[XenatR]

Hi guys, I need to buy a new pair of headphones and can't decide whether to go with IEM or Headphone.

My requirements are an ultra neutral sound, with no sibilance or heavy bass. I want to hear the music as the producer intended and don't want and frequencies too forward of one another

I listen to classical music, mainly Vivaldi, Bach, Dvorak, anything with a harpsichord, Pergolesi, Haydn, Handel and Choral work from King's College Choir.

I also play first person shooter games such as csgo and battlefield 3, so imaging is an important factor to consider. Perhaps a headphone/iem which enables good pinpointing of instruments would be a good option (for those who've never played games). Soundstage doesn't need to be big, nothing like K702 which i find too large and as a result imaging within that soundstage is poor.

Of course I've done a lot of research and narrowed down my options to the Etymonic E4SR and Ollo S4X. I aknowledge they're vastly different in application (isolating iem vs open headphone), but they seem to fit the bill in terms of neutrality.
I've heard a lot of praise of the HD600 but also negativity about the peak at 5.5khz (i don't really want to mess around with EQ). I've tried (mainly when i was focusing on a gaming headphone) K702, K712, Shure 1840, MMX300, DT 990, DT880, Sennheiser Gamer One, AD900X. None of which did it for me.

Open to your professional advice and suggestions. Many thanks

 

[ScornDefeat]

Hi guys, I need to buy a new pair of headphones and can't decide whether to go with IEM or Headphone.

My requirements are an ultra neutral sound, with no sibilance or heavy bass. I want to hear the music as the producer intended and don't want and frequencies too forward of one another

I listen to classical music, mainly Vivaldi, Bach, Dvorak, anything with a harpsichord, Pergolesi, Haydn, Handel and Choral work from King's College Choir.

I also play first person shooter games such as csgo and battlefield 3, so imaging is an important factor to consider. Perhaps a headphone/iem which enables good pinpointing of instruments would be a good option (for those who've never played games). Soundstage doesn't need to be big, nothing like K702 which i find too large and as a result imaging within that soundstage is poor.

Of course I've done a lot of research and narrowed down my options to the Etymonic E4SR and Ollo S4X. I aknowledge they're vastly different in application (isolating iem vs open headphone), but they seem to fit the bill in terms of neutrality.
I've heard a lot of praise of the HD600 but also negativity about the peak at 5.5khz (i don't really want to mess around with EQ). I've tried (mainly when i was focusing on a gaming headphone) K702, K712, Shure 1840, MMX300, DT 990, DT880, Sennheiser Gamer One, AD900X. None of which did it for me.

Open to your professional advice and suggestions. Many thanks

I have no experience with the Ollo S4X, but I know it has a reputation for a flat response and reference-level neutrality.

I do own the Etymonic ER4SR and they are probably the most neutral audio output devices I've heard. I have a bit of a background in pro audio, as well, and wouldn't hesitate to use these for monitoring. The isolation is world-class, too.

I think for your application and your comparison between the Etymotics and the Ollos, it all comes down to what you want; are you looking for IEMs with deep isolation, or over-ear headphones with little isolation. That will have a greater impact with respect to the nuances of this decision than which of these two options has a more neutral presentation.

 

[XenatR]

I have no experience with the Ollo S4X, but I know it has a reputation for a flat response and reference-level neutrality.

I do own the Etymonic ER4SR and they are probably the most neutral audio output devices I've heard. I have a bit of a background in pro audio, as well, and wouldn't hesitate to use these for monitoring. The isolation is world-class, too.

I think for your application and your comparison between the Etymotics and the Ollos, it all comes down to what you want; are you looking for IEMs with deep isolation, or over-ear headphones with little isolation. That will have a greater impact with respect to the nuances of this decision than which of these two options has a more neutral presentation.

Honestly i don't mind. I was half considering the in ear isolation Etymotic because I have my computer near a fridge which makes a high pitched noise and my computer, which also makes a noise (fan from graphics card and the power supply is bad). I find this atmosphere quite fatiguing too, although I'm also looking to sound proof my computer, following perhaps by the fridge later.

How is the detail retrieval of the Etymotics?
What music are they good for and which do you enjoy most through them? I'm looking specifically to listen to classical and choral arrangments.
Have you ever used them for gaming? I wonder what the imaging is like and how well I'll be able to pinpoint enemies within the 3d world i play (counter strike)
Cheers!