A change of ear tips can affect both fit and the perceived density of an earphone’s sound. I’ve recently been trying the Tangzu Sancai Noble Liquid Silicone Hybrid Eartips Brass Edition, a long name for a combination that interested me immediately: soft liquid silicone around a brass sound tube. The appeal wasn’t simply a promise of different tuning. I wanted to see how the soft outside and rigid inside would behave when fitted to the earphones I already use.
First Impressions of the Brass Core
The gold-colored brass core is the first thing you notice. Unlike an ordinary silicone or foam tip, the central column is metal and stays firm when handled. That support keeps the opening from collapsing when the tip is in the ear. The liquid silicone around it remains soft against the skin, so the part providing rigidity isn’t also the surface pressing against the ear. In use, that combination meant less pressure and less fatigue during long listening sessions.
N5005 Matching and Sizing Tips
The structure was particularly useful with the long nozzle on my N5005. Getting a proper fit had involved placing rubber rings on the nozzle to keep the tip in the right position. The brass tube now performs that stopping role. As the nozzle enters, the core prevents the tip from sliding farther upward. I can push it into place without searching for the little rubber rings and repeating that extra fitting step. The convenience was more noticeable than I’d expected from a change of tips.
The same fixed position changes sizing. Because the brass tube holds its ground rather than sliding up the nozzle, the tip goes deeper into the ear canal than usual. I’d think in terms of going down half a size. If medium previously left a little room, staying with medium can be reasonable. If medium already filled the ear tightly, I’d choose small instead. The aim is to keep that deeper insertion from adding uncomfortable pressure, rather than automatically order the size printed on your current tips.
Changes in Sound
With the high-boost filter I normally use on the N5005, sharp sibilance became smoother and more rounded. Midrange voices gained weight where they could previously seem a little thin. These are wide-bore tips, with a large opening for sound to pass through. That matters to the result: the added density didn’t come with the closed-in presentation I might have expected. The stage remained open and refreshing. For me, the balance between added vocal body and retained space is what makes the sound change enjoyable, alongside the practical improvement to how the earphones fit.
I see these as more than a way to season the sound. They also address the physical difficulty of fitting an earphone whose nozzle demands extra attention. If a pair has been left in a drawer because it won’t sit properly, a tip like this could be worth investigating. Finding the right fit is sometimes tedious, but hearing and feeling a useful change is part of what keeps the audio hobby rewarding for me.
