[Hifihedgehog]

[size=x-large]"The Guide to the Etymotic ER-4B"[/size]

[size=medium]"The E-R-Four-B,


The I-E-M of yore,


With legendary crystalline clarity,


Who could ask for more?"[/size]






I hear so many good reports of the ER-4B that it literally gives me goosebumps! Pristine detail with class-leading clarity in a midrange-priced IEM is unheard of--let alone it being priced around $150!





Just to help answer people's questions and to help remove the pointless mystery of these headphones, I have put together this information from around the web including impressions, design information, etc.





I've broken up the information into five parts:


[size=medium]


1) The Element of Design


2) The Professional's Viewpoint


3) Praise from Head-Fi'ers and Owners Abroad


4) A Final Take from Vertigo-1, ER-4B Expert


5) Best Place to Buy![/size]





Enjoy!

 

[Hifihedgehog]

[size=x-large]The Element of Design[/size]

[size=small]Pictured Above: The Etymotic ER-4B[/size]



About the design:

According to Etymotic, the ER-4B "was developed from the ER-1 earphone that is referenced to a flat diffuse field and used primarily for speech reception research, where the goal is to produce the same frequency response at the eardrum as would be produced in the live situation."



As stated by peli_kan of Head-Fi, "[The ER-4B] were the first ER4 from etymotic, but listeners complained that their treble was too much. Ety responded with the ER-4S, and later with the ER-4P."



Here's a schematic of the circuit utilized in series with the driver:

As my memory recalls, according to the HeadRoom, the ER-4B offers a flat response from 20 Hz to 4 KHz. The response from 4 KHz to 11 KHz curves very slightly downward by -3 dB. It finally increases to reference level at 14-17 KHz. After 17 KHz, there is a steep drop in response. Basically, the ER-4B's are crazy flat with natural treble excitement (NO "John Grado-fication"- lower treble boost with poor extension).



Very impressive indeed, especially compared to the worldwide acclaimed Sennheiser Orpheus that also offers a linear response--except for a -10dB drop of 2KHz width at 10 KHz.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

[size=x-large]The Professional's Viewpoint[/size]

"I used both the ER-4S and the ER-4B, and I liked both of them. If I had to choose, I would take the "B" version. In addition to recordings made for binaural listening, most classical recordings also sound good with the ER-4B...

"Comments about the sense of presence and articulation were: 'Excellent on voices,' 'clear and clean,' and 'bright but not harsh.' These remarks indicate that the equalization characteristic designed into the ER-4B is right on target.

"[Listener observes]...'very tightly controlled sound,' ...'excellent details,' and 'good transients...'

"I personally think they are better than the Stax SR-Lambda Pro Reference earphones."
-Audio, The Equipment Authority


"[Speeching initially about the Sound Blaster X-Fi] We heard subtle colorations in very soft sounds such as room reverberation, but they were audible only during direct A-B comparisons using Etymotics' microscopically detailed ER-4B in-the-ear canalphones."
-PCWorld

 

[Hifihedgehog]

[size=x-large]Praise from Head-Fi'ers and Owners Abroad[/size]

"I have the ER4B and just traded my PFE's. The PFE's are smoother and warmer but not by a wide margin. When it comes to detail, the ER4B's are the best I've heard for an iem."
-Rip N' Burn, Head-Fi


"I have the ER4B and it's the most detailed iem I've ever heard. I remember listening to an early Iron Maiden song and I was blown away by the amount of detail I was hearing especially with the guitars."
-Rip N' Burn, Head-Fi


"Sold my er4p (with s cable) last month.
Now I got my er4b,It blows my old er4 alway completely!
The sound is much more clarity,detailed & full of life!
The mid highs (8-10khz) has more dynamic,more life like & sounds rich now...

