[Spyro]

No contest right? I figured a comparison was in order since UM3X are my favorite IEM and I just received some ER4P's. Both IEM's are on the neutral and balanced side. $175 versus $375 should be a landslide but it is closer than many might think. I tried to get them to sound as similar as possible playing with the EQ settings. Going back and forth unamped with a nano with a variety of music here is what I think.

The multi-driver UM3X is a factor in that the presentation definitely has more weight and beef to it and this is a main area where the two differ. The other criteria could be open for debate on which is better. May come down to personal preference. Don't get me wrong, I much prefer UM3X but ER4P holds its own in many areas.

Treble: ER4P is more open and airier. More revealing than UM3X. The edge would have to go to the Ety but UM3X treble is very satisfactory to my ears and non-fatiguing considering I listen on the louder side.

Midrange: ER4P is great but UM3X has great upper midrange detail (similar to what Shure does). Call it a draw or a very slight edge to UM3X. Vocals are very lush with UM3X.

Bass: As we know the ER4P displays all of the bass tones admirable but lacks that viciseral punch and weight so many enjoy. Going back and forth this is an apparent difference but if you put the UM3X's away and get accustomed to ER4P it is quite satisfactory. Actually sounds like it should sound. You probably wouldn't know any better unless you heard a bassier IEM. Texture and detail of the bass is great on both. Edge to UM3X. Obviously an amp on ER4P narrows this difference.

Soundstage: Both very similar. Somewhat narrow but great instrument separation and imaging. The extra weight of UM3X allows the instrument separation to really jump out at you. Slight edge to UM3X.

Overall: The heavier bass of UM3X (along with the smallish soundstage)makes it sound a little more congested than ER4P. I am splitting hairs here. I don't find it to be a big problem for my ears but there is a difference between the two in this regard. UM3X is definitely warmer sounding yet still has this unique way of revealing tons of detail. ER4P is tilted towards the upper register and UM3X towards the lower register frequencies. If bass is not a huge deal for you, ER4P is a great IEM for $175 because it is so clean and balanced sounding and MOST IMPORTANT, your ears get accustomed to more moderate bass whereas on most other bassier IEM's the treble always seems to be missing (W3 is an exception but it has other issues I don't care for) and that is hard to get accustomed to.

Not sure I have told anyone anything they didn't already know but those are my thoughts.

 

[Spyro]

One more thing. STRANGELY, Ety IEM's are the only IEM's that I get a fully satifactory sound using their supplied tri-flanges. I detect virtually no difference in any SQ criteria between the tri-flanges and the foams. This is odd for me as i always end of with foams but foams (complys or olives) can be a pain to deal with. Must have something to do with the design of the IEM. Edge to the Etys (for me) in this regard.

Using the clip, I have no problem with microphomics with ER4P while working out. (but running or running on a treadmill seems to be a problem with ANY IEM as far is "thump, thump")

 

[swmtnbiker]

Nice work Spyro! Very interesting head-to-head.

 

[wuwhere]

Very good comparison. I'm an ER4P fan. I've always been curious about upgrading to a higher end universal and I've been eyeing the UM3X. Based on your hearing, its more like a side-grade. I am using an amp with my ER4P.

 

[ibis99]

Just what I was looking for. Thanks Spyro. Although I do wonder how the S would compare.

 

[mvw2]

Having run the ER4S in the past and now owning the UM3X, your comparison seems pretty well on. I think there's more subtleties to hash out if you really wanted to get into great detail, but overall pretty spot on. I think a lot of people don't give as much credit to the ER4 as they should. There is a reason why it's been around for 15 years and is still regarded as a true reference product.

I agree too that there isn't much difference in tone with the ER4 and tips. They were always relatively insensitive to tip changes for me. I always ended up using foams simply for comfort. The tri-flange is good, but the ribs dug into my ear canal and were a source of irritation. I just favored the Olives.

It's tough for me to comment heavily on both since I don't currently have a ER4 in front of me. However, I would venture to guess, from memory, that the UM3X is a little more energetic and dynamic in presentation. The ER4 is full and articulate, but it wasn't exactly lively, more even, balanced. The UM3X is more aggressive in dynamic range, sort of like the PFE in a sense but less sterile and thin in note then the PFE.

 

[VicAjax]

i've had my ER4 for about 5 years and just upgraded to the UM3X about 3 weeks ago, so i've had a chance to A/B these two, as well. i think most of what you're saying is spot on.

the highs on the UM3X are a bit more recessed than the ER4P, and the imaging between the two is pretty close. the UM3X, however, i find to be better in every other way, with more detail, richness and impact in the mids and bass and an ever-so-slightly wider soundstage.

my favorite advantage of the UM3X over the ER4 is the texture. you can really feel the pluck of the strings and the sticks hitting the drums, whereas on the ER4 you only hear it. even with the ER4S amped, that tactility isn't quite there.

that, in addition to the better bass, makes the UM3X a more fun and engaging listen... groovy, if you will.

don't get me wrong, i LOVE my ER4, but i do feel i upgraded with the UM3X. worth the price? well, my ER4 were around $300 when i bought them, so i'd say yes.

