[davidtoc]

I spent several days trying to decide which pair of in-ear phones to buy, and I had it narrowed down to the Etymotic ER-4P and the Shure E2C. No comparison, you say? Well, that's the conclusion I came to, too. But I couldn't get past the fact that I couldn't find a single picture ANYWHERE of ANYONE wearing the Etymotics, even on Etymotic's own site or in their downloadable product manuals. When I finally did a photo, it was only with the earhugger mod, which I couldn't really understand. There was even a thread on head-fi a few months ago asking for photos of people wearing their ER-4's, but the only response was a photo of the earhugger mod again. Then a friend finally sent me a pic he'd found of someone wearing theirs "out-of-the-box" and "un-modified". My three-word response: "Really, really ugly."

From the photo I saw, which I wish I still had so I could post it here, it looks like two robot antennae sticking out of the guys ears. Do they really stick out that far? Does anyone have a photo of themselves (or of anyone else) wearing un-modded ER-4's? I want good earphones to wear around town, but I don't people pointing and laughing at me.

This is all based on photographs. I do not know anyone who owns the Etymotic's, and I've never seen them in person, so who knows, maybe my perception off base, but based on what I've seen in photos, I just couldn't bring myself to buy them. If you have a photo of someone wearing the un-modded ER-4's that doesn't look stupid, please post it and I'll give them a second consideration.

 

[troublemaker]

you look a dick - but you KNOW its worth it.

also they look CHEAP - i will walk around my mall happily with them and the iPod in the pocket knowing most theifs would assume the cost like $3.99 or something!

 

[blessingx]

They're black wires that go in your ears with a little red showing on one side and blue on the other. That's it. Out of any phones discussed on this site, if the Etys are ugly on someone, I'm guessing it's what's in between that's the real culprit.

Maybe the bow of the wires from the pod to the ears could be of some concern (most wires obviously go straight down), but that's about it.

... and welcome to Head-Fi.

 

[3Double]

Quote:

Originally posted by troublemaker you look a dick - but you KNOW its worth it. also they look CHEAP - i will walk around my mall happily with them and the iPod in the pocket knowing most theifs would assume the cost like $3.99 or something!

I would have a lot of sympathy for someone willing to steal the waxen Ety's from my ears.

Also, you could paint the wires white so everyone would assume you are among the "iPod elite". Of course, I laugh at everyone that uses iPod 'phones, so you might not be totally safe.

 

[daycart1]

This from a guy who used to wear the HD 280 at the gym.... I look a lot better now that I work out with the Etys!

 

[cadobhuk]

why couldnt they make the wires go straight down?

 

[DanT]

Quote:

Originally posted by troublemaker [...] also they look CHEAP - i will walk around my mall happily with them and the iPod in the pocket knowing most theifs would assume the cost like $3.99 or something!

You should have seen the face of the postman when he ask me what was the declare value for insurance for this flimsly little wire, 2 small black cylinder, a grey(ER-4S) plastic thingy and I said 300$

But beside when you wear them you stop carring about what anything look. I assure you it's the last thing on your mind.

 

[blessingx]

Quote:

Originally posted by cadobhuk why couldnt they make the wires go straight down?

They do, but you attach the pod (where the left and right channels/wires separate) to your shirt and you want some give so you can turn your head. Plus by it bowing out it stays away from your cloths minimizing the microphonics/cord noise.

 

[episiarch]

davidtoc, when I'm wearing them they go deep into my ears (eartips going in in and up at an angle) so that the blue/red parts that you can actually see don't stick out from my head at all -- they just point straight down. Nothing sticking out, no Frankenstein effect.

What it looks like on you is going to depend on how your ears are shaped and on your skill in inserting the eartips. The first time I put the Etys on I didn't have much idea which way or how deep they should go, and it wound up looking like I had electrodes sticking horizontally out of my head, like some kind of highly perverse experiment. But now that I've got the knack for inserting them right, they're very low-profile.

 

[Ticky]

Quote:

Originally posted by episiarch What it looks like on you is going to depend on how your ears are shaped and on your skill in inserting the eartips.

I second that comment. Everyone's pinna, the visible part of the outer ear, is differently shaped. I think, it is the size of your "front pinna" (don't know what the scientific term for it) would determine whether the Etys looks like its sticking out of your ears or not.

 

[lindrone]

In comparison to the E2's.. (or any of the Shure's).. the Ety's are ugly looking.. there's no if and buts about it...

If you're willing to trade the sound quality of the E2 versus the Ety for looks is strictly another matter of discussion...

Personally, I just don't think that a $200 earphone or headphone should ever, ever be super-ugly looking. There's a difference between consumer design and industrious design... but it shouldn't be ugly.

I put Grados in that category too... they're sooo ugly

 

[hazmat]

It's fine when I'm using the white silicon tips. The earphones go in far enough that not much sticks out. When I tried the foam tips, I found them sticking out significantly farther.

 

[psyco1]

I wear them at work because they look like industrial earplugs, with the Zen in my pocket, it's easy to get away with sonic bliss.

 

[cscott23]

That's why the fix-up cord was so great. It was black, and the wires were perpendicular to the driver; so, they went straight down the side of your face.

BTW, I took a permanent black marker to the red and blue franken-plugs.

 

[rt297]

It's the Shures that look like some geezer has a hearing aid stuck in his head. The Ety's look pretty hip by comparison.