[sil0nt]

I have a set of Etymotic ER-4S's that I love, but they become uncomfortable after about 60-90 minutes. I travel a lot, so I get plenty of sessions out of them, but for home use, I need a comfortable headphone. I also own Grado SR-225's and Sennheiser HD-25-1's, but neither produce the kind of sound I get from my Ety's. I enjoy the full and tight bass and overall clean sound of the Ety's, where the Grado's feel a bit flatter overall , and the Senn's feel a bit boomy. I have everything running through a JMT-made PIMETA and the source for home use is an Xtrememusic X-Fi in my PC.

I just found the thread on the X-Fi mods, which could help with overall sound quality, but I don't have the resources to do the mods, and I know I can listen to my PC with the Ety's and get a quality sound already, so I'm just looking to find a set of open headphones to replicate my Ety's sound.

I listen mostly to electronic, but I do also enjoy other types of music. Comfort is a key factor in the decision, so higher end Grado's probably won't do unless they are significantly more comfortable than my very well broken in SR-225's. I've always thought the higher end Senn's were very comfortable (I've tried on HD-580's and HD-600's), but I want to hear other opinions other than HD-600/650. If I were to purchase headphones without any further research or advice, I'd probably go for something like HD-650's, but I want to know if there is anything else I should consider.

Thanks

 

[bellsprout]

akg k701

 

[episiarch]

You might like the Denon AH-D2000 or AH-D5000. (I've only heard the D5000 but reviewers say the D2000 is very close.) It has a very clean sound like Etys, but the bass is really there when the music calls for it. Extremely comfortable.

 

[redshifter]

You should give the Beyer DT250-250 a try. I have those and Ety ER4S and switch back and forth between them, with very little "signature shock". Usually when switching between Ety's and other cans, my ears need time to adjust away from the Ety sound. The DT250-250 sounds enough like the Ety where this is not a problem.

 

[sil0nt]

Thanks for the recommendations, guys. I assume from the response, I should avoid the HD-650's?

 

[virusvoodoo]

I think the DT880's will closely match the sound of ER-4S

 

[glac1er]

I think many Beyers like the DT990, DT880, DT250, can replicate the sound of the Etys very well, especially on the highs and lows. You just have to choose what may suit your taste the most. DT990 has heavier bass, while DT880 has smoother highs and mids, etc. All of them are pretty comfortable.

The DT880 to me sounded quite close to the ER4P. Right now, I'm using the more fun-sounding DT531 to complement my analytical ER4P. However, they are similar in a way that they both have punchy bass and highs that are quite extended for my taste.

The HD650 is overall darker sounding than the ER4s. Though they complement the Etys very well, you will find quite a different sound signature from your Etys.

 

[sil0nt]

I've done some research and I like what I've read about the DT-990's. I will try to find a place I can audition them locally and then decide from there.

 

[Arcfan]

I loved the Ety ER4 sound and found the Ultrasone Edition 9 to be the closest match with an incredible bottom end to match. Expensive, but trust me, you won't go back..

 

[bellsprout]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcfan /img/forum/go_quote.gif trust me, you won't go back..

at 10 times the price, i really hope u won't...

 

[Chrysoberyl]

HD-600

 

[Raphael]

Quote:

Originally Posted by virusvoodoo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the DT880's will closely match the sound of ER-4S

A frequency response graph cannot describe the signature sound of any audio gear.

 

[vYu223]

So... what is the conclusion? I'm in the same situation as the OP.

 

[Agent Kang]

How about the 580/600 instead of the 650s?