Etymotic ER-4SR vs ER-4XR. Which one would you pick?

[fjhuerta]

Hi all!

I just sold my +19 year old ER-4SRs... for $270. Absolute yikes.

They were in perfect shape, but the opportunity was there. And I've seen and read that in this time, Etys have become even more awesome.

To me, the ER-4 is simply the best headphone ever made. Period. Nothing even comes close.

So I'll get a newer set with the funds.

Anyway, I just saw there are 4XR's and 4SRs. I've seen the SR's are pretty much my old S's, and the XR's have extended bass response.

But I've also seen the XR's have a bit more distortion (Tyll's site)

So, which one would you pick? Is it safe to buy from a reputable seller on eBay?

Thanks for your help!

 

[bobeau]

I'm not in the market for one but I did own the ER-4P years ago.

The way I look at it is the SR the ultimate representation of the earphone and the XR is a compromised design that will work for a broader demographic, just like the 'P' was designed for ampless, portable usage. If this were your only earphone, perhaps the XR would be the one to own... but if you're an audiophile and looking to get everything out of a piece of gear that it can deliver, it makes sense to go with the SR.

 

[fjhuerta]

I've read stuff similar to what you said, that the SR are the really accurate ones, and that the XR have a bit of midbass bloat next to them.

I wouldn't have sold my Etys, but now that I did, I want to get a new set ASAP. I figured Ety did get improve their design over this timeframe.

I wrote customer support at Etymotic for their opinion, too.

 

[Mampus]

I've tried both (SR and XR), and I think both of them sound quite different than ER-4P, more like the S version. However, if you want the "P" sound, consider FitEar 111 instead. For my ears, the XR sound like "S" with added some midbass hump, whereas the SR is akin to "S" version

Strangely enough, my all-time favorite Ety is the ER-4B. Reviewed it a long, long time ago. Managed to bought it some time ago, and two days later, my neighbour gave me an offer that quite hard to resist, so... yeah

 

[fjhuerta]

I'm starting to think that the SR, with a bit of bass boost from my DAP, would be the better choice.

 

[fjhuerta]

Got an opinion straight from Etymotic. Basically it said that if you only listen to rock, the ER-4XRs are a good choice. If you listen to plenty of musical styles, the ER4-SR's (with bass boost for rock) are a better choice. They said that the SR's were a bit clearer thru the midrange. So, I'm getting the SR's!