eric343
Member of the Trade: Audiogeek: The "E" in META42
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2001
- Posts
- 6,038
- Likes
- 17
I just got my Etys from SageArts (shipping was only 2days, but then again they're in the same state), and although they have had NO break-in time, I thought I'd post a review. I'm comparing them against the Grado SR-80s, and I drove both from the headphone output of my Denon CD player (NOT the McIntosh headphone out, the Denon seems to have some crossfeed which is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY with Etys).
Something that's immedieately(sp?) noticeable is that they have PHENOMENAL detail. I know that Joelongwood has claimed that Grados make you feel like you're up on the stage with the performers, but they don't even come close to the Etys. When I listened to a Mozart CD I could hear every cough of the audience and the musicians drawing in their breath during pauses of the music. My 'gold standard' for detail testing, Sousa's Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (because it uses a Turkish Crescent, an arrangement of bells on a staff, which create a complex and extremely detailed crashing noise when shook), demonstrated quite vividly HOW detailed the Ety sound is.
The famed Etymotic noise isolation (a whopping 23db!) I found to be much better using the foam eartips; the rubber/soft plastic ones I had to shove deeply into my ear canals to get the same results, deeply enough that it was uncomfortable. On the other hand, I don't find the foam eartips to be nearly as uncomfortable or rough as other people have mentioned, once they're in I just feel the outward pressure that they need to apply to get a good seal.
This brings me to my only complaint; namely that the Etymotics have a lacking bass response. The Grados have a deep, rich bass, whereas the Etys have very little, if any. Because the reviews both on HeadWize and on the accompanying info-sheet claim a 'profound bass' and a 'phenomenal bass response', I'm wondering if I might be at fault. Are there any suggestions the numerous Ety owners might have to offer? (other than letting them burn-in)
Something that's immedieately(sp?) noticeable is that they have PHENOMENAL detail. I know that Joelongwood has claimed that Grados make you feel like you're up on the stage with the performers, but they don't even come close to the Etys. When I listened to a Mozart CD I could hear every cough of the audience and the musicians drawing in their breath during pauses of the music. My 'gold standard' for detail testing, Sousa's Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (because it uses a Turkish Crescent, an arrangement of bells on a staff, which create a complex and extremely detailed crashing noise when shook), demonstrated quite vividly HOW detailed the Ety sound is.
The famed Etymotic noise isolation (a whopping 23db!) I found to be much better using the foam eartips; the rubber/soft plastic ones I had to shove deeply into my ear canals to get the same results, deeply enough that it was uncomfortable. On the other hand, I don't find the foam eartips to be nearly as uncomfortable or rough as other people have mentioned, once they're in I just feel the outward pressure that they need to apply to get a good seal.
This brings me to my only complaint; namely that the Etymotics have a lacking bass response. The Grados have a deep, rich bass, whereas the Etys have very little, if any. Because the reviews both on HeadWize and on the accompanying info-sheet claim a 'profound bass' and a 'phenomenal bass response', I'm wondering if I might be at fault. Are there any suggestions the numerous Ety owners might have to offer? (other than letting them burn-in)