[Spyro]

Me either.  ER4 among easiest fitting IEM ever.  I nice slender housing...no matter whether the black charcoal foams (my favorite) or the tri-flanges, it's a very simple fit with no in between.

 

[Mooses9]

Yep sometimes I think people over contextualize the fit of the etymotic and they complicate it. It's a very simple design I mean as simple as you can get imo it's like find the right tip that fits your ear and be done with it don't over think it. Etymotic surely didn't why should you.

 

[suburbanite]

I concur: good fit = good sound... And if one eartip doesn't fit, there's no shortage of an alternatives

 

[ozkan]

 

1. The entire ER4 line have removable cables, though there's physically quite a bit more friction to it when compared to IEMs that are billed as removable-cable type.
2. ER4P/PT is nice to have the 'option' of turning it into an ER4S with the adapter cable, but if you're seeking pure sound quality, you'll always be using the adapter. My ER4S wasn't hard to drive out of my Sansa Clip on ReplayGain'd files.
3. The ER4 line is definitely more sturdy than the HF line cable-wise, but at a steep cost of comfort. The cable is heavy and microphonic... but will last forever.
4. IMHO, the ER4P already sound better than the HF5 without the P->S cable... but not by a whole lot. Which leads me to my next point...

 
Here's my advice: try out the new MK5 Etymotic just released last month. For me, it was a very clear step up in audio quality compared to the HF series. To me, the quality of Etymotic's historical lineup ranges ER4S > ER4P/PT > ER6/i > MK5 > HF5 > EK > MC5. I'm frankly a bit surprised they're only selling for $60. Give them a spin and see if your impressions are similar, you can't go wrong for the price. They also have better, though similar, build quality to the HF series.
 
Overall the MK5 sound is a lot clearer and more detailed than the HF5, though the MK5 goes for a wide soundstage while the HF5 goes for an intimate in-your-face one. One big thing to note is that the MK5 have much tighter, more present bass, compared to even the ER4 line (and no it's not boomy in any way whatsoever, it's still an Ety). It sounds quite a bit like the old ER6 with a touch less microdetail and a wider sound stage.
 
And just a little note, every Etymotic product I've ever heard at least sounds "fairly similar" as far as sound signature goes. In fact, they're intentionally tuned that way, to match Ety's house sound and target 'accuracy'. It's all just different levels of detail and refinement. If you like one Ety product, you'll (probably) never be completely turned off by another, as they're all alike; but you will be well-suited to eke out extra details if you can afford them.

 
Wow. If it is really better than HF5 then I should buy these because I always wished for a little more bass and treble when I had them.

 

[shureThing]

I haven't read the past four pages so I'm not sure if any/all of these points were mentioned.
 
I've had experience with a number of Etymotic models, including the MC series, the HF series as well as the ER series. To my ears, all sound quite similar, with the MC series being slightly less linear/natural - it's actually quite difficult to tell ... perhaps less treble extension? and slightly more bass?
 
The HF and ER series sound pretty much the same to me. The ER series aspires more confidence in it's build, particularly with the cables and strain relief. The HF series on the other hand is more suitable for over-the-ear usage. Both react quite similarly in terms of additional resistance (e.g. using an air plane adaptor) and tip selection (short-stem tips, such as Shure flex tips, seem to be well recommended - these also provide better comfort).
 
In my opinion, the HF series is a better choice due to the better price as well as over-the-ear comfort. It also comes in a choice of colours. You might want to buy the ER series for other sentimental reasons though, such as it's interesting history, or more "audiophile" aesthetic with the braided cable, L-shaped jack and such. The cable on the ER series is also less prone to the memory effect.

 

[suburbanite]

I finally broke down and bought the MK5's. 

 
I'm using them as my leave-them-at-work earphones and they're great for that because if they get stolen, I won't be too angry about it (though still angry).
 
I'm using them with Westone silicone Star Tips.
 
