[ricksome]

I should start out by saying that I do not play in the expensive area of this hobby. I had ER-4P's and wish I could say that I still had them. Perhaps a repurchase is in the works. These are the most accurate IEM's I have ever heard. Now, I do not know what the high priced spread sound like, but I could let my elevator stop at ER-4P's and be content.

 

[luisdent]

Quote:

I should start out by saying that I do not play in the expensive area of this hobby. I had ER-4P's and wish I could say that I still had them. Perhaps a repurchase is in the works. These are the most accurate IEM's I have ever heard. Now, I do not know what the high priced spread sound like, but I could let my elevator stop at ER-4P's and be content.

 
I've tried a few of $500-600 (westone 4r, shure 535, pfe 232) and none of them sound as good as the ety er4 series.  Any of er4 series. They're good in their own right, but the etymotics really have an awesome close to flat response (i've never found a truly flat iem yet).  And amazing isolation which only helps you hear the music better...  I'm a fan.

 

[kkcc]

I've tried a few of $500-600 (westone 4r, shure 535, pfe 232) and none of them sound as good as the ety er4 series.  Any of er4 series. They're good in their own right, but the etymotics really have an awesome close to flat response (i've never found a truly flat iem yet).  And amazing isolation which only helps you hear the music better...  I'm a fan.

Same here. Have had "upgraded" to many more expensive iems over the years but always still come back to my er4s. Not that I don't enjoy the others but probably I'm just too used to the Ety sound. Until very recently with the re600 and 1plus2 I find others either too dark, too slow, too boomy, too veiled or a mixture of these compare to the er4 as a reference. With these two I feel I m able to get fuller notes and timbre without sacrificing much.... the re600 had especially ate into the ear times for er4s. But I learnt my lesson and would not let go or it this time, or I would most likely need a fourth pair!

 

[gnarlsagan]

Quote:

Same here. Have had "upgraded" to many more expensive iems over the years but always still come back to my er4s. Not that I don't enjoy the others but probably I'm just too used to the Ety sound. Until very recently with the re600 and 1plus2 I find others either too dark, too slow, too boomy, too veiled or a mixture of these compare to the er4 as a reference. With these two I feel I m able to get fuller notes and timbre without sacrificing much.... the re600 had especially ate into the ear times for er4s. But I learnt my lesson and would not let go or it this time, or I would most likely need a fourth pair!

 
I'd be really interested in hearing more about how the ER4 compares to the 1plus2, since people hold that iem in high regard.

 

[H20Fidelity]

Guys, this has probably been asked before.

Do you guys experience channel imbalance with your ER4S if you don't get exactly the right fit? For example, unless I get them sealed perfectly or should I say the exact right insertion depth into the second bend of my canal vocals always pull to the right. This is with songs I know vocals should be dead center. It worries me sometimes because I've had thoughts my pair are faulty, though with correct fiddling, sometimes many times I can correct the imbalance.

Normal? Interested in others experiences with this.

 

[gnarlsagan]

Guys, this has probably been asked before.

Do you guys experience channel imbalance with your ER4S if you don't get exactly the right fit? For example, unless I get them sealed perfectly or should I say the exact right insertion depth into the second bend of my canal vocals always pull to the right. This is with songs I know vocals should be dead center. It worries me sometimes because I've had thoughts my pair are faulty, though with correct fiddling, sometimes many times I can correct the imbalance.

Normal? Interested in others experience with this.

I experienced this same thing but only with foams tips. I wasn't able to get a deep enough fit with them, and so they angled in a way that affected channel balance. A deeper fit straightens out the barrel in my ear canal and eliminates imbalance.

 

[H20Fidelity]

I experienced this same thing but only with foams tips. I wasn't able to get a deep enough fit with them, and so they angled in a way that affected channel balance. A deeper fit straightens out the barrel in my ear canal and eliminates imbalance.

I can get the foam tips right fairly easy. it's silicon that gives me trouble sometimes. Need to lube them up before insertion otherwise they get stuck and stick, all sorts of drama. I think you're right though the tip opening gets wedged away from the canal which causes imbalance.

 

[castleofargh]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Zc5meSooI  tyll shows how foam could fill the exit of the intra.  I do it pretty much like that and have no trouble, you just have to wait holding the IEM longer because at first the foam tries to push it out of your ear if done like that.
 
 
h2o I guess with the er4 you go far enough to hit the 2nd bend of your canal. problem that usually doesn't occur on most other IEMs as you can't go so far inside. so you get the ear canal obstructing the bore. you'll have to go even deeper if your ear permits it and your jaw doesn't try to break the er4 inside your ear ^_^. else a tad less deep should do the trick too, but with er4 deeper=better sound.

 

[kkcc]

I'd be really interested in hearing more about how the ER4 compares to the 1plus2, since people hold that iem in high regard.

With the 1plus2 I get largely the same tonality of er4 series in terms of how bright/dark it sounds but with more bass that is as tight and fast, fuller and accurate mids, and non-fatiguing treble. Plus it gives massive soundstage and resolution. Probably answered all my wish for this type of sound. Really the only drawback is price...

