[umvue]

I bought a used ER4P. It only has one pair of tri-flanges left.
 
I heard that you can get the best isolation using one of the tri-flanges. I put them on but it isolates no better than my Hifiman RE-ZERO. I can still hear train noises and train announcements.
 
I unwrapped one of my pair of tri-flanges and see that there is an 'M' engraving inside. Based on the photos I saw in this forum, there should be two more pairs of tri-flanges. Does that mean I was left with the middle size tri-flange?
 
Will the missing tri-flanges isolate even better than the one I have? I want to know before I buy them. Thanks a bunch!

 

[Nagasaki_Kid]

Hmm.....
Hi,Long time ety user here.
 
some questions
Are you getting a good seal?
Are your current tips stiff?
Sometimes Triple flange are stiff in the beginning and soften up with wear(might effect isolation).
Are you inserting them deep enough?
deep insertion is a major factor.
 
also there used to be one size of tripple flange now I believe there are also smaller triple flange.

 

[umvue]

Thank you for your reply.
 
I think I find one more clue as to why this is so. I find that the pair of tri-flanges I left with are different. The other one is without the 'M' engraving inside the bottom flange. There are no engraving at all. Also, the tube inside the bottom flange is only half as long as the one with 'M'. So if I put this in, I suppose the one without 'M' will have the IEM deeper into the tip.
 
So which one is the genuine one? Or both? Can an ER4P owner enlighten me please? Thanks a lot!

 

[germe83]

Make sure to pull up and out on the tops of your ears to straighten your ear canals, then insert them while holding your ears up. Jam them in there as far as you can without hurting. The is really the only way I can get a good seal with my etys, but when done correctly, they isolate far better than anything else out there. 

 

[hokali]

 
 

 

[sourced]

I've used my ER4Ps for almost 3 years, mostly with tri-flanges and more recently with complys. How I ensure a good seal:
 
1- With headphones off, rub your fingers together right outside your ear (one ear at a time). Hear that texture?
2- Put them in. See above posters.
3- Rub your fingers again (an ear at a time). It should sound silent or extremely muffled. If you can hear the texture, they're not in deep enough. 
 
Does that help?

 

[umvue]

Thanks for the above suggestions. I think isolation has been improved a bit. But I can still hear announcement from the train at a half volume compare to before when I am not playing any music. Is that the best it can do? Should I expect to hear nothing just putting it in without playing any music?
 
Also, can someone tell me which one of my remaining two tips is the original one?? Thanks

 

[batphink]

With universal IEMs, I usually twist them into my ears rather than shoving them straight in like most people.

 

[ETYHeadRick]

There are two different sized 3-flanged eartips included with the ER4 - the smaller diameter Frost tip (sort of opaque), and the larger diameter gray 3-flanged eartips.  The smaller frost tips are most likely the ones that were on the unit out of the box, and they have a bit more length of stem.  The one with the letters etched into the bottom flange are the Frost.  If memory serves correct, there is only 1 pair of these included with the ER4P.  The other 2 pairs are the large gray 3-flanged eartips. 
 
But - I need your help in clarifying:  is it the smaller diameter Frost tip that is not sealing properly in your ear, or is it the larger diameter gray 3-flanged eartip that is not sealing? 
 
With a proper seal in the ear canal, the 3-flanged eartips will provide 35dB of isolation.  The most isolation comes from the gray, roll-down memory foam eartips, which can give you up to 42dB if you really get them in deep.
 
Hope this helps, but feel free to email me at r_carlson@etymotic.com if you have questions.
 
 

 

[kmhaynes]

umvue, ETYHeadRick has given you about the only answer to your question about Ety tip sizes. Actually, there are no external markings on Ety tips for S, M, or L. If you are seeing what looks like a size marking, then you might have tips from another manufacturer.

You might want to go to http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er4-acc.html to see a picture of the 2 different tri-flange ER4 tips. The ER18 is larger, the ER15 smaller, but they are one-size fits all, in that the larger your ear canal, the deeper you will need to insert them to get good isolation.

Another thing you might want to do is remove the tips and soak them in some hot soapy water for 15 minutes or so to clean and soften them. That will give you better isolation once you insert them.

 

[Il Mostro]

The 'shrooms are giving me the best combination of comfort, seal and SQ I have ever had with my ER4S's.  Prior to these, I was pretty happy with the small ice-blue Ety tips.  Most comfortable tips I have used is Comply Tx 100 (still using on Westone) but these deliver nowhere near the isolation of the Ety mushrooms (aka Gliders). YMMV.

 

[umvue]

Wow. Didn't expect to get an official reply here! Hats off to your great customer service!

 
I will post some pics for the tips I have later. Hope you guys can help me figure out which tips I am missing.
 
Thanks again!

 
 

 

[umvue]

 
 
These are all the tips I have. I think I have 5 pairs of ER4-14F tips. One pair of unknown black memory tips (what is this?). And one pair of combo tri-flanges.
 
I think my ER4P is of an older iteration because its cables can be replaced. Can someone told me what are the tips I am missing? Thanks
 
 

This a pic which I squeezed the black memory foam tip and also I flipped the bottom flanges. You can see that the left tri-flange has an 'M' etched on it. The left one also has a longer bottom tube than the other.
 

 

[ETYHeadRick]

Thanks for the pics - that'll help straighten this out.  The gray 3-flanged eartips are the large size (our product# ER4-18).  The gray foams in the plastic bag are the ER4-14F and will give you the most isolation when properly rolled down and inserted.  The other black pair are not Etymotic eartips.  What you appear to be missing are the smaller Frost 3-Flange (our product ER4-15SM), and the Glider (ER4-17) eartips.  These are now packaged with the ER4, so if you never received those, shoot me an email and let me know - r_carlson@etymotic.com.  I'd prefer that you get a chance to experiment with them all so you can find the best fit.
 
 

 

[kmhaynes]

Piggy-backing on EtyRick, the black foamy tips are Shure "Olive," which I use sometimes with my ER4P -- they are very comfortable but you lose a bit of isolation, but not much.  Majority of the time I use the same gray 3-flange tips you have.  It just takes a bit of practice & fiddling to get a good insertion + seal + balanced L/R full sound. 
 
If you are not getting any isolation, I suspect you are not inserting the 3-flange tips deep enough -- they go in pretty snug and deep -- you'll get used the feeling of pressure, and you won't hurt your ears putting them in.  Ety's been using those tips for about 20 years!