[ClieOS]

Quote:

I think I have a solution, I'll buy the ER4 PT's I think I can get them for $200, then I send them to etymotic and have them convert them to ER4s that will ensure that I get a matched pair and the ER4s I wanted, question is how much would it cost to convert, I don't want to spend more than $250

IIRC, Etymotic doesn't 'upgrade' one ER4 to another. If you sent in a 4P, you will get a 4P back (for warranty). I do remember they refused a person's similar request last time and they don't sell the cable for different models out. 4PT is essentially just 4P, and 4S is 4P with added resistance (100ohm vs 27ohm). The difference between 4P and 4S is in the cable's pod (which houses metal resistor inside). The drivers themselves are identical between the two models. Even the 4B is using the same driver (the difference is also in the cable pod, which has a pair of small capacitor beside the 100ohm resistors).
 


Quote:

I want the ER4s because I want my ultraportable rig to be small as possible and I don't want to use an adapter. but I think you might be right, I remember reading somewhere that there is something in the ER4s driver that makes them unique, but I need to bug them to see if it is possible. If not, I think I might buy the westone CR1 custom IEM's... I dunno, $250's the limit.

ebay adapter isn't that big anyway. Much cheaper and smaller than the one Ety sells.
 

 

[kiteki]

Depends which adapter you get, I got this one since it's 7N OFC, 24K, and very good craftmanship imho.
 
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270772252163
 
7N OFC rox.

 

[BattleBrat]

OH ECBUY! That VARY ebay seller made my Walkman LOD for my Lisa III XP! Yeah, they make solid stuff. Unfortunately I'm moving into making my own lods w/ Jena Ultra wire, it is cheaper than I thought.
Hmmmm I'll need to think about it, Etymotic has been screwing the pooch in multiple areas lately, not being as accurate w/ the er4s when it is supposed to be a reference dead neutral IEM is VERY disturbing to me.
 
 I'll bug J&R see if I can grind the ER4PT down to $170-$190
If I cant, I'll bug the etymologist and see if i can grind him down on the CR1's price $289 is a bit steep for something I cannot get with acrylic shells and a replaceable cable. 

 

[weechuen]

I remembered reading somewhere that there isn't any difference.
 
the only surplus is that they included more accessories to make it more "portable"
 
somehow the T seem to represent transportable or something.

 

[Reticuli2]

Call them.  I'm sure they'll build an S for you and give you the certificate.  In my opinion, the S is still worth the original MSRP.  Once you call them and speak either to customer service or the technicians, you've bypassed whoever came up with the marketing stuff.  I like the Shure 535 a lot, too. I was extremely impressed with how pure and transparent the mids are on them considering how warm and a touch slow/over-damped they are overall.  But I think some of the highs are still more there on the Ety.  It's analytical and "studio" sound versus a tone that is more forgiving and entertaining.  I don't find the Ety boring, it's just that the Shure was so darn pleasant and great.  Putting it in was a little tricky for me, but I guess the same was true for the ER4 when I first got it.  I'll probably actually get a Shure eventually, if I don't get a planar or electrostatic first.  If you don't care about the difference in price and you're considering the PT with the lower impedence for more bass on weaker jacks, I would definitely get the Shure instead.  If you want a flatter sound and can run them well and aren't looking for super listenable non-reference warmth, then the ER4S (or a T) version is the way to go.  It also isolates better than Shure from what I remember.  Ety and HN-7506 are the highest isolators.  People sometimes think there's something wrong with the Ety.  I think it's mostly the lack of color and the rediculously optimal balance & speed of it.  Very few headphones make it so easy to pick out the layers in a multi-track or beatmatch when DJing.  You put on normal headphones and it's like half the information or resolution seems gone.  I pretty much compare all sound systems and headphones to the ER4S.

 

[kiteki]

 
Quote:

 
[...]People sometimes think there's something wrong with the Ety.  I think it's mostly the lack of color and the rediculously optimal balance & speed of it.  Very few headphones make it so easy to pick out the layers in a multi-track or beatmatch when DJing.  You put on normal headphones and it's like half the information or resolution seems gone.  I pretty much compare all sound systems and headphones to the ER4S.

 
Nice, can't wait to hear them!
 
 

 

[BattleBrat]

 
Quote:

 

[...]People sometimes think there's something wrong with the Ety.  I think it's mostly the lack of color and the rediculously optimal balance & speed of it.  Very few headphones make it so easy to pick out the layers in a multi-track or beatmatch when DJing.  You put on normal headphones and it's like half the information or resolution seems gone.  I pretty much compare all sound systems and headphones to the ER4S.

When I did my amp comparison, the IEM's I used were the ER6's (not the ER6i's the ER6's the poor mans ER4s) 

 

I dunno guys, I'm seeing the etymologist tomorrow, and the urge to buy some custom westones is immense the AC-1's (their new budget single driver customs) are calling my name, and for the price I won't be afraid to use them. I went to B&H and the previously $180 ER4pt's have shot back up to $300, in fact the ER4s are the cheapest, checking in at a thrifty $289, I want to call J&R, but once I haggle to $180 I gotta buy.

