[Harry Tuttle]

Hi! I finally decided to buy some and I wanted to know if the etymotic er-4 are a good choice or should I get something else for that price? also should I get the 4s or 4p? (to use with a sony d-e905 10 watts per channel without an amp...) and where's the best place to buy them online? (I live in Canada)
thanks

 

[TestSpecimen]

It depends what type of sound you like. The etys are meant to be very neutral sounding headphones and i haven't heard a bad review about them. They are however meant to lack bass when driven without an amp. I would recommend getting the er-4p as it is possible to change these to a er-4s with a cable upgrade.

 

[derek8555]

TestSpecimen has described the ER4s quite well. They are accurate, have sparkling highs, but sound sterile and lack bass. So it really depends on what type of music you listen to, for classical, ER4s are awesome, but for pop and rock and such, there are many other IEMs that do a lot better job than ER4s, such as Super.Fi 5 Pro, E4C, E5C, E500, UM2 etc...

 

[milkpowder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by derek8555 /img/forum/go_quote.gif TestSpecimen has described the ER4s quite well. They are accurate, have sparkling highs, but sound sterile and lack bass. So it really depends on what type of music you listen to, for classical, ER4s are awesome, but for pop and rock and such, there are many other IEMs that do a lot better job than ER4s, such as Super.Fi 5 Pro, E4C, E5C, E500, UM2 etc...

Well of the IEMs that Derek mentioned, the E4c and E500 work very well for classical too. I've had the ER4P/S, E4c and E500 at different stages of my Head-fi journey and I feel that the ER4P/S aren't necessarily the best for classical. It ultimately depends on your preferred sound signature. If you like a warmer sound signature, the Shure IEMs may appeal to you more. The E500 is the most coloured out of the three, but personally, it was the best too. There are literally hundreds of threads with comparisons so I'd recommend using the search function.

My experience with the UM2 is rather limited and I haven't heard the S.fi5Pro or the E5c, so I can't say much about them.

 

[ldldick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well of the IEMs that Derek mentioned, the E4c and E500 work very well for classical too. I've had the ER4P/S, E4c and E500 at different stages of my Head-fi journey and I feel that the ER4P/S aren't necessarily the best for classical. It ultimately depends on your preferred sound signature. If you like a warmer sound signature, the Shure IEMs may appeal to you more. The E500 is the most coloured out of the three, but personally, it was the best too. There are literally hundreds of threads with comparisons so I'd recommend using the search function. My experience with the UM2 is rather limited and I haven't heard the S.fi5Pro or the E5c, so I can't say much about them.

I agree with that..Shure's sound warm..the bass is very good.

 

[milkpowder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ldldick /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree with that..Shure's sound warm..the bass is very good.

Don't even get me started on the E500 bass... It's simply the nicest bass of any universal IEM I have ever tried in my life. It's definitely not the most accurate (if anything, very inaccurate), but certainly the most enjoyable.

 

[derek8555]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif Don't even get me started on the E500 bass... It's simply the nicest bass of any universal IEM I have ever tried in my life.

I have to agree with you on this

 

[ldldick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif Don't even get me started on the E500 bass... It's simply the nicest bass of any universal IEM I have ever tried in my life. It's definitely not the most accurate (if anything, very inaccurate), but certainly the most enjoyable.

maybe 3 units make it's sound so good.....

 

[milkpowder]

Oh how did I forget about the SR-003?! It is certainly the best IEM for the price. It has much better detail, thinner midrange, slightly less highs and E500 rivalling bass (detail, smoothness and quantity). The SR-003 are tied with the E500 as the best IEMs out there (minus customs).

Out of my 006t Mk1, the SR-003 are absolutely incredible considering how much they cost! They get my 100% recommendation for anyone who is willing to go down the Stax road. That said, the E500 has a more interesting sound because it does have a much smoother midrange and bass. The E500 also has better highs, ie more sparkle. Pure performance wise, the E500 beats the SR-003 (very different sound signatures), but when you factor in the cost... David vs Goliath here

 

[ldldick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh how did I forget about the SR-003?! It is certainly the best IEM for the price. It has much better detail, thinner midrange, slightly less highs and E500 rivalling bass (detail, smoothness and quantity). The SR-003 are tied with the E500 as the best IEMs out there (minus customs). Out of my 006t Mk1, the SR-003 are absolutely incredible considering how much they cost! They get my 100% recommendation for anyone who is willing to go down the Stax road. That said, the E500 has a more interesting sound because it does have a much smoother midrange and bass. The E500 also has better highs, ie more sparkle. Pure performance wise, the E500 beats the SR-003 (very different sound signatures), but when you factor in the cost... David vs Goliath here

the Stax road.....it's so expensive....there are very few 007s in China..

 

[milkpowder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ldldick /img/forum/go_quote.gif the Stax road.....it's so expensive....there are very few 007s in China..

To get good performance out of dynamic headphones, a lot of money is also required. Good performance doesn't usually come at affordable prices. Just look at the Singlepower dynamic amps. They're just as expensive as the Stax amps, if not more so.

 

[peter_m]

How much does a "Stax SR-003" cost with a driving-amp?

 

[milkpowder]

Well, I'll give you the audiocube prices:

SR-001MkII system (S-001MkII + SRM-001): $239 <- Portable energiser

Stax SRS-0050II system (SR-003 + SRM-252II): $399 <- Desktop energiser

SR-003 ear-speakers: $149

 

[ldldick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif To get good performance out of dynamic headphones, a lot of money is also required. Good performance doesn't usually come at affordable prices. Just look at the Singlepower dynamic amps. They're just as expensive as the Stax amps, if not more so.

The Chinese apms are cheap,because many of them are DIY..so most people choose dynamic headphones here.....i wish i could buy a elctrostatic someday when i have enough money...

 

[milkpowder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ldldick /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Chinese apms are cheap,because many of them are DIY..so most people choose dynamic headphones here.....i wish i could buy a elctrostatic someday when i have enough money...

Oh it's definitely worth it! I can't fathom how my 404 would sound on an uber-highend amp like an ES-1, Blue Hawaii or KGSS... They sound incredible already.