[Max Minimum]

They have served me well for about 10 years!  But at last one of the ear pieces is going in and out, so I'm going to replace them with another set of IEMs.  Here's what I want from the new set:
 
1) They must be universal-fit IEMs because my wife, a couple of friends, and I like to listen to music, say "hey, this is cool, check it out!" and then hand over the IEMs.
2) I want ER-4S-level detail retrieval.
3) I tend to listen to my Etys eq'd so that their frequency response is tilted in a way that gives a bass increase of about 5 db.  Note that I don't mean a simple boost in the bass but an overall tilting of the entire range.  So if there's an IEM out there that sounds like this, that's my dream IEM.
 
Thanks in advance for all advice/recommendations.

 

[LouisLoh]

Hi,
 
*doesn't read thread*
 
Just get another ER4S.
 
LOLz
Thanks,
Jim

 

[planx]

The Hifiman RE272 might do the trick. I heard people say that the RE272 is a new alternative to the ER-4S. Don't get me wrong, I still love my set, but the RE272 is still a very good IEM.

 

[AstroTurf]

Hi,

*doesn't read thread*

Just get another ER4S.

LOLz
Thanks,
Jim

Ho ho ho, you so funny GI...

Actually, I would recommend a repair of your ER-4 through Etymotic Service.

Then you can renew your vowes with them.

Or... Sell them as a refurbished set on eBay to offset the cost of your new IEMs.

It's what I would do !!!

Jim

 

[LouisLoh]

Quote:

Ho ho ho, you so funny GI...
Actually, I would recommend a repair of your ER-4 through Etymotic Service.
Then you can renew your vowes with them.
Or... Sell them as a refurbished set on eBay to offset the cost of your new IEMs.
It's what I would do !!!
Jim

 
Thanks for the compliment, I'd take it. However, I do have problems understanding why you quoted my post, or why you used the word 'Actually'. It had nothing to do with you. Just my honest opinion that's all. Sorry, I forgot, and my stupid signature too.
 
LOLz,
Jim

 

[AstroTurf]

Quote:

 
Thanks for the compliment, I'd take it. However, I do have problems understanding why you quoted my post, or why you used the word 'Actually'. It had nothing to do with you. Just my honest opinion that's all. Sorry, I forgot, and my stupid signature too.
 
LOLz,
Jim

Kewl...

 

[Spyro]

Based on what I am reading, Heir Audio 4Ai may make ER4S obsolete!!
 
Griin...snicker....cough, cough....does anyone want to compare ER4 to 4Ai?
 
Probably much like Westone W1 to W4

 

[music_4321]

Quote:

Based on what I am reading, Heir Audio 4Ai may make ER4S obsolete!!
 
Griin...snicker....cough, cough....does anyone want to compare ER4 to 4Ai?

 
Not quite obsolete, apparently, at least according to this HF'er, unless you want to go by the usual hype surrounding new IEMs (in this case the 4Ai).
 
Quote:

My opinion on 4ai vs er4s in short:
 
conclusion first: 4ai is a better all rounder than er4s. i think a lot of people will find it easy to like them. as allways it's a matter of taste. these are comparable, both good iems, but i prefer er4s by far.
 
4ai is not as detailed as er4s in the top end. also it misses the sense of airyness and openness, that the er4s has. in comparison i found the 4ai to sound a bit congested and closed. i feel the er4s let's me get very close to what is recorded. and it sound very natural to my ears. it's not so much the level of detail, as the presentation itself, that makes me like er4s more. it's the sense of air/space between instruments and especially vocals that makes them sound very accurate to my ears. while i find 4ai to sound good, and especially the low end, they just don't sound very natural to my ears. they are "over-doing it" in some way... i'm a real er4s fan here, and if you like er4s, but find them a tiny bit too "thin" sounding and needs more presence in the low end, then the 4ai might do it for you.
 
