You know that odd-looking tool in the accessories box of your latest IEM? The one with the tiny brush on one end and the wiry ‘hook’ on the other?
Believe it or not, that’s one of the most valuable accessories you’ll get, even more so than the tips or cable or case. IEMs are precision devices, and on the whole they’re built tough enough to withstand frequent use inside your hot, sweaty, waxy ears.
But they also house very fragile components, like tiny drivers with hair’s breadth cones and sensitive electronics. You’ll want to look after those components, which you can’t see, just as much you look after the pretty shells, because if they fail, those shells become little more than very expensive ornaments.
In this article I’ll be covering a rarely-discussed topic in the hobby: IEM maintenance. I’ll go through the basics every IEM user should be doing to keep their IEMs clean and healthy, using little more than the tools – like the one above – that come in the box.
But I’ll also dive deeper into business of keeping your IEMs in good health for many years, using more elaborate tools designed for frequent use in harsh conditions. If you’ve ever wondered what you could and should be doing to keep your IEMs pristine, read on.
Back to basics
Different IEMs are made differently and so require different degrees of care. Custom IEMs with long, twisting driver tubes require a different maintenance regimen to universal IEMs with short nozzles and mesh guards, for instance.
No matter which IEMs you use, however, every IEM needs some sort of basic maintenance to keep them clean, dirt-and-dust free, and to prevent any nasties from getting at their insides. Luckily all you need for basic maintenance is cheap and easy to get: a clean surface, some alcohol swabs, a lint-free cloth, and the brush-and-pick tool.
Start by wiping down your IEMs with the alcohol swab. Don’t worry, this won’t harm your precious resin shells, or even your silicone ear tips – although it’s best to check with your ear tip manufacturer if they discourage isopropyl alcohol use for cleaning.
Next, dry your shells from any excess alcohol, then carefully take one shell at a time, face the nozzle downward, and gently reach into the nozzle with the pick side of the tool to loosen any dust, grit or wax particles that might be stuck inside.
While this sounds simple enough, there are some things you need to watch out for, especially when using the pick tool. First, and it goes without saying, be gentle. The acrylic coating of resin IEMs might be tough, but you want to avoid any sort of force when sliding that metal pick inside the nozzle.
Some IEMs, especially those made of aluminium or titanium, can also scratch easily, in which case you might want to avoid using the pick tool altogether.
Another important thing to look out for is wire mesh covers, usually installed on the inside of the nozzle of many IEMs. Depending on how they’ve been installed, some covers might be very loose, and any sort of force with the pick tool could dislodge them.
You also don’t want to push any dirt or wax caught on the mesh through the mesh and into the nozzles. This is why cleaning with the nozzles pointing down is important – gravity is your friend in this instance.
If it looks like your mesh screen is heavily soiled or blocked. You might want to use the softer brush side of the tool to carefully dislodge the dirt. If there’s no mesh but you still notice trails of dirt or sticky wax deeper inside the nozzle, which your pick or brush can’t reach, then you’ll want to use an alternative cleaning method – something like the IEM vacuums I’ll discuss shortly.
Whatever you do, always keep the objective of the exercise in mind: to remove the dirt, but protect the IEM. If you make it a habit to wipe and clean off any excess dirt after every use, you’ll be able to keep your IEMs looking and sounding like new for many years, and likely won’t need to resort to the heavier-handed options for deep cleaning and long-term maintenance.
Of course, chances are you – like me – won’t remember (or even care) to clean your IEMs every time you use them, and when days become weeks and weeks become months, that’s when you’ll need more robust tools for the job.
Continue to IEM vacs…
