[hockeyb213]

yeah I didn't remember exactly what it was but I got the point across for referring to the difference in the material

will edit my post though

 

[Rdr. Seraphim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ephemere /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks to everyone for the replies. It sounds very encouraging that the sound quality of these customs will not let me down. My other concerns with the ER-4P are microphonics and comfort. I read a lot about the sound quality of customs (JH-13, ER3X, etc.) but not too much about comfort and very little about microphonics. My ER-4P (old-style cable) has terrible microphonics. The comfort is okay, but sometimes the angled driver jutting out of the ear causes problems (pressing against the earlobe, lying the head to the side of the pillow, etc.). This is probably a personal thing, I'd love to hear what other people have found.

For me, the ER4's were just too uncomfortable for sustained listening. I eventually purchased custom molds from Westone, which solved the comfort and sound variability issues I was experiencing.

Zero microphonic issues with the ES3X. It doesn't seem to matter what you do with the ER4, it remains microphonic, even with the custom mold. I guess you could do the original Quad ESL trick... find the best image/soundstage and lock your head in a vice

.

Re ES32X fit, the heat sensitive tips disappear as they heat up and further mold to your ear.

 

[zb0430]

Quote:

Originally Posted by music_4321 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thank you for not acknowledging or not thanking me for the link I provided you with on the JH13 thread to Rdr. Seraphim's excellent & useful post (now mentioned in your post), where he compares the ER-4P to the ES3X, and which now has led you to mention and include the ES3X -- and not just the JH13 -- on the thread title and in your opening post. So, don't mention it. It's always a pleasure to help friendly and respectful fellow head-fiers. Oh, yes, many thanks too for your Franz Schubert post on the JH13 thread (http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/j...ml#post5913095). I certainly appreciated that.

Excuse me if this is out of line... And if it is, then mods please remove this part of my comment...

But as an outsider re-reading these posts, I'd say you owe the OP an apology. Your comments are quite rude.

Tis a pity to bring sarcastic undertones into the thread based on disdain toward a member stating his opinion to the contrary of yours in a different thread, then deliberately advertising your disdain in the new thread the user created. Most others in this thread have made great, supportive contributions to the OT's question.

I felt the need to call you out on that. Go re-read the progression, and see how insensitive and blanketed your comments about age, and toward the OP could potentially come across.

To the topic...

Listening to the Ety's compared to even my Sensaphonics, there is no doubt that the Ety sound isn't as "uncolored" and "natural" as many proclaim it to be. It's analytical by virtue of an un-natural enhancement of upper mids, while lacking in tons of areas of the spectrum. It gives the impression of "detail" at the expense of frequency response. I know that's not a popular stance on the phones, and they certainly have held their own for a long while...

But once you hear true tonal balance, you'll understand what I'm saying. Can any other custom mold users that have experienced this "paradigm shift" comment on what I'm trying to say here?

I'd promise you, at the upper tier of custom IEM's, there won't be buyer's remorse, but rather enlightenment.

 

[ephemere]

Hi zb0430. I appreciate what you are trying to do with regard to music_4321's comments, but let me try to nip this in the bud. I confess to making my own sarcastic comment to music_4321 in that other thread. I should have done it in a PM instead, so he's probably just a little cross with me. It looks like the whole tempest -- of which I was almost exclusively an observer -- is pretty well settled down at this point.

(I'm not a regular on here, but after working my way through that 3,000+ post JH-13 thread, I think it must be an impossible task for the moderators to keep up with everything.)

Thanks also for your perspective about the Etys. This thread has given me a good deal of confidence to move forward with a high-end custom. It's an expensive proposition that needs to be taken on faith, so I very much appreciate everybody's time and willingness to help answer my questions.

