[EightyEight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PodMan if you are getting the 4P, there is always the option of adding the 4S adapter cable. actually even though I have the 4P with 4S adapter, I have never really used the 4P by itself all that much.

So when you use the adapter, is it equally as easy to drive the phones?

 

[etys rule]

I've used the tri-flangge tips for months, and they became uncomfortable. God damn itch. Now, I use the foamies, and they are fantastic. No discomfort at all. They are like you don't have them in your ears.

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EightyEight So when you use the adapter, is it equally as easy to drive the phones?

No, I use the 4p with the p to s adapter since my portable will drive the 4p nicely even though it can't really handle the 4s. It rolls off the frequency extremes with the 4s. I use the 4s when I have an amp available.

 

[nobody020]

I just got my ER-4Ps yesterday and I took a 3 hour long exam today with them. I'd have to say that the triple-flange tip is going to take some getting used to, even for someone who sleeps with earplugs regularly. I don't have any experience with any other canalphones, so I can't provide a comparison. Perhaps it's good to keep in mind that first impressions aren't necessarily the most honest impressions.

I'll keep trying with the triple flange... One more three hour exam on Monday...

 

[stream]

Awesome.

Thanks guys.

-Jesse

 

[TonyTripleA]

No matter what cans you buy in the future the Etys will have a place in your listening equipment. Sure they are not going to bowl you over with bass slam but clarity is their defining plus and in that department they are "it". I usually listen to a new album twice and one of these listens is always with etys.

Personally, as far as etys go I find I gravitate to the 4P configuration. Your milage may vary as many prefer the 4S.

But for portable listening, well, etys rule.

Buying etys... this decision is what I am eternally in debt to Head-Fi for!!! The more expensive cans come next YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

Oh, and then the more expensive source and amp. Did I mention the interconnects... oh, then there is tuberolling... oh, and HDCD. Of course I still have to "invest" in SACD but I'm sure its worth it. And a DVDA player might be nice. Of course my old speakers just don't compare anymore... Feeling nervous at this point is a good idea...

Cheers,

TonyAAA

 

[KYTGuy]

For me, Every thing TripleA says is true...

For all the Ety wearers out there, the third flange is useless if it doesn't seal against the opening of the canal....so, I trimmed it off.

Now, I can wear the etys more comfortably, and while I don't suggest you do this and there are issues with doing it, I wear the (now two flange) tips within my ear canal, and "tune" out the resonance that is one of the only two weaknesses of the etys. The other is lack of bass slam, which will be lacking forever, near as I can tell.

The way I figure it, the less air you move, the less compressibility effects and inertial resonances. What I do know, is that my preference is to wear them further in than is possible with the third flange. I have contemplated taking my worn set, and slitting the remaining second flange, so that it interleaves instead of wrinkling to accomodate my ear canal diameter being smaller than the free standing diameter of the aforementioned second flange. I'm gonna do this today, to see if it makes them yet more comfortable, and doesn't give up too much isolation.

 

[robert]

i find the white silicones itch. the foamies are great, but don't hold up very long; they do a *great*job cleaning out earwax, which renders them useless. i bought a big bag of them when i got the 4S. turns out, this was from a run with undersized plastic tubes. i wondered whether they were too tight. damn.

there has been a thread about cleaning the foamies. haven't attempted it, since i don't use the 4S as much as i used to. worth searching for, if you find the foamies better. the silicones last pretty much forever, if you don't mind the billious yellow color they develop.

 

[stream]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyTripleA No matter what cans you buy in the future the Etys will have a place in your listening equipment. Sure they are not going to bowl you over with bass slam but clarity is their defining plus and in that department they are "it". I usually listen to a new album twice and one of these listens is always with etys. Personally, as far as etys go I find I gravitate to the 4P configuration. Your milage may vary as many prefer the 4S. But for portable listening, well, etys rule. Buying etys... this decision is what I am eternally in debt to Head-Fi for!!! The more expensive cans come next YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!! Oh, and then the more expensive source and amp. Did I mention the interconnects... oh, then there is tuberolling... oh, and HDCD. Of course I still have to "invest" in SACD but I'm sure its worth it. And a DVDA player might be nice. Of course my old speakers just don't compare anymore... Feeling nervous at this point is a good idea... Cheers, TonyAAA

How do the ER-4P's sound with your 3G iPod? That's the exact same setup I'd be using. Since the ER-4P's are so revealing, do they bring out the flaws of mp3 compression to an unlistenable extent? I hope not

I won't be using these 'phones on my home 2-channel system (or I don't think I will be). I'm pretty well set up at home.

Cambridge Audio Azur 540C CD player
Cayin TA-30 35wpc integrated tube amp
Klipsch RF-7's (their flagship)
Signal Cable Audio Two interconnects

Anyway, again guys, thanks for your help and opinions.

-Jesse

 

[AdamZuf]

very comfortable, to a point that i sometimesdon't want to take them out, because it's that they are there. but i modded them:
http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showt...235#post517235

i have also found that the reson that the silicons itch is because the biggest flange is too big and trying to pull the inner ones out, creating pressure against my skin. it can be cut to match the diameter of the middle one, and the problemn is solved. however, i would start with cutting just a tiny bit

you can also try cutting maybe in a bit of an angle, so in the profile view the cut line doesn't exactly parrallels the lines of the middle and small flanges; this might allow hitting the sweet spot of fit and isolation.

 

[AdamZuf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stream How do the ER-4P's sound with your 3G iPod?

don't know.
Quote:

Since the ER-4P's are so revealing, do they bring out the flaws of mp3 compression to an unlistenable extent?

nope, from my experience. but i don't know how the iPod will make them sound. the question you are supposed to ask is will the iPod+ER-4P bring out the flaws of mp3.
however, MD is horrible, so don't even think of it

 

[stream]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamZuf don't know.

Well...I was asking TonyTripleA, but thanks

In my experience, the more revealing your system is, the worse mp3s sound. That's the only thing I'm worried about with spending $200 on headphones.

(edit)
Well, that and how they fit, too.

-Jesse

 

[DJGeorgeT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stream How do the ER-4P's sound with your 3G iPod? That's the exact same setup I'd be using. Since the ER-4P's are so revealing, do they bring out the flaws of mp3 compression to an unlistenable extent? I hope not -Jesse

It all depends on the quality of the mp3. If it has been compressed using the latest LAME or Fraunhofer codec at high bitrate say 192k or 320k, then it should be okay. You will hear some artifacts, but not too many to prevent you from enjoying the music. To be honest, I do not like to use my ER4 to listen to mp3's because I have a lot of mp3s which I encoded long time ago that do not sound good with the etys even though they were encoded at 320k. I use my ER6 instead for mp3s. I was using the Shure E2 before to listen to mp3s. I reserve the ER4 for cds, vinyl and lossless audio format.

 

[AdamZuf]

i have the ER-4P/X and with the modded DI/O->Porta Corda/Earmax Pro and through the IMP-400, mp3 (LAME alt preset) doesn't sound worse then originals (just a bit different sometimes, which i don't want to say worse, nowhere near unlistenable).

 

[plainsong]

The etys are one of those exceptions to the rule. Well yeah of course they'll reveal if your mp3's are badly encoded, but they can work on a portable setup, and really grow with you when it's time to upgrade the gear. They'll let you enjoy your iriver, but then will also not lie about what you've been missing.