"I listen to Tower of power "Soul with a Capital 'S' (live ver)"
I can image he is singing in front of me!..the brasses sound so real & bright~
cymbals cut off air...incredible..... "
-pkshan, Head-Fi


"Without an amp,it still sounds better than my old setup!
(er4p+s cable+supermacro)

"The sound is very beautiful,life like,full,very depth & uncompressed.
my er4p/s sounds dull,lifeless,less detail & compressed compare to 4b...."
-pkshan, Head-Fi


"..the highs are smooth now,soundstage is SO huge & depth,
beautiful sounds surrounding me
I even thought Im in the stage sometimes lol
never experience this in my previous er4... "
-pkshan, Head-Fi


"[The ER-4B's] analytical potential & sound quality is the best in the three [ER-4B, ER-4S, and ER-4P]"
-clackman, Head-Fi


"I doubt you'll get many responses about the B's. They're not nearly as popular as the P's and S's in the Ety line. I realize they're marketed for "binaural" recordings; however, they work extemely well with regular, everyday recordings.

"Before I purchased mine, I read a thread by, I believe "Vertigo 1" or something like that. That particular head-fi'er was very impressed with the B's. I also read somewhere (don't recall where) that stated that when Ety made the 4B's, they didn't make them to compensate for anything. As I understand it the others in their lineup compensate certain frequency ranges for how the music coming in interacts with the ear canal (or something like that) and that the other models also make "not so great" recordings sound at least listenable, whereas with the B's, you get exactly what is on the recording; nothing more and nothing less.

"So what does all this blah, blah, blah mean?

"In my experience, comparing my 4B's to a 4P w/P to S cable, I find the B's to offer even more of the crystal clear higher frequencies Ety is known for. I find that initially, the 4B's will sound almost lacking in the lower frequencies, but once my ears get used to the sound, everying clicks into place. I feel the 4B's are superior to the others in the line by a far shot. Take all the postive attributes used when others have described the sound of the 4S's and take it up a notch or two.

"I listen to mine through a tubed headamp so if you've got a brighter sounding system, either source or amp, the higher frequencies might be a bit much. With the right combo, the Ety 4B's will provide sound that can truly be called "reference" quality.

"I'll listen to the 4B's at home even though I've got several of the higher end circumaural headphones at my disposal. Are they good? [Censored], yeah, they're good."
-AudioDwebe, Head-Fi


"About a week ago, the resistor pod on my ER4Ss somehow became damaged, so of course I sent them in. I was very sad, but it had to be done. While they were there, I decided to have them recabled to ER4Bs, after reading all of the nice posts that have been made about them here and elsewhere (such as Headwize).

"Man, these sound even more awesome than the 4Ss! They add a certain sheen to orchestral string music that has to be heard to be believed! And they don't sound too bright with other kinds of music. I tested this with a song from the video game "Drag-On Dragoon 2" called "Symphonic Poem: Forbidden Prelude" which is very poorly mastered, with substantial digital clipping and a prominent high frequency emphasis, and it still sounded fine. I believe HeadRoom's description of them is very misleading.

"Finally having my babies back reminds me of how much I really do prefer a flat, neutral bass response. I love my SR-60s as much as anyone, but after a week of listening to those and nothing else, I began to feel as if Rocky was playing Punch-Out!! with my eardrums. Sometimes I wished there was just a little less punch. The sound from my 4Bs is much more smooth and pleasing overall, and I'm finally able to hear the inner detail of my music again! I can finally take my music for walks with my again! (I tried taking my SR-60s on a walk, and man, ugh!)

"I would recommend these to anyone who might be considering going down the Etymotic path. You won't regret your purchase!"
-PiccoloNamek, Head-Fi


"Amazing-
"Pros: The absolute best set of headphones I have owned... Don't think about it... just buy it
"Cons: There aren't 25 hours in the day to listen to them : (
"Other Thoughts: Don't be thrown off by their looks.. these things produce quality that surpasses both Bose and Sennheiser imho "
-Kyle, NewEgg


"Very Nice Headphones-
"Pros: Excellent sound, excellent isolation, excellent quality. For noisy environments like trains or planes, these easily outperform the active noise reduction headphones on the market. I have tried many other brands and own the Bose Quiet Comfort I and II. The fidelity of the Ety's is far better too.
"Cons: These are litterally ear plugs. If you can't stand something in your ears, you won't like these. If you can, the're excellent.
"Other Thoughts: The size is very nice if you're a frequent traveler. It's about the size and weight of a pack of cigarettes."
-Dewey, NewEgg


"Nearly five years ago I received a pair of ER•4B earphones as a gift. It is without a doubt the most incredible listening aid I have ever encountered. My work takes me all over the world and I have spent many, many hours in complete bliss listening to flawless delivery of music while on loud aircraft, or on trains in the third world, or on the back of camels, etc.

