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Raising a skirt - needs a ride

post #1 of 58
10/16/09 at 3:45pm
Thread Starter 
Ok here's the rub - I have little time to spend researching headphones. I did this ad nausea before settling on earphones; Ety R4P. They are Ok but not anything special IMO. I do enjoy the detail but miss feeling in them, they come off sterile and too analytical. It's not as if I want my skirt blown off by the mid/low bass, I just want more presence and soundstage and the ummmph feeling. Yes they are seated well and sealed, so I know this isn't the issue.

I've tried and did not like the UM3X - its mids seemed out of line, and the bass was too much . However they were a lot livelier than the Etys and this I enjoyed about them.

Nonetheless I'm through with canal phones and am now thinking of Cans - probably open as I enjoy a more accurate sound stage. I will be running it off a iTouch/Nano in high bit rate. I have access to a small amp but would rather not use it. I'm not limited by a budget but would prefer to not overkill this and certainly not spend too much time thinking about it. I just want headphones/earphones/yada yada that have as close to the accuracy as the Etys provide but with the feeling of a wide soundstage and kick'n and a joy to listen. ( Rem: not a huge fan of the 'roll your window up buddy - your bass is loosening my fillings.')
All experienced suggestions welcomed.

Note: please forgive the repeat in the full can forum.
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post #2 of 58
10/16/09 at 3:49pm
what tips do you use on your er4?
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post #3 of 58
10/16/09 at 3:57pm
Thread Starter 
Flanged - foam - and some comfy ones. Tried mods as well....I have small ears and small canals. It's not as if I don't hear the bass in the them - it's the beef of it. It's almost as if I want to feel the rush of listening to the music - it's missing in the Etys for me. When I listen I'm not into the feel as much as I'm into thinking about the music if that makes sense. I want to feel the music.
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post #4 of 58
10/16/09 at 4:01pm
Well I would suggest you try the Shure SE530. others here would say IE8 but IMO they are too bassy even on their lowest setting. Others will say Westone 3, but since I had both I prefer the SE530. make sure you purchase from a authorized dealer though or Shure most likely will not honor the warranty.

full size cans are too cumbersome for portable use in my opinion.

BTW "Raising a skirt - needs a ride" will certainly get a lot of attention :0)
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post #5 of 58
10/16/09 at 4:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by joanna danna View Post
Flanged - foam - and some comfy ones. Tried mods as well....I have small ears and small canals. It's not as if I don't hear the bass in the them - it's the beef of it. It's almost as if I want to feel the rush of listening to the music - it's missing in the Etys for me. When I listen I'm not into the feel as much as I'm into thinking about the music if that makes sense. I want to feel the music.
I also have small canals so I use Ety's smallest foam which is not included in the box. They are rather deep into the canal and the noise isolation is the best i've experienced. For me the bass is fine, but different strokes for different folks
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post #6 of 58
10/16/09 at 4:08pm
Thread Starter 
Rem I have tried the UM3X and they are supposed to have a more moderate bass output than the Westone 3. The bass was too much in the UM3X for me. I had a very hard time with mid/low end. The rest was delightful and had the guttural feeling to them, although soundstage narrow.

LOL - yes I thought the skirt raising bit would push the thread along at a faster pace. I needed this headset/earset yesterday sort of thing. I would raise the skirt an inch if I could find the best fit however
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post #7 of 58
10/16/09 at 4:08pm
This is a partial IMHO recommendation but consider Audio Technicas. The ES7s are compact, sleek almost-circumaural headphones (they cover your ears if you have small ears). They are bassier than AT's delicate, airy earbuds, which I also enjoy for portable use. The ES7s are also more durable than the earbuds.
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post #8 of 58
10/16/09 at 4:14pm
If she doesn't enjoy UM3X and doesn't care for more bass (like W3 or IE8), could be hopeless with IEM's.

And there lies the battle so many deal with. You like Etys but they bug you because of the lack of "oomph" on the lower end. Switch to a different IEM that offers that and a couple months later you are not engaged in the music because the highs are too rolled off. Back and forth.....
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post #9 of 58
10/16/09 at 4:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spyro View Post
If she doesn't enjoy UM3X and doesn't care for more bass (like W3 or IE8), could be hopeless with IEM's.

And there lies the battle so many deal with. You like Etys but they bug you because of the lack of "oomph" on the lower end. Switch to a different IEM that offers that and a couple months later you are not engaged in the music because the highs are too rolled off. Back and forth.....
Well said.
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post #10 of 58
10/16/09 at 4:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by joanna danna View Post
I just want headphones/earphones/yada yada that have as close to the accuracy as the Etys provide but with the feeling of a wide soundstage and kick'n and a joy to listen.
Not at all an experienced suggestion, but maybe some people will come and correct me, narrowing down the options.

If you like the accuracy, I've heard that the REO beats ER-4P, and they have a big support around here.

As for the tiny ears part, |joker| owns some ATH-CK10s which he talks about as being tiny, and a high-end IEM.

Also, I'm in a similar position, except one step behind you. Consider the ER-4P or Klipsch S4, trying to decide what's more needed: accuracy or bass/fun.
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post #11 of 58
10/16/09 at 4:25pm
Thread Starter 
Spyro - say it can't be. I'm not a switch hitter and when it's a right fit find myself loyal. It's not as if I'm not willing to pay for the ride it's just that I know I'm limited by the source of player/music bit rate and lack of desire to use the amp.
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post #12 of 58
10/16/09 at 4:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by joanna danna View Post
Flanged - foam - and some comfy ones. Tried mods as well....I have small ears and small canals. It's not as if I don't hear the bass in the them - it's the beef of it. It's almost as if I want to feel the rush of listening to the music - it's missing in the Etys for me. When I listen I'm not into the feel as much as I'm into thinking about the music if that makes sense. I want to feel the music.
if you would like to try the small foamies on your ER4 I'll gladly send you a pair of unused ones.

they are the flesh colored ones third down on left.
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post #13 of 58
10/16/09 at 4:27pm
My images never post. You'll find them at Etymotic.com select ER4 series then accessories.
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post #14 of 58
10/16/09 at 4:34pm
Thread Starter 
Ibis - that's kind of you. But I tried to mod mine out and shave them back a bit. Isolation is not the problem, in fact I found that if I dialed them out a little the bass spit out some of the ummph I was requiring - just not enough for me to grin over. On the opposite end, when Ennio Morricone or gypsy violin play it forward the Etys can and have produced watered eyes. But as narrow as the SS is so is its well rounded effect on these ears.
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post #15 of 58
10/16/09 at 4:44pm
I recommend the Yuin PK2 if you've given up on the canal phones and don't want anything too big but still open. It has quite the clarity and a decent sound stage to something so small. And it's actually smaller than most earbuds, so they might fit you pretty well. Some say it's missing bass, but I hear it quite well after a day or two of playing different types of songs through them. Remember, it does require some burn-in time.

My current favorite portable setup is the Sennheiser CX400 with Comply tips.
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