[bmoregnr]

Didn't actually hear a huge difference between the two. Then again, the SQ difference between the balanced and single ended output on FiiO X5III isn't big to begin with. That probably won't going to be the same for Sony as I read somewhere that their balanced output does sound better than their single ended.

I would bet the Pono might show some real differences if you get a chance to try one of those.

 

[ClieOS]

I would bet the Pono might show some real differences if you get a chance to try one of those.

Just in case if someone misunderstand - I don't mean the balanced output on the X5III isn't particularly good compared to its single ended. On the contrary, both single ended and balanced output on the X5III are actually pretty good and therefore there isn't any particular benefit going from one to another.

 

[bmoregnr]

Just in case if someone misunderstand - I don't mean the balanced output on the X5III isn't particularly good compared to its single ended. On the contrary, both single ended and balanced output on the X5III are actually pretty good and therefore there isn't any particular benefit going from one to another.

Yes I have been seeing that said about the X5iii as well. And I only thought about it afterwards that a few reviewers have been saying the Pono doesn't play too well with balanced armature iems and I have to agree from what I heard.

 

[ledzep]

Well after 15 mins in single end I knew I had to cut the plug and do the decent thing to the XR's ......

Night and day, single very good, balanced excellent! Very good match like them better than every other iem ive tried with the Sony so far , nice fit isolation excellent very comfortable. Was a bit dubious that they wouldn't give me the right amount of low end after reading reviews ..... fear not they don't disappoint at all bass is tight and just the right amount when needed. Find it hard to believe I overlooked these iems , weekend off work so it's time to go through some classic albums!

 

[FastAndClean]

how dare you not using 2500 dollars in ears

 

[TrantaLocked]

Anyone looking into mini USB DAC-AMPs like the Dragonfly, I will vouch for the Audioengine D3 (now $80) with ER4SR pairing. Compared to the DF v1.2, FiiO K1 and X-Fi Go! Pro, the D3 is in it's own class. I'd love to hear the DF Red though.

 

[Audiophile_Apprentice]

I somehow missed that earlier post.

If the canal length in front of the earphone is longer, it will absolutely affect the frequency response. I would ask the earmold lab to try and keep the sound channel to approximately 4mm in length.

If the sound channel is longer, you can try pulling the damper from the earphone and putting it at the end of the ear canal. Just make sure it's tight enough that it won't fall out. I would push it in so that it's 3-4mm deep in it.

I actually contacted Sensaphonics, who made my customs, and they said that the length of the earpiece is made to exacting standards provided by Etymotic.

Can you confirm this? Because I can tell that the customs make the earphones stick out quite a bit more than any universal tip.

 

[Ultrainferno]

I finally got round to posting the ER4-XR & ER4-SR review. Once you've heard these it's quite hard to go back to any other universal iem

 

[RollsDownWindowsManually]

Just got the ER-4XR after about 5 years of owning the ER-4p, (and the er-6i for from about 2007-2012 when I lost them). Will keep the 4p as a backup, but loving the XR. The bass, to me, with the standard black foamies, is quite a bit thumpier, but still deep, I like it. Honestly it has more bass than the Senn HD800 sitting on my desk, lol, but retains most of that classic Ety detail. Loving them, and enjoy the look and feel of the aluminum housings. I use foamies for the isolation since I fly commercial 50k miles+ per year, and the XR sounds slightly better out of my pixel XL phone I think, because its slightly higher impedance (50 ohm?) pairs better with the device's 5 ohm output impedance than the ~30 ohm ER-4p. Of course the ER-4XR sounds great on my headroom micro DAC/micro Amp stack too. Great job Etymotic!

 

[jasejordan83]

I have had a pair of HF5s for about 6 months or so, and they are by far my favorite earbuds/headphones and I can favorably compare them to my 2.1 hifi, however I want to buy something new. I read that there really arent any headphones that compare to the er4 (stax being the one) but are there any that share a similar sound signature with the hf5? I am a college kid so keep that in mind when giving suggestions and I would rather buy used than new in most cases so feel free to give suggestions of discontinued headphones that I may buy or new headphones that arent a whole months worth of food or rent.

 

[ClieOS]

I have had a pair of HF5s for about 6 months or so, and they are by far my favorite earbuds/headphones and I can favorably compare them to my 2.1 hifi, however I want to buy something new. I read that there really arent any headphones that compare to the er4 (stax being the one) but are there any that share a similar sound signature with the hf5? I am a college kid so keep that in mind when giving suggestions and I would rather buy used than new in most cases so feel free to give suggestions of discontinued headphones that I may buy or new headphones that arent a whole months worth of food or rent.

I just saw a brand new Etymotic ER4PT on eBay for $200, and that's a really good deal.

 

[jasejordan83]

I just saw a brand new Etymotic ER4PT on eBay for $200, and that's a really good deal.

Yeah I saw some for 120 the other day but someone bought them before I could. I am looking for an over ear headphone with an etymotic style sound signature so I can sit around home and enjoy music without having my etys shoved a mile into my ear. I do plan on buying the er4 when I find one cheap.

 

[HiFiChris]

Yeah I saw some for 120 the other day but someone bought them before I could. I am looking for an over ear headphone with an etymotic style sound signature so I can sit around home and enjoy music without having my etys shoved a mile into my ear. I do plan on buying the er4 when I find one cheap.

The Shure SEH440 might be a potential candidate for a fairly neutral headphone, however its sub-bass extension is not the best.

 

[umvue]

I am a big fan of ER4 series. I had three ER4Ses in a row. I used the first one until the line is broken. I lost the second one while riding public transport. Now the third one's line begins to get loose recently, so I am thinking about getting a new IEM to replace ER4S.

I want one that is at least 50ohm (to trigger the high impedance mode of my LG V10). It also has better build than ER4S such that the line won't get loose even if I use it on the road. The sound quality should be at least on par of ER4S. My budget is US$400. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

 

[RollsDownWindowsManually]

I too, quest for a full sized phone with ety detail and sub bass extension, searches say to try the akg k7xx series (or some expensive electrostatics, which isn't happening for me).