[utdeep]

Two years ago, when I first joined this forum, the general feeling was that Ety's had awesome tight bass but it was something you could hear, not something you could feel. No one had any other canal phone to compare them to (other than lousy ones like the Koss plugs and the Sony Nude exs). Some people had purchased custom moulds and reported more "feeling" to the bass, and then some people said that once they a great seal they could get more impact. I personally felt that over time, the bass I got out of my etys was more visceral (perhaps some mental adjustment to the sound?).
Now that there is some competition in this canal phone arena, I am really looking forward to trying out UE5cs or other "bassy" canal phones.
I really think there is something to the idea that bass can be heard and not felt (which sounded funny even when I first heard the concept two years ago). I also think that different people get a different sound out of their canal phones, which may account for some of the incredibly different opinions regarding them.

 

[AdamZuf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orpheus that is because we do not have a measurement tool that can represent the data in a way we can understand.

i would like to add, that the brain interprates a complete channel seperation differently to crossfeeded channels; when you add crossfeed, you hear the difference.
our reference way of listening, which is by now without crossfeed, is based on sort of an artifact from the brain, to a certain extent.
this is another thing that the graphs can't show. so, if we assume that we like a certain frequency response and our headphones sound just like that, then they actually sound wrong - to our "personal reference graph".

 

[Orpheus]

Quote:

Your point is taken. The frequency plot of the E5, which can be found in the UE's website, exactly describes the response of the E5 with foamies, but not of that with the tri flanges to my ears. With the tri flanges, the mids recess and the highs become noticeable by contrast. The overall sound is more balanced, but the mids and lows become severely muffled and muddy.

yes, and with the rubber tips, the effect is even more pronounced--the high end is increased even more relative to the bass/midrange. which is what i hear.
Quote:

this is another thing that the graphs can't show. so, if we assume that we like a certain frequency response and our headphones sound just like that, then they actually sound wrong - to our "personal reference graph".

yes, i do think everyone kinda hears things a little differently, kinda like what you say. but i think you know what i meant... that it's near impossible to identify what's causing all those little erratic bumps in the 12k+ region in headphone graphs. what these graphs are useful for though are comparing different phones to each other, in relative terms. if you superimpose one graph on another, you can say that at x frequency, this phone is louder. however, that's only when you assume that both headphones are measured in valid and consistent ways--and well, this is where the problem lies.

anyway, it's all good. if you don't like the E5, heck, it saves you a couple hundred bucks over the Ety. i do think they are the best sounding, so it's costing my wallet.

 

[rabbitsfoot]

I used the Etys for a couple of years before trying out the E5 and upon hearing the Shure, I thought someone had made some kind of mistake: How could this phone so expensive (relatively) sound so bad. The Ety has clean-extended bass, clear midrange and detailed top. But, after applying a gentle top end EQ curve to the E5, the question as to the preferable phone is one of opinion and musical preference. With the high frequencies more in balance the E5 adds a beguiling, rosin to bow, cavity to chest, and body to soul quality. With a midrange that seems to pull one deeply into the guts of the music (possibly a product of the slight mid emphasis). The high end, even EQd, is still not as detailed as the Ety, but detailed enough to give balance to the E5 and let its other positive qualities become more appreciated. And the Etys can be made to sound a bit fatter and more personal on the bottom end with slight EQ as well, although not able to handle as much power as the dual driver E5. I can listen to the Ety or the Shure and within a few minutes become perfectly happy with either phones presentation. And though that presentation is from a different perspective, both are valid and exciting.

 

[AdamZuf]

Quote:

what these graphs are useful for though are comparing different phones to each other, in relative terms.

good way of putting it

 

[ILikeMusic]

The E5's sound great with appropriate EQ on the high end. The ER-4 sound great with appropriate EQ on the low end. Different, yes, but both good in their own ways. However both these phones need EQ and if you don't have that feature available on your source then you are bound to be dissatisfied in one way or the other. Personally, if I had to listen to these phones flat I would rather deal with the lack of highs on the E5 than the thin sound and lack of low end on the ER-4, which make them very fatiguing after a while.

 

[Haribo]

Could you somehow compare this Ety4 vs E5 with something like CD3000 vs HD6x0?

Because of what everyone has posted in here I get that feeling but maybe I'm completely off on this one.

 

[iamdone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haribo Could you somehow compare this Ety4 vs E5 with something like CD3000 vs HD6x0? Because of what everyone has posted in here I get that feeling but maybe I'm completely off on this one.

i thought my ety ER-4S hooked up to PPA amp, sound very similar to my hd650/zu headphone. same sound signature. the hd's are much fuller in the low end and have real impact but the etys for give you the same idea of the song. the details and vocals are the same. the hd's are just a little bit smoother in the highs but have all the same detail. the e5 sound completely different. very bassy but not accurate bass. doesn't go that deep. the vocals sounded complete different from any other headphone i've tried. and the detail and high end are completely missing. i think giving the etys a little bass boost is much more accurate than boosting the e5's high end. the e5 gives you the idea of what a fuller sounding canalphone should try for, but i think it misses the mark.