"I have carried these"canal phones"with me to over 30 countries. I have shared the listening experience with many - from the captain of an old junk in Aberdeen Harbor in Hong Kong, to Indians in the highlands of Ecuador, a few members of the U.S. Senate and innumerable airline pilots.

"Currently, I am in dire need of replacement parts. My life will be reduced to a smoldering lump of sloth dung without replacement parts. It is my desire to continue to preach the good word about this fine product. So, I come to you on my hands and knees praying that you still produce these parts and that I can somehow acquire a new supply."
-Letter from Steven Aukstakalnis, Taipei, Taiwan on Etymotic.com


"The ER•4B earphones I recently purchased are so outstanding I had to write. I simply cannot believe the level of resolution the ER•4's are capable of providing the listener - especially when using good program material. This is a product that all recording engineers should be using in the final mastering.

"As an undergraduate in college, I had a tremendous interest in the field of psychoacoustics and came very close to entering a Ph.D. program in that discipline. I would greatly appreciate any available literature you may be able to send relative to the ER•4B's and S's as well as more detailed technical information on the psychoacoustic principles you employed in the development of this unique, exceptional product."
-Letter from Stephen Paul, Bangor, ME on Etymotic.com

 

[Hifihedgehog]

[size=x-large]A Final Take from Vertigo-1, ER-4B Expert:[/size]

"In my quest to find brighter headphones, I decided to give these a try since they were stated as being specifically bright. I got to listen to them for about 3 days, and compared them to the 4S, before my right ear decided to check out.

"Basically, they're not bright, not in the screechy brightness style at least. There's just a tad bit more treble than the 4S, and the midrange is much drier. The bass response is about the same.

"At first I thought the 4B just sounded extremely clear, but after a longer session with them, I just noticed a sense of fatigue...and I think this is where the brightness comes in. It won't bite you at first, but it'll bite you in the long run.

"In comparsion, the 4S has a warmer, more musical midrange, with slightly rolled off treble compared to the 4B. Before I would have thought the 4S were the official reference, but compared to the 4B, they're simply musical, and hardly the reference Etys IMHO.

"Given all this, I would, without hesitation, pick the 4B as the ultimate reference 'phone out of everything that I've owned. We're talking drop dead accurate to the extreme. Exceptionally clean sounding, very clear. In this aspect, I agree with Dan Pumphrey, and would call these the reference Etys in the ER4 lineup, and to use as a dead drop reference against other 'phones.

"I'd love to use these more, except my ears demand a break from it all. But the 4Bs are hardly known and bought much...I'm here to offer my recommendation for them if you want sheer accuracy and details. Also highly recommended if you want just a tad more treble to the 4S, the 4Bs will give you that extra last bit of treble, without overdoing it."
-Quickie notes: Etymotic 4B


"...the 4S has a good deal of a warmer midrange, and the 4B sounds much cleaner and certainly clearer, especially in the upper midrange area. Most folks probably wouldn't want to use the 4B for music because of its extreme nature of revealing everything. On the other hand, some instruments tend to sound more real out of it...more sharpness to things, etc.

