ER-4 vs. Grado SR80 ?

[stendec]

Is there a big difference regarding the sound quality between Etymotic ER-4 and Grado SR80? I have SR80 now but need a portable rig that do not leak sound to the enviroment. I suppose the SR80 have much more bass.
I am mainly interested in clear detailed sound reproduction.

Also i wonder which model of ER-4 to choose. Model "B" seems to have the most accurate frequency response. But I am a bit worried about the higher impedanze. I use Ipod Shuffle as primary source but my listening volume is moderate, maybe 70-90dB.

 

[Ref]

I have not heard SR-80, but I have Koss KSC-75 and the difference is HUGE

- i'd go for ER-4S

 

[allenf]

I have both.
The SR80 is a fun can - and gives a worthwhile intro to the "Grado" sound, but (given the provisos of headstage/soundstage/psychoacoustic phenomena differences with IEMs) the ER4 really is in a different league wrt details, dynamics and naturalness.
Go for the ER4P - you can always add an "S" spec converter cable later as required.

 

[drarthurwells]

Quote:

Originally Posted by allenf I have both. The SR80 is a fun can - and gives a worthwhile intro to the "Grado" sound, but (given the provisos of headstage/soundstage/psychoacoustic phenomena differences with IEMs) the ER4 really is in a different league wrt details, dynamics and naturalness. Go for the ER4P - you can always add an "S" spec converter cable later as required.

Very good analysis.

I have owned SR60 as well as HP-2 in Grado, and now have ER4 S and P.

Grados are colored, but pleasantly so. ER4 are accurate and revealing - best sound for the bucks.

Grados may mask deficits and distortions in the opamps of a portable source while ER4 will reveal this. I still prefer the ER 4P with portables because of detail, transient impact, naturalness of timbre, and above all - sound isolation of the ER 4, which can't be excelled by any other canal phone.

 

[Ref]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drarthurwells I still prefer the ER 4P with portables because of detail, transient impact, naturalness of timbre, and above all - sound isolation of the ER 4, which can't be excelled by any other canal phone.

not true... we have ER-4S

 

[episiarch]

I haven't heard the SR-80. But I have an MS-1 and an HF-1, and to my ears the ER-4S is in a higher class entirely than both. It produces a highly detailed, clean, impactful and all-around beautiful rendition of the music with literally every type of material that I've listened to. While I do like my Grado cans, for the most in musical enjoyment I turn to my Etys.

What I actually have is ER-4P with P->S converter. The ER-4P is very, very good, but the tonal balance is just "off" enough from my ideal sound to be a distraction for me. The ER-4S is juuust right: highs, mids and lows are in what to me is perfect balance.

I also haven't heard the iPod Shuffle, but my understanding is that anything the iPod 4G can drive, the Shuffle can drive better. Very well: the iPod 4G will drive the ER-4P with no difficulty at all, and will drive the ER-4S decently. However with the ER-4S at moderate to moderately-loud volume, an American iPod* is pretty close to the top of its volume range. For the very best in SQ I do amp my ER-4S, but even from an unamped iPod 4G it sounds extremely good and very detailed.

*[size=xx-small]I mention this because I understand European iPods to have lower volume limits.[/size]

 

[stendec]

Thanks for the response!!



Listening to ER 4P, are there any problems with background noise and hiss from the portable mp3 player? Difference between P and S models regarding background noise?

 

[allenf]

Not a huge problem with hiss (iPod Photo 60GB) either amped or direct from the headphone out: you can hear hiss but it is pretty quiet...at or below the noise floor of most recordings.

 

[AlienPyro]

Yeah. My Er4-p picks up the hiss from my iPod Photo but with the ER4-s it's completely silent (to my ears, of course).

If your source is an iPod shuffle, I would recommend the ER4-p, as the sound from that packs significantly more punch than the S version when used with a proper source.

 

[exkgb]

Having owned both of these, I'll give a different opinion. The grados are a lot more fun than any IEMs I've heard. The ER4P I had are a pain to listen to due to extremely boosted highs and non-existence of bass, I prefer the SR60, SR80 and SR225 to them any day.

 

[warpdriver]

It's weird that people complain about shrill highs on the ER4's, I'm listening to my SR225's and these are far more shrill than my ER4S's ever are.

My ER4S is like a smooth milkshake compared to the tequila bite of my 225's

 

[SimonWang]

i hate the feeling that in-earphones bring me, SR80 is much better, and i donot think anyone can bear with the sound when ER-4's performing Rock n' Roll music.

 

[exkgb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by warpdriver It's weird that people complain about shrill highs on the ER4's, I'm listening to my SR225's and these are far more shrill than my ER4S's ever are. My ER4S is like a smooth milkshake compared to the tequila bite of my 225's

Different people hear differently and I was referring to the 4P instead of 4S which I have never tried. I also prefer full sized headphones to IEMs in general. For example, I prefer the Grado SR60 to my westone UM2 ( I prefer the sound of UM2 to the ER4P by a huge margin ).

My ER4P also bothered me with cable microphonic problems as well as discomfort due to how far they need to be inserted, I followed the instructions online but some people has posted here that too deep and insertion is bad?

So given the choice of ER4P vs SR80, I'd pick the grado any day.

 

[jesse_w]

Quote:

Originally Posted by exkgb So given the choice of ER4P vs SR80, I'd pick the grado any day.

Seconded.

jesse

 

[jerryg]

There no comparison between ER4 and SR80. ER4 is just much better in sound quality!