Besides the 1plus2, a seldom talked about custom Canalworks CW-L05QD has 4 full range ED-29689s working in tandem that with a sound very appealing to me with an Ety type sound. Was pleasantly surprised by the demo. Had my local dealer's price been closer to the japan msrp I might have jumped...

 

[luisdent]

I get slight imbalance with the silicon (not foam), because of the pressure issue i mentioned a while back.  I sometimes need to reinsert them or wiggle them or something to make the air pressure balance out.  Otherwise, one ear might sound a little quieter.  The odd thing is that the better the seal in terms of pressure the quieter the ear is.  I need to have a balance.  I find it odd that no one else ever mentions this phenomenon...  It's like the foam breath more, even when sealing the air in.  The silicon are like a vacuum.  Too much negative pressure and it changes the sound.  It's pretty easy to fix though, and usually even if I just wait a minute and listen to music things balance out on their own after a minute or two.

 

[gnarlsagan]

With the 1plus2 I get largely the same tonality of er4 series in terms of how bright/dark it sounds but with more bass that is as tight and fast, fuller and accurate mids, and non-fatiguing treble. Plus it gives massive soundstage and resolution. Probably answered all my wish for this type of sound. Really the only drawback is price...

Besides the 1plus2, a seldom talked about custom Canalworks CW-L05QD has 4 full range ED-29689s working in tandem that with a sound very appealing to me with an Ety type sound. Was pleasantly surprised by the demo. Had my local dealer's price been closer to the japan msrp I might have jumped...

This is huge. 1plus2 has similar mids to the ER4? Also interested in that canalworks iem. Where did you demo them?

 

[tomscy2000]

Quote:

  This is huge. 1plus2 has similar mids to the ER4? Also interested in that canalworks iem. Where did you demo them?

I don't think the 1Plus2 has a similar midrange to the ER4. The TWFK sounds very different from the ED, IMHO, and the two will never sound similar in my book. I've actually done blind tests (same exact black shells) between the ED, TWFK, and GQ, and was able to differentiate the three. I was confused between an ED/CI combo vs. GQ, but that's understandable.
 
The CW-L05QD uses four Sonion 2354 in tandem. It's paired in sets of two, with dual bores (identical 680 ohm damping) and a voltage divider between the two sets of dual 2354. I think it's brilliant. It definitely gives off an ER4 vibe, but the soundstage sounds bigger, grander, airier.
 
CW also has the CW-L01, which is a 2354 with a 100 ohm resistor attached; sounds like the ER4S with slightly better bass extension (because of the bass venting). It also has a CW-L01P, which is a 2354 with less serial resistance, and sounds more like the ER4P.
 
Hayashi-san seems to be an admirer of the ER4 sound, and the majority of his models have modest levels of bass with present, bright-ish mids, but controlled sibilance. I'm a fan of his products.

 

[gnarlsagan]

I don't think the 1Plus2 has a similar midrange to the ER4. The TWFK sounds very different from the ED, IMHO, and the two will never sound similar in my book. I've actually done blind tests (same exact black shells) between the ED, TWFK, and GQ, and was able to differentiate the three. I was confused between an ED/CI combo vs. GQ, but that's understandable.

The CW-L05QD uses four Sonion 2354 in tandem. It's paired in sets of two, with dual bores (identical 680 ohm damping) and a voltage divider between the two sets of dual 2354. I think it's brilliant. It definitely gives off an ER4 vibe, but the soundstage sounds bigger, grander, airier.

CW also has the CW-L01, which is a 2354 with a 100 ohm resistor attached; sounds like the ER4S with slightly better bass extension (because of the bass venting). It also has a CW-L01P, which is a 2354 with less serial resistance, and sounds more like the ER4P.

Hayashi-san seems to be an admirer of the ER4 sound, and the majority of his models have modest levels of bass with present, bright-ish mids, but controlled sibilance. I'm a fan of his products.

Wow the L05QD sounds interesting. I found their page here, but over $1000 is a bit much for me. I wonder if they'd consider making a universal version of their customs. Would you consider the L05QD to have more of a "V" shape versus the ER4S? If so, how drastic would you estimate the bass and treble emphasis to be? Are there any any other sonic benefits to using more drivers? They do mention less distortion on their page. My apologies for so many questions! This just sounds really cool.

I agree about the TWFK versus ED, especially in the mids. The DBA-02 definitely doesn't have the 3k emphasis that the ER4 does. Seems the 1plus2 also has a big ~9k spike. Overall they do seem pretty different. 

 

[luisdent]

Not to sidetrack gnarlsagan's question (i'm curious too), but I wanted to get a poll of the people who wanted to do a group buy of red filters.  I can start a new thread or something.  I just want to get names and who's in, and I can calculate the costs and start setting it up.  I'll handle the purchasing and shipment to everyone within the u.s and the one person who wanted them outside the u.s.  I'd like to use paypal as well, as it is easier and faster.

 

[gnarlsagan]

Not to sidetrack gnarlsagan's question (i'm curious too), but I wanted to get a poll of the people who wanted to do a group buy of red filters.  I can start a new thread or something.  I just want to get names and who's in, and I can calculate the costs and start setting it up.  I'll handle the purchasing and shipment to everyone within the u.s and the one person who wanted them outside the u.s.  I'd like to use paypal as well, as it is easier and faster.

I'm in for 3 pairs of reds.