[inlimbo]

My Etymotic ER-6i's are done. The wires must be coming apart near the jack so that only one channel works (unless I push the cord around in different directions until I can get the other channel to work).

I found them to be really good. They were my first pair of 'proper' 'phones. But I was annoyed at how quickly they died (about 1 year) and the cord tangle. But otherwise they were great. I can see how people might say they were a bit light on bass (I thought they were fine as I’m not a bass-head) but they could be a bit distorted on some bassy tracks.

I found the white-plastic flange tips to be the best.

I can't decide between upgrading to the ER-4p or the E4c? Both are basically the same price on Amazon. Around $170US.

I will be using it on my 3rd gen Applie iPod, my new iPod nano and my Powerbook.

I have read a number of reviews of both, but the reviews all contradict each other!

I have read reviews that say that the Ety's are a bit light on bass and Shure's are better. But then a review here (Shure E4c Sound Isolating Earphones | iLounge) suggests that Shure's lack bass?

I have read that the Ety's have less microphonic problems because of the twisted cable design. Then I have read that the Shure's are less microphonic? Further I have read that they are equally microphonic and the best way is to run the cord down the back of your ear to solve that problem?

The review here (Amazon.com: Etymotic ER-4P Portable In-Ear Earphones: Electronics) - first one by "Joshua G. Feldman "Technophile" (New York)" suggests that the both phones are very close.

However, this review (first on page – Amazon.com: Shure E4c Sound Isolating Earphones: Electronics) suggests that the Shure's are better. ?????

I’m sure some of the reviews suffer from people not achieving a proper seal and/or not burning in the 'phones.

What music do I listen to? Well unfortunately a bit of everything: rock, jazz (e.g Miles Davis); electronic (IDM stuff - Aphex Twin, Autechre), harder rock (e.g. Tool); classical etc…

I will use them mainly on my 2 hour train commute to and from the city each day. They are necessary part of regular commuting.

I know people will say "Hey just buy both and then send back the ones you don't like". Of course that means I have to spend some time burning in both 'phones. But more importantly I am in Australia and will getting them all the way from Amazon in the US (much cheaper that way) and I am not sure of the return policy (and I don't want them to get lost in the post on the way back)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[nismohks]

i too decided to upgrade my ety er6i.

However the path i went was to the UE sf5p.

Those are very good i must say. i love the sf5p and i too am not a bass lover.

there were several reasons why i chose the UE.
1) replaceable cord. - i live in aus as well. service will be a BITCH. which is why i like the added security of a replaceable cord.
2) dual drivers. - at first i was unconvinced, however i find it to actually be a lot better than the er6i! bass is there, midrange, treble . damn good for the price. it has a nice balanced sound

Mine are from Amazon as well, lucky that i had a relative going to the states so i immediately express mailed it to them australia costs FAR too much for this type of stuff so it really does suck. its just impossible for us aussies to rock up at a harvey norman or something to buy a set of shures and refund them a day later. not to mention the cost either.

so yea, look into the SF5p

ps. how are you getting them from amazon? do they ship electronics to australia?

 

[Spyro]

I owned both at the same time. I preferred the Shure E4. While it is not close to SE530, it still has a slightly bassier and certainly a thicker, fuller sound than the ER4P. The ER4P beats it on treble detail but I would give the nod to the E4 in every other area.

E4 was the first IEM I put in my ears that really blew me away. Very controlled, neutral and balanced with great overall detail. Neither IEM is for anyone that likes big bass.

 

[TickTockMan]

I haven't listened to the Shures, but I'm very happy with the ER-4Ps. Excellent for every type of music I feed them, especially Jazz and Classical. To my ears, the bass is just right.

 

[episiarch]

Between the two I would nudge you towards the ER-4P. I own the E4C plus a pretty wide collection of Etys, and the rolled-off highs of the Shures bother me a lot. If you're coming from ER-6i's and liked them, then I suspect you may be more of an Ety person than a Shure person.

It's true the Etys suffer more from microphonics. It is, frankly, a problem. If your commute involves mostly sitting still then the extra microphonics won't be a big deal. But if you're standing, or keeping the earphones on while changing trains, moving around on the platform, etc., etc., then I think the Ety microphonics would become an issue pretty quickly. Some people solve this by looping the cables up and over the ears - in effect wearing the Etys "Shure style" - but personally I've always found that fairly awkward given the ER-4P's shape.

In your position what I would be most likely wear for my commute is the Ety ER-6. It is a higher-quality earphone than the ER-6i (I was shocked, when I first tried it, at how much better it was), and in fact is more than comparable to the ER-4P. It is harder to drive than the ER-6i or ER-4P, but a portable will still drive it very well. It is small and stealthy like the ER-6i and very easy to wear Shure-style if you wish (take the lapel clip off from below where the wires join, reattach it above where the wires join, and then slide it up to snug the wires behind your head the way you would with the little clear tube on the Shures).

My suggesting the ER-6 no doubt raises questions for you of durability and tangle-prone-ness. Well here's the thing: I've gone through a few pairs of ER-6i's and ER-6's (not through breakage...leaving one behind in a hotel room, giving one to a friend, owning a couple spares so I have one in each briefcase/laptop-bag), and it appears that Etymotic has reformulated the cables a few times on these. My original ER-6i had a very flimsy and tangle-prone cable. My original ER-6 had a considerably sturdier, less tangle-prone, but still very supple cable. Later versions of the ER-6i seem to have a cable more like the ER-6's, a bit more durable.

