[sid311]

I've had my ER4Ps for almost a year now and have formed a sort of love/hate relationship with them. I really love them for their incredibly detailed sound. However, I am having trouble with ear fatigue due to listening to them.

I recently upgraded to a APureSound cable which seemed to help a little but the problem still remains.

I'm looking for some way to alleviate this problem because I really love the sound of the Etys and don't want to have to sell them.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can reduce ear fatigue with the ER4Ps? I usually use the frosted tri flanges and have considered ordering some shure olive tips, thinking this might tame the highs a little. I've also considered a P>S adapter thinking this might help.


-sid

 

[Little Bob]

I use the Shure olives with my ER-4P and the comfort is fine, so it is worth you giving them a go, although I can't offer any comparisons as I have only ever used the olives.

Looking at your sig you seem to be using an amp, in which case I would definitely recommend that you get the P to S cable. As long as the bit rate of your music is high then you will never go back to the P on their own.

 

[nc8000]

Since you are stating that the APS cable helped some I'm assuming that it is the sound you find fatiguing and not the physical presence in the ear. I do use the Shure olives and have done so since they came out and find that they do tame the treble a bit (apart from to my ears being much more comfortable than any triflange tip) or I use the new T100x comply tip with wax guard and really deep imsertion. Also I use the spacer mod that gives more soundstage and again ever so slightly tones down the treble burn. Going to S I think you will find intensifies the treble so I don't know if that is the right way for you.

 

[ethan961]

Maybe you could try the RE252, or find a warmer amp?
It's too bad there is no real equivalent to the ER-4P if you like the Ety sound but it's a tad too bright. There's also the PFE, but it's not quite as high up there.

 

[sid311]

The fatigue is primarily from the sound. I do have a little discomfort from the tri flanges but it's not bad and goes away quickly after taking them out.

The MiniBox has a P to S switch on it but when I put it in S mode soundstage seems to shrink a bit and I lose some of the dynamics, which I don't really like. Is this a similar effect to the P to S cable?

I've only just started listening to them again after a 6 month break, stock cable stopped working on right side. I wonder if my brain needs some time to attenuate to the sound a bit.


-sid

 

[mvw2]

You always have the option to switch to other earphone. It of course depends on if you want to spend money or not and how much.

You might want to read through the reviews and see if you can pick out an option as a replacement. Read through ClieOS's and Joker's big reviews. They've tested a lot of value leaders that I personally have not listened to and will give you more insight then I can personally say.

 

[ethan961]

That's possible too, mental burn in. Give them some time, and if you just can't stand them, maybe look towards other tricks such as olives, or if it's really getting to you look for another analytical IEM.

 

[sid311]

Yes, I guess maybe a little brain burn in may be required, but I don't remember having to adjust to any other phones. I really hope this will help though.

I modified some of my tri flanges a little to try to space the drivers out further from my eardrums. I cut the tri flanges off at the third, and largest, flange and then trimmed the first and second flanges all the way down to the stalk/tube. Then, I slipped a comply T400 over the stalk until about 3 mm is protruding out of the back of the comply.

While I'm sure this will alleviate the small comfort issue, I'm not sure how much the sound will change b/c it's still traveling down the same tube. What will change the sound is the difference in driver spacing, hopefully it helps some.

I still haven't tried this solution though as my ears are still ringing from the abuse! I still feel that the olives might soak up some the high energy freqs.


-sid

 

[ethan961]

Ears ringing? That's not good, that's tinnitus, which = permanent damage. Are you listening to high volumes? I'm not sure if I read somewhere that high frequencies are more likely to aggravate it, so I can't say too much.

 

[sid311]

The ringing isn't terrible, it's just a bit more than usual. I've always had a bit of ringing in my ears for as long as I can remember.

I had this same problem back when I used to listen to them a lot before I took a break. I would have the ringing and slight loss of high frequency hearing but if I took some time off eveything would return to normal. I don't think it's pemanent, just a short term thing. The problem is I think it would become a permanent problem if I keep brutalizing my ears.

I'm listening at, what I think, are pretty low volume levels. About the same as any of my other phones. I just started listening to them againon Monday night when I received my APS cable. I probably listened for about three hours a night from Monday to Thursday.

Before that I had been listening to my UE Super.Fi 4s every night for about the same amount of time with no problem.


-sid

 

[sid311]

Double post....

 

[tnmike1]

I too use the COmply TX100 in conjunction with my Minibox E+ and simply love the sound. Had the Apuresound--on Antonyfirst's suggestion--and sold the cable in a few mnths; then again, did not have that cable with theMinibox, which may have made a difference.

Don't really understand "ear fatigue" as far as the sound goes; my fatigue comes often in an improper fit where my ear starts to either hurt or itch, which is why I switched to the "X" series comply

 

[sid311]

Yes, ear fatigue was the wrong thing to title this thread. I should have called it "ER4P and Listening Fatigue" as what I'm experiencing is definitely related to the sound.

The problem is that after listening to them for awhile the details become less pronounced to me and I begin to have some pain in the ear canal. After removing them my ears will ring for awhile depending on how long I've listened. The effect is cumulative, in that it doesn't hit me until a couple of days of listening a few hours each day. The last time I listened to them was Thursday night and I still have a little bit of ringing and intermittent pain today.

I would say that it is the beginning of hearing damage and if I continue to listen like this it could become a real problem. The thing is that this doesn't happen with any of the other phones I've tried. I might get a little bit of slight ringing but nothing like what I'm experiencing with the ER4Ps.


-sid

 

[mark2410]

try the RE-0 for a tiny bit less brutal

or for not brutal at all RE-252

 

[ethan961]

That's definitely something bad if it gets worse and worse and causes pain.
I highly suggest trying a new IEM before any damage becomes permanent, because over time it can.
RE252 should be better for your ears without sacrificing detail, or you could move to something like the Westone 3.