[GreatDane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oistrakh /img/forum/go_quote.gif I currently have the Shure e2c... how big of a jump is it to go from that to the ER-6i for classical?

I once owned Shure E4, sold them and bought ety ER6 which I like better. I feel the ER6 has better treble detail, makes them better for classical imo.

 

[immtbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guarneri /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just go with the ER-6 or ER-6i for now. I'm sure you won't be disappointed, especially for classical music. The jump to ER-4s/p is not nearly as large and at this point may even be indiscernible for you.

I have both models and I think there is a huge difference between the two in both soundstage and detail.

 

[malnar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oistrakh /img/forum/go_quote.gif is the 100$ upgrade really worth it to non-audiophile ears? Is it as dramatic as going from stock earbuds to ER-6i?

Honestly, I didn't consider myself an audiophile . . . until I heard the difference between my 6i and Shure E3C. Then I sold my E3C and upgraded to the ER4P and the difference between the 6i and 4P is STRIKING. I left my 4Ps at home today by accident and so have to use my 6i's, which I keep as backups at work, and it's a big step down. I really didn't think it would be but once you hear the clarity and extremely well-developed soundstage of the 4Ps, it's very difficult to go back. I think the biggest differences between audiophiles and . . . "regular" people boil down to equipment and simply caring to hear the difference.

 

[Oistrakh]

which is more comfortable

 

[pez]

I'm not sure, but I'm gonna say the Ety ER-6i's because they don't stick out, and I think double flanges are way more comfy than tri-flanges, but then again that have those foamies.

 

[Towert7]

That's a big concern for me. I'd like to have an IEM that I am able to wear with my winter hat that's flush with my ears. From the pics I've seen of them on dummy heads, the ER-4 stick out too far for this to be possible. ER-6i look interesting for me for a budget IEM.

 

[pez]

Oh, then ER-6i is for you if you want flush, because with double flanges, they don't stick out at all. Might I say they can be very comfy with the right size double-flanges too.

 

[japomono]

I upgraded from the 6i to the 4P/S. I found the difference less striking than what hit me when going to the 6i in the first place. Actually, the er-4 benefit more from amplifying, IMO. But if you do not want to go this path, You can stick to the 6i's without regret, I'd say.

Comfort: the 6 stick less out and have less microphonics in some situations. On the other hand, I had always troubles getting them out of the ear quickly.

Happy listening !

 

[malnar]

Don't get me wrong, the 6i are very nice, but the 4P are a whole new world of quality. Try going backward and see how you feel - it's a pretty drastic step.

As for the "stick-out" amount, I find that mine really don't stick out that much further than the 6i did. The cable attachment is what sticks out past my ear, and that's only about 1/8" or so. Admittedly, I don't do any laying on these so I can't say for sure how they work in that way, but they don't stick out like they show in the pictures in the dummy heads - those are obviously altered in their position to emphasize the earphones, otherwise it would just look like two wires going into ears. I find these equally as comfortable as the 6i - they feel exactly the same in my ears, and I don't know how they could feel any different.

 

[Oistrakh]

will it make a big difference upgrading if I'm only encoding at 126 kbps AAC on itunes?

 

[Towert7]

Even at those bit rates it's possible to get some very nice sounding recordings. An upgrade will just make it sound that much better. Only problem comes when you have recordings that sound bad (not a direct relation to the bit rate, trust me (I have songs at 64kbps that sound better than cheaply recorded songs on CD)). Then you hear just how bad they are, and it can be less enjoyable. For bad recordings, it's sometimes better to have something that glosses over the faults and doesn't emphasize them.

 

[malnar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oistrakh /img/forum/go_quote.gif will it make a big difference upgrading if I'm only encoding at 126 kbps AAC on itunes?

Sure! You'll just realize you need to re-encode them!

I'm only half-kidding - they do sound better, much better, but I am actually re-ripping many CDs that I don't like the sound of because the 4Ps reveal so much that I want to hear all that detail. If you can live with the duller sound, no big deal. And that's really what it is - the sound of those 128kbps AAC files is simply dulled compared to higher bitrate files. But, really, 128 AAC is a decent bitrate, equivalent to 160 mp3 at the least, which is why Apple chose to use it. I just prefer the added "air" that higher bitrates allow in the music, so I'm ripping at 224 VBR mp3. It's a good compromise of size and quality, I find.

 

[mrdeadfolx]

Well the er6-1's fit better but the ER4p's sound better, you just have to decide which is more important, fit or sound.

 

[noblsheep]

i'd say go for the er6i for now, the er4p won't be much better at the bitrate...

i used to have the er4p and had the er6i till a few days ago. the difference is huge.

 

[cowboyjack2008]

I'm a noobie to all of this, but just picked up a set of the er6i for less than $65 delivered from buy.com and couldn't be happier. I may be ignorant to the finer points of the world of high fi, but am happily enjoying my bliss with my Apple lossless ripped CDs on my iBook and Nano.