 

[Kclone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zb0430 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Excuse me if this is out of line... And if it is, then mods please remove this part of my comment... But as an outsider re-reading these posts, I'd say you owe the OP an apology. Your comments are quite rude. Tis a pity to bring sarcastic undertones into the thread based on disdain toward a member stating his opinion to the contrary of yours in a different thread, then deliberately advertising your disdain in the new thread the user created. Most others in this thread have made great, supportive contributions to the OT's question. I felt the need to call you out on that. Go re-read the progression, and see how insensitive and blanketed your comments about age, and toward the OP could potentially come across. To the topic... Listening to the Ety's compared to even my Sensaphonics, there is no doubt that the Ety sound isn't as "uncolored" and "natural" as many proclaim it to be. It's analytical by virtue of an un-natural enhancement of upper mids, while lacking in tons of areas of the spectrum. It gives the impression of "detail" at the expense of frequency response. I know that's not a popular stance on the phones, and they certainly have held their own for a long while... But once you hear true tonal balance, you'll understand what I'm saying. Can any other custom mold users that have experienced this "paradigm shift" comment on what I'm trying to say here? I'd promise you, at the upper tier of custom IEM's, there won't be buyer's remorse, but rather enlightenment.

If you heard it with the Minibox-E+ amp you may change your opinion. The ER4S is a phone that really scales up, especially with that amp. With that said, I'm sure the newer customs on the market like the JH13 and the ES3X may be a lot better.

 

[Edwood]

I have both the ES3X and JH13. I've owned both the Ety ER4P and ER4S before.

The JH13 has them all beat in sound quality hands down for me. The Etys just don't hold a candle to either the ES3X or JH13, but it's not really a fair comparison as the Ety's aren't Customs.

-Ed

 

[pila405]

Edwood - would you say that the JH13 is MUCH better than the ES3X?

 

[ephemere]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have both the ES3X and JH13. I've owned both the Ety ER4P and ER4S before.

Is it possible to say which of the two is more "Ety-like"?

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pila405 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Edwood - would you say that the JH13 is MUCH better than the ES3X?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have both the ES3X and JH13. The JH13 has them all beat in sound quality hands down for me. -Ed

Beat hands down doesn't sound like it's a close call to me, but I could be wrong.

 

[Rdr. Seraphim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ephemere /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is it possible to say which of the two is more "Ety-like"?

In this case, it is best to think outside the ETY sound, and begin thinking toward a different reference. Once you listen to something like the ES3X--I cannot speak for the JH13Pro--your expectations will change, and so too, will your musical enjoyment.

 

[ephemere]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rdr. Seraphim /img/forum/go_quote.gif In this case, it is best to think outside the ETY sound, and begin thinking toward a different reference. Once you listen to something like the ES3X--I cannot speak for the JH13Pro--your expectations will change, and so too, will your musical enjoyment.

I'll probably just pick one and see for myself. The price is not stratospheric. But still, it's a tricky business to map other people's written impressions to one's own preferences. I remember the universal praise for the HD600 ten years ago (much more tempered today), but boy were they not for me.

The Etys are good for what they are, and great for the price, but they are certainly not my reference. I far prefer listening through the Dynaudio Special 25s in my living room (at 20x the cost). The way some people describe the JH-13 gives me the impression that they share some characteristics with the Dyns. Maybe I'll find out for myself.

 

[Rdr. Seraphim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ephemere /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll probably just pick one and see for myself. The price is not stratospheric. But still, it's a tricky business to map other people's written impressions to one's own preferences. I remember the universal praise for the HD600 ten years ago (much more tempered today), but boy were they not for me. The Etys are good for what they are, and great for the price, but they are certainly not my reference. I far prefer listening through the Dynaudio Special 25s in my living room (at 20x the cost). The way some people describe the JH-13 gives me the impression that they share some characteristics with the Dyns. Maybe I'll find out for myself.

For those of us coming over from high-end audio, amps and speaker types, that's probably a better comparison. The ES3X were closer in balance and tone to my Merlin TSM-MXe loudspeakers than any other headphone I had experienced.

 

[DanG]

Hi ephemere, I hope you don't mind if I bring this rather old thread back to the front. I saw that you had bought the JH13 after all, but then returned them for a refit. Since you also listen to classical music, love the ER-4S except for the comfort factor, and are not a big fan of the HD600, it seems our tastes and overall perspectives might be similar. Might I ask, then, what happened in the end? Did you get the JH13 back from the refit, and are you using them now?

Thanks in advance!