[SXero]

Since the ER4XR & ER3XR use vented BA's, Has any ever noticed a a difference when EQ'ing the 4XR to the 4SR bass level?. I've just tried this with my ER3XR I notice that It sounds like a ER4SR with deeper but harder hitting bass.

Yes, but not when testing back-to-back, so this is has an eye-witness report accuracy:

Before swapping the ER4XR -> ER4SR, I have long time EQ'd the XR to SR levels [< 500 Hz]. Aware and unaware I found myself not missing the amount of bass in the vast majority [70-90 %] out of 100's of songs.

After going to the ER4SR, I would state that 'slam' seems just perceptibly lower. But the SR is also more-than-noticeably more revealing. This also holds for the bass region, it is 'tighter' on the SR; possibly a result of such a vented BA. I have made my choice - where bass magnitude missing is negligible [~5% of cases].

(The ER4XR was very good to my ears; it was miles better than expected. I just think the SR is indeed a standard of accuracy - which is paramount to everyone me)

 

[shoui catemoji]

You should try the Westone tips.

Thanks, I saw these when I was searching for alternative non Etymotic branded tips on a Reddit post that said that they "change the sound in an undesirable way", or else I would have gotten them.

I compared 15SM with18CL using the tone generator in both the left and right ears at once. I found that 18CL had better extension on both sides, both in bass and treble. The 18CL also sounds more "organic" and full to my ears if listen to music.

Yes, same here. But I like the sound of the 15SM the most, because it has a lot of slam, also I realized the slight imbalance (right is slightly louder) gave the impression of "soundstage" when listening to music. I like medium dual flange and 18CL more for watching videos because the imbalance is too noticeable when the voices are supposed to be dead center.
I should be getting the ER38-18 gray tip (I like to call it "the ER4S tip") in a few days, I used to have some but they were extremely tough and rigid and after trying to fit them once I just cleaned and gave them to a friend. When he showed me them I saw that they started to lose their shape and soften up a lot after a few days and the tips looked like chewing gum. So I'm curious to try them again. I don't think they will be that comfortable though.

Good choice. I find comply p100 have slam and isolation and balance because they don't do the weird vacuum thing

That's good to hear, I should be getting them this evening.


Edit:
An observation, the ER38-15SM's opening is the exact diameter of the opening of the nozzle of the earphone. The dual flange has a smaller opening, this might be why it sounds like they have less slam than the 15SM. The 18CL is ever so slightly larger.

 

[Merkurio]

Speaking about EQ, I use the ER4SR with this PEQ preset:

https://github.com/iwalton3/AutoEq/...ss/crinacle/ief_neutral_in-ear/Etymotic ER4SR

Balance across the spectrum is superb and the bass is nothing but outstanding in terms of perceived "slam" and detail.

The problem is that when I turn off the EQ, what I thought sounded good before (ER4SR stock signature) now sounds completely wrong by comparison, that's how drastic the change was...

 

[sgtbilko]

Speaking about EQ, I use the ER4SR with this PEQ preset:

https://github.com/iwalton3/AutoEq/tree/master/results_ief_with_bass/crinacle/ief_neutral_in-ear/Etymotic ER4SR

Balance across the spectrum is superb and the bass is nothing but outstanding in terms of perceived "slam" and detail.

The problem is that when I turn off the EQ, what I thought sounded good before (ER4SR stock signature) now sounds completely wrong by comparison, that's how drastic the change was...

Exactly the same set up for me! Although I do occasionally add a little more bass (100-250hz) on some lighter-bass tracks.

But your point about listening to anything now without PEQ, to me, sounds enormously bloated in the lower and upper mids. I've had my Ety's since 2010 and they've never sounded so good.

 

[Billyak]

I find that with EQ a change can be as good as a rest in most cases.

Sometimes when I have been listening to stock tuning for a while and then decided to turn the EQ on, it can sound terrible. Vice versa when starting off the listening with EQ Vs without.

 

[Merkurio]

Exactly the same set up for me! Although I do occasionally add a little more bass (100-250hz) on some lighter-bass tracks.

But your point about listening to anything now without PEQ, to me, sounds enormously bloated in the lower and upper mids. I've had my Ety's since 2010 and they've never sounded so good.

It’s crazy how good these single BAs can sing and even more crazy the benefits of PEQ!

I’m not kidding, having had and tried a lot of high-end stuff in the past (including Andromedas, KSE1200, IE800, iSINEs, etc) I was absorbed for 7 hours straight with the ER4SRs EQ’d to that target, probably one of my top 3 audio experiences of all time even though my other IEMs are equalized to the same target and sound equally fantastic, there’s something special about the insane detail and isolation provided by the deep insertion of these Etys…

 

[sgtbilko]

It’s crazy how good these single BAs can sing and even more crazy the benefits of PEQ!

