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Higher quality Etymotics.

post #1 of 22
10/14/08 at 3:18pm
Thread Starter 
Will Etymotic make a higher quality headphone than the 4P/4S in the $1000 price range? I think they should because the 4P is awesome for its price. A better quality Etymotic like a 4R (4 Response) would be even better. I wonder what it would sound like given that the 4P is so transparent.
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post #2 of 22
10/14/08 at 7:11pm
I doubt it. Etymotic doesn't believe in multiple drivers, and they've pushed a single balanced armature about as far as current technology will go. They'll most likely branch out into bluetooth and wireless in general with something less ridiculous than the Ety8, and do lots of OEMs and rebadged versions of their products instead.

This has been discussed before, many times. Also, wrong forum
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post #3 of 22
10/14/08 at 7:13pm
yea, the 4ps have porbably been around the longest of all IEMs ever, (6+years), and with no new IEMs coming from them in that time, I would suspect that they wont venture into the extreme high end of IEMs
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post #4 of 22
10/14/08 at 7:18pm
You can't really build on perfection, lol. A better cable would be nice...if you want to spend some cash on Ety's, go for an APS v3 Ety cable...
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post #5 of 22
10/14/08 at 11:39pm
you can. although their sound pretty much perfect, it could use some expansion in soundstage. apart from that, they have much to work on in the ways of comfort, cord noise without a clip, etc.
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post #6 of 22
10/14/08 at 11:40pm
I can't imagine anything better than the ER4p.
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post #7 of 22
10/15/08 at 12:09am
I like the 4s balance. Other iems with stronger bass tend to take over the sound.

I'm trying to get one of the dogs to chew the cable so I can get an APS cable but I want to do the three year old RS-1 re-cable too. Is putting bacon grease on the cable too much? I'm just sayin.....
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post #8 of 22
10/15/08 at 12:58am
Ha ha on the bacon grease idea. I have the 6i's and would love to hear the 4's. My guess is etymotic isn't doing another headphone right now because they are still selling the 4's and its not an item that technology changes on too much.
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post #9 of 22
10/15/08 at 3:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by majurglery View Post
yea, the 4ps have porbably been around the longest of all IEMs ever, (6+years), and with no new IEMs coming from them in that time, I would suspect that they wont venture into the extreme high end of IEMs
ER4 was released in 1991~1992 as the first universal IEM, mate.
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post #10 of 22
10/15/08 at 5:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by majurglery View Post
yea, the 4ps have porbably been around the longest of all IEMs ever, (6+years), and with no new IEMs coming from them in that time, I would suspect that they wont venture into the extreme high end of IEMs
The S version has been around for 17 years.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Golden Monkey View Post
You can't really build on perfection, lol. A better cable would be nice...if you want to spend some cash on Ety's, go for an APS v3 Ety cable...
I think V3 would be almost impossible as it is way too thick and unwieldy for the tiny ER4 drivers. V2 might work but the APS Ety cable is really good. I have had both the P and the S version and if I ever need to get back to a dedicated iem I would get another APS P cable. For the moment the HF2 is a really good compromise between sq and functionallity as is the iPhone so these 2 have replaced a whole pocketfull of gear for me and work a treat.

Etymotics has done several oem deals (AltecLansing im616 and im716 and at least one other I can't remember) and are at the moment doing the HF5 as an exclusive design for Amazon.
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post #11 of 22
10/15/08 at 5:30am
Not to thread-jack but how is that new braided ER4 cable I see on Etymotic's website? Is it less microphonic? I am likely to see more travel in a while so I was thinking about changing my 4S cable for a 4P one. I do not want to get into the "full portable rig" again and the 4S is no joy straight out of a portable.

And for the OP: Properly amped and with a good source the 4S is pretty perfect... what would you want to change?
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post #12 of 22
10/15/08 at 6:33am
I dont know what the current cable configuration is but the ER4 has come with at least 3 different cable to my knowledge. The cable from the resistor pod to the jack I think has always been the same but the cable from the resistor pod to the drivers have been different. The version I got 7 years ago with my first ER4 was solid and very microphonic. They then changed it to a braided cable that was a fair bit better. They then changed it to a version where 2 wires where glued or whatever to each other running in parallel. This third vertion I have never encountered only seen in pictures. The cable on the HF2 and I assume also on the HF5 is more flexible and less microphonic than any ER4 cable I have tried (except the APS). However any of the cables are to my ears fully acceptable if used over the ears style (can't do that with the HF2 as the distance between driver and microphone pod is too short).
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post #13 of 22
10/15/08 at 12:28pm
LOL...sorry, I have the APS V3 on the brain, as I've been waiting almost six weeks for my HD650 cable to arrive...
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post #14 of 22
10/15/08 at 12:34pm
I have the latest cable version, never compared it to the older ones but to me it is very microphonic.
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post #15 of 22
10/15/08 at 5:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Golden Monkey View Post
LOL...sorry, I have the APS V3 on the brain, as I've been waiting almost six weeks for my HD650 cable to arrive...
I have actually in some of my more insane moments toyed with the idea of asking Alex to do a 6' V2 ER4 cable terminated in xlr plugs. I'll probably never do it but the idea appeals to me as I find the ER4 scales really well with "silly" equipment.
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