[luisdent]

Baaah!

 

[Dougr33]

congrats!!!  You got both too, didn't you?

 

[luisdent]

congrats!!!  You got both too, didn't you?

Yep. I will try my best to compare all three models asap this weekend...

 

[Larethio]

I wish there was a way to buy my ER4XR's directly from Etymotic using Paypal. All my dang spending money's tied up in Paypal!

Transfer the funds to your bank account. That's what I did. It should only take a few days.

 

[imackler]

Luisdent Tell us something!!


...we can wait.

 

[luisdent]

Here's some photos to conoare the new model with the original style er4s...

 

[ClieOS]

My my, that's some awesome work right there but I wonder how close to the actual Etys they sound like?
 

 
95%, I'll say.

 

[luisdent]

I'm probably making a big mistake, but I will give some very very very fresh impressions of the er4sr reference model.

I haven't got to the sx yet. And these impressions are almost guaranteed to change over time or at least develop and mold into a final opinion of some sort.

I'll start by honestly saying I believe the original er4s is the best earphone/headphone I've ever heard, period. I believe it to be closer to a pair of studio monitor speakers (if not better when acoustics are poor) than anything i've heard. With that said, nothing is perfect, but the er4s is perfect "enough" that I get the most unbelievable enjoyment out of them and ALWAYS go to them over every other headphone,... And i've tried a lot of them.

I have the shure 940 and had the hd600 for a while, and while they are excellent headphones, and many prefer "full size" headphones for bass tactility, I would take the er4s over all of them with no questions asked.

If it weren't for convenience, comfort sometimes, and having access to various signatures for comparing while mixing and mastering music, I'd probably feel confident enough to only own the er4s and nothing else.

Preamble aside, how do the new er4sr sound?

I'm not sure yet.

First and foremost, if you like the er4s you will like the er4sr. They are clearly (pun intended) an etymotic earphone, and clearly the best earphone on the planet just with a preliminary listen. But they are different.

In fact, a bit more different than I expected, but not in the way I expected. I had assumed the response was either going to be identical, or they were going to have a slightly different treble or bass "flatness" in terms of equilization.

But I have a very strong feeling people who like red filters are going to LOVE these. They don't sound like a red filter er4s per se, but I truly get the impression the 3k honkiness is completely gone. Not that it sounds that different from the er4s, but somehow they are more relaxing. I'd almost describe them as more V shaped, but it doesn't really seem like a frequency response thing. They are just more laid back.

Now, relatively speaking, remember we are comparing an er4s to an er4sr. These are much more alike than they are different. But holy poop. I'm listening to driftwood by dan gibson (search for it) and it almost brings tears to my eyes.

This slightly more relaxing sound almost gives the impression of a better bass response. But it is a similar effect to the red filters doing that. I'd almost say the mids in the new model sound a bit more relaxed, which make the treble sound a bit more present. The treble seems a bit drier. Everything seems slightly drier. Like what the er4s had in smoothness and silkiness these have in a dry spaciousness. I'd almost say some people will probably find them a touch more spacious due to this relaxing aspect.

Certain details are definitely a bit more apparent. Like guitars with grunge seem more grungy. Sounds in the background sound more apparent. It's almost like the er4s if someone moved the sound a bit further away from you - less in your face. But not distant in a reverbated sense. If anything the opposite. They sound further away but drier. Again, a slight difference, but I really feel this is a real different and not just imaginary.

And lastly for now, I feel the instrument separation is clearer. I feel various instruments in a mix are easier to distinctly hear.

Let me listen more and do more a/b and get back to you.

 

[luisdent]

Sorry if i'm bombarding the thread with posts. But i assume any new info is welcome. Let me know otherwise.



These look much more modern and clean than the original too.

On another note, i tried to remove the cable, but wasn't able to. It says not to twice, so I'm trying to pull straight back, but there's not enough to grab to easily pull the cable out. Maybe i'm doing it wrong?

 

[luisdent]

For what it's worth I'm very confident i'm hearing more upper treble. Like 10khz plus. Not that it's boosted. But it's different than the er4s. It seems to be bringing out more crisp airy details for sure. I'd say these are more airy than the er4s to a small degree.

