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IEMs that decisively beat ER-4P at ~$180 and below (for iPods)

post #1 of 31
7/18/08 at 10:09am
Thread Starter 
I'm close to buying a new pair of IEMs and I'm thinking about going for ER-4P. Convince me otherwise. By "decisively", I don't mean on every single aspect, but most (including price; not willing to go over $200). And if you had to pick one and one only, you would pick it over ER-4P. This is for iPod use, and for all types of music. Thanks.
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post #2 of 31
7/18/08 at 11:14am
It wont happen, iem's double the price of the er4 is simply down to subjective opinion and not anything objectively better
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post #3 of 31
7/18/08 at 11:15am
None exist at or slightly above the price...
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post #4 of 31
7/18/08 at 11:40am
You have to pay an awful lot to beat ER-4P, and whether or not the IEM will actually "beat" them is subjective.

If you do buy ER-4P, I would suggest looking into replacing the stock cable. It's plain horrible.

With current street prices, the ER-4P is probably some of the best bang-for-your-buck you can get IEM-wise.
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post #5 of 31
7/18/08 at 11:46am
Doesn't exist. For ~$200 used the UM2s equal them in terms of how good they are, but they're totally different.
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post #6 of 31
7/18/08 at 11:52am
How do you replace the stock cable on er4p, and how much does this cost?
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post #7 of 31
7/18/08 at 11:54am
That question can't really be answered. It depends what you are looking for in sound characteristics.

Some would say a $50 IEM beat them in bass.

Some would say NOTHING (not even UE11) beat them in treble detail.

Some would say the treble detail hurts the ears.

If bass and fullness of sound is not that big to you then, yes, ER4P is your best bet by a longshot.
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post #8 of 31
7/18/08 at 11:59am
The street price is about same as Q-Jays, how do they compare?
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post #9 of 31
7/18/08 at 12:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MatsudaMan View Post
How do you replace the stock cable on er4p, and how much does this cost?
You pull out the old one and put in a new one. :P

I've heard that Etymotic charges as much as $50 for the replacement stock cable, but I'm not sure.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sonq View Post
The street price is about same as Q-Jays, how do they compare?
Street price of the Q-Jays is higher. I don't think I've ever seen Q-Jays on sale for less than $170, while I paid $125 for my ER-4Ps.
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post #10 of 31
7/18/08 at 12:07pm
Thread Starter 
Good to hear. I was set on the ER4P because I read good things about them over and over again but then realized a lot of these reviews/posts were from 2003 and earlier. So I specifically stalked out comparisons to more modern IEMs and it turned out there were a few that some people preferred over ER4Ps like SE530 and Triple.fi. These were out of my price range, but I couldn't help wondering if there were cheaper new IEMs out there that I wasn't aware of (so I came here).

Regarding bass vs treble etc.: To be honest I don't even know what I prefer. I'm not even familiar with many audio terms. I'm just a college student who wants good bang for buck for my iPod. I know I can't have the best of all worlds at this price point so I'm willing to sacrifice in an area or two - just as long as overall it's still "safe" for most types of music i.e. it doesn't suck really, really terribly at something.
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post #11 of 31
7/18/08 at 12:09pm
Yeah, Etymotic charges around $50 for new cables, but they're the same cable and thus just as horrible.

If you could find thin, flexible and strong wire, maybe tonearm wire, recabling the ER-4P would be an excellent idea to reduce the overly-long cable length and to reduce microphonics. And relocate the 25ohm resistors in the "pod" to a more convenient location.
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post #12 of 31
7/18/08 at 12:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gs29 View Post
Regarding bass vs treble etc.: To be honest I don't even know what I prefer. I'm not even familiar with many audio terms. I'm just a college student who wants good bang for buck for my iPod. I know I can't have the best of all worlds at this price point so I'm willing to sacrifice in an area or two - just as long as overall it's still "safe" for most types of music i.e. it doesn't suck really, really terribly at something.
Super Fi Pro is a HUGE jump from earbuds. Certainly not in the caliber of triple drivers but you get respectable amounts of everything. Big full sound with nice bass, big soundstage and plenty of detail. Some people have issues getting them to fit right but if you can overcome that, they are a nice "all arounder". I have not heard Q-jays but they would probably be along similar lines.

Monolith - I have seen you state many times you got ER4P for $125. Where? Is that a deal anyone could find? I have never seen ER4P for less that about $170
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post #13 of 31
7/18/08 at 12:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spyro View Post
Super Fi Pro is a HUGE jump from earbuds. Certainly not in the caliber of triple drivers but you get respectable amounts of everything. Big full sound with nice bass, big soundstage and plenty of detail. Some people have issues getting them to fit right but if you can overcome that, they are a nice "all arounder". I have not heard Q-jays but they would probably be along similar lines.

Monolith - I have seen you state many times you got ER4P for $125. Where? Is that a deal anyone could find? I have never seen ER4P for less that about $170
I bought them from another Head-fier.

I don't understand why anyone would buy this kind of stuff another way. The retail prices for these things new are obscene.
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post #14 of 31
7/18/08 at 12:57pm
Only thing I'd take over them would be an ER4-S...
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post #15 of 31
7/18/08 at 12:58pm
My Superfi's rock!

I reckon you should at least demo a pair before you decide. Whichever one you decide to get, coming from the stock phones, you're in for a treat!
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