4ai has more presence in the lower frequenzies, but for classical music i find it to be too much. it may add a dramatic quality to some music, but mostly i find it to lack the refinement of the er4s in complex passages. single notes (especially cello) sound good and very "fleshed out" on 4ai, but presenting more that one note at the time, say a big chord on piano, it begins to sound a bit muddy/muffled to me.
 
with some jazz i find 4ai good, for instance with  jazz from the 1960's like dexter gordon on blue note. it creates a "club-like" feeling due to it's "closed in" sound. (not closed in compared to most other iems, but compared to er4s, yes)
 
er4s has a very special sound, not suitable for everyone - or every genre. i don't listen to reggae with er4s. the 4ai are much better for that. (need the extra bass and low end presence). but i won't have to choose just one iem, and i have another one, the klipsch x10, for reggae. x10 can't compare to 4ai technically, but it has a certain quality to them, that i just like - and prefer over the 4ai.
 
i think that sort of sums it all up. i know this is an appriciation thread, but someone pointed me in this direction as the question about er4s pupped up.

 

[Spyro]

WOW!  That is a real eye opener and reference point for many.
 
I think I am being fair and objective (having spent about 2 years with ER4P, ER4S, ER6i and HF5)) but Etymotic is very far away from what I would consider open and airy.  The soundstage is very small between your ears...clinical, neutral...and downright unlistenable with any music that is busy and complex.  If you don't agree or understand this just listen to GR10.  The difference is truly embarrasing.  

 

[music_4321]

Quote:

WOW!  That is a real eye opener and reference point for many.
 
I think I am being fair and objective (having spent about 2 years with ER4P, ER4S, ER6i and HF5)) but Etymotic is very far away from what I would consider open and airy.  The soundstage is very small between your ears...clinical, neutral...and downright unlistenable with any music that is busy and complex.  If you don't agree or understand this just listen to GR10.  The difference is truly embarrasing.  

 
Well, the FitEar F111 is an excellent IEM — it's based / inspired on the legendary ER-4S, though the F111 may be a slight improvement sonically, offers a better fit, does not need an amp, has fantastic build quality and excellent removable cables (better than standard customs' removable cables). To these ears, it is surprisingly open and airy, an IEM I'd personally take over the W4, W3, UM3X, IE8, SE535, SE530, UM2, CK100, TF10, SM3 and my $850 custom ES3X.

I still prefer the FI-BA-SS SQ-wise over the F111, which sounds more open and airy even, but it's $1,100 and has no removable cables.

 

[Inks]

The ER4S makes the GR10 sound a bit congested on top, certainly much airier due to the greater treble bandwidth and more refinement. 
 
HF5s with brown or white knowles dampers is a bit warmer than the ER4S and just revealing enough to compensate for the brightness of a lot of recordings, it would have to be an awful recording for it to be sibilant. 
 
RE272s seem like a good choice as well. 

 

[Spyro]

This just shows how two veteran head-fiers hear things completely different and why it is often difficult to decide on a product.
 
For clarification...IMHO
 
Ety trademark is flat and neutral...single BA.
 
Grado trademark is open and airy...moving armature...GR10 has been compared by many as an RS-1 equivalent in an earbud.
 
The moving armatures are generally gonna sound more open and airy than a BA would.

 

[nipit]

Get another ER-4S, seriously.

 

[Inks]

This just shows how two veteran head-fiers hear things completely different and why it is often difficult to decide on a product.
 
For clarification...IMHO
 
Ety trademark is flat and neutral...single BA.
 
Grado trademark is open and airy...moving armature...GR10 has been compared by many as an RS-1 equivalent in an earbud.
 
The moving armatures are generally gonna sound more open and airy than a BA would.

A sense of airyness not only depends on soundstage but on the presence of very high frequency regions as well 12-20k, the GR10, like the EQ5, just rolls off a bit early after 10k. Treble extension is lacking on the newer MAs, EQ5 has the same issue. 
 
The GR10 is more of a Yashima product than a Grado, I think brand expectation takes it's toll a lot of times when comparing products within the line. The MA mechanism is more to compensate for the subbass regions, lack of air movement on the lowest bass regions (though certain vented BAs still fare better in this). No, the MAs don't sound more airy than a typical BA would, not at all. Try a vented, well treble extended BA, PS200 would be a good choice, leaves the GR10 in the dust in airyness. The GR10s strengths are not airyness but well controlled warmth with transparency, bandwidth is it's weakness. 

 

[rikardoliepa]

Maybe tf10 or audio technica ckm500?