I'm not gonna lie, to my ear so far, there is a little bit less sillky smooth upper mids. The mids that sounds like smooth, icy, shiny, er4s mids. These sound a bit more hollow in the mids for lack of better words. More relaxing, but different in that regard. I'm not saying the ety mids aren't beautiful. But i'm finding it hard to put into words what i'm hearing. I should probably shut up and listen more...

 

[Larethio]

For what it's worth I'm very confident i'm hearing more upper treble. Like 10khz plus. Not that it's boosted. But it's different than the er4s. It seems to be bringing out more crisp airy details for sure. I'd say these are more airy than the er4s to a small degree.

I'm not gonna lie, to my ear so far, there is a little bit less sillky smooth upper mids. The mids that sounds like smooth, icy, shiny, er4s mids. These sound a bit more hollow in the mids for lack of better words. More relaxing, but different in that regard. I'm not saying the ety mids aren't beautiful. But i'm finding it hard to put into words what i'm hearing. I should probably shut up and listen more...

So the gist of it is that the er-4SR is more laid back and relaxed than the er-4s, with a more spacious presentation?

 

[luisdent]

It's tough to call it more spacious. It apcious in a different way. I just switched back to the er4s after a while listening to only the er4sr and the er4s to my ear is definitely smoother more silky sounding no question. The er4sr is more crispy sounding. Like the mid treble in the 2-4khz isn't as present on the new model and the 10k plus is a bit more preset, but at the same time the whole spectrum seems a bit more tilted twords the bass ever so slightly. And that might just be the lack of the mid treble. I'm not sure.

And i want to reiterate that this might not all be frequency response. I'm not sure. But the old er4s is smoother to me, the new er4sr sounds a bit more high def in terms of seperation for sure. You could almost say the old model is so smooth it glosses over some of the crispness. While the new model is so crisp it lacks a bit of smoothness.

I'm not really sure what to think just yet. Part of me is missing the er4s smoothness. Another part of me can't believe the details the er4sr is bringing out. I'm literally almost hearing things i didn't hear with the er4s in instruments and vocals in the background of songs.

But guitars, vocals, and strings and such are as lushy slikly sounding to me... But the new model is definitely crisper in details, which is nice. Cymbals, percussive elements, etc really stand out better, but not in a harsh way that I can hear so far. And I think this and the general new traits in the sound give the new model a noticeably more impactful sound. Drums, basses, grungy guitars all definitely have more bite and grit to them, which some may really like.

Lastly, the new model is louder as expected. And while i haven't even tried them yet, based on this new sound I am guessing hte er4sx is going to be too relaxed for my liking.

 

[luisdent]

I'm not so sure anymore. I switched back to the er4sr and it almost sounds like it lifted the veil of mud of the er4s. They might be smoother, but i'm starting to think it is because they lack the level of treble refinement the new model has. The crispness of the new model is starting to sound less crisp to me and more like the old model is just slightly glossed over in smootheness. The bass is definitely an improvement on the new model in some way. Impact is a little heavier and clearer but not much bassier in volume...

I don't know. I'm thinking as i compare more i might be feeling like the new model is definitely more high def, and i'm just not used to hearing the er4s without mud. I know that sounds insane, to say the er4s has mud of any kind, as they are the most reveailng earphones. But these are definitely more revealing in details in my opinion while at the same time being easier to listen to. So far they are incredible no matter what, and i find nothing wrong with the sound at all. The clarity is striking sometimes in its quality. Crispness with zero harshness. It is etymotic mids take into the highs!

Anyway. I'll say for now i may be starting to lean towards the new model as the higher quality sound overall. I'll have to see how my impression of the smoothenss changes over time.

 

[seanwee]

Sorry if i'm bombarding the thread with posts. But i assume any new info is welcome. Let me know otherwise.

Its fine to me. The more the merrier!!!

 
Keep em coming!!!

 

[Joe Bloggs]

When did you last change filters on your ER4S...