[frescagod]

that everyone coming from Ety er4's will audition UEs, Shures, Westones, etc, and immediately say "they're just not as detailed," or "they lack that sparkle that my beloved Etys have," etc? And that the sound signature of the non-Ety phones is inferior because of that?

I only ask because I seem to be in the very small minority of people who came from Shure (e2, e3, e4, and e500 now) and finally got some ER4Ps, and my complaint is that the Etys are harsh as heck.

Coming from Shure IEMs, my brain/ears are used to the slightly rolled off treble, which I have now come to prefer over the Ety bright sparkly treble. The biggest reason for this is that the Shures are still very detailed, but I can listen to them for 12 hours, vs. maybe 1 hour with Etys.

Also, the Ety fanboys always call their bass "tight" and "controlled," but the fact is, I listen to IEMs in the subway 95% of the time, and the Ety bass is just not sufficient enough in a loud environment, regardless of how many db of noise they block. Heck, my old Shure e4s didn't have enough bass either. The bass was detailed, etc, but only when I was listening in my quiet apartment. As soon as I got on a train, I could still hear every other midrange and treble detail, but the bass would drop 50%.

I find this to be the case with the Etys as well, and not only that, but they're also extremely microphonic, with one of the worst designs ever (and most uncomfortable). I would rate them at the absolute bottom in terms of comfort, and I never was a fan of the tri/bi-flanges.

In a quieter environment, I could probably get used to short-term use of the Etys, but for now, count me in with the Shure e500 fan base, because of:

1) Comfort
2) Bass that's bigger but not bloated, and still detailed
3) Nice mids
4) Virtually no microphonics

 

[nfsu]

E500s for the win! I wish they isolated better, but except that they are brilliant

 

[frescagod]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nfsu /img/forum/go_quote.gif E500s for the win! I wish they isolated better, but except that they are brilliant

you don't think they isolate well enough? i think that the isolation is on par with my old e4s, although they have the sound leakage problem (sound coming out of the housing itself even with the nozzle blocked). that doesn't happen unless the music is at like 60% volume, and 40% is generally loud enough to block out 99% of noises.

 

[nfsu]

Well, when I compared E500s isolation to E3s isolation I was dissapointed a bit. They also leak far more than E3. Overall they still have good isolation, but in noisy environment (school I mean) you have to listen slightly louder to hear music properly

 

[warpdriver]

Personally, I have Etys but don't use them much anymore. I really wanted to like the E500's but I didn't like the E500's at all either. It seems like a waste of three drivers when they can't reproduce highs in what I consider in the right proportions (which I'm sure is a deliberate Shure characteristic).

So you can put me in the "neither are that great" camp.

 

[SptsNaz]

Before you completely rule out the Ety's, try the Comply tips. Expensive, yes, but they are a pretty good improvement over the stock tips imo. Sound signature basically stays the same but you get much better bass and they are more comfortable. Not a big fan of the design and micro phonics too, but I learned to deal with it eventually. Anyway, just a suggestion

 

[frescagod]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SptsNaz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Before you completely rule out the Ety's, try the Comply tips. Expensive, yes, but they are a pretty good improvement over the stock tips imo. Sound signature basically stays the same but you get much better bass and they are more comfortable. Not a big fan of the design and micro phonics too, but I learned to deal with it eventually. Anyway, just a suggestion

I bought Complys and on my e500s, they lost bass impact compared to the stock Shure yellow foamies, and they definitely didn't isolate as well either (I'm sure the two are related). That said, they were probably the most comfortable tips I've used so far.

 

[PiccoloNamek]

I am always surprised when people say the ER4s are uncomfortable. How so? You must have ear canals the size of capillaries, because the ER4s are the smallest and least obtrusive IEMs out there.

Anyway, I had to get rid of my E4s because the upper mids were just too rolled off for my taste. A lot of music sounded just plain muted on them. I have to agree with you about tri-flanges though.

 

[redshifter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frescagod /img/forum/go_quote.gif that everyone coming from Ety er4's will audition UEs, Shures, Westones, etc, and immediately say "they're just not as detailed," or "they lack that sparkle that my beloved Etys have," etc? And that the sound signature of the non-Ety phones is inferior because of that? I only ask because I seem to be in the very small minority of people who came from Shure (e2, e3, e4, and e500 now) and finally got some ER4Ps, and my complaint is that the Etys are harsh as heck. Coming from Shure IEMs, my brain/ears are used to the slightly rolled off treble, which I have now come to prefer over the Ety bright sparkly treble. The biggest reason for this is that the Shures are still very detailed, but I can listen to them for 12 hours, vs. maybe 1 hour with Etys. Also, the Ety fanboys always call their bass "tight" and "controlled," but the fact is, I listen to IEMs in the subway 95% of the time, and the Ety bass is just not sufficient enough in a loud environment, regardless of how many db of noise they block. Heck, my old Shure e4s didn't have enough bass either. The bass was detailed, etc, but only when I was listening in my quiet apartment. As soon as I got on a train, I could still hear every other midrange and treble detail, but the bass would drop 50%. I find this to be the case with the Etys as well, and not only that, but they're also extremely microphonic, with one of the worst designs ever (and most uncomfortable). I would rate them at the absolute bottom in terms of comfort, and I never was a fan of the tri/bi-flanges. In a quieter environment, I could probably get used to short-term use of the Etys, but for now, count me in with the Shure e500 fan base, because of: 1) Comfort 2) Bass that's bigger but not bloated, and still detailed 3) Nice mids 4) Virtually no microphonics

it is hard to get anything of value out of your review considering we do not know your gear and your profile is not filled out.

