[csglinux]

Thanks for the great answers!

I think I'm going to investigate a bit about how the ohms/volts/dbs relate to sound. About the amp, I now know I won't be buying one soon. Maybe, if I get to try a few of them, I go for a not transparent one so I have another shade of the Etys that I like.

The C5D has a switch to enhance bass a couple of notches. That can be a fun thing to try with the ER4 Otherwise, the improvement in sound quality (I'm not talking about quantity) will likely range from negligible to non-existent. As others have said, the iPhone amp (and DAC) is (are) already very good and you'll be at the point of severely diminished returns.

P.S. Congrats on choosing a safe and sensible listening volume. That seems to be a rarity these days!

 

[Wolfpred]

P,S, Congrats on choosing a safe and sensible listening volume. That seems to be a rarity these days!

 
Thanks. You're right, it's a rarity, so I'll leave this here...
 
I love my ears. I keep away whatever feels like it's damaging them, even just a bit. There is a healthy volume at which every detail can be enjoyed; if not, look for more isolation or a quieter place.

 

[Happytalk]

The er4s allow for healthy low listening levels due to their isolation and detail, but they do get very close to the ear drum. That being said. The bass boost on the c5 with the er4sis amazing, particularly at low volumes. Makes all the difference for me. Most differences are subtle when it comes to gear, but once they add up they can bring a lot of joy.

 

[domino584]

I'm going to be upgrading my ER-4S to something better, and I definitely don't want to lose clarity.  I want to maintain the level of detail these puppies give of, if not better.  My old pair would be going to my old friend that is in need of some good headphones.
 
Any suggestions?

 

[HiFiChris]

@domino584

Are you looking for a CIEM or UIEM?
 
The UERM customs as CIEMs are very balanced sounding and excel the Etys in many areas, except for treble evenness and also treble resolution (I feel like the Ety's treble resolution is moderately above the UE's).
Out of the two, I'd also consider the Ety as the more neutral one (the UERM have got a slightly emphasised ground tone area and some recessed lower and mid treble).
However, they sound pretty balanced though and detecting the moderate ground tone emphasis took me some months as it is only about two or three dB, according to the graph I know from an official UE retailer that measured the whole lineup. The peak in the upper treble is on the other hand pretty easy to detect as it is quite steep and comes after a moderate dip in the mid treble - the recording shouldn't have even a bit of too much treble, else it gets somewhat annoying.
 
I there was an upgraded IEM with the Ety's neutrality (but without the emphasis in the lower treble), I'd love to know, too. But as far as I know, the Ety is the only one coming so close to reference grade neutrality.

 

[Max Choiral]

  @domino584

Are you looking for a CIEM or UIEM?
 
The UERM customs as CIEMs are very balanced sounding and excel the Etys in many areas, except for treble evenness and also treble resolution (I feel like the Ety's treble resolution is moderately above the UE's).
Out of the two, I'd also consider the Ety as the more neutral one (the UERM have got a slightly emphasised ground tone area and some recessed lower and mid treble).

Pretty funny it sounds. You're talking about superiority of UERM over Ety and at the same time describing such things like recessed treble. I do doubt there is smth that can beat mids of ER4S. So all is left is the bass and that tiny bit is not enough

 

[HiFiChris]

Just to clarify: From what I perceive, the UE is superior in terms of resolution (except for the highs), bass impact, dryness and body, soundstage and instrument separation.
All in all, the UE sounds even brighter than the Ety due to the emphasised upper treble and even better treble extension. But yeah, lower treble and mid treble are a bit recessed, compared to the Ety. The UERM still has got more lower treble and mid treble than many other IEMs.

The Ety sounds very coherent and has got a very even and high resolving treble, but the UERM is technically better, though it is a bit less neutral.

 

[Viciel]

Good my ER4PT today,
 
Clearly the cleanest sound of IEM that I have ever use (the list is not long). Adequate bass, clear mid and high, it seems I can hear every single instrument and in acoustic music it seems I can even feel how the guitar is played, amazing IEM
 
To my not-so audiophile ear, it is a bit overwhelming at first. I can hear all the instrument as separate instrument when I usually hear it as one (hope you got what I mean, don't know how to explain it better)
 
And in some music I can't hear the high detail (cymbal in my case)  quite clearly when the said instrument play in very low volume, while I can in ATH-IM01, is it because of the treble coloration?

 

[H20Fidelity]

  Good my ER4PT today,
 
Clearly the cleanest sound of IEM that I have ever use (the list is not long). Adequate bass, clear mid and high, it seems I can hear every single instrument and in acoustic music it seems I can even feel how the guitar is played, amazing IEM
 
To my not-so audiophile ear, it is a bit overwhelming at first. I can hear all the instrument as separate instrument when I usually hear it as one (hope you got what I mean, don't know how to explain it better)
 
 

 
The instruments separating is what we call instrument separation, sounds nice and coherent doesn't it? Easy to understand.
 
With a capable source and IEM, I've heard instruments separate to the point they almost tick in time like a clock.
 
Tick tick tick..

 

[Danpyre]

The instruments separating is what we call instrument separation, sounds nice and coherent doesn't it? Easy to understand.

With a capable source and IEM, I've heard instruments separate to the point they almost tick in time like a clock.

Tick tick tick..

*DINGDINGALARMRINGRINGINGUS.AHWKXHXKSSJEsilence...*
*Music stuff*
Digging around the moments that make up a dull day...