I realize you may be wary of the ER-6i and by extension the ER-6 because of your experience, but FWIW I find the ER-6 to be a very good travel phone and I've never broken one. And it is a sonic upgrade from the ER-6i. If you head towards the ER-4P, though, you won't be making a bad choice either. Personally I don't care for the Shure E4 all that much, but there are lots of people whose opinions vary.

 

[Navyblue]

If you like the ER-6i, you can't go wrong with the ER-4P because it simply does everything better. Well, may be except for the price.

Another pro in my book about ER-4P is it is the flagship product and you won't be wondering about the next better model. May be except for the Apuresound cable.

 

[episiarch]

Well technically the ER-4S is the flagship model. But the ER-4P can be converted on the fly into an ER-4S with a small adaptor cable, and that's a pretty killer feature if you like the ER-4P for on-the-go listening but want the option of a flatter response for home/hi-fi listening.

 

[mr_superlove]

I'm going to bring up a strictly superficial concern: Ety 4Ps tend make one look silly with pigtails and all.

That said, I've owned both. My 4Ps cracked after about 3 years and I sent them to get fixed immediately. One channel of my e4cs went out and I threw them in the trash.

 

[kostalex]

I prefer ER-6i itself to Shure E4. So it is sidestep rather than upgrade.

It seems that you like Ety signature as I do, so follow me:

1) Get ER-4P, which is a real upgrade to ER-6i.

2) Get P->S cable adaptor later. Thus you will have ER-4S also for home (amped) use. I prefer it slightly to Shure E500 (E530), which is better than E4c.

Here is my rating:

E4c <= ER-6i < ER-4P < E500 <= ER-4S

 

[JeffMac]

If you liked the fit and the sound of the ER-6i, you will like the ER-4P/S. I recently made the same upgrade. I found the fit to be just about exactly the same. And the sound, while better, isn't totally reinventing the wheel. Everything you like about the 6i is in there, it's all just a little better.

I wouldn't call the cable "sturdy" -- I definitely feel like I baby it a little. But it's definitely more solid than the 6i. Microphonics are definitely there, no question. And I don't find it very easy to wear them over the ear, since they stick out at an odd angle for that. But with the shirtclip, for the most part I'm not bothered.

That said, I haven't heard the Shures, so who knows which you'd prefer? But I would stand behind -- "If you liked 6i, you'll really like 4p/s." They've made my subway commutes far more bearable!

 

[redrich2000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr_superlove /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm going to bring up a strictly superficial concern: Ety 4Ps tend make one look silly with pigtails and all. That said, I've owned both. My 4Ps cracked after about 3 years and I sent them to get fixed immediately. One channel of my e4cs went out and I threw them in the trash.

I really disagree with this. I was expecting the Ety's to look geeky but they are actually LESS obtrusive than the Shures. Especially if you get black 4Ps, they disappear inside your ears.

In addition, if you run the cable under a jumper or shirt, you can't see the cable and the microphonics are controlled. I actually run mine under my shirt than round behind my head, clipping the pod to the back of my collar. REALLY unobtrusive and ZERO microphonics.

Lastly if you liked the ER6i, you should DEFINITELY get the ER-4P. The Shures have badly rolled off treble, you will be EQing the Shures to get the treble clarity you are used to. The ER-4 has at least as much if not more bass than the E4G, the main difference is the mids and highs. The Shures have warmer smoother mids, the Ety's have precise brighter mids. The Ety highs are also much clearer and more detailed.

 

[kostalex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffMac /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you liked the fit and the sound of the ER-6i, you will like the ER-4P/S.

Let me go further and say:

If you liked the sound of the ER-6i, you will not like the E4c.

 

[dazzer1975]

the last few posts have been spot on imo, you are coming from ety er6i's, which was the very first phone I bought too and upgraded to an er4p with p to s adaptor cable, I also bought the shure se530, and while I know they arent the e4, if you enjoyed the ety sound, get the er4p.

the ety's sound sig is light and vibrant and clean and clear while the shures is dark and boomy.

I happen to prefer that lean sound signature as I happen to think the k701 is like I described for te ety's and the hd650 is like I described for the se530, ut for me and imo the ety er4p (get the p to s cable too) would serve you better if you have been broght up on the er6i's

 

[warpdriver]

The E4 Shures are very rolled off in the treble and yet don't offer a significant improvement in the bass. I'd definitely go for the ER4P if you like the Ety sound.

Having said that, these days I'm rediscovering the fact that I actually like more bass than I got with my ER6i, and hence am ordering the Triple.Fi's

 

[jinx20001]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kostalex /img/forum/go_quote.gif I prefer ER-6i itself to Shure E4. So it is sidestep rather than upgrade. It seems that you like Ety signature as I do, so follow me: 1) Get ER-4P, which is a real upgrade to ER-6i. 2) Get P->S cable adaptor later. Thus you will have ER-4S also for home (amped) use. I prefer it slightly to Shure E500 (E530), which is better than E4c. Here is my rating: E4c <= ER-6i < ER-4P < E500 <= ER-4S

so what exactly do you like about the e500 more than the er4p?? because they are so different its untrue!. plus how can the e4c be bottom when its a damn closer sound to the e500 than both er6 and er4, im confused.

to the OP, if you had ety's before, id stick with ety's for sure. you may be dissapointed with anything you hear that isnt ety. most ety users are, thats how good they are