 

[mycoman]

I have been using Etys for going on 5 years now. I use them only for air travel. I recently purchased a pair of Shure 530s because I thought they may raise the bar of my enjoyment. I have to say that my first impressions of the Shures are very positive. They have excellent bass and a very open and smooth midrange. The treble is not an issue with me. It seems smooth and seamless, as well as balanced. Overall, I have to say the Shures are better all around... at home with no background noise.

Using the "hand clap" test, it seems the Shures may be less efficient in the area of isolation though. If they "leak" sound outwardly, it seems to me to be quite probable that the leak may work the other direction as well (make sense?). This will be proven on my upcoming trip to China next week. I will either be quite (quiet?) pleased or very disappointed with my recent purchase. If the latter, anyone interested in a like-new pair of 530s?

FYI... I use tri flanges for both. I have found time and again they give me the best seal.

David

 

[frescagod]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redshifter /img/forum/go_quote.gif it is hard to get anything of value out of your review considering we do not know your gear and your profile is not filled out.

when moving around, i listen to a 3rd gen 20gb iPod and an 8gb 2nd gen iPod nano, and if i listen at home, it's straight out of a turtle beach santa cruz sound card.

they are general, ampless observations, and the idea of lugging around a headphone amp doesn't appeal to me at all. i also doubt that a $300 hornet amp will change the Etys sound enough to make me love them.

anyway, it wasn't a review; it was just a few general observations about the 'phones characteristics, which would still hold true with an amp. but i did like your response that reeked of pompousness, etc. sorry if my "setup" isn't up to your standards, but do you really think 97% of people buying portable IEMs really want a bulky amp to accompany them? i'm sure it may seem like a majority to you on this board, but in real life, i'd have to disagree again.

you missed the point of the post: those who listen to Etys for an extended period of time and then try Shures or UEs will fault them for not having "sparkle," while I contend that it's merely because of the fact that they're coming from an earphone as bright and crystal clear sounding as the Etys. If you went the other way around, which I did, then you'd find the Etys treble pretty harsh.

i eagerly await your response, which will probably put me in my place.

 

[Brohken]

that's why you need to ditch all the other IEMs and get some UM2's mauahaha

 

[Hi-Finthen]

frescagod, your observations, although not up to "review" standards (fullest context), were indeed valuable, useful and appreciated... ;-}

However, being controversial of course, expect others to look for more reasons (information) for your conclusions...

(;-}

 

[PiccoloNamek]

Quote:

you missed the point of the post: those who listen to Etys for an extended period of time and then try Shures or UEs will fault them for not having "sparkle," while I contend that it's merely because of the fact that they're coming from an earphone as bright and crystal clear sounding as the Etys. If you went the other way around, which I did, then you'd find the Etys treble pretty harsh.

I came from the E4s first. Going to the ER4s was like finally being able to breathe after being trapped underwater for a long time. No harshness at all, and all of the clarity that I had been missing for all those months.

 

[frescagod]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hi-Finthen /img/forum/go_quote.gif frescagod, your observations, although not up to "review" standards (fullest context), were indeed valuable, useful and appreciated... ;-} However, being controversial of course, expect others to look for more reasons (information) for your conclusions... (;-}

right, but if i were writing a full review, i would have obviously included standard lossless test tracks (probably only CDs) and a small portion composed of mp3s of the EAC > LAME 3.97 -aps/-apx/v0 lineage, since that's what I only listen to on my iPods. I would also focus some of the review on non-iPod usage, if only because I feel like the iPod itself is limiting in its scope. Things seem more closed-in on both of my iPods vs my soundcard, or even my work laptop's headphone jack.

but like all things, headphones are subjective. these are my conclusions from this whole thing:

1) Going from Shure e4/e500 to Ety ER4P, the treble that was once slightly recessed but smoother (which Shures aren't recessed in the 2k+ MHz range?) was now harsh. Not tinny, and surely more detailed and clear, but just flat out harsh to my poor ears. Of course, this harshness will vary from listener to listener, and is dependent on a variety of factors, such as (a) time spent in front of huge loudspeakers at concerts, (b) time spent blasting music at 100% volume through your iPod buds until you were smart enough to get noise-canceling earphones, and (c) the amount of earwax (gross) that you have accumulated in your ears.

2) I've read more reviews of Ety folks who were trying out Shures, UEs, etc, and the general consensus amongst those people was that the Etys were superior because the latter earphones lacked the clarity and the fast response, etc etc. I too experienced a similar transition from e4 to e500. I HATED my e500s for at least a week, because the vocals seemed distant, the highs seemed one-dimensional, and it didn't sound as balanced as they were advertised to be. However, I stopped listening to my e4s altogether and after probably 40 hours, my ears were accustomed to the sound sig of the e500, and I absolutely love them now. Of course, my drawbacks are that the treble still leaves a little bit to be desired, and the vocals are still a bit distant, as opposed to being completely up front/in your face like the Etys. However, for an overall musical presentation, I prefer the e500 over the e4 and ER4P, simply because they reproduce a richer overall sound that cuts through city noise.

I've listened to five different IEMs over the past 6 years, so I know what it's like to get a good seal and what it's like to get a crappy one. Even with the Etys jammed in with a perfect seal, the bass doesn't cut it for a balanced listening experience on a subway car, and the e500s do (for me). Maybe I'm in the minority in this.

My original post was just to spur the thinking that Ety lovers unnecessarily rip on Shures and other IEMs because it's just what their ears are used to (and what they're not used to). I guess I'm taking the argument too personally though.