"chych, I have not heard binaural recordings with the 4B, but I have heard those types of recordings before, and needless to say, they're stellar."
-Quickie notes: Etymotic 4B


"You're correct, the 4Bs will have a treble that's smoother and more extended...I personally find Grado's treble to be harsh, this is something you may not realize until you get to live with a headphone long term that has a smooth treble. The 225s will have a louder treble compared to the 4Bs, that is, you'll hear cymbals more [loudly], but IMO it's more grating than anything."
-Personal Message to Author


"Just to digress a bit, I've always held the opinion that the ER-4B was the tonally the flattest, clearest sounding Etymotic, and that's from having owned all three of the ER-4's extensively. In fact the ER-4B would be one of my nominations for being one of the tonally flattest sounding headphones in existence currently, with the other being the Grado HP-1. If you asked me which headphone was my absolute favorite (or to put it another way, which headphone out there has a combination of characteristics that annoys me the least in the long run), it would be the ER-4Bs. It's the 'phone I can keep going back to, in that it's tonally inobtrusive without any major peaks in treble, midrange, or bass, and yet retains some sense of naturalness in soundstaging despite it being a more analytical 'phone by nature. And despite its small headstage, it's actually very good at forward imaging and projecting the playing stage in front of you. It's certainly less claustrophobic to listen to than the SA5000s. It's a shame more people don't try the ER-4Bs instead of the 4S, because of how the 4Bs are advertised as being "binaural" headphones. Tonally I think these are superior to the 4S."
-Sony MDR-SA5000 review

 

[Hifihedgehog]

[size=x-large]

Best Place to Buy!

[/size]

Your favorite place to look! To help you get listening ASAP, I will do my very best to find the lowest price for these beauties!

Lowest Price as of 11/4/2009 23:51 MST at:
CompUPlus.com
Product Link
Total Price: $159.94 ($144.99 + $14.95 for Shipping & Handling)

 

[dnullify]

Uh, thanks for the thread... i had not before heard of the ER4b, but just now looked on the etymotic site...

pretty weird that i haven't heard of it...

So, why are they so much cheaper than it's counterparts?

 

[peli_kan]

Heh, siggy says boo. These things are great. They were the first ER4 from etymotic, but listeners complained that their treble was too much. Ety responded with the ER-4S, and later with the ER-4P.

 

[DrBenway]

I first heard of them several years ago when I read the descriptive copy about them at HeadRoom.com (they appear not to sell them anymore.)

What I had not heard was that they were suitable for standard listening; everything I had read about them in the past emphasized that they were (supposedly?) optimized for binaural listening, and were too bright in the highs for conventionally recorded music.

Thanks for posting the impressions to the contrary. This is genuinely news to me, and quite thought provoking. The only Ety's I've owned were ER6's, and I've always thought about taking the plunge and getting ER4s. Maybe I should consider the Bs (though not in my present fiscal state.)

 

[Hifihedgehog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dnullify /img/forum/go_quote.gif Uh, thanks for the thread... i had not before heard of the ER4b, but just now looked on the etymotic site... pretty weird that i haven't heard of it... So, why are they so much cheaper than it's counterparts?

Actually, they have cost more than their counterparts for the longest time. For some reason, the dealer I listed sells them cheaper than the 4s/p. Quite the contrary at any other store.

Yeah. I really never knew about the ER-4Bs until a year ago. Just by accident. It was really Vertigo-1 that got me REALLY interested. He's someone whose owned headphones costing many, many times more (read thousands of $), and spent for the equipment of equal or greater value.

The ER4B are probably the biggest secret in all of Audiophilia. I don't understand why, either. Now, that they're cheaper, though, maybe things will change.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by peli_kan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Heh, siggy says boo. These things are great. They were the first ER4 from etymotic, but listeners complained that their treble was too much. Ety responded with the ER-4S, and later with the ER-4P.

Just keep that awesome headphone pumpin'!

What are your impressions of the ER-4Bs? If you tell me your impressions, I'll add them to the list in a flash!

 

[koshman]

I just bought ER4B a week ago from a fellow head-fier and I couldn't be happier with them (save for the heavy microphonic cable). I understand some people may find the treble to be too much, but I like brighter sound signature and these sound great to me. It's a cliche, but I *really* heard new details in recordings I thought I knew inside out.

 

[dragoonf144]

Oooo, i need to get my hands on these somehow

 

[FinnishFlash]

Are these identical with the P/S save for their impendance?

 

[Hifihedgehog]

Identical to the S, with a capacitor across the resistor.