We love Ultimate Ears’ UE Fits earbuds, which came with moldable tips that can conform to the shape of your ears the first time you wear them. The result are earbuds with earpieces whose shapes are tailored to the contours of your ear. While it’s not always perfect, it does offer a more custom fit than you can get with any other off-the-shelf earbuds. In case that’s still not a satisfying fit, though, you may want to check out the Ultimate Ears UE Drops.
No, it’s not an improved version of the UE Fits, since you won’t be able to mold your own earpiece. Instead, when you order these earbuds, the outfit will send you a kit for taking custom impressions of your ears, which you’ll then send back to the company. From there, they will make actual custom earpieces tailored to your ears, which they will then ship out a couple of weeks later. Basically, it’s custom earbuds that won’t require a visit to an audiologist.
The Ultimate Ears UE Drops start out with a FitKit, which is the first thing they send when you place an order. Simply follow the step-by-step instructions from the companion app (iOS and Android), which will guide you through creating 3D measurements of your ears using the kit’s contents. Once the measurements are finished, you send the kit back, at which point the outfit will shape each earpiece for your earbuds by hand before sending them your way. The whole process, by the way, should take anywhere from three to six weeks, so you won’t get the instant gratification of more traditional earbud options.
Is it worth it? If you’ve ever been bothered by the lack of proper fit of those swappable ear tips that come with other earbuds, then this just might be the perfect solution for your needs. There will be no falling off, no sound coming through the gaps, and no discomfort, likely elevating your earbuds experience in a significant way.
The Ultimate Ears UE Drops are true wireless earbuds fitted with a dynamic 9.2mm driver in each earpiece. It doesn’t have ANC because the custom fit should create all the passive noise isolation you need, as no sound will able to get through with the lack of any gaps between the earpiece and your ears. In case you want to be able to hear ambient sounds, it comes with a transparency mode that uses microphones to pick up sound and send it through the drivers, making it easy enough to hold conversations without having to take off your earbuds.
The onboard batteries hold enough charge for up to eight hours of playback on the earbuds, along with another 14 hours available from the charging case, making this viable for all-day listening. Other features include dual mics for hands-free calling, a maximum sound pressure of 110 decibels, sweat resistance that makes it viable for using in the gym, and support for voice assistants (Siri and Google Assistant).
The Ultimate Ears UE Drops are available now, priced at $449.