If you still love Etymotic ER4, this is the thread for you...
Jan 14, 2013 at 2:35 PM Post #886 of 19,251
Quote:
try comply foam for the best upgrade for er4s imo :) 

I used comply for a while but now I am back to the original black foam tips. I think they (and tri-flange) give me the best sound. But they are very soft and comfy. :)
 
Jan 19, 2013 at 7:00 AM Post #887 of 19,251
Got the ACS-T15 out of the love I have for ER4S. The ER4S still is a clear winner, however without an amp the ACS-T15 scales up quiet nicely. Not as detailed as the ER4S however the bass is very nice.
 
ER4S you are still the winner for me, not even my CK100PRO could win me over. 

Next challenger, fitearGo! 111, I just have to wait and save up. 
 
Jan 19, 2013 at 7:09 AM Post #888 of 19,251
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Next challenger, fitearGo! 111, I just have to wait and save up. 

cool.gif

 
Next up I'd like to get my hands on Canal Works CW-L05QD--Supposedly equipped with FOUR Knowles ED-29689 working simultaneously for the whole frequency range with flat FR graph--Quad-driver ER-4, anyone?
 
But for sentimental reasons my dad's ER-4S still takes the cake.
 
Jan 19, 2013 at 7:12 AM Post #889 of 19,251
Quote:
cool.gif

 
Next up I'd like to get my hands on Canal Works CW-L05QD--Supposedly equipped with FOUR Knowles ED-29689 working simultaneously for the whole frequency range with flat FR graph--Quad-driver ER-4, anyone?
 
But for sentimental reasons my dad's ER-4S still takes the cake.

Thanks for the product name, never heard of it. Dude is the picture of your avatar you? Have you heard the F111? If you have please give us a comparison if you can. 
 
Jan 19, 2013 at 7:27 AM Post #891 of 19,251
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Yea that F111 is mine lol.
 
Basically it's like easier-to-drive version of ER-4S with better bass extension/impact, smoother treble and MUCH better comfort/fit for my ears.

Finally someone who owns both IEM. Would you say is it worth paying that much? Are the improvement subtle? I have no problem with fit, my concern is sound improvement. From the FR chart I see that F111 suppose to have better upper region details. I know it is a silly question as audio is subjective any more info in terms of over-all sound improvement is greatly apperciated. I am in process of collecting analytical IEM, would love to have this in my collection, but if the changes are not huge I rather buy j-phonic or the Tzar 350 (which both combined cost about the same as one pair of F111!)
 
Thanks
 
Jan 19, 2013 at 7:53 AM Post #892 of 19,251
Quote:
Finally someone who owns both IEM. Would you say is it work paying that much? Are the improvement subtle? I have no problem with fit, my concern is sound improvement. From the FR chart I see that F111 suppose to have better upper region details. I know it is a silly question as audio is subjective any more info in terms of over-all sound improvement is greatly apperciated. I am in process of collecting analytical IEM, would love to have this in my collection, but if the changes are not huge I rather buy j-phonic or the Tzar 350 (which both combined cost about the same as one pair of F111!)
 
Thanks

Well, first off, I never owned any ER-4--I used to listen to my dad's pair a lot-- since I find it uncomfortable for listening session that lasts more than 10 mins(my ear canals are narrow) . I do LOVE its sound characteristics, it's just too bad the fit is not me.
 
As far as sound improvements are concerned, it is indeed highly subjective and for me it's rather subtle : deeper bass with a tad more impact, meatier vocals and less fatiguing but still detailed treble--it's like going from 90 to 95 in a 0-100 scale--Not worth the extra money under normal circumstances. However F111 fits my ears like a charm--I can use it for extended listening sessions--and that's why it was worth the extra money for me personally.
 
I wish I have ER-4S with me though so I can A/B it with F111 to make sure that my impressions i correct.
 
Jan 19, 2013 at 11:13 AM Post #894 of 19,251
did a comparison using my mobile setup (see my sig) with er4s and new Senn ie800s. I found the 800s nice but clearly a mainstream product..which is indicated by
its non over the ear friendly design and bassy signature. it reminded me of my hd650s quite alot. the soundstage is pretty good, but isolation won't be as good as 
ety in ears. 
 
the dynamic range was impressive but since im not a bass head, when i switched back to my er4s I was happier. I seem to always choose detail over rolled off uppers these days. 
despite being harsh with bad recordings and low bitrate files. 
 
considering ie800s cost 600 sterling (1k dollars) they did not do it for me in all. Hd650s is a good ref point but with less soundstage and warmth. 
 
Dan
 
Jan 19, 2013 at 5:13 PM Post #895 of 19,251
Yea, listening to any headphone with even the slightest bass bump becomes so obvious, now. Once you've come to truly appreciate accuracy, there's no turning back.
 
HD650's are terribly veiled, btw. Not a good ref point for anything, except the laid-back, thick sound type of sound. I somewhat liken them to SM3's... yuck...
 
Jan 19, 2013 at 6:05 PM Post #896 of 19,251
yeah i agree...well partly. i still find them good to fall asleep to with..but yeah for day time listening eventually id like to get some hd800s. 
all this talk of amp compatibility with HD800s is falling away also what with this new felt and foam mod tyll from innerfidelity has posted
on. 
 
Jan 20, 2013 at 3:15 AM Post #897 of 19,251
Quote:
HD650's are terribly veiled, btw. Not a good ref point for anything, except the laid-back, thick sound type of sound. I somewhat liken them to SM3's... yuck...

Just want to defend the HD650 a little here 
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With the APureSound Mod, a silver cable and the right amplifier they are not veiled at all. In fact I think they can become very open and airy with a fine detail level. 
 
But it is correct that once you get used to high resolution everything with too much bass becomes unbearable to listen to. On the contrary after getting used to darker sound it is hard to go back to the ER-4 because they will appear to sound thin in comparison. So maybe in general we should stop judging headphones only after a short listening time. It really takes weeks to get used to different signatures before one can appreciate how they sound. 
 
In this regards the ER-4 is a long way apart from the rest and not many other headphones are in the same signature region. 
 
Lately I have been listening a lot to the ER-4S with <AIFF 24/96> --> ODAC --> Quickstep and I find it hard to imagine it could sound better in any way. I miss nothing and the best thing is that there is nothing standing out in the sound. I think I have a very transparent and neutral setup there. 
etysmile.gif

 
Jan 20, 2013 at 8:07 AM Post #898 of 19,251
nice tip on a silver cable. any european sellers you know of? also, what is the apuresound mod? Those guys are off the radar .. and ive heard so many stories
of bad communication. 
 
Jan 20, 2013 at 9:29 AM Post #899 of 19,251
Quote:
nice tip on a silver cable. any european sellers you know of? also, what is the apuresound mod? Those guys are off the radar .. and ive heard so many stories
of bad communication. 

The APureSound Mod is something you can do yourself: http://apuresound.com/hdsennmod.html
 
I bought my HD650 cable at Jaben in Hong Kong. I do not really know any cheap EU dealers who makes great cables. There are some DIY'ers if you search a little around who might be able to help. 
 
I once tried the APureSound ER-4 cable and it sounded worse than the stock cable. It gave me listening fatigue immediately using it and it was also not flexible as the original cable. 
 

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