[angler31337]

As far as insertion goes, you kinda get the technique down as you go along. When I first got my ER-4p's I'd always dampen the ends with water and then go find a mirror and spend about 15 minutes getting the drivers positioned just right. Now I one-hand it while doing something else, and usually don't have enough patience to wet the tips. Just takes practice. Oh, and I don't think this applies to you, but some people have trouble getting the drivers to go in right (which makes ety's sound horrible). There is some information in these threads:

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=169554
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5371

With regard to microphonics, yeah... don't walk through a metal detector. The shirt clip helps, especially when you figure out the right place to clip it, but you're not going to be jogging or anything like that.

The hissing noise you noticed is a result of ety's extremely high sensitivity (relative to the stock buds, *shudder*). If you can live with the hissing, then it's no big deal (I can't stand background noise, but an astounding number of people don't seem to mind it). Otherwise, getting the 4p -> 4s (ER4-24) cable should eliminate the problem. (As would getting the right amp... but that's a little more of an investment.)

Ety's have a very analytic sound that doesn't appeal to everyone. Just give em a chance to work their magic and then see what you think.

-Angler

 

[Crawdaddy]

Thanks for the good tips! Much appreciated. Will give them a try.

 

[chronicblast21]

Tip: Put them under your shirt near your back like you are wearing them behind....Just the same as the super.fis. Hey, it worked for me. And I've never been satisfied like this with a pair of minute transducers

Try it, and YOU will thank me later, I tell ya'

 

[malcolm.mcintyre]

Use the silicon tips, lick them and insert with a slight screwing motion.
ER4s are fantastic phones, well worth persevering.

 

[angler31337]

Quote:

Originally Posted by malcolm.mcintyre ... lick them and insert with a slight screwing motion...

Ak! Ak, ak, ak!

Look, just use nice, sterile, tap water. It's better for everybody.

-Angler

 

[FaBoLoUsRmX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeeeMeS F-A-B-O-L-O-U-S

yes SIR, loved that guy few years ago. Kept the name since.

 

[Usagi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by angler31337 Ak! Ak, ak, ak! Look, just use nice, sterile, tap water. It's better for everybody. -Angler

Who's going to carry around a cup of holy water with them?

 

[angler31337]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Usagi Who's going to carry around a cup of holy water with them?

It doesn't need to be holy... just clean.

-Angler

 

[vorlon1]

It seems you are using the flanges. If you are having trouble, you might try either the short or standard comply tips. I didn't like the flanges and found that the comply tips that actually go with the UM 2's fit the Ety's fine and give me excellent comfort, seal, and sound. Also, using the shirt clip with these tips I don't notice much in the way of microphonics or any movement or instability, and this includes during bike rides as well as walking around. Good luck, if you get the right seal I think you will really enjoy the Ety's.

 

[threepointone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Frost One note is that I like to listen to music at low volumes. For me, the bass improves a lot at higher volumes but I'd just as soon have punchy sound at low volumes. I know this is possible, I really dig my grado SR-80's and my Sony V-6's. I like to run my in-the-ear cans underneath my ear muff hearing protectors while mowing the lawn-makes that "forced hobby" a lot more bearable.

I don't really mean to drain your wallet even more, but I suspect that a high current amp would help with the lower volumes. most IEMs are low-impedance phones, which mean (I think) that they need more current to drive. I notice the same effect with bass in my E4s, and they're just about as low impedance as the er4ps.

I'm still messing around with building my own amp, so I'm not entirely sure if they would make a difference at low volumes or not. I do know, though, that inversely, higher impedance headphones seem to like having more voltage rather than current, and will clip at higher volumes without enough voltage.

 

[EscaBoi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crawdaddy 2. In order to get them set right I feel like I have to jam them in pretty deep. I'm no stranger to ear plugs, but these felt like they were putting pressure on my ear drum (air pressure I assume)...kinda like you feel with ear congestion during a cold. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but such tricky ergonomics = poor design in my book...just my opinion. 4. Found the foam plugs to be uncomfortable.

I had a problem with this too, the first time I put on the black (medium) foamies, I had to jam them into my ear. Within seconds my ears would hurt because the plastic tubing was rubbing against the insides of my ear, made it feel like it was bleeding. Then i switched over to the ER6i 2 flange tips, though they provided better comfort, the isolation was not as good, and it was even worse than the ER6i's.

Finally just last week, I found my perfect match. The person I bought my ER4P's from also had a pair of ER6i beige (small) foamies. Now i'm the last person to vouche for foamies... but these seem to solve the problem of FIT, Comfort and Isolation. My ears canals are small, so the MEDIUM black foamies hurt like hell and stuck out half way even when I try to jam them in. The SMALL beige one seems to have solved this problem for me, and I'm now re-loving my ER4P's again. So much so that I just ordered a pack of ER4 beige foamies, so hopefully the size is the same as the ER6's.

 

[Usagi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by threepointone I don't really mean to drain your wallet even more, but I suspect that a high current amp would help with the lower volumes. most IEMs are low-impedance phones, which mean (I think) that they need more current to drive. I notice the same effect with bass in my E4s, and they're just about as low impedance as the er4ps. I'm still messing around with building my own amp, so I'm not entirely sure if they would make a difference at low volumes or not. I do know, though, that inversely, higher impedance headphones seem to like having more voltage rather than current, and will clip at higher volumes without enough voltage.

Well, if Crawdaddy is going to go threw the expense of purchasing an amp, then he/she might as well return the ER-4p and purchase the Shure E500.

 

[bigDee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Usagi Well, if Crawdaddy is going to go threw the expense of purchasing an amp, then he/she might as well return the ER-4p and purchase the Shure E500.

True story.

 

[Frank the Tank]

So do the Westone comply tips also fit the Er 4p and not only the 6s?

 

[chronicblast21]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank So do the Westone comply tips also fit the Er 4p and not only the 6s?

Comply tips actually fit the er4s better than the er6. Inserting them into the er6, you will just have a hard time forcibly pushing them to fit and end up darkening the tips themselves because of your less than clean hand.