[beowulf]

This is a big hazard with forums like this. People buy one product in a given price range and they love it, then declare that not only is it the best in its price range, but that nothing else could be better

This is part of the hobby and I've seen it happen since HF started. Many years. I'm sure i've done it myself too.

If you read someone commenting how good a certain model is, how it's the best they've heard, best in class, worth X times what it costs, etc, it's very important to always remember one thing: "Which models has this person heard before?".
Saying something sounds amazing and is the "best I've heard" can be a bit of nonsense while still being genuinely honest. If someone compares, take into account what they have heard in comparison. Without knowing what the reference is, the claims are less valuable.

So these days I take certain suggestions seriously, when I realize the commenters/reviewer actually compared something to something else that's better or much better.

Tell me you have some Andromeda at home and prefer the Quads, and I'll go all crazy over the Quads, for example.

 

[Jimster480]

I'm going to buy the etymotic and test it out against the quads.

I don't disagree with what he said about different kinds of music. But I find the quads to be unforgiving. The more resolving the setup the less forgiving it is.

So I do find it hard to believe that those etymotic sound "better" and claim to be "reference" and yet sound good with all music?

 

[pataburd]

Having owned and enjoyed the Etymotic ER-4S, I agree with the previous post that the Etys are superior to the Quads: much more detail retrieval, clear as a bell and well balanced.

 

[Jimster480]

I was reading into them and everyone says they go deep into the ear canals... I'm debating on ordering them now because I most likely won't be able to use them.

 

[pataburd]

The ER-4S sounded best for me with the foam pads. And, yes, they do go quite deep into the ear canal.

 

[fjhuerta]

Having owned and enjoyed the Etymotic ER-4S, I agree with the previous post that the Etys are superior to the Quads: much more detail retrieval, clear as a bell and well balanced.

The Etys will sound right with a properly mastered and encoded source, they'll sound bad with bad sources. They are consistent.

 

[Jimster480]

The Etys will sound right with a properly mastered and encoded source, they'll sound bad with bad sources. They are consistent.

I find that to be the same with the quads....
When there are bad sources I cant even listen to them because it sounds so bad. ALl the imperfections of the recording stand out.

 

[fjhuerta]

I find that to be the same with the quads....
When there are bad sources I cant even listen to them because it sounds so bad. ALl the imperfections of the recording stand out.

As I said, I had both the Quads and the Triples. They can sound very nice with some music, but they are not accurate. And they are decidedly not consistent. If you haven't listened to the Etys, you owe it to yourself to listen how an accurate in ear sounds like. You'll be blown away.

 

[fjhuerta]

So I do find it hard to believe that those etymotic sound "better" and claim to be "reference" and yet sound good with all music?

Please point out to where I said the Etys sound good with all music, because I didn't.

And the Etymotics don't "claim" to be "reference" - they actually are reference in ears, and people have recognized them as such for over 20 years.

 

[Kildras]

because the quad has character. unless you are into audio mixing, finding the "perfect" earphones for some songs/genre are always the more interesting route.
that's why we buy different dac and amp then mix and match with different ear tips.

 

[fjhuerta]

because the quad has character. unless you are into audio mixing, finding the "perfect" earphones for some songs/genre are always the more interesting route.
that's why we buy different dac and amp then mix and match with different ear tips.

True. Basically, every headphone has some sort of character...

I'm just wondering if, in the case of the Quads and Triples, the character comes from phase issues between the drivers.

It'd be very interesting if anyone had any ideas about this. I can't imagine how to coherently add the output of those drivers inside an earphone without a crossover. But I'd be open to learning a bit more.

As it is, I sold my Triples and Quads. And I rarely, if ever, sell my gear (because of what you mentioned - I love my different headphones signatures). The thing is, to me, the Quads and Triples sound as if there was something wrong with them. Not with the tuning, but with the design.

 

[Jimster480]

True. Basically, every headphone has some sort of character...

I'm just wondering if, in the case of the Quads and Triples, the character comes from phase issues between the drivers.

It'd be very interesting if anyone had any ideas about this. I can't imagine how to coherently add the output of those drivers inside an earphone without a crossover. But I'd be open to learning a bit more.

As it is, I sold my Triples and Quads. And I rarely, if ever, sell my gear (because of what you mentioned - I love my different headphones signatures). The thing is, to me, the Quads and Triples sound as if there was something wrong with them. Not with the tuning, but with the design.

I'm not sure what phase issues you are talking about.... Listening to other over-ear headphones I don't detect any "inaccuracies" as you are mentioning. The music sounds the same on other headphones just these have more detail.

I will have to find someone that has the Etymotic's because I'm not going to buy something that goes so deep into the ear.
I did read a bunch of reviews about it which talk about its flat sound signature being great for mixing and audio research. But considering all of the reviews that the quads/triples have gotten, not a single review has ever said that the drivers "don't work right".

 

[fjhuerta]

It all depends on which headphones you are listening as reference. I use the Sennheiser HD580, HD600, Oppo PM-1, HiFiMan 400s, Etymotic ER-4S, ER-4R, and AKG 712-Pro. What are you using?

 

[Jimster480]

I have some Panasonic RP-HD10 and a set of Bose over-ear (my wife's)

 

[AlwaysForward]

I don't hear any phase issues in mine. They're definitely turned for an exciting and engaging sound over true reference but are natural enough to be extremely versatile across styles. Love mine.