nkoulban
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2007
- Posts
- 242
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- 11
I purchased several good quality IEMs to get decent sound out of my iPhone. I started with an Etymotic ER4P. It has a great midrange, awesome vocals, but the top end was a bit harsh and it lacked bass for my tastes. I next tried the Westone W3. Great sound, but I found it was too bass heavy and it lacked a bit in the midrange, still un-amped out of the iPhone it was impressive. I then tried a Westone UM3X seeking a more balanced sound and that IEM un-amped was brilliant... what a clean, realistic and balanced sound. I thought I had found a universal IEM that was the business. I sold off the W3 and still had the little used ER4P in a drawer... I was looking to sell it too. Even though I was enjoying the UM3X it still felt... what is the best way to describe it... a little bit boring.
I read posts on the Apuresound recabled ER4P and how the Minibox E+ seemed to synergise well with the ER4P. I though I had to try the recable on the Minibox E+. I ordered the amp and the cable and tried the combo out of my iphone with a LOD. I was not prepared for what I heard... I had not heard the Er4P sound so good, this time the sibilance was tamed and I was getting strong realistic bass (not W3 deep) but what a presentation! It had a similar sound footprint to my UM3X (Similar bass), but it was better all round plus I was hearing more detail and it was definitely not boring sounding. I would rate the re-cabled ER4P out of a Minibox E+, with bass boost on clearly better sounding that both the Westone W3 and UM3X un-amped or amped. I must stress that this result was valid only this combination of kit... un-amped the ER4P was good but not outstanding.
For me the UM3X is a keeper for un-amped listening, but for a real listening treat the Apuresound ER4P with the Minibox E+ has highly impressed me. It still has the Ety sound but now is less harsh and has bass. Listening to lossless tracks out of an iPhone has never sounded so good.
I read posts on the Apuresound recabled ER4P and how the Minibox E+ seemed to synergise well with the ER4P. I though I had to try the recable on the Minibox E+. I ordered the amp and the cable and tried the combo out of my iphone with a LOD. I was not prepared for what I heard... I had not heard the Er4P sound so good, this time the sibilance was tamed and I was getting strong realistic bass (not W3 deep) but what a presentation! It had a similar sound footprint to my UM3X (Similar bass), but it was better all round plus I was hearing more detail and it was definitely not boring sounding. I would rate the re-cabled ER4P out of a Minibox E+, with bass boost on clearly better sounding that both the Westone W3 and UM3X un-amped or amped. I must stress that this result was valid only this combination of kit... un-amped the ER4P was good but not outstanding.
For me the UM3X is a keeper for un-amped listening, but for a real listening treat the Apuresound ER4P with the Minibox E+ has highly impressed me. It still has the Ety sound but now is less harsh and has bass. Listening to lossless tracks out of an iPhone has never sounded so good.