After the huge bout with Clieos and Dookiex, I've decided that sound and sound technology is a potential for high blood pressure induction.. It went at least some way to answering the question, although perhaps not in the way that I'd hoped. I wanted to cry by the end of that 'lesson' :)  ...

You're suggestions have definitely been helpful Tomscy2000. I really enjoy learning in more detail about this area: sound and sound technology is a brilliant area.  I would very much hope that one or more of you could explain to me my above questions in good detail. I know relatively little...

I really would love the chance to actually listen to a number of in ear monitors, which seems to be a near impossibility without actually buying them, at least here in Suffolk! I wonder, with a single microdriver, whether sounds are 'cancelled' and instead, a single amalgamated signal is...

Well I just received my E5, but without the rest of the gear (LOD, ER-4P>S converter).  I'm not entirely certain whether it has made a difference to the sound response yet. When switching over and testing between bare and amped, it is hard to know if there is a real difference or a...

I agree that the ER4 series have a wonderful sound. The microphonics certainly are annoying though! I wonder if the above mentioned method of replacing the wires with westone wires vastly improves the problem?

I do indeed. It certainly minimizes it, assuming I can get the wires to stay!

Ha ha, that's ridiculous! Kudos to the person that cares for their possession so well :)

Thanks Uber, I've got one on the way :)

So are all of you guys working in this industry/ have degrees in electronics or whatever, or is it just self motivated interest? The rewiring sounds like an idea. Is it easy to do yourself?  If all of the IEMs beyond a certain point are much of a muchness, then why are the prices so different...

Well thank you again to all of you for the information. I will at least try the ER-4P>S converter with an amp running through the L5 cable. Ah that reminds me! Do any of you have a good method for cutting down on the microphonics of those things! I use the clip supplied. Sorry for the tangent-...

At the moment, I feel the monitors are 'pushed' with their sound when I play through an mp3 player. When I play them through a PC the sound seems more pronounced, although I hope that with ER-4S running through an amplifier, the sound will be clearer and more pronounced. That's the hope anyway...

Saving money is a good thing for me, so I'm thinking of getting the Viio E5 with the L5 cable and the converter cable. Sound a good combo?

I think as it stands with money, an amp with a converter cable would be the best option right now. Perhaps if I were to buy new monitors at some point then a trade of all those parts could go some way towards a trade of some new IEMs? I also really think I need to hear the ER-4S sound signature...

Hi again,             I've searched through the archives but I still couldn't find what I'm after. I take it there are cheaper versions of the Etymotic product but I don't know where to look or what to type as a search in Google. The official cable seems very expensive! Thanks again.

Wow, thank you for that :) I'm still thinking amp and wire however, even with the added arse of lugging it around with me, simply because I think that the problems I'm concerned about will be resolved with this set-up. It's not an easy choice though because I would love a new set of monitors...