Spinfit Tips (CP100) Review – Big Ergonomic Upgrade Comes With Big Sound Changes

March 25, 2016 by Ryan Soo10 Comments on Spinfit Tips (CP100) Review – Big Ergonomic Upgrade Comes With Big Sound ChangesAccessory Reviews

Sound –

I`ll be writing this review in reference to perceived changes on my ie800`s, starting with their impact on sound, since this is my main caveat.

James444 was right, they definitely alter the sound from my Sennheiser ie800`s, for better or for worse. Immediately there was a perceptible difference, both mid and sub bass was accentuated but remains punchy, which I personally don`t like and the highs were a little more recessed, which wouldn`t be so bad if the upper mids weren`t increased a little too which makes the iems sound a little more brittle and aggressive sounding, its not huge but its not small either and it definitely isn`t the best modification for an already hyper detailed iem like the ie800.

If you have a darker iem or would like your neutral iem to sound a little richer, then the spinfits are for you. They provide a mild bass boost like comply tips but don`t muddy the highs and clarity. It`s a nice alternative to eq`s and filters.

Design –

Simply brilliant. The fit and comfort is so much better than the stock tips on my ie800`s. They use a small swiveling mechanism to create a consistent seal, great for those like me who have dissimilar ear canal shapes left and right.

It`s well designed and doesn`t weaken over time. The mechanism is very flexible and ensures a solid fit with a bit of shock absorption during movement, my ie800`s even stay in when I walk, they used to fall out when I was sitting.

They seal extremely well and don`t dislodge even after listening for a few hours. In addition, the silicone is very soft yet rigid enough to maintain its shape and they fit very much like Sony hybrid tips. The bore size (200) is also a fair bit smaller than the nozzle of the ie800 and is made from a very elastic silicone which firmly grips the nozzle. They will fit a wide range of earphones, but there is also a small bore version called the CP800 which will fit on Shure, Westone, Klipschs earphones and those similar in size. The stem is quite long, resulting in a deeper fit and hence more isolation, especially from short nozzled earphones. They also reduce microphonics!, since the stem is longer than pretty much any stock tip, it gives them some more reach so they stick out a little more and now the cables don`t rub against my face and collar so there is less noise, but of course if they hit something it`s still just as loud.

Verdict –

Overall they are definitely worth looking into if you find the fit on your iems frustrating. If they don`t work well for that earphone, then maybe they`ll pair better with another pair of iem`s such as the neutral re400`s which produce a fuller sound with spinfits. If you are actually looking for these kinds of sound changes then that makes them an even better buy, it`s really very subjective, but the tips definitely impact the sound. For me they were a fantastic investment, and while I personally found them to be a sound downgrade, they made my very expensive ie800`s ergonomically useable. In that sense, the trade off is well worth it.

Design – 9/10, Almost ergonomic perfection, they could have been designed for a slightly deeper fit (The small plane on the top of the Sony Hybrids gives a firmer fit for me). The swivel mechanism works wonders for shallow fitting buds and still functions well on deeper fitting monitors. Because the swivel gives a bit of parallel play and the nozzles are so soft, earphones can be hard to insert at times. They isolate well and can be used to drastically change the properties of an iem. They way the swivel is designed is not great from an acoustic standpoint but it doesn`t affect the clarity or detail of the sound, just its signature.

Value – 7-10/10, The value really is subjective because the tips will work differently with every earphone. For the very unergonomic ie800`s, they are a solid 10, but at $15, can they really be considered good value for something much cheaper with an already stable fit? It`s up to he buyer to decide whether these tips are required or not.

Verdict – 8/10, Very innovative, it`s hard to believe nothing similar has been made before. Expensive for a silicone tip ($10 a pair) but they can make a big difference to your listening experience, not just the sound. In fact they make the biggest difference of any silicone tip design I`ve tested (Monster supertips, Westone stars and Klipsch ovals to name a few) and are a good medium between foam and silicone sound wise. I think everyone should give them a try, they`re not cheap, but they`re much cheaper than comply`s and will last much longer, I just wish that they were more widely available.

Earphones, Ergonomic Eupgrade, Sound Upgrade, Spinfit