It doesn't have a 16khz cap. Etymotic just provides a very low tolerance frequency range specification based on matching. Matching which is done at many points along the curve from 20-16khz.

I'm not qualified to translate what Etymotic specs mean...I can only assure you that comparing specs is pointless otherwise you could expect better performance from a Sony Earbud because it would have incredibly good frequency range specs.

I have DT931's and can say that out of many dynamic cans, they are the most to sound like Ety's or perhaps vice versa depending on which you favor. I favor the Ety's. Wes also has both and would favor Ety's. Are the Ety's less aggressive in their treble? Yes...but I find that a GOOD thing...and the Ety's certainly aren't dark or laidback. In fact to many people, they are appealing because they are one of the few higher-end phones that pull off a forward yet non-irritating sound.

As for the retch response I think that was aos. I also did a very informal Ears4Ety poll and I was quite suprised that the vast majority put themselves in the top tier for comfort with these phones and I gave them plenty of fun non-ideal choices to pick from.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...&threadid=2771

Hmmm well it seems right now 2 outta 3 people have good fits. Not exactly a "safe" bet, but it shows that if you do feel like throwing up...you'd be in the unlucky category.

And Tomo I believe has tried/had both the Stax portable unit and Ety's so you might inquire a few things from him.

yeah, etymotic did research and the etys simulate the treble roll off that you get from listening to full sized speakers. They produce 20khz tones just fine.

RickG,

Do you prefer the Planet 2000 or the Sony SCD 555ES??

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After burning in both the SACD and the redbook side of the Sony (about 100 hours each), I did extensive A/B with the Rega and the 555. Many people say that the redbook on the Sony ES SACD series sound better than any CD player under $1000. I disagree. I think the Rega sounds better for redbook by a smidge. The Rega seems to be more "smooth" throughout the frequency spectrum and it handles the impact of loud, complex orchestral passages with more authority then the 555.While the 555 may exhibit a little more transparecy on the top end, I simply prefer the overall musicality of the Rega. It's just a personal preference.

Having said that, the SACD side of the Sony SCD-C555ES (and I'm sure the other ES players) simply annihilates the redbook performance of either unit. The SACDs just have an "in your room, in your face" presence that can be a very emotional thing at times. Whether with my phones or my Stratus minis, the 555 just seems to do everything perfectly. Keep in mind, while I am set-up to listen in multi-channel mode, the comments I make refer to the two channel operation of the 555ES.

We should get this thread back on topic now, I suppose. DT931?....anyone...?

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Actually, the 580s sound almost exactly the same as the 600s. The 590s are brighter and boomier.

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I have not heard the 580s then!

How about senn hd 250s anybody familiar with those?

Tim D and Jon Beilin
Your comments regarding the ETYs fequency response
have tempted me a little further with this approach.
Though they do look to be a somewhat intimate product and
should I wish to audition a pair for a period of time I have no
idea whether whether the uk distributer would allow it.
Even if I liked the sound[I feel sure I would] but my ears
did not like the phones/plugs It would be rather annoying knowing an ideal solution existed I could not implement!!

My past experiences with in ear phones have not been to
pleasant as you have probably guessed![except Stax 001s
I can tolerate those]

A case for head in the sand pherhaps?

Oh, go on, setmenu; give them a try.

The Ety's will equal or surpass the 931's. (I would hold out for simply surpass, but I have to allow that tastes do differ. Liking 931's, however, is an indicator of a liking for the soundworld of Ety's too.) Certainly, they'll provide as much isolation as is practical in any stock headphone.

If you reject them because of physical incompatibility, then sell them here. Maybe you can even set up a contingent deal with someone beforehand.

Wes
They are sliding onto my list.....dam you all!!
I must remain focussed NO ETYS....NO ET....MMM...they,d be...NO!

Then theres Grados I have,t heared them yet!!

This is going to get even more expensive

I hadn't heard of a wretch response. Can't figure that one out.

If you are worried, try out some earplugs first. Get the foam roll-up kind (EAR or Howard Leight Max) and follow directions for insertion (they go in pretty far, then expand to give a great seal). You should take out 30db of real world racket, and will have a good trial of what the Etys feel like with the foam tips. Likewise the rubber barbed tip earplugs are a decent simulation of how the Ety rubber tips will feel.

I was really surprised that this thread went so long without an Ety hit. Clan Etymotic must have been sleeping something off...


Good listening.

Greg
pherhaps "clan ETY" was too busy listening to music!
Thanks for your suggestion.