sooner or later.

Spinfit have been making eartips for a while now, and their claim-to-fame is the name-sake “swivel” mechanism that rotates the top of the inner-stem. This in turn helps to achieve a deeper, more secure seal as the top of the tip (along with the sound-tube) literally bends to get closer to the inner-ear.

In this round-up, we shall explore how well this mechanism works across a variety of IEMs. Models to be evaluated: Spinfit CP-100, CP-100+, CP-145, CP-145 (medical-grade silicone), CP-240, CP-360, CP-500, and the CP-800. The only two in-production models that I don’t have with me are the CP-155 (I don’t have a large-nozzle IEM at the moment) and the Airpod-specific CP-1025 (I don’t have an Airpod). With that out of the way, let’s head right in.

Note: The Spinfit CP-100 and the CP-500 are units I purchased myself. Rest were sent in by Spinfits themselves for evaluation. A huge shout-out to them. You can check out there entire catalogue of eartips here.

GENERAL BUILD QUALITY

All of the Spinfit eartips share some similarities in terms of build. They have a colored stem and the outer material is medical/food grade silicone. Each tips also has a depression/joint around the top of the internal sound bore. This joint allows the top of the tip to swivel 360 degrees around inside the ear-canal and (ideally) move past the bends in the ear-canal.

In all cases the internal stem is made of a stiffer material than the eartips themselves, though the stiffness varies depending on model. Now, let’s get into the details of individual models. For a more thorough look into the various dimensions of the tips themselves, please check out co-blogger Jürgen’s take on the Spinfit eartips.

SINGLE-FLANGE SPINFIT EARTIPS

CP-100/CP-100+

The Spinfit CP-100 is probably the most popular Spinfit eartips around. They are also the most widely available one. The original CP-100 model had a fairly stiff, color-coded stem (with color changing upon size) and the outer material was also fairly stiff. This model suited a number of IEMs especially those with a shallow nozzle (e.g. Dunu Luna, pictured below). The CP-100 was pretty much a utilitarian eartip, as in it would suit most models without affecting the FR too much or causing discomfort. I personally found the surface of the tip to be somewhat itchy after long-term use, and the stiffer outer layer didn’t have the best grip with the inner-ear wall.

Thus, we enter the Spinfit CP-100+. The new variant (which shall be released on Amazon soon) addresses my key complaint with the original CP-100: the stiffness and feel of the silicone. The new material is more supple and grips better. Most of all: the itchiness after long sessions is gone completely. In terms of ergonomics, this renders the CP-100 irrelevant.

Some suggested pairings for these tips: Moondrop Aria, Moondrop Starfield, Dunu Luna, Meze 12 Classics V2, Shozy Form 1.1, BLON BL-03/BL-05S

CP-145/CP-145 (refresh)

These are currently my favorite Spinfit tips. They are the most comfortable in Spinfit’s lineup along with the CP-100+ and pairs well with most IEMs with the given nozzle size (~4.5mm). Usually the bass seem to get tighter with these tips on and in some IEMs I’ve also experienced a perceived expansion of soundstage. The older CP-145 has a more supple, grippier texture on the outside whereas the new, medical-grade silicone version has a more coarse texture and has slightly worse seal. The choice between older and the newer CP-145 isn’t as straightforward as they both perform very similarly and are equally comfortable. Whichever you get, however, you shall find them stellar.

Some suggested pairings for these tips: Moondrop Blessing2/Aria/Starfield, 64Audio U12t, Final A8000, Dunu Luna, Reecho Insects Awaken

CP-360

The Spinfit CP-360 are specialist eartips meant to be used with TWS earphones. If you’re having trouble getting a fit with the stock tips that came with your earbud, give these a shot. The flange material is soft silicone and it’s very comfortable to wear due to the nozzle material not being too stiff. Isolation is also top-notch. Generally a good tip to have in your collection if you are into TWS earphones.

Some suggested pairings for these tips: Samsung Galaxy Buds/Buds Plus/Buds Pro, FIIL T1XS, Lypertek Tevi

CP-500

The most interesting offering in Spinfit’s entire lineup has to be the CP-500. It has a larger bore diameter (~5.5mm) and is meant for large nozzle IEMs that require a wide bore to work best. However, I have found them to work on slightly smaller bore IEMs too. I purchased the CP-500 initially to use with the Final E5000 (as stock E-type black tips have too much mid-bass). The CP-500 was the only tip available at that time for final’s E-series IEMs thus I pulled the trigger. Ironically, I ended up using the CP-500 on IEMs other than the Final E-type, most notably Dunu Zen and the IMR R1 Zenith. The CP-500 with Dunu Zen, specifically, have an incredible pairing that elevates the (already great) Zen to new heights. The difference between the Zen + CP-500 and other tips were far too noticeable.