 

[H20Fidelity]

*DINGDINGALARMRINGRINGINGUS.AHWKXHXKSSJEsilence...*
*Music stuff*
Digging around the moments that make up a dull day...

 
Never a dull moment here. Actually, after I made that post last night I kept seeing the sentence on the forum board.
 
"The instruments separating are what call instrument separation"
 
 

 
It was a complete brainfart and I had a good laugh to myself. 

 

[Viciel]

 
 


The instruments separating is what we call instrument separation, sounds nice and coherent doesn't it? Easy to understand.


 


With a capable source and IEM, I've heard instruments separate to the point they almost tick in time like a clock.


 


Tick tick tick..

 


Yeah, i got what you mean . Now i just need a good player.

I have seen you prefer the Colorfly C4 with the ER4PT.
I know sometimes quality can't be separated from price, but do you have similar alternative that probably cost less? Now i have good IEM i can bring quality music on the go.

 

[H20Fidelity]

 
 

   
  The instruments separating is what we call instrument separation, sounds nice and coherent doesn't it? Easy to understand.
   
  With a capable source and IEM, I've heard instruments separate to the point they almost tick in time like a clock.
   
  Tick tick tick..

   


Yeah, i got what you mean

. Now i just need a good player.

I have seen you prefer the Colorfly C4 with the ER4PT.
I know sometimes quality can't be separated from price, but do you have similar alternative that probably cost less? Now i have good IEM i can bring quality music on the go.

 
My Colorfly C4 is more like a vintage toy or old-school pinball machine, but it sounds excellent  (really does).
 
Depending how much you want to spend you could look at:
 
iBasso DX50
iBasso DX90
FiiO X1
FiiO X3II (this one is a nice sweet spot)
FiiO X5
 
All of those are quite nice sounding units and will drive ER4P really well. 

 

[nk126]

My first ever pair of ER-4 arrived Monday. I'm a longtime Ety user - and fan - but hadn't tried these before. Got them via Ety's out of warranty program - sent in a very old pair of ER-6i. 
 
I'm coming from mainly listening to Ety mc3 (that replaced broken hf2s awhile back) during commuting and running and, more recently, PSB M4U-1's I got for use at work. Started a new job 3 months ago and we have an open office plan, so desktop speakers aren't an option if I want to stay on my officemates' good sides!
 
My source material is FLAC and Spotify 320k streaming from iPhone 6/6S and a MacBook Air. No headphone amp or external DAC at this point. A lot of rock, funk/hip-hop, and jazz, and also some acoustic guitar type stuff. I'm not a "basshead," so to speak - I like clarity in the bass more than big thump, and don't EQ the music much these days.
 
I got the ER-4PT and my first impressions were a little underwhelming, but I didn't get to spend too much time with them on Monday. They certainly didn't sound bad, but I was a little hard pressed to hear a big difference between them and the mc3. I use the smaller (clear) triple flange, and also noticed that the tips supplied with the ER-4s didn't fit as well. 
 
Then I swapped tips to the slightly larger clears from my mc3s and spent more time listening, doing some A/B testing (swapping tips back and forth). And also plugged in the adapter to get the ER-4S impedance. 
 
And now I think I'm starting to see the light. 
 
Even straight into my Macbook, I can use the 4S adapter and get plenty of volume. And the clarity - particularly in treble-land - is noticeably better to my ears than without the adapter (ER-4PT mode). And certainly as compared to the mc3. I actually like the ER-4 signature better than the M4Us, though the over-ear cans yield a wider soundstage. (at least I think so - I'm no expert audiophile)
 
What I don't like, however, is the lack of mic/remote on the ER-4 cord and the microphonics and overall length/heft of the cable. I'm going to use these a lot while walking and am thinking I'll need a third party cable replacement or else they just won't work. (I'll keep the mc3s for running) I'm used to some microphonics, but it's much worse with the ER-4s than on the mc3s or PSBs, for that matter.
 
I'm kind of thinking I should just exchange them for hf3s. Might be worth losing a little resolution in exchange for saving ~$150 and time/hassle to wind up with ER-4 + aftermarket new cable. I found one on eBay - anybody have experience with it and/or know of another with inline remote/mic? Going the Shure adapter + cable route is another possibility. 
 
Any wisdom for me beyond what I've already read here and elsewhere on the forums? I'm also game to try non-Ety IEMs if they'll take the Ety triple flanges or a similar tip. I love the isolation and am used to the "comfort." 
 
Thanks!

 

[uzi2]

  I'm kind of thinking I should just exchange them for hf3s. Might be worth losing a little resolution in exchange for saving ~$150 and time/hassle to wind up with ER-4 + aftermarket new cable. I found one on eBay - anybody have experience with it and/or know of another with inline remote/mic? Going the Shure adapter + cable route is another possibility. 
 
 
Thanks!

I would avoid that. The original cable has a built in resistor in the y-split (which is part of the problem with the weight of the cable you describe). A much better route is to go for adapters which contain either ER4P resistors(25ohm) or ER4S resistors(100ohm). The latter will mean you won't need to use the inline converrter for your ER4PT. I have recently purchased the Estron Linum Bax Cable and it is excellent - super lightweight, but I'm not sure they do a version with inline mic.
There is an excellent guide for this and I will seek it out and edit this post with a link for you.
 
Here is my recent post with link
 
Direct link here
 
Please thank @gixxerwimp