Either the 4P/S or the ER6's....

Particularly the 4 series-- I mean, when you spend that much especially on a tiny pair of headphones like that, do you ever start to think "they're too hard to care for" with all the filter changing, cleaning after every use, replacing foamies, etc. Or are they completely worth it despite these factors?

I'm asking because i want to make the be all end all purchase for use with a PCDP--- namely the ER4P. I figure that way I can forego all the amp purchasing, headphone upgrading, etc.

I like the sound of the E1, which I used to have, but I can't help but think I'm missing something that people always talk about with the Ety's.

Currently its Sportapros and MX400's, which should keep me happy til lI can afford the $230-ish for some new 4Ps.

Any advice for me?

thanks
appar111

The sound of my ER6 is really good and I really enjoy it. Its great to block out the noise of the train I take to work. I do have some issues with them. The cable has some microphonics and at least it seems more in cold weather. No nice case to store them in and the one it comes with tangles the cable. Finally I develop a pain in the canal of my ears after about one hour of use.

Still I will continue using them and I'm quite satisfied. I tried using larger cans like Audio Technica A500 and Ultrasone 650 but they are just not portable enough and I'm not taking any of my better cans to work.

I personally owned the ER6s and sold them within a burn-in period and one week. For one, they weren't terribly comfortable for me. The sound was quite good, but I could hear myself walking even with a proper seal. And third, the damn things are squishy to the touch. As in, you could squeeze on the buds themselves, which worried me a touch.

Can't yet comment on the ER4s...not enough money yet.

I've been listening to my ER-4S for a couple of weeks yet and have no issues. I don't walk with them, travel with them, but use them while surfing the net or in the back yard smoking a stogie.

I've had my ER-6s longer and love them. They do feel neglected with the arrival of my 4S.

edit: I guess I should read the post more closely..., disregard.

I have been using ER-4Ps for the past 6 months with my Ipod and I have to say that I am quite satisfied. I have no real complaints. The microphonics and occlusion effects do not bother me and I can always get a great seal with the foamies. I was able to get good seals with the rubber tips as well, but I feel that I get better isolation and comfort with the foamies. And the best part of course is the supurb sound quality. Complete sonic bliss (for a portable system of course). I use them with my ****ty home system as well, and I like them there as well. Always room for improvement, so I will be looking to upgrade my source and amp and get an ety P-S conversion cable so I take these cans to their full potential. As of now they are the best portable cans that I have ever heard. Actually, they are quite possibly the best overall cans that I've ever heard.

Hiker

I never had a problem with the occlusion effect on the Shure E1's when I had them, so i suspect I would have no problem with the Ety's. I actually had the ER6's for a couple days, but returned them before I had a chance to burn them in. At the time I didn't realize that canalphones can burn-in, I thought only earbuds and full size phones did. I should have hung on to them, in retrospect.

Do eht ER6's sound good without an amp? I plan to use them straight out of a portable.... what's the impedance on them again?

I had the ER4P for about three months, but in that time I just could not get used to their nature... I don't want (personally) micro-dynamics... I just want good sounding music... and to me that is NOT the same thing...

I didn't like their tone either...

I too couldn't get used to the microphonics of the Ety's. Excellent sound, but I couldn't enjoy it because of being able to hear my foot steps, breathing, cable movement, and just about every little noise my body makes when moving around....I recently sold mine on Ebay....

My first in-the-ear headphones were the ER-4S, thought I'd start at the top. I used them for about a month and never really liked them. The main problems I had were the following:
- Comfort: These are the most uncomfortable headphones I've ever used
- Ease of use: Getting these in and out of your ear is not so simple. If you are somewhere that you need to keep taking them off quite often it can be very annoying and leave your ears in pain.
- Quality: The sound quality was excellent for certain recordings, mainly ones that were heavy on vocals and pianos or acousitic instruments. I listen to many different types of music and I found it to sound bad for most types of Rock, Techno, Industrial and some Pop music. Also, it reveals many flaws that might be in your music, making average quality recordings sound horrible.
- Microphonics: VERY annoying! You have to pratically sit perfectly still to enjoy these headphones.
- Style: These headphones are UGLY. Not that this is very important to me, but if you're paying close to $300 for a pair of headphones you don't want them to look like they cost $9.00. Any pair of Sony's earbuds costing more than $10 look higher quality than these.

