[Antihawk]

I've also got both and agree.
The only things the SD-2 does better than the Ety are (imo) sounstage expansion in terms of depth and width (though the Ety's soundstage is brilliant, too and has probably the more precise layering), as well as comfort (though I don't have any problems with the Etys' comfort, they feel somehow ticklish).

Although I like the SD-2 and its well-textured bass with rather slow recordings, you can clearly hear that the lows driver is back-vented, what is expressed by a somewhat "soft" bass with less dry/hard impact, especially with fast/more complex recordings. That's where the Ety is also better, imho of course.

Haha yeah. You must be the one of the few people on the planet who have no comfort issues with the Etys. Triflanges for me are leagues above any other type of tip for me in terms of sound quality. That goes for the IEMs I currently use regularly - the Etys, SD2s and Se846 (I'd imagine saying I like the Shures is blasphemy around here, but it depends on my mood and music type honestly). Anyway I have to overall prefer the SD2 because of the comfort. SQ is better with ER4S but I can't tolerate the triflanges with deep insertion for more than a couple of hours.

 

[HiFiChris]

Having big conchas and wide ear canals helps getting good comfort out of most IEMs in my case, including the Etys which I can even wear around the ear comfortably without "modifying" the cable.

I have to admit that I like my SE846, too, but not for "serious" listening, but rather for listening to mainstream/charts and pop stuff "in between".
Neutral and neutral-ish IEMs are the better all-rounders for me and I even use this sound signature for sports, Hip-Hop and Electronical.

 

[Antihawk]

Having big conchas and wide ear canals helps getting good comfort out of most IEMs in my case, including the Etys which I can even wear around the ear comfortably without "modifying" the cable.

I have to admit that I like my SE846, too, but not for "serious" listening, but rather for listening to mainstream/charts and pop stuff "in between".
Neutral and neutral-ish IEMs are the better all-rounders for me and I even use this sound signature for sports, Hip-Hop and Electronical.

I envy you, my friend. The Etys would be my favourite IEM if not for the intolerability of the fit long-term. 
 
I'm looking for over-the-ear (close to) equivalents of the Etys. Obviously I've encountered the F111 on headfi, but nigh on impossible to get. If you've had experience with the Noble 4 and Heir 4s, what do you reckon about them?

 

[HiFiChris]

Having big conchas and wide ear canals helps getting good comfort out of most IEMs in my case, including the Etys which I can even wear around the ear comfortably without "modifying" the cable.


I have to admit that I like my SE846, too, but not for "serious" listening, but rather for listening to mainstream/charts and pop stuff "in between".

Neutral and neutral-ish IEMs are the better all-rounders for me and I even use this sound signature for sports, Hip-Hop and Electronical.

I envy you, my friend. The Etys would be my favourite IEM if not for the intolerability of the fit long-term. 

I'm looking for over-the-ear (close to) equivalents of the Etys. Obviously I've encountered the F111 on headfi, but nigh on impossible to get. If you've had experience with the Noble 4 and Heir 4s, what do you reckon about them?

Have you tried the Etys with the long foam tips that come included? Imo they're very comfortable but as I don't like foam tips for In-Ears in general and my modified tri-flanges are quite good in terms of comfort, I use the tri-flanges instead.

I don't have experience with neither the Heir nor the Noble (though it is on my "want to buy" list), but from what I've heard, they could suit you. The UE900 could also be interesting for you, though its midrange kind of lacks resolution in comparison to the bass and highs resolution and sounds somewhat dull. The middle highs around 4.5 kHz are also recessed, giving it a more relaxed touch.

 

[uzi2]

  I envy you, my friend. The Etys would be my favourite IEM if not for the intolerability of the fit long-term. 
 
I'm looking for over-the-ear (close to) equivalents of the Etys. Obviously I've encountered the F111 on headfi, but nigh on impossible to get. If you've had experience with the Noble 4 and Heir 4s, what do you reckon about them?

Wearing the Etys over ear can add to the comfort as it takes away the pull from the heavy cable. Better still, re-cable using something much lighter.
Have you tried the gliders? I find these by far the most comfortable of the stock tips.

 

[chrismercurio]

Hi,
 
After using HF3s for the last 3+ years I finally bought a pair of ER4's and the difference is a lot bigger than I expected. What do you guys like for a recable? The stock cable is quite heavy! I was considering a plusSound cable, but spending nearly as much on a cable as a headphone seems silly.
 
Best,
 
Chris

 

[uchihaitachi]

I envy you, my friend. The Etys would be my favourite IEM if not for the intolerability of the fit long-term. 

I'm looking for over-the-ear (close to) equivalents of the Etys. Obviously I've encountered the F111 on headfi, but nigh on impossible to get. If you've had experience with the Noble 4 and Heir 4s, what do you reckon about them?

Heir 4s should be avoided. It's good but has a null around upper mod frequencies giving it a slightly odd 'light feel.'

 

[ER4S]

In terms of tonality, you could check out the Shure SRH440 and AKG K550.

 
Thanks, I'll look into them. Also, yes, "tonality" is the key word.
 

