[uzi2]

   
We are talking about electrical phase, as also in what is considered the right acoustic phase the IEM is supposed to be listened to.

Yes and in this case two wrongs will make a right as it will be in phase.

 

[james444]

  Yes and in this case two wrongs will make a right as it will be in phase.

 
He's talking about absolute phase. Here are a few thoughts on this topic:
 
http://www.psaudio.com/pauls-posts/absolute-phase/
http://omegamikro.com/Absolute_Phase.html
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/bas/1208/

 

[uzi2]

   
He's talking about absolute phase. Here are a few thoughts on this topic:
 
http://www.psaudio.com/pauls-posts/absolute-phase/
http://omegamikro.com/Absolute_Phase.html
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/bas/1208/

Yes I'm aware, but cannot hear any difference...
Left - Right out of phase is night and day.

 

[ClieOS]

 
Yes and in this case two wrongs will make a right as it will be in phase.

 
In loudspeaker, I'll agree it isn't that much of a problem for most. But it seems this can be more noticeable in the IEM, especially on BA driver(s). Haven't really seen any real study on this of course and can't say anything for sure, but it remains an interesting area to see more measurement and experience being carried out.

 

[VladTheImpala]

Sadly, my ER4B has started to malfunction. It has developed a slight buzzing/rattling sound at certain frequencies in one ear. It only happens at high volumes, and it only happens on certain tracks, but it's still annoying enough that I want to replace them.

I was the second owner, and they were originally purchased in November of 2011, so they lasted just over 5 years. I used them on a daily basis for the past year and a half, even destroyed the original chord and had to solder it twice, and finally one of the earphones has started to malfunction. It's a sad day, but I love these headphones and I'm definitely going to buy another set.

It kind of sucks because it's mostly fine. They sound absolutely perfect 98% of the time, and at low and moderate volumes you can't tell at all. It's wven when you listen at high volumes that the slight buzzing comes in, and it only happens at specific frequencies, so if you're listening to a track that doesn't have those notes, it will be totally fine. And it seems like the number of tracks it's noticeable on isn't very high, most songs are totally fine, even at high volumes, but it still happens on certain tracks and it's still broken enough that it bugs me.

I was thinking about Etymotic's replacement policy where you send in your broken set and get a rebate on a new one, but the Canadian dollar is doing badly right now that their rebate price of 179.99 works out to be $258 Canadian, and I can just buy another pair for less than that on the second hand market, even mint condition ones, so I think I'm going to do that because then I can hang on to this broken set, which actually sounds 98% fine.

Not sure what I'll do with the broken set. Maybe I'll stay on the lookout for somebody else who is selling a broken set, and I can just take a working earphone and replace the broken one. But overall, it's been a sad day!

 

[briskly]

In loudspeaker, I'll agree it isn't that much of a problem for most. But it seems this can be more noticeable in the IEM, especially on BA driver(s). Haven't really seen any real study on this of course and can't say anything for sure, but it remains an interesting area to see more measurement and experience being carried out.

I do not know of earphone studies in particular, but audible effects of phase and polarity are preferentially tested in anechoic chamber or with headphones. Not all instruments can be identified by polarity even over headphone, and typical recording techniques of multi-miking or anything more than a single instrument tend to make this more difficult to distinguish.

 

[Hutnicks]

  Sadly, my ER4B has started to malfunction. It has developed a slight buzzing/rattling sound at certain frequencies in one ear. It only happens at high volumes, and it only happens on certain tracks, but it's still annoying enough that I want to replace them.

I was the second owner, and they were originally purchased in November of 2011, so they lasted just over 5 years. I used them on a daily basis for the past year and a half, even destroyed the original chord and had to solder it twice, and finally one of the earphones has started to malfunction. It's a sad day, but I love these headphones and I'm definitely going to buy another set.

It kind of sucks because it's mostly fine. They sound absolutely perfect 98% of the time, and at low and moderate volumes you can't tell at all. It's wven when you listen at high volumes that the slight buzzing comes in, and it only happens at specific frequencies, so if you're listening to a track that doesn't have those notes, it will be totally fine. And it seems like the number of tracks it's noticeable on isn't very high, most songs are totally fine, even at high volumes, but it still happens on certain tracks and it's still broken enough that it bugs me.

I was thinking about Etymotic's replacement policy where you send in your broken set and get a rebate on a new one, but the Canadian dollar is doing badly right now that their rebate price of 179.99 works out to be $258 Canadian, and I can just buy another pair for less than that on the second hand market, even mint condition ones, so I think I'm going to do that because then I can hang on to this broken set, which actually sounds 98% fine.

Not sure what I'll do with the broken set. Maybe I'll stay on the lookout for somebody else who is selling a broken set, and I can just take a working earphone and replace the broken one. But overall, it's been a sad day!

First thing to try is replacing the filters. Dirty or loose filters can easily cause a buzzing.

 

[Happytalk]

First thing to try is replacing the filters. Dirty or loose filters can easily cause a buzzing.

I agree. I just did a filter change on an airplane after an hour or so of thinking my right ear was congested or the right driver was not working. The filter change fixed it.

