[Kvud]

I have two cables for these headphones.

 

[L1C4]

I've owned the ER4-S/P/PT, and wondering what newer, slightly more expensive IEMs, Head-Fiers recommend for similar signature. 
 
I've been looking at the Noble line but saw that some people had trouble with the universal fit. 
 
Any recommendations would be much appreciated. 

 

[Danpyre]

I've owned the ER4-S/P/PT, and wondering what newer, slightly more expensive IEMs, Head-Fiers recommend for similar signature. 

I've been looking at the Noble line but saw that some people had trouble with the universal fit. 

Any recommendations would be much appreciated. 

From what if heard, you'll have yo pay quite a bit more for something like them.

 

[h1f1add1cted]

Those sleeve look pretty long. As long as the triple flange grey tips? Any chance they will do as good of a job?

I got quite time ago my custom tips I have not any bad sound change as with the default triple flange tips before, they are a lilltle bit shorter as default tips, but doesn't hurt anymore and yes I know the ER-4 are built for these triple flange tips, but they are uncomfortable as hell for me, now no issues anymore. The custom tips are done by Custom Art.
 

 

[labrat]

 

[labrat]

 

[Voyageur]

From what if heard, you'll have yo pay quite a bit more for something like them.

Agreed. I have tried and tried to find something equivalent to the ER-4 at the same price range while I was wandering in Hong Kong audio stores. Barely found anything worth it, at least in my budget, that could rival the Etys. Honestly, even some $500 multi-drivers have a hard time beating them, purely SQ wise. Well, I guess my wallet is loving this.
 
 @labrat I haven't tried the E4, but have spent a few hundreds of hours with SE210, 420, 425, 530, 535 and 846. Is the E4 that different from the newer Shure line of products, sonically speaking? Because what I get as the "Shure house sound signature" is very far from the Ety type of sound, even when it comes to the SE425 which is supposed to sound "analytical", "flat" and "bright".

 

[labrat]

 

[Happytalk]

[COLOR=111111]I have two cables for these headphones.[/COLOR]

Two stock cables?

 

[Kvud]

no litz http://www.head-fi.org/t/775951/copper-litz-cables-for-etymotic-er-4-custom-resistance-price-dropp manufacturer http://www.hybridaudio.ru/

 

[Happytalk]

I've been disappointed with sound of aftermarket cables. Not that they are bad, just different enough and somehow they seem to have a slower presentation than the orig etymotic cable.

 

[ElMarcado]

Hello. First, I don't want to offend anyone with the following post. I'll try to explain my polarising experience with the ER-4P/S:
 
I find the sound not that good. Sure, they are very detailed, but in a monitoring way. In my experience, they weren't detailed in a musical way: I can't hear more 'breaths' in vocals, or the rich tone of the bow of a violin, or the strumming of a piano. instead, they are microscopically detailed with the flaws of the recording, which includes hiss, tape noise, etc.
 
I am underwhelmed by their soundstage too. Yes, they have decent separation and size, but the imaging isn't any better than a good closed headphone. I don't know if the 'a closed headphone can't sound like a open headphone' logic applies with this IEM, but after auditioning some of the best closed full-size headphones and being unimpressed in that regard, I wasn't that surprised when I found out that the ER-4S is not a exception, even tough almost anyone in head-fi describe the ER-4S as having 'incredible imaging of instruments and musicians', which is silly in my experience when comparing it with open-back full-size headphones. They also lack richness in the vocals, female and male. They simply sound tinny and not rich at all. I don't particularly like a dark sound, but Grado's for example can pick up the air of guitars and vocalists in a realistic way and make you feel that you're there with the musicians. This doesn't happen with the ER-4S.
 
In short, I'm not impressed by it's sound. It's not bad, but not other-worldly good. I loved it the first days I bought it, because of the emotion of owning a new gadget, but that's all about it. They don't image as good as some people here says. Sure, they have a enormous soundstage and great separation for such a little thing, and compared with other IEM's like Shure's I'm sure they totally own them in that regard. But when I'm compare them with Open-back Full-size Headphones, all the greatness go away.
 
Will esoteric amps and DAC's convert it to a totally different beast, or I'm summing them accurately?
 
Please be honest. If a great DAC and Amp will convert a tiny flat sound to a sensation of being there, I'm looking forward to upgrade soon. But if this is the ER-4S, please be honest and admit it. Thank you Etyheads.

 

[Danpyre]

  Hello. First, I don't want to offend anyone with the following post. I'll try to explain my polarising experience with the ER-4P/S:
 
I find the sound not that good. Sure, they are very detailed, but in a monitoring way. In my experience, they weren't detailed in a musical way: I can't hear more 'breaths' in vocals, or the rich tone of the bow of a violin, or the strumming of a piano. instead, they are microscopically detailed with the flaws of the recording, which includes hiss, tape noise, etc.
 
I am underwhelmed by their soundstage too. Yes, they have decent separation and size, but the imaging isn't any better than a good closed headphone. I don't know if the 'a closed headphone can't sound like a open headphone' logic applies with this IEM, but after auditioning some of the best closed full-size headphones and being unimpressed in that regard, I wasn't that surprised when I found out that the ER-4S is not a exception, even tough almost anyone in head-fi describe the ER-4S as having 'incredible imaging of instruments and musicians', which is silly in my experience when comparing it with open-back full-size headphones. They also lack richness in the vocals, female and male. They simply sound tinny and not rich at all. I don't particularly like a dark sound, but Grado's for example can pick up the air of guitars and vocalists in a realistic way and make you feel that you're there with the musicians. This doesn't happen with the ER-4S.
 
