DIY Noise-Isolating Earbud Tips

I recently found my old pair of Shure e2c in-ear monitors minus the earbud tips.  I prefer the memory foam tips that seal out all outside noise.  The foam tips made by Shure can be uncomfortable -the foam feels like sandpaper in my ears- and they are expensive!  $15-$20 for 5 pair.  I have thought for a while about making my own out of ear plugs used in my workplace for ear protection.  These earbud tips are practically free since they are made from ear plugs found in virtually any high-noise area.  The best part is that when they get old and dirty, just toss 'em out and make yourself some new ones!

Tools Needed:

Utility knife
Metal-tipped retractable pen
Foam ear plugs
Hammer

Step 1 Cut the ear plugs

Cutting the ear plugs is pretty straightforward.  Just make sure your utility knife has a fresh blade in it.  You want to cut the plug a couple millimeters longer than the earphone shaft that will receive the earbud.  That extra overhang won't interfere with the path of the sound, but it will help the earbud stay in your ear more securely.  The ear plug foam is pretty squishy, so you will have to cut them with a sawing motion back and forth, slowly pressing down until you have cut all the way through. 

Comments

[th0mb0y]

I got so excited when I figured this out I didn't even bother to see if it has been done before. After posting I have found a bunch of other methods of achieving the same goal here on Instructables:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Poor-mans-Earbud-Replacement-covers-from-Ear-Plug/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Poor-Man-Noise-Canceling-EarBud-Headphones/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Noise-Canceling-Ear-Bud-Headphones/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Create-the-Ultimate-Noise-Cancelling-Earphones/

I prefer my method only because it doesn't really require any special tools or glue or anything, but maybe one of the other methods would work for you if mine doesn't.

[photoguy7]

I saw a similar type product already constructed, and for pretty cheap too!

They are called Jamplugs, and they look just like earplugs, but are actually headphones.

Hope this is helpful.

[nealwm]

To make the center hole in the foam earplugs, I use a single hole paper hole punch. Just make a small mark in the center of the plug with a pen, press the foam plug together (top to bottom) between your index finger and thumb tightly and then quickly insert the disk in the hole punch centering to the mark and squeeze the punch. Once the plug has expanded back to norma size you will find that the resulting punched hole is the exact size required for most earphones (UE's and Shure). Hope this helps and saves a pen.

[paulste]

guys!! gotta try this out! these are awesome!!!

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/e11030.m43.l1123/7?euid=d3c444df82d04e04af30d33d739d26ff&loc=http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem%26item%3D250817321899%26ssPageName%3DADME:B:EF:CA:1123

[amclaussen]

Clever way to produce the inner hole! Thanks a lot.

I've gone to more extreme ways to help me achieve a better fit in my expensive Shure 535 in ear phones, because the sound tube is short and the body of the phones is not as compact as my old Shure E-1 (which cable succumbed to the copper degradation inside the cable, rendering them intermittent, and, because they are not easily repairable, condemning them to ultimate disposal).

So I went to the local COSTCO store and they made a pair of custom moulds of my era canals in their hearing-aid center... They sell custom silicon ear plugs "for swimming", so I explained how I wanted those "plugs2 to be attached to my new Shure 535's, and they produced much more comfortable tips, custom made to my ear canals shape and size. With them, finally I can tolerate the 535's much better than with ANY of the assorted ear tips, triple flange, "olives" or any of them. amclaussen, Mexico City.

[streetsign]

This totally worked for me. Thanks for posting it