[bellsprout]

I was just wondering when was the last time Etymotic released a new product (bar the ety8). Cuz my impressions are they are at least 10 years old. Says a lot about technological advances in audio when such an old product is still managing to hold its own against the likes of Triple-fi's, Westone 3's and the new Shure range. Aren't Ety supposed to a R&D company, so they should release more accurate sounding IEM's?

 

[PiccoloNamek]

The ER4s can't get much more technically accurate than they already are. The only way I can see to improve them is to tame the area from 12 to 16khz a little bit. If you look at the graphs for the ER4, you'll see that the "Listener's perceived response" is just a tad too high in this area.

Other than that, there is really nothing that needs to be changed.

 

[derek8555]

they should also add a little bit weight to the mid and lower mid, right now they sound way too thin for almost everything I listen to. That's why it was never my cup of tea in the first place

 

[PiccoloNamek]

But then they would no longer be the flat, accurate reference we all know and love.

 

[derek8555]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PiccoloNamek /img/forum/go_quote.gif But then they would no longer be the flat, accurate reference we all know and love.

Don't you like how your HD650 sound like? I love my Senns. They give a good weight to the sound. I do agree that ety is very accurate, especially in the upper frequencies, but there is no denial that the thin and weightless mid is not a true representation of the sound in real world, especially with vocals.

 

[PiccoloNamek]

The ER4s are true to the recording, and that is how they were meant to be.

 

[redshifter]

this question gets asked a lot.

advances like multi-driver iem's? etymotic made the er4 a one driver canalphone, and made that driver as ear-canal neutral as anyone could ask for. also, no crossovers.

the short answer is it ain't broke.

 

[Anilan]

The way I see it if they were made accurate at the time they will stay accurate no matter what you play through them. If they sound good, they will continue to sound good!

 

[vYu223]

This is why I chose the audio path rather than the pc-gamer-fanatic path. Computer components become obsolete wayyy too fast. As for audio... not so much. Look at the Ety's!

 

[SONGsanmanwah]

Back to the original question, I think they're introduced in 1991. They are right up there with KOSS Portapro in terms of design longevity.

 

[bellsprout]

you're saying the ER-4 is the "perfect" earphone, and when listening to it, u can't distinguish it from a live performance? or as close as a single driver balanced armature earphone can possibly get?

 

[setmenu]

Don't lots of manufactures make claims for neutrality and accuracy?
Anything from full size circumaural to iems, speakers etc.
But they all all sound different.

I love my ER4's but regardless of frequency graphs etc but they never struck me as sounding 'real'.
If you do take a close look at the response graphs they are close to the ideal
but don't match it.[what does?]
A few tweaks to the response [by way of passive filters] in these areas has for me resulted in a more even sounding phone for my own tastes.
Obviously iems interact slightly differently with individual ear canal shapes.

I also have Shure E4's [also tweaked

] and enjoy them too.
Since I Originally purchased the ER4 the iem market has exploded with many
more models to choose from, but for my purposes the ER4 is perfect.
[I even bought a spare pair]
The only time I can envisage looking for something different it when i decide
to go for a setup driven directly from the portable source without and external amp.[praying for that great ER4 isolation too

]


.

 

[germanium]

Most reference uncolored speakers that I have heard actually sound simular to the er4p in weight to the sound especially in the mids. My pro audio based near field monitors combined with my pro-consummer subwoofer sound very simular to the ER4P's. Granted not exactly the same but very close indeed.

 

[setmenu]

Maybe the ER4 is way more 'accurate' than i realize, don't know.
But there are so many other factors to take into account that the accuracy
of a single components effect on the sound, whilst important is not the be all and end all.
This is compounded by the fact that no two of my cds have the same sound balance.

If I recollect, I once read a post on these forums to the effect:
'I would prefer to listen to an accurate sounding system even if i did not enjoy it as much and an inaccurate or euphonic sounding one'[

]

So whilst I would always support the engineers goal of technical perfection with a particular piece of equipment,I also believe the informed discerning listener should base their preference on what sounds good to them.



.

 

[buihia]

is there any chance of Ety releasing a new version of ER4 anytime in the near future? be it the goodies inside the earphone, or just plain cosmetics wise.. espcially at this time where it seems very competitive with shure and westone coming up new phones..

i too would like to dive in and get a pair of ER4, but afriad of having it for 1 month and there comes a newer version..