 

[ER4S]

  Sadly, my ER4B has started to malfunction. It has developed a slight buzzing/rattling sound at certain frequencies in one ear. It only happens at high volumes, and it only happens on certain tracks, but it's still annoying enough that I want to replace them.

I was the second owner, and they were originally purchased in November of 2011, so they lasted just over 5 years. I used them on a daily basis for the past year and a half, even destroyed the original chord and had to solder it twice, and finally one of the earphones has started to malfunction. It's a sad day, but I love these headphones and I'm definitely going to buy another set.

It kind of sucks because it's mostly fine. They sound absolutely perfect 98% of the time, and at low and moderate volumes you can't tell at all. It's wven when you listen at high volumes that the slight buzzing comes in, and it only happens at specific frequencies, so if you're listening to a track that doesn't have those notes, it will be totally fine. And it seems like the number of tracks it's noticeable on isn't very high, most songs are totally fine, even at high volumes, but it still happens on certain tracks and it's still broken enough that it bugs me.

I was thinking about Etymotic's replacement policy where you send in your broken set and get a rebate on a new one, but the Canadian dollar is doing badly right now that their rebate price of 179.99 works out to be $258 Canadian, and I can just buy another pair for less than that on the second hand market, even mint condition ones, so I think I'm going to do that because then I can hang on to this broken set, which actually sounds 98% fine.

Not sure what I'll do with the broken set. Maybe I'll stay on the lookout for somebody else who is selling a broken set, and I can just take a working earphone and replace the broken one. But overall, it's been a sad day!

 
Same here. 
 
I realized this problem a month ago on this song (nearly on 5:25-5:40): https://play.spotify.com/track/33OZ0b3dmhZOKYSRTPalWR (Matthew Halsall - Together) 
 
But after I tried some other headphones I realized it's about song, because on same conditions* there's buzzing on every headphones that I tried.
 
* It's interesting because for example on my O2/ODAC, there's not so much buzzing on low gain but on high gain, it's really really annoying on every headphones that I tried (PFE 012/112, LG Quadbeat 2 and Ety of course).
 
SO, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
 
With my Clip+, there's annoying buzzing on my ER-4S but not so much on the other headphones, so that's why I'm not sure if my ER-4S is broken or not. Because on other songs, it sounds perfect. This song (and others like this) is like bug for my ER-4S.
 
So if you have both Clip+ and ER-4S, please listen it and inform me about result.

 

[robm321]

Yep, for almost a year, I thought one of the drivers on my ER4S was dead until I read about someone having the same problem. They replaced the filter and solved the problem. I did that, and its been working fine ever since. I hope your issue is as simple as that. 
 

 

[Tarocco]

Ugh,,, Finally lost my ER4's after more than ten years of daily use. I switched to ACS custom silicone tips about 5 years ago and never had any desire to upgrade. I contacted ACS about replacing the custom tips and eventually decided to try their current three driver Evolve IEM. I'm sure I'll be very happy with the ACS but there is something special about the ER4's that I've never heard in other headphones. Anyone gone from ER4's to ACS IEM's?

 

[robm321]

Let us know how it turns out.

 

[uzi2]

  Ugh,,, Finally lost my ER4's after more than ten years of daily use. I switched to ACS custom silicone tips about 5 years ago and never had any desire to upgrade. I contacted ACS about replacing the custom tips and eventually decided to try their current three driver Evolve IEM. I'm sure I'll be very happy with the ACS but there is something special about the ER4's that I've never heard in other headphones. Anyone gone from ER4's to ACS IEM's?

I have gone from ER4S to ACS T1's and back to ER4S. I have also had ACS custom tips, which were originally used with Ety HF5. They were good with the HF5, but I found they did not bring out the best of the ER4S. They don't allow for a deep enough insertion, which is what the Ety needs to deliver it's magic. If you are comfortable with triflanges they are probably the best tip. The gliders are super comfortable and also sound good. I had many problems with my ACS customs, but their service was exemplary. I am sure the driver issues are a thing of the past and you will enjoy your Evolves for many years.

 

[Tarocco]

 
I have gone from ER4S to ACS T1's and back to ER4S. I have also had ACS custom tips, which were originally used with Ety HF5. They were good with the HF5, but I found they did not bring out the best of the ER4S. They don't allow for a deep enough insertion, which is what the Ety needs to deliver it's magic. If you are comfortable with triflanges they are probably the best tip. The gliders are super comfortable and also sound good. I had many problems with my ACS customs, but their service was exemplary. I am sure the driver issues are a thing of the past and you will enjoy your Evolves for many years.

 
Yeah, I'm aware of the issues some folks had with the T1's - hoping that those are sorted out now. Customer service from ACS so far has been amazing. What was your take on the sound of the T1's compared to the ER4's when you had them?

 

[uzi2]

   
Yeah, I'm aware of the issues some folks had with the T1's - hoping that those are sorted out now. Customer service from ACS so far has been amazing. What was your take on the sound of the T1's compared to the ER4's when you had them?

The first thing you would notice is the bass presence and they are overall much warmer. I won't go into any detail as it is all long term memory and may well not have any relevance to their newer models.