[nkoulban]

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.

 

[Young Spade]

Good to see that you got positive results out of your recabling and amp. I just purchased a custom cable for my TP 10s and am hoping for some positive results as well (although I know I'm going to get them

)

 

[wuwhere]

I have similar results with my ER4P re-cabled with APS ER4P cable.

I was contemplating on snagging a UM3X but after your comparison, well, not any longer

(that's my wallet with a big grin).

 

[sid311]

I've also got the APS recable and MiniBox E+. The overall improvement in bass is spectacular.

 

[stew1234]

So your APS cable is the p version?

Do you run the MiniBox with the switch to p or s? I've been thinking about the recable for a while. Glad to hear about such a significant improvement.

 

[Little Bob]

I would be very interested in comparisons from anyone who has used the Apuresound ER-4P with the minibox E and an RSA SR-71A?

I have eR-4P with P to S cable playing through the SR-71A and coupled with a 5.5G iMod and PVCAP dock the sound is excellent.

Would upgrading to an Apuresound cable make a significant difference the over stock cable (I'm presuming it would from the positive reviews on Head-Fi)?

And secondly, would switching from the SR-71A to a Minibox E also give further improvement?

Thoughts appreciated.

 

[mrarroyo]

Little Bob, audio is a very subjective thing. What may be good for you may not work out for me and viceversa. I like Ray's products and think the SR71, The Hornet, The Tomahawk, The Predator, and P51 are outstanding. However I did not care much for the SR71A and sold it. IMO the MiniBox-E+ sounds better than the SR71A.

 

[mark_h]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Bob /img/forum/go_quote.gif I Would upgrading to an Apuresound cable make a significant difference the over stock cable (I'm presuming it would from the positive reviews on Head-Fi)?

No

 

[wuwhere]

Not a significant improvement. The improvement vs. cost ratio is very low. For me it is worth it because I just like the sound of the Etys.

 

[nkoulban]

The recable resulted in a clear improvement, especially with the Minibox e+, with bass boost on. This is for the P not the S. When I switch in S in the Minibox the sound gets thinner again... not to my taste. Will the recable turn the ER4Ps into bass monsters... no, but I must say I have not heard bass like this out of ETYs before. Of course I have also done the tip mod and used TX100 Complys inserted deeply, if you don't get a good seal or use different tips you may not get the results I'm hearing.

 

[HONEYBOY]

This review has rekindled my interest in building an APS ER4P!!! I don't own the UM3X anymore but using it as a reference how would you say the recabled ER4P compares to the UM3X in terms of 1) sound stage and air
2) instrumental texture
3) Realism and naturalness

Any brief comments with regards to the above qualities would be very welcomed. I do like the stock ER4P but consider them to possess quite an unnatural sounding presentation. Would you say that the recable has rectified this issue somewhat? Thanks!!

 

[nkoulban]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HONEYBOY /img/forum/go_quote.gif This review has rekindled my interest in building an APS ER4P!!! I don't own the UM3X anymore but using it as a reference how would you say the recabled ER4P compares to the UM3X in terms of 1) sound stage and air 2) instrumental texture 3) Realism and naturalness Any brief comments with regards to the above qualities would be very welcomed. I do like the stock ER4P but consider them to possess quite an unnatural sounding presentation. Would you say that the recable has rectified this issue somewhat? Thanks!!

1) Sound stage and air = Both IEMs are similar, I'd say the APS ER4P has slightly more air and a tiny bit more detail.

2) Instrument Texture = Line ball, although acoustic guitars are rendered a little bit more sweetly with the APS ER4P

3) Realism and naturalness = UM3X by a whisker... but I still prefer the APS ER4P presentation though, they sound less natural (still a bit hyper real if you like) but are not boring as a result and are more involving for me.

The recable cures the ER4Ps of the sibilant highs, adds some bass (more so with the Minibox E+ with bass boost) and generally makes them smoother sounding without killing the ER4P sound.

If you want to keep things simple, use the UM3X unamped... you can't go wrong. If you are addicted to the ER4Ps detail and midrange and want a smoother presentation and more bass, you need to amp them with the Minibox E+ or similar like a Lisa III. Yes, this means spending more money and having to deal with the bulk of an amp.

I have to stress this is my personal preference.

 

[HONEYBOY]

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate your response. I think I'll look into building a pair. I actually preferred the ER4P to the UM3X in stock form despite a few of its shortcomings. It just has a more involving presentation that I truly dig.

 

[2162]

Even without the minibox do you guys still prefer the recabled ER4P over the um3x?

 

[2162]

BUmp