What I can report:

1. they came with no wax filters, but I had some spare Etymotic wax filters which slipped right in
2. their plastic housings are rather large which makes them easier to handle than my (smaller) HF5's
3. they seem to have the same cable as the HF5's
4. they do indeed have the Etymotic sound signature and in that respect are at least comparable to my HF5's- if not outrightly as good

 
The MK5's are a good introduction to the Etymotic sound signature and at $60 are definitely worth recommending- just tell them to buy some wax filters at the time of purchase.
 

 

[ozkan]

I finally broke down and bought the MK5's. 

I'm using them as my leave-them-at-work earphones and they're great for that because if they get stolen, I won't be too angry about it (though still angry).

I'm using them with Westone silicone Star Tips.

What I can report:

• they came with no wax filters, but I had some spare Etymotic wax filters which slipped right in
• their plastic housings are rather large which makes them easier to handle than my (smaller) HF5's
• they seem to have the same cable as the HF5's
• they do indeed have the Etymotic sound signature and in that respect are at least comparable to my HF5's- if not outrightly as good

The MK5's are a good introduction to the Etymotic sound signature and at $60 are definitely worth recommending- just tell them to buy some wax filters at the time of purchase.

Do you mean the green filters by wax filters? I had the HF5 once and preferred them without filters since that wax filters already decreased the treble quantity of HF5. Can you compare the stock form of the MK5 to HF5 please? If it is as good as HF5 in stock form (without any filters) I may grab one soon. Thank you.

 

[suburbanite]

 

I finally broke down and bought the MK5's. 

I'm using them as my leave-them-at-work earphones and they're great for that because if they get stolen, I won't be too angry about it (though still angry).

I'm using them with Westone silicone Star Tips.

What I can report:

1. they came with no wax filters, but I had some spare Etymotic wax filters which slipped right in
2. their plastic housings are rather large which makes them easier to handle than my (smaller) HF5's
3. they seem to have the same cable as the HF5's
4. they do indeed have the Etymotic sound signature and in that respect are at least comparable to my HF5's- if not outrightly as good

The MK5's are a good introduction to the Etymotic sound signature and at $60 are definitely worth recommending- just tell them to buy some wax filters at the time of purchase.

Do you mean the green filters by wax filters? I had the HF5 once and preferred them without filters since that wax filters already decreased the treble quantity of HF5. Can you compare the stock form of the MK5 to HF5 please? If it is as good as HF5 in stock form (without any filters) I may grab one soon. Thank you.

 
I can't directly compare them. 

 
I use my HF5's with my Nexus 5 on Caltrain and my MK5's with my desktop computer at work, so my usage of the two is really different.
 
My immediate impression of the MK5's when listening to rock n' roll, though, is that the bass guitar and background vocals are both clearly and effortlessly distinguishable. When listening to Diana Krall, the vocals are very forward and life-like.
 
My suspicion is that the HF5's cost more because:

1. HF5's have aluminum housings vs. MK5's have plastic housings
2. HF5's come with ear wax filters vs. the MK5's don't
3. HF5's come with the glider ear tips vs. the MK5's don't
4. HF5's come with a "deluxe" carrying pouch vs. the MK5's come with the "the people's" carrying pouch
5. HF5's come in a hard, protective cardboard box vs. the MK5's come in a big-box-store-esque shrink-moulded plastic container

 
So the HF5's are generally "nicer"... but the sound signature? The detail retrieval? Both are very Etymotic.

 

[Mooses9]

i wish the westone star tips were a little more erognomic for the etymotics i mean they can work no doubt but i wish they had like a triple flange 3 flange star tip or something along those longs, they are super comfy, i def understand wht you would use the star tips with them.
 
im talking about personally putting them on like say the er4 per say.

 

[ozkan]

I will be getting my MK5  by tomorrow and share my first impressions here. 
 
 
edit: typo

 

[eyal1983]

MK5...

 

[ozkan]

My first impressions: They are really good for $59. Has more bass and treble than HF5 if my memory serves me well. A happy new MK5 owner here!  I will burn them in and share more impressions later.  

 

[ozkan]

  My first impressions: They are really good for $59. Has more bass and treble than HF5 if my memory serves me well. A happy new MK5 owner here!  I will burn them in and share more impressions later.  

 
No, they are not good. They are awesome! 
 
Here is my ranking: ER4P/S > MK5 > HF5