 

I need to vent so keep that in mind when you read the following;

WTH!?!?! I was READY TO GO! All I wanted was the ER4s! I didn't even plan on buying any other IEM's I bought the arrow 3g, the ITouch and the ER4s were supposed to be it, THAT was supposed to be my portarig. BUT NO! They released this HF series GARBAGE and the garbage infected the ER4 series, FANTASTIC!! I mean they are ER4s!!!! THEY are supposed to be super crazy referency, and incredibly accurate, then they pull this crap!, I love my ER6's but they don't make those anymore, then they killed them for the bass heavy ER6i's so that the iTools have something to run from their Ipods (I personally like pod's prefer walkmans though)  with their crappy lowbitrate music. THEN the HF series made them up the price on the ER4 series, I'm sorry but these IEMs have been on the market for over a decade, going back to retail isn't going to go over well, especially in the face of newer IEM's. I used to have respect for Etymotic, they were always the goto company for DEAD accurate IEM's but the catering to the iTools is killing them. I'm not cheap, not by any means. But when I see something go for $170 then shoot up to $300 and THEN I hear, "Oh, yeah, they are also getting lax on the QC, the tolerances are not as tight" So I'm paying MORE for a LESS ACCURATE IEM, from a company that BUILT THEIR REPUTATION ON ACCURACY, DOES ANYONE ELSE SEE SOMETHING WRONG HERE!?!?

 

Sorry, but I needed to say that.

 

[kiteki]

Uh, what's all this about Ety being lax on their QC..?
 
If anything, the ER-4PT is matched and signed, so it should be one of the least lax IEM's in QC out there..????
 
I don't see what all this philosophy is about, just get the ER-4PT at the cheapest price you can and be done with it, it's the exact same IEM as ER-4P and ER-4S except it's higher in QC than the ER-4P and convertible to the ER-4S with a simple adapter, whereas the ER-4S is not convertible to the ER-4P/T.  Thus... the ER-4PT is the best one to choose, it really is that simple ok.........

 

[ubercaffeinated]

i think this thread is blowing things way out of proportion.
 
first of all, i don't think 99% of the population can tell a difference in +/- 2 db. if you can, great - you are physiologically gifted with the hell of knowing there possibly could be a slight difference in perception of volume between your right and left ears if one existed in the first place.
 
also, does anyone else know of any other company that hand matches their drivers on universal iems, or even matches their drivers to +/- 2 db?
 
at this point we're just making guesses as to what is the difference between the p and pt - that's it. there's nothing to prove or say that ety quality control has gone DOWN and that the pt totes the A stock of their drivers and the p has been relegated to use their B stock.
 
there has been plenty of fear mongering going on in this thread, and i'm still sticking to what the CS person had to say to me when i asked ety if there was a difference in quality between the p and the pt. that answer was no - the p and pt are exactly the same.
 
finally, since we are out making conjectures, if there was really a difference in quality between the p and the pt, a price difference should reflect that - there is not one, however.
 
 

 

[kiteki]

Actually 2dB is quite a large amount, other than that I agree with you.
 
I'd like to know the source of this "+-2dB" please

 

[BattleBrat]

I'm going for the ER4PT's  I'll order them tomorrow from J&R and haggle em down. I was at the audiologist (having impressions made is interesting, everyone should do it) for my UM56 custom tips for the UM3X's I just got, and some "47" earplugs for work. and the Westone AC1's are $300 so I'm gonna buy a few more universals (and cram custom tips on whichever ones will accept them).

 

[Reticuli2]

It was the gal that someone commented on here or another forum is attractive, or something.  I've never met her in person.  But she said it to me over the phone.  I remember someone else also commenting that 2dB is a rather broad range to be matching drivers to after I mentioned it.

 

[BattleBrat]

Got em, be in next week. 3 of 4 universal IEM's down, IE8's then off to custom land!

 

[FullCircle]

Quote:

Well, from what I see it looks more like ER4P with an extra adapter and a piece of paper.

     The same paper that can be found in the packaging from Knowles Electronics upon delivery of the ED 29869 drivers.  
 
     Are we suposed to believe Knowles sells unbalanced speakers and IEM companies have to weed out tons of junky drivers and by sheer luck and fortune they fall upon two matching drivers?
 

 

[kiteki]

Seriously what is the big deal here?  When you buy the ER-4PT Etymotic will give you a piece of paper with YOUR IEM FR data on it, both L and R channels, and a serial code, if you them look at your IEM the L and R earpiece will have the SAME serial code as on the piece of paper Etymotic provided, as proof that the FR data you are receiving is of YOUR inidividual IEM.
 
It's not just a massively photocopied piece of paper with a signature on it.
 
Etymotic is offering you something no other IEM company will, unless you venture into customs at much higher prices, if you don't like the FR graph of your IEM when you receive it (in the off chance the L and R channels aren't matched and the engineer was drunk when signing the paper) then you can send it back and ask for a new one.
 
I'm impressed by the FR chart, accessories, packaging, cable etc. of the ER-4PT, but I'm having a hard time with the fit and the sound (SO FAR), I'm going to keep trying.
 
Here is my post from a different thread:
 
 
Quote:

Still am suprised to the the CK10 and RE0 sound better thatn the Etys, to you. It must be a fit issue. I wold think at least they'd all be on par? Need to wait till you've gotten a better fit with them and see what you say then.

Ya... I got a better fit... they sounded pretty good for a while until the Etyrāpic EarRape-4PeneTration blocked my right ear so I can't listen to anything right now.
 
They sound analytical, maybe if I was a cyborg with dual-mono input processor jacks on my head I'd appreciate them, the analysis is overrated though, I've heard higher detail retrieval elsewhere, unless you have to place the "syringe" of sound exactly 4mm away from each eardrum and I'm missing something, will try Shure Olive tips later, sigh.