[mark_h]

Out of curiosity in a world where the superfreq triple driver custom fit IEM is $185 and the Livewires and the triple Fi's etc. etc. Are emerging, is the single driver er-4p/s just falling behind and becoming, well I hate to say it, obsolete? I am a huge fan of the er-4s/p and will remain one for a long time; I have tried a lot of IEM's both dual and single and triple and have returned always to the ety's because I love the sound signature. But I find myself thinking more and more, "come on etymotic, forget bluetooth cubes - a Dual driver at least?" I mean who wouldn't be tempted by a dual driver er-4s that just, ever so slightly, improved the bottom end? (and I do mean slightly)! - Just curious - who agrees/disagrees?

 

[jpelg]

My ER4's are my favorite headphone, and my favorite non-custom IEM. I've owned & heard many other top multi-driver, non-customs (Shure, Westone, UE), and always seem to come back to the Ety's for the sound. To me, it's a natural & accurate sound. It's that simple.

And at $160 a set, they're probably the best value in headphone-dom, rivaling the most costly (four & five-figure $$) headphones out there in sound quality, imo. And I say "rivaling" because at that level, personal preferences make something "better".

Perhaps the better question to ask is "What exactly would you change about the Ety sound?", and would that be resolved by multiple drivers, and without other non-desirable tradeoffs? No headphone is perfect.

Don't be disuaded by the "numbers game". More megapixels in a camera doesn't mean better picture quality, to draw another analogous misconception.

Etymotic is a company that has based its products on solid audiologic research (as opposed to marketing). I truly believe that if they felt that better sound quality could be accomplished, they'd come out with a new product. As it is, I'd prefer they be able to focus on quality control & maintain the top customer service reputation they currently enjoy.

Personal preferences (or simply desire) for a different signature aside, if you like your ER4's, why mess with 'em?

 

[n_maher]

I'm with Jimmy on this one, still love my ER4Ps and every time I think about changing for change's sake I just pop them in and remember what made them a great purchase originally.

 

[mark_h]

Ok, I add, "What exactly would you change about the Ety sound?" to the question. But I am with you on the quality of sound. they often make me think, I didnt know my ears were this good! but I have read a great many posts where the opinion is less than favorable.

 

[Tasty]

I've found that in the end it's hardly the number of drivers that matters - what's perhaps more important is what you hear. I was curious as to how my antique ER4s would stand up to the more recent UE Triple Fis, so I went to give them a listen. I was warned that the Triple Fis were in no way an upgrade to the ER4 and were more of a "sidegrade". Well, I realised then that I loved my Etys far too much to appreciate what the Triple Fis reputedly bring to the table.

In fact, I've come out of it realising that what I wanted wasn't so much a different IEM but an improved ER4 with perhaps just that little bass extension that you speak of.

I guess what I'm saying is that if having more drivers meant that it dealt with whatever inadequacy you're finding in your ER4, I'm all for squeezing as many drivers as is physically possible in that IEM. Yet, if a triple driver Ety's going to sound like a Triple Fi (no offence to Triple Fi fans

), I'll stick with my single driver relic, thank you very much. ^^

 

[ClieOS]

I too think Ety is still in the IEM game for good.

My opinion is, it isn't Ety that is slipping away, but rather the whole IEM market has boomed very much on the last few years. Compare to the good old day when we have only less than 10 non-custom IEMs in the market to choose from, now we have over 30 to play with (while each carries its own flavor to the game). It is rather easy for everyone to forget that we are here for the music, but not for the instrument (as IEM). The only thing that matters is how good the IEM sounds, not how hot the tech trend is. Ety will be obsoleted only when people stop enjoying them. From all the Ety's threads on the forum, I'll say Ety will still be around for a while.

I actually think Shure might be the one which is slipping away from the IEM games, after seeing how they keep reincarnating their own IEM series over and over again. For the least, I think Shure might be too commercialized/marketed for its own good.

 

[jinx20001]

IMO it will never be obsolete but you can certainly get better, its a brilliant set of IEM's there is no doubt about it, but etymotic seriously need to pull the finger out and start competing in the market again, for phones that have a well rounded deep sound you dont have to look far to get better,but as clear accurate sound goes these are hard to beat, even after all this time, but again i concede theres certainly better for the listener that likes a fuller sound

 

[ken36]

How can near perfection become obsolete?

 

[jinp6301]

Etys just prove that you dont need multi drivers to sound good.

But I wish they would improve on the design

 

[jinx20001]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken36 /img/forum/go_quote.gif How can near perfection become obsolete?

yes but its ety that claim its near perfection, every customer is different and i personally thought it was a long way off perfect sound and the design is very dated now also, perfection is not possible these days and accuracy certainly doesnt mean perfection even if it was 100% accurate, perfection is in the ear of the beholder and only yourself can tell you what is perfect for you, which is why i think earphones are never perfect or even close wether they claim it or not. just my opinion

 

[xnothingpoetic]

Why do people insist that more is better?


What better company than ETY to deal with? They don't purposely make a sub-par product to later keep making "updated" versions to get more money out of you. 16+ years ago they designed and made the best IEM they could and kept with it. If any small changes were made, it was done in the production line and was sold as the same IEM. If they thought something could be improved, SQ wise, they'd have done it long ago. But they are simply not the type of company to produce a triple driver IEM to make more money if they know it wont sound as good as the er4. And of course the word "good" I use, is personal preference.

 

[mark_h]

I have to say as a personal preference I actual think the er-4 design is somewhat iconic and in a way very beautiful. It is refined and understated. Its elegance is found in its apparent simplicity. Again this is a personal preference, never been one for gold and silver.

 

[MaZa]

Quote:

Why do people insist that more is better?

To overcome the limit of small balanced armature headphone, to produce flat and non rolled of sound from bass to highest highs? AFAIK its difficult for small balanced driver to produce bass and highs without roll off. Judging from graphs Ety has come over it by producing flat sound from bass to uppermids, then adding strong boost to highs before that famous 16kHz roll-off, to compensate the treble that is missing (or hide the flaw?) Perhaps Ety would be able to make truly flat IEM with dual driver design, without sacrificing either end (and perhaps even improving the quality of both?)

 

[xnothingpoetic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaZa /img/forum/go_quote.gif To overcome the limit of small balanced armature headphone, to produce flat and non rolled of sound from bass to highest highs? AFAIK its difficult for small balanced driver to produce bass and highs without roll off. Judging from graphs Ety has come over it by producing flat sound from bass to uppermids, then adding strong boost to highs before that famous 16hz roll-off, to compensate the treble that is missing (or hide the flaw?) Perhaps Ety would be able to make truly flat IEM with dual driver design, without sacrificing either end (and perhaps even improving the quality of both?)

They cut is off at 16khz because not only of physical limitations that ALL amateurs have, but they know that the average human ear can't hear beyond that- the most a human can hear is 20khz- and that is of course for young people.

 

[MaZa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xnothingpoetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif They cut is off at 16khz because not only of physical limitations that ALL amateurs have, but they know that the average human ear can't hear beyond that- the most a human can hear is 20khz- and that is of course for young people.

Point taken.