In short, I'm not impressed by it's sound. It's not bad, but not other-worldly good. I loved it the first days I bought it, because of the emotion of owning a new gadget, but that's all about it. They don't image as good as some people here says. Sure, they have a enormous soundstage and great separation for such a little thing, and compared with other IEM's like Shure's I'm sure they totally own them in that regard. But when I'm compare them with Open-back Full-size Headphones, all the greatness go away.
 
Will esoteric amps and DAC's convert it to a totally different beast, or I'm summing them accurately?
 
Please be honest. If a great DAC and Amp will convert a tiny flat sound to a sensation of being there, I'm looking forward to upgrade soon. But if this is the ER-4S, please be honest and admit it. Thank you Etyheads.

An amp to just give it a bit of power should do just fine.
I don't think you're inserting them properly. When I insert them, the sweet spot is a certain area where the cable relief would get caught on my ear if I inserted the earphone any deeper.  If you insert it in this position, it suddenly sounds better.
Almost every open headphone should have a bigger soundstage than an in ear.  Heck, closed backs should generally have a larger one, too.  The great soundstage and imaging thing was in comparison to other IEMs.

 

[castleofargh]

  Hello. First, I don't want to offend anyone with the following post. I'll try to explain my polarising experience with the ER-4P/S:
 
I find the sound not that good. Sure, they are very detailed, but in a monitoring way. In my experience, they weren't detailed in a musical way: I can't hear more 'breaths' in vocals, or the rich tone of the bow of a violin, or the strumming of a piano. instead, they are microscopically detailed with the flaws of the recording, which includes hiss, tape noise, etc.
 
I am underwhelmed by their soundstage too. Yes, they have decent separation and size, but the imaging isn't any better than a good closed headphone. I don't know if the 'a closed headphone can't sound like a open headphone' logic applies with this IEM, but after auditioning some of the best closed full-size headphones and being unimpressed in that regard, I wasn't that surprised when I found out that the ER-4S is not a exception, even tough almost anyone in head-fi describe the ER-4S as having 'incredible imaging of instruments and musicians', which is silly in my experience when comparing it with open-back full-size headphones. They also lack richness in the vocals, female and male. They simply sound tinny and not rich at all. I don't particularly like a dark sound, but Grado's for example can pick up the air of guitars and vocalists in a realistic way and make you feel that you're there with the musicians. This doesn't happen with the ER-4S.
 
In short, I'm not impressed by it's sound. It's not bad, but not other-worldly good. I loved it the first days I bought it, because of the emotion of owning a new gadget, but that's all about it. They don't image as good as some people here says. Sure, they have a enormous soundstage and great separation for such a little thing, and compared with other IEM's like Shure's I'm sure they totally own them in that regard. But when I'm compare them with Open-back Full-size Headphones, all the greatness go away.
 
Will esoteric amps and DAC's convert it to a totally different beast, or I'm summing them accurately?
 
Please be honest. If a great DAC and Amp will convert a tiny flat sound to a sensation of being there, I'm looking forward to upgrade soon. But if this is the ER-4S, please be honest and admit it. Thank you Etyheads.

it's the problem with exaggerated praises and communication problems, people end up with the wrong expectations. the er4 are small, they isolate like mad, and have a pretty impressive treble extension for IEMs at any price. those are IMO making the ER4 a very special toy even nowadays. that said, they're still just IEMs.
soundstage being good... I don't know who talked about that part. I always felt like all the Etys had the instruments stuck on a straight line on the axis of both ears. technically that's expected of headphones, but it's not a lot of fun and some IEMs give a 3D feel even if it's artificial, it's nice. added to that the lack of subs to envelop us and the instruments a little, and I see the headstage as pretty poor actually. but as always it only depends on what you expect.
about a magic source to turn things around, don't waste your time, all those special IEM/headphones(because the er4 is certainly special if only by it's frequency response) end up being a love or hate relation, those who were specifically looking for that sound are in love, the rest will never get used to it unless they EQ a good deal. but then with the proper EQ, any headphone or IEM can become ok.
I see nothing really wrong with what you said, you only expected too much from less than objective feedbacks. in fact I know many people who think the er4 has horrible bright sound, so to each his sound I guess. ^_^

 

[Francisk]

 
it's the problem with exaggerated praises and communication problems, people end up with the wrong expectations. the er4 are small, they isolate like mad, and have a pretty impressive treble extension for IEMs at any price. those are IMO making the ER4 a very special toy even nowadays. that said, they're still just IEMs.
soundstage being good... I don't know who talked about that part. I always felt like all the Etys had the instruments stuck on a straight line on the axis of both ears. technically that's expected of headphones, but it's not a lot of fun and some IEMs give a 3D feel even if it's artificial, it's nice. added to that the lack of subs to envelop us and the instruments a little, and I see the headstage as pretty poor actually. but as always it only depends on what you expect.
about a magic source to turn things around, don't waste your time, all those special IEM/headphones(because the er4 is certainly special if only by it's frequency response) end up being a love or hate relation, those who were specifically looking for that sound are in love, the rest will never get used to it unless they EQ a good deal. but then with the proper EQ, any headphone or IEM can become ok.
I see nothing really wrong with what you said, you only expected too much from less than objective feedbacks. in fact I know many people who think the er4 has horrible bright sound, so to each his sound I guess. ^_^

In fact I find myself wishing for more extended high frequency extension on the ER4....I love digging into those micro details