That preamble aside, the CP-500 has a soft flange along with a similarly soft bore. The flange also has a somewhat oily texture to it, resulting in a fit that’s not the most secure and requires a bit of a deeper insertion. It’s a very comfortable eartip but isolation is worse than the CP-100/145/360. This is an eartip I’d recommend if you’re someone who’s into “tip-rolling” (as in, experimenting with various eartips). The CP-500 provides interesting results with many IEMs.

Some suggested pairings for these tips: Final E4000/E5000/E1000, Dunu Zen (best pairing for me), JVC FX-700, JVC FW-10000

CP-800

The Spinfit CP-800 is a specialized eartip meant for using exclusively with narrow-bore IEMs like the Shure, Etymotic ones. In case of Etymotic ER2XR this provides an interesting alternative to the stock triple/double-flange tips. The CP-800 has about the same bass and midrange rendition so those who find the stock triple/dual flange tips on Etymotics intrusive might find the CP-800 far more comfortable. I would recommend going for a smaller size than what you usually use with these tips (so if you usually need M, go for S). A size smaller will help with deeper fit. Sadly on the ER2XR at least, the CP-800 makes the treble roll-off earlier than the dual/triple flange tips. If you need more treble sparkle, the CP-800 might let you down on those IEMs. Shure IEMs like SE-215 worked just as well as the Shure Olive tips, however, with slightly improved fit.

Some suggested pairings for these tips: Etymotic ER2XR/ER4XR, Shure SE215/SE846.

DOUBLE-FLANGE SPINFIT EARTIPS

CP-240

The Spinfit CP-240 is their only dual-flange offering. Usually dual-flange tips offer a deeper seal along with improved isolation. The CP-240, however, is a strange case. Due to the larger gap between the swiveling part on top and the second flange below, the seal breaks inside the ear canal and may lead to a loss of isolation. Moreover, the bass response lightens up a lot as a result. This might help if you want to tone the bass down on some IEMs but for me this particular tip didn’t really have a permanent place on any of the IEMs I’ve tried them on. The CP-240 also comes with adapters that you can slot inside the bore to reduce bore size and use narrow-bore IEMs like Etymotic/Westone/Shure.

Some suggested pairings for these tips: Westone, Shure, Etymotic IEMs with adapter, Meze 12 Classics V2 without adapter.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Writing about eartips can be confusing since it’s such a personal thing after all. This article is not meant to be taken as an absolute guide, rather a primer into what you might expect from the several Spinfit offerings. In the end, I can only speak from my personal experience along with the feedback I’ve gathered over time from other experienced users.

The Spinfit offerings are a must-have if you’re into collecting IEMs and love to experiment with several eartips. If I had to choose one SpinFit eartip among the 8 reviewed here, I would pick the CP-100+. It’s going to be widely available soon, it improves upon the original CP-100, and most of all it pairs well with most of the IEMs out there barring those with thin nozzles. Similarly, the CP-145 is a great choice and improves the comfort and sonic performance of many IEMs I’ve tried them on.

Among the rest, the CP-360 should be in your stable if you’re into TWS earphones, they are one of the few TWS-specific eartip after all. The CP-500 is a specialist eartip that can be unpredictable, and being the widest-bore tip in Spinfit’s lineup offers something unique. Finally, the CP-240 is something I couldn’t find a use for and the CP-800 didn’t perform as well as the tips it’s supposed to replace (for me). So these two don’t excite me as much.

Thus, I’ve covered most of Spinfit’s mainstream offerings. In the future I plan to make an entire post/thread where the eartips of all major manufacturers (along with a few obscure) ones will be covered. Let’s see how that one goes.

MY VERDICT

CP-100+/CP-145: Highly Recommended
CP-360/CP-500: Recommended

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DISCLAIMER

SpinFit Eartips can be found on Amazon.

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You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.

The post Spinfit Eartips Roundup: A Comprehensive Comparison Between 8 Variants appeared first on Audio Reviews.