 

[DeTrun]

Thank you very much for this comparison, it definitely has helped me

Edit: Well, it didn't really help me, but now, I feel like I know a bit more than before I've read your comparison.

 

[mvw2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VicAjax /img/forum/go_quote.gif my favorite advantage of the UM3X over the ER4 is the texture. you can really feel the pluck of the strings and the sticks hitting the drums, whereas on the ER4 you only hear it. even with the ER4S amped, that tactility isn't quite there.

Yep, effortless dynamics is a good thing. A lot of earphones aren't great about creating a wide dynamic range and have the ability to define both loud information and subtlety well and in a believably linear fashion.

While the ER4 is linear, it is a bit more constrained in breadth of range. It doesn't come across effortless/limitness. It's nice when you have this dynamic capability. For example, the IE8 is a really nice earphone similar in a number of ways to the UM3X, but it's dynamically a little mellow, smoother. The Triple.Fi 10 is a lot like the ER4, linear but limited in raw energy. A lot of these earphones, while great in their own right, simply lack the ability to really sing, so to speak. Without the range there, you can't hear a subtle exhale and then nearly get your ear ripped off by a hard string pluck immediately after. Just the ability to express those kinds of things is a really desirable trait. When I find an earphone that can pull off such a task, I tend to enjoy it a bit more.

 

[Spyro]

After re-rereading my post and listening more I want to take a step back here and let everyone know that UM3X is certainly the favored IEM by a pretty good margin. I want to be sure the review didn't come across too biased in ER4P's favor since it is the new toy. If anything the review is also a testament on how GREAT the UM3X is.

For a point of reference perspective if I recall about 5 years ago BEFORE SE530 came out, the preference between the Shure E4 and the Ety ER4P was about split down the middle. I personally found them to be about even as far as SQ as well. But once SE530 came out, E4 became a distant memory. No one talks about it or it's replacement SE310 much at all. I am pretty certain if Ety came out with an upgraded IEM the massive praise for ER4P would come down significantly. I will use this logic in saying that Ety is a bit behind the curve in advancing IEM SQ. But at the same time, their $175 product does very well against similarly priced IEM's.

mvw2 (post#6) and VicAjax (post#9). VERY excellent points, particularly about UM3X dynamics and doing it effortlessly. While the ER4P sounds great it seems you are trying to squeeze out every molecule of energy out of these things to get the sound.

 

[wuwhere]

For me, the dynamic constraint of the ER4P is its major weakness.

 

[3X0]

I find the Etymotic's poor transients to be a major weakness as well. Nonetheless I still find it faster and generally more apt to handle my music than the UM3X is.

Good review. Much of it does indeed come down to personal preference; I prefer the ER-4P by a healthy margin.

 

[IpodHappy]

I wish I had purchased the ER4P's rather than the ER4S's to enjoy their 3-4db stronger bass. Using Etymotic gray foams as well as the Shure black foams, the bass from the ER4Ss, though present, has no dynamic/power. The ER4Ps have a bit more bass according to Etymotic's charts, but I needed the 100 ohms of the ER4S to combat the poor quality of the Ipod Photo (4G) headphone output which couldn't drive a load less than 65 ohms without distorting. The 100 ohm ER4S's made this problem livable while still offering good quality sound.

The UM3Xs solve the bass issue admirably without undue coloration. As with others, I find the UM3X have an acceptable edge over the ER4Ss, especially when considering that the 2004/2005 "then" price on the ER4Ss was only 30-35% lower than the "now" price on the UM3Xs. The UM3X has so many strengths.

 

[catscratch]

I think listening volume will matter a lot here, too. Treble attenuates faster at lower volumes and the Ety will definitely do better than the UM3x there, which can sound very muffled at low volumes thanks to the recessed treble. But once you crank it up, the UM3x opens up where the Ety starts to sound strident.

I'm also surprised at how well both headphones image; the Ety has a tiny soundstage but within it the imaging is very crisp. The UM3x has a slightly bigger soundstage and the imaging is about as crisp as the Ety. Most full-size headphones will struggle to get this kind of imaging to be perfectly honest, even some of the very, very expensive ones.

I can't stand the Ety's treble personally, so it's an easy decision for me, but the Ety does have indisputable virtues. Also the Ety struggles massively with transients, whereas the UM3x has some of the better transients out there.

 

[HONEYBOY]

So guys answer to this curiosity of mine. There's been quite a few comments about the dynamic range of the UM3X. Is this a matter of faster transient response and how so?