So overall I'd say it really depends on the type of music you listen to and how you like to listen to it. Mine went back and I have found other in-the-ear headphones that I am quite happy with and are far more practical.

I don't like mine, I love them! Some of the previous issues raised I would like to discuss are:

Comfort - I actually found that the seal I got was better if I didn't put them in deep enough that inserting and removing them is hard. When I inserted them that deeply they also caused my ears to ring afterwards. It did improve the bass though.

Tone - It was pretty bad after 4 or more months of continuous use until I cranked them up to just before the point of distortion and let them break in for 24 hours. (Without having them in my ears). Before that they didn't have good dynamics or tone, they were very flat and lifeless. Afterwards they were like a whole new set of phones!

Microphonics - I don't have that much trouble with them, I use the shirt cip and they work out fine.

Here are what I see as annoyances
1) No real deep bass, it's there but it's sure not visceral. It really helps to have a good amplifier here, they produce good bass with my Gilmore V2 but with my SuperMini and my Portable DVD player, there just isn't much there. They don't sound bad with the portabl and SuperMini unless you compare tham against a real amp.

2) Sometimes they block out sound too effectively. I miss phone calls.

The Etys aren't everybody's cup of tea, but they're perfect for introverts like me who ant to isolate themselves from the noisy world. It took a little while to get used to insertion to get the proper seal, but, once acconmplished, it was bliss.

The filters do need fairly frequent changing if you have an earwax issue such as I do. Recently, I had my ears candled and all is wonderful; the ER-4P's sound even better than they did. Hopefully, my earwax build-up problem is alleviated for awhile.

The 4P's are *very* sensitive and will give you all the volume you'll ever want/need from typically weak 5 mW headphone amps. The bass isn't thumpy or boomy but very accurate and tight. If you don't get a good seal, the bass is zero and the highs are harsh.

I use the silcon tips due to their durability but many can't stand them and use the foamies.

I suppose the Etys do look rather retro and dated, but they sound fantastic.

As you can see it's really, really personal. Some people love them, some people hate them. I love them, as the rubber eartips work perfectly for me. I can slide them in almost without thought with a perfect seal. Removing the earbuds isn't hard for me either, and gives me no discomfort. Out of my three friends who have tried them (with both the foamies and the rubber eartips) only one of them said they were comfortable, however he thought they were blissful, much like myself. It seems like you either love them or hate them. When I have my ety's in for long periods of time I can almost forget they are there -- that's how comfortable they are for me. It's only when the cable drags or bumps on a sleeve that I am reminded what I am wearing. That's my only complaint, the microphonic cable.

It's a small price to pay, in my opinion.

I just got my ER4Ps yesterday. First impressions were not that great. Tried switching back and forth between the foamies and the white earplugs. I couldn't get a good seal until I wet the outside of my ears slightly before inserting them. Now they sound great, clear and precise. I will not comment further on the sound until they are broken in, currently I have like 2hrs on them. I find them very comfortable when wearing them but I've found that just wetting them first makes it much much easier to wear.

Etys are the oddest animal in a headphone, for sure. If you can get acclimatized to their idiosyncracies, they are simply the best audio experience you will ever have.

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I agree that the sound quality is excellent but after your mind gets used to the presentation via the ear canal.

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Strange I use them mainly for Rock, Techno, Industrial, Metal and to me it all sounds great. One thing to remember is that a headphone amplifier is definitely a must at least with my iPod.

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It definitely can be but you are also getting rid off allot of external noise. Just think how a noise of a commuter train can get in a way of music enjoyment. Or even the sounds around you as you walk down a street. The microphonics mainly are a factor for me with some quiet passages etc. I like my music loud and the type of music I listen to is loud most of the time.