[Patrickhat2001]

Howdy folks. I always hear how so-and-so phone sounds when compared to other high end phones like the Senn HD 600 or Sony CD3000. But what about Etys!!?? Where does they rank in terms of sound quality when compared to the other big boys? No comments about comfort issues or isolation issues please, just sound quality. I hate to be pushy, but I think this really needs to be done.

P.S. Sound quality would also include the soundstage.

P.P.S. This forum is way too addicting, I really need to get back to work.

 

[SteeleBlayde]

Some might consider the Etys even better that the two cans you mentioned. The general consensus however is that they are of great value and stack up exceedingly well with high end head phones that are more expensive.

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

I try to stay away from using the word best, but in the last 20 years I have not heard any transducers period whether it is speakers, or headphones that equal the transparency, and spooky detail of the Etys; one of my all time favorites.

 

[Patrickhat2001]

Cool. Anyone else have an opinion? I think we really need to see where the Ety's place in the headphone hieracrchy.

 

[RobertR]

I think that the etys are a reference standard by which you can judge the quality of a lot of other high end phones.
Whenever I listen to other phones I'm usually aware of their distinct character or "coloration" like dark, bright or laid back. Switching back to etys I dont get that feeling.

Besides theyre a bargain and easy to drive.

 

[Gojira]

If you're trying to make a decision between the etys and a full size phone like the 600 or 3000, my advice is not to base it on the opinions you'll find here on relative sound quality.

My opinion is that they are not very comparable. If you want to compare the etys to something, compare them to the KSC-35s or maybe a pair of Grados, something more portable than a HD600 or CD3000. Also, listening to canalphones is a fundamentally different experience from listening to regular headphones. The music is even more "inside your head".

The sound is indeed extremely accurate, but to my ear they are just a bit on the "thin" side, especially powered from a portable source.

At the moment I prefer the HD600 in most contexts. This wasn't always true. When I first started using the etys I preferred them due to their more up-front style. They seemed to immerse me more in the music than the Senns.

If you even slightly consider portability and comfort, the etys will walk all over any other phone. I think the answer really depends more on the type of music you listen to, the sources you use, and how you do most of your listening than any general purpose answer WRT sound quality.

 

[puppyslugg]

Quote:

Originally posted by Gojira If you want to compare the etys to something, compare them to the KSC-35s or maybe a pair of Grados, something more portable than a HD600 or CD3000.

KSC-35s? Please!!! Get real!!

 

[zeplin]

If the Ety's sound thin to you, then you there's obviously something wrong with your setup (amp or source), or even the seal, or just the way your canals are shapped. I'm just saying that don't equate the less visceral bass presented by the Ety's with thin sounding because they are not the same. One thing is for sure, they are not for everyone. But I think they are better than all of my other cans hands down (see profile).

 

[fiddler]

The level of detail is indeed amazing. However, something just doesn't quite sound right to me in the upper midrange area. These won't be replacing my HD600/Equinox as my primary headphone any time soon.

 

[MusicJunkie]

When i listen to my ER4Ps i am still totally amazed at the level of detail and overall sonic purity of them even after owning them for over a year. They are nothing short of amazing.

I agree with CRESCENDOPOWER in that I had never heard anything that even came close to sounding as good as these phones. Until I heard my current speakers that is.

If you're shopping for cans get the etys. you'll never be sorry you did.

MJ

 

[Gojira]

@puppyslugg:
Quote:

KSC-35s? Please!!! Get real!!

Exactly. That's my whole point. I find these kinds of comparisons silly if what you are looking for is an even somewhat portable phone, or arguably, the most comfortable phone ever made. There is no other choice but an etymotic canalphone. There is nothing else that even comes close.

I hope you didn't read my statement as an endorsement of the Koss KSC-35. Although I own at least 4 pairs, I consider it to be an utter POS, regardless of what anyone here says. Its muddy, bloated, bass-heavy. It's only virtue is a fullness/warmth as compared to stock phones and that ultra-portable over the ear design.

@zeplin:
Quote:

If the Ety's sound thin to you, then you there's obviously something wrong with your setup (amp or source), or even the seal, or just the way your canals are shapped.

There are many things wrong with my setup, starting with the attempt to listen to the etys unamped from a portable source (a TCD-D8 or D-321 for instance), an audigy soundcard, or the headphone jack of a home DAT player.

I don't yet have a headphone amp or anything better than an NAD 512 CDP for a source. I am comparing them to my HD600, just as he requested. He didn't specify that I needed to use an Earmax or MG head from a Jolida JD100 or anything.

It could also be my ears. I am quite biased at the moment in favor of darker/warmer cans, which is why I am close to purchasing a W100.

Quote:

I'm just saying that don't equate the less visceral bass presented by the Ety's with thin sounding because they are not the same.

Well, I am not a bass-head by any means. What I look for is midrange/vocal sweetness, soundstage, and detail. I prefer the balance of the HD600 at the moment. My Ety ER4S phones *do* sound "thinner" to me than my HD600 phones out of the same very limited sources. It has nothing to do with bass, everything to do with warmth/fullness/midrange.