You must be the one of the few people on the planet who have no comfort issues with the Etys.

   
   Me too! Don' angry with me but Ety with triple flange is the most comfortable iem for me

 

[headdict]

  Anyone had experience with the Inear SD2 and compared it to the ER4S? 
 
I find the SD2 to have a slightly warmer tilt to the sound relative to the ER4S. Treble extension still excellent, although not to the level of the ER4S. Resolution is decent, but still not as revealing as the ER4S (could be a good or bad thing depending on the mastering). Still, much more neutral than a lot of IEMs out there. I don't find it to be lacking in sub-bass, so no need for EQ. 
 
Overall, I find the SD2 to be a more laid-back and forgiving version of the ER4S. Much easier to listen to for long periods of time, both sound-wise and comfort-wise; it is the most comfortable UIEM I've had the pleasure of owning. 
 
Anyone who's had experience with both agree with this?

I have both, too, and my short answer is I have to agree to everything you've just said.
 
The long answer goes like this: I find SD2 considerably warmer than ER4S. If they were a bit less treble shy, I would strongly consider investing in their custom sibling to further improve on comfort and isolation. As they are I enjoy them a lot with about anything but jazz (my favorite genre, unfortunately) and classic. I use them almost daily while riding public transport and shopping and sometimes working in the office. ER4S get used for more serious listening in solitude. For walks and longer train or plane rides DBA-02 MK II get the most use by far.

 

[headdict]

 
Wearing the Etys over ear can add to the comfort as it takes away the pull from the heavy cable. Better still, re-cable using something much lighter.
Have you tried the gliders? I find these by far the most comfortable of the stock tips.

For me comfort with Etys implies foam tips (either Shure olives or stock, never tried Comply). Any other stock tips are extremely uncomfortable for me with Etys. I use Ety trip-flange with DBA-02 MK II, though. I think I already described my experience with gliders and I'm not going to repeat it. 

 

[ying]

     
   Me too! Don' angry with me but Ety with triple flange is the most comfortable iem for me

Hahah actually I like the triple flange, i think it gives the best isolation. Although it not that comfortable to sleep it, using at a work is a blast to ignore your annoying boss!!

 

[gnarlsagan]

Heir 4s should be avoided. It's good but has a null around upper mod frequencies giving it a slightly odd 'light feel.'

Agreed, but the Noble Audio Savant is definitely worth checking out. Best thing they've released imo.

 

[uchihaitachi]

Agreed, but the Noble Audio Savant is definitely worth checking out. Best thing they've released imo.

I have a review unit. Slightly v shaped so not a replacement for ER4S.

 

[take8]

I've spent many hours over the past week looking over <$400 IEM options, and I arrived at the Ety ER4, since I've always wanted a pair. The other day I ordered the ER4-PT.
 
I thought by reading a lot of posts on this thread that the S mode would be superior in every way, but to my surprise I actually vastly prefer the P mode, even when driven by more than capable amplifiers such as my Asgard 2 and Leckerton UHA-62.mkii. It simply has more bass to my ears, and while I can hear more definition / more tight bass in the S mode, the highs get a almost crystalline quality and overtake the mids and especially the bass for me; I'd have to turn them up quite a bit to get to the same level of bass, which I'm not willing to do for the best interests of my ears.
 
Either way, I'm very happy with my purchase of these as a secondary pair. I actually find them very comfortable, since my main problem with my old Shures was that the housing would push onto my ears (which also helped disqualify the Westone W40, since they have a similar housing). I've grown quite used to the feeling of something deep in my ears by now, luckily, and they can just disappear. The microphonics are troublesome, though; I imagine I'll be annoyed when out and about with them.

 

[ying]

  I've spent many hours over the past week looking over <$400 IEM options, and I arrived at the Ety ER4, since I've always wanted a pair. The other day I ordered the ER4-PT.
 
I thought by reading a lot of posts on this thread that the S mode would be superior in every way, but to my surprise I actually vastly prefer the P mode, even when driven by more than capable amplifiers such as my Asgard 2 and Leckerton UHA-62.mkii. It simply has more bass to my ears, and while I can hear more definition / more tight bass in the S mode, the highs get a almost crystalline quality and overtake the mids and especially the bass for me; I'd have to turn them up quite a bit to get to the same level of bass, which I'm not willing to do for the best interests of my ears.
 
Either way, I'm very happy with my purchase of these as a secondary pair. I actually find them very comfortable, since my main problem with my old Shures was that the housing would push onto my ears (which also helped disqualify the Westone W40, since they have a similar housing). I've grown quite used to the feeling of something deep in my ears by now, luckily, and they can just disappear. The microphonics are troublesome, though; I imagine I'll be annoyed when out and about with them.
 

 
Yeah the mircophonics are so annoying, even when I sit down at home to listen to er4 you can't really move. Some people re cable their er4 for that reason, but I am not sure if that will take away the original sound of the er4. 
 
At first the deep insertion was bothersome but after a couple days I got use to it and now it feels like nothing in my ears