I’m not kidding, having had and tried a lot of high-end stuff in the past (including Andromedas, KSE1200, IE800, iSINEs, etc) I was absorbed for 7 hours straight with the ER4SRs EQ’d to that target, probably one of my top 3 audio experiences of all time even though my other IEMs are equalized to the same target and sound equally fantastic, there’s something special about the insane detail and isolation provided by the deep insertion of these Etys…

I think one of the main reasons I didn't use mine for years was the lack of bass - that I wrongly assumed was down to the BA trade off. Now thankfully, they will earn their keep

I've attached mine to a pair of Fiio UTWS3's (with mmcx/2-pin adapters) which also frees me from worrying about cables. They look a bit ugly when on, but sound oh so sweet. I use NeutronPlayer to get the PEQ. Only wish Fiio would add PEQ to their app like Qudelix have.

 

[sgtbilko]

Has anyone got experience of the spinfit cp-240's with the er4's?
https://spinfit-eartip.com/product/cp240/?lang=en
I'm using westone star tips, which although I like, do make the body stick out of the ear quite a bit.

 

[ClieOS]

The plastic nozzle on my ER-4P broke when I was trying to put on a foam tip (similar to the picture below). I found replacement housing on AliExpress. Does anyone here have experience replacing their broken Ety housing or know of someone or a place who does? I have not yet found an easy way of removing the driver from the housing without completely cracking the plastic housing and risk damaging the driver in the process.

@EtyDave, do you have any suggestions?

Doesn't seem like anyone answered this yet.

The quick answer is you can't really replace the original ER4 housing as the plastic is molded around the BA driver. You will have to destroy the plastic housing to get to the BA, and likely will destroy the BA in the process. It will be much easier to rebuild the ER4P using completely new Knowles driver, as I had done so in the past, see here.

 

[SXero]

I think one of the main reasons I didn't use mine for years was the lack of bass - that I wrongly assumed was down to the BA trade off. Now thankfully, they will earn their keep

I've attached mine to a pair of Fiio UTWS3's (with mmcx/2-pin adapters) which also frees me from worrying about cables. They look a bit ugly when on, but sound oh so sweet. I use NeutronPlayer to get the PEQ. Only wish Fiio would add PEQ to their app like Qudelix have.

Are such adapters available somewhere? I do like the idea of wireless... apart from the probably irrepairabilty of those wireless receivers

 

[SXero]

Doesn't seem like anyone answered this yet.

The quick answer is you can't really replace the original ER4 housing as the plastic is molded around the BA driver. You will have to destroy the plastic housing to get to the BA, and likely will destroy the BA in the process. It will be much easier to rebuild the ER4P using completely new Knowles driver, as I had done so in the past, see here.

3D-printing such a thing would be neat. Etymotic would be awesome to offer a repair service for such problems. Who cares about the cost if you can maintain your pride-inducing Ety's for longer?

[Of course I can see future-unproof arguments of cost-efficiency, etc; but that seldomly encompasses the costs of dumping & dispersing our (e-)waste]

 

[sgtbilko]

Are such adapters available somewhere? I do like the idea of wireless... apart from the probably irrepairabilty of those wireless receivers

I got them about 5 years ago. I'll try and find where I got them and post the info.

 

[sgtbilko]

Are such adapters available somewhere? I do like the idea of wireless... apart from the probably irrepairabilty of those wireless receivers

Here's an image I found off the internet, but I can't find a link to them.

The best I can currently do is this ebay link https://www.ebay.com/itm/304398366315?hash=item46df8e766b:g:L4IAAOxymiVRAL23

 

[ClieOS]

3D-printing such a thing would be neat. Etymotic would be awesome to offer a repair service for such problems. Who cares about the cost if you can maintain your pride-inducing Ety's for longer?

[Of course I can see future-unproof arguments of cost-efficiency, etc; but that seldomly encompasses the costs of dumping & dispersing our (e-)waste]

Etymotic themselves never really repair cracked housing on any of their IEM as the earpieces are not meant to be repairable. If they were in warranty, they would be replaced with new earpieces (or new pair if the earpieces are not removable). If they were out of warranty, Etymotic usually would offer new earpieces for certain price (or sometime discount on a new pair if the particular model was discontinued). It is not unique to Etymotic but a common practice in the IEM industry.

Given the original ER4 has been fully discontinued, Etymotic might not even able to offer replacement old ER4 driver if they wanted to. While 3D printing sounds very cool, it is not practical / economical for any big company to 3D print an one-off for repair unless the item in question is very expensive to begin with. Of course there is also the issue that Etymotic seems to have already moved all their manufacturing oversea.

 

[SXero]

Here's an image I found off the internet, but I can't find a link to them.

The best I can currently do is this ebay link https://www.ebay.com/itm/304398366315?hash=item46df8e766b:g:L4IAAOxymiVRAL23

Thanks for getting back so soon!

I wonder how they sit in the ear, can you maybe post a picture of them sitting in some random (lol privacy) ear? I figured cables of that UTWS3 were not long enough to reach the ER4SR when deeply-inserted?

That UTWS3 is ~cheap;
how does it fare with the ER4SR, noise floor, potential annoyances?