OP: Got to admit that your response to a headfier trying to help you out is pretty rude if not helpful at all.
First, you tell him/her that their iPod sucks. Then you tell them the whole thing is a rip off and that they should use a different cable. You give no links, you quote no articles, you blast your opinion without the foggiest semblance of tact.
The most 'hurtful' part is that you start your mini tirade off with dude. I think if you look up at II Mostro's avatar, you will find out that you are out of your league. Either you are joking (II Mostro obviously is) and I'm just unable to read silliness on the 'net (for which I'd like to apologise), or you really are as silly as you come across in this thread. Read Heafi a bit more before doing the typical junior headfi thing and blasting the biggest company, then doing your best to make others with decent questions to look like fools.
It just don't work that well, in the long run, especially when you hammer at the iPod, then ask if cables sound better, one from another. It's a laughing matter, actually. Dat KOOL? m'kay?
Now to get to the question: The ER4S can be played very well from almost any source, in that it has a very easy to drive impedance signature. No portable player in the world should realistically hiss playing the ER4s (though HiSound players did on mine), and no player should lose bass resolution because the impedance drops below a low threshold. That said, the high impedance and relatively low sensitivity of the ER4s can make it quieter than other earphones even at high listening volumes on some players.
Generally, an iPod will be fine, as long as it isn't one from prior to about 2004. But, you will always get better dynamics or perceived dynamics with higher volumes. It is just how our ears work. However, there are other problems that have arisen because record producers realised this long long ago. If ETY won't give you a new cable or let you buy one without you sending yours in, that is unfortunate. But, the ER4s works very well with portable players, you just have to give it some elbow room as it does cause some problems.
I used it amped at first with a Xin SuperMicro IV. Now, I use it as is, unamped, and to be honest, if at the same volume and when perfectly sealed, I hear no audible difference. Getting at the same volume, however, is difficult. You must check volume not with your ear, but with external equipment. The easiest way is to y-split the signal with a parallel cable like a headphone splitter. Plug one end into your ER4s, one end into your computer's line in. Use your favourite recording app (Audacity is a good one), hit record, watch the levels either on a song (hard to volume match), or on a generated signal played by your device and by an amp.
As long as the songs are perfectly volume matched, you can make objective (well, semi-objective) observations about the ER4s from an amp and from a portable. You have to repeat this through other devices, too, and make sure always that the ER4s is played at the same volume, otherwise, whichever is louder, will have the nod for perceived sound quality.
I'm not sure I wrote this well enough, but I hope this was helpful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
goohsm 
dude that pic is kinda hurtful please delete that
BUMP
