[rincewind]

Figured I'll get specific answers by asking a specific question

There's a similar thread for someone looking for heavy metal cans, but I'm after IEM's that will work VERY well for all kinds of music, and will be pretty good for the music mentioned above.

Using iRiver H140 > RSA Hornet > Etymotic ER-4S, how will music like to Dark Tranquillity, Ayreon and Opeth sound?

I'm strongly considering these earphones in the above setup (only own the iRiver so far), but I read that some people think the ER-4S lack "impact" in the bass, but that you can definitely HEAR the bass in detail. This sounds good, but I'd like at least a little kick to know the bass drum was hit. The music above is typical of what I listen to. Pretty heavy, but with detailed/ambient sections. I also listen to a lot of alternative like Radiohead, Dredg and lots of soundtracks with qualities that vary too much to just buy the Grado IEM equivalent (if such a thing exists), so I'm after high resolution IEMs with a nice flat response. The line-out on the iRiver is affected by the EQ, so if (worst case) I want that extra oomph, I spose I could boost the bass just a little (not enough to completely skew the Ety's signature sound and lose the high's details though).

Does anyone use these Ety's to listen to music like this, and if so, how do u find it? I currently use Sony EX71's straight out of the iRiver and they are very woofy/muddy etc unless the treble is boosted and volume adjusted accordingly, but I don't want to go too far in the other direction (ie too much treble and having to heavily boost the bass). The day of new rig purchase is impending so hopefully ppl reply soonish

Thanks in advance.

 

[TheSloth]

I think the Ety ER4 is a killer design, and the S variant is great, as long as they fit your ears well. I have spent years trying to find a good insertion for the ER4's not just in terms of comfort but more importantly sound quality which varies immensely depending on how deep you can get them.

I now use the small foamies that you can order from etymotic.com and use a deep insertion, and they are just fantastic. Too shallow and they are shrill, too deep and they are muddy. You'll just have to experiment with a good position. But if you get it right, these are reference level headphones.

 

[arielext]

I'm guessing that the UM1 can do very well, I've used the UM2 for about a year listening to that kind of music.

 

[smeggy]

Ety 4s is great. Fast, detailed and takes bass EQ very well for added punch. You can actually bass boost the Ety to very high amounts without distortion so yes, they will work very well for what you want. A vey nice IEM.

 

[rincewind]

Thanks smeggy that's pretty much what I wanted to hear. The plan is set. The pieces are all in position. Now all I need is my.... where's my ...?

*looks in the corner of the room at a smuldering heap of charred ashes that was once the semblance of what some might refer to as a wallet*

Note for those who have bad habits like I do! Buy ur gf a gift about 1 week before buying urself stuff and she won't be AS pissed off as she might

*hits "buy now" on 1x Corpse Bride DVD*... That's about even now isn't it?

I hope Todd the Vinyl Junkie replies to his mail soon... ppl are saying we should ring him but I'm in Australia and have NFI when would be a good time to buy and I doubt his toll free number is international toll free!

PS. 6 months 0% interest on credit card balance transfer is a beeeeautiful thing lol

 

[smeggy]

LOL, yeah I'm sure Todd would be happy with 1-800 Australia on his 'phone bill

I hope the Ety's work well for you, I love mine and probbly 90% of my daily listening is rock/metal and the Ety does a grand job of it, with some bass boost of course

 

[rincewind]

Guess he better answer his emails then, eh

Funny how u each stage of buying hifi stuff is excrutiating.. making sure u've explored all possible options from your price range (and above of course lol), reading all the yays and nays about it and deciding u can deal with the nays, picking one, repeating the previous two steps about 3 times (tell me it's not true), finding a good price for what u finally pick, then realising u haven't got the money until u can unmax ur credit card with the paycheck that should go through in the next 3 days (which are the longest 3 days u've experienced in a looong time), then realising the item won't arrive for X days.

But then when u get it.

 

[smeggy]

It's always the same, Just look at it in basic computer terms.

1- wait for decision
2- wait for money
3 -wait for dealer
4 -wait for delivery
5 -Goto 1

 

[Ruahrc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smeggy Ety 4s is great. Fast, detailed and takes bass EQ very well for added punch. You can actually bass boost the Ety to very high amounts without distortion so yes, they will work very well for what you want. A vey nice IEM.

Yep- despite their natural emphasis on the mids and highs, the Etys can pump out the bass with No distortion. I cranked the bass EQ on my computer all the way to the max once and the cans became extremely bassy with no hint of distortion at all. I was amazed.

BTW here's something to consider- why the ER-4S? From what I understand the ER-4P has a little more bass in it, which might suit your tastes better. And if you get the 4Ps, you can always buy or make your own 100ohm (?) converter cable to turn the 4P into a 4S for those times that you desire the higher fidelity and detail.

Ruahrc

 

[rincewind]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruahrc why the ER-4S?

Yeah, I read the same on here too. But these will always be amped (Hornet) and apparently these have a better sound signature in general. Both my sources (PC and iRiver) have bass boost of some sort, so I'd prefer the better headphones to start with. They are for my work rig - If they were for on-the-go, I'd definitely consider the "power" version and a convertor cable for work.