[csglinux]

Not sure if that’s the case but for those of us who use the phone also for work and especially corporates anything other than iPhone is not an option.
Android phones don’t get updates regularly unless it’s the Pixel and for good and bad, they are not as secure as Apple.
Just to add to this, I use iPhone 6s and had Galaxy S6 and Nexus as well at one point.
Sound quality was superior on my iPhone 5 and 6s compared to the Anroid counterparts.

I promise I'm not earning any commission for LG here, but the V30 is a completely different kettle of fish from the Android phones you mention. LG is also one of the best OEMs at regularly pushing out patches and updates. It has a quad ESS DAC to improve the SNR and an amp that (when plugged with a higher-impedance phone, like the ER4S) will automatically bump up the output power.

By all means stay with Apple if your company insists you have to. But just for fun, try out the V30 once in a store someday. I think you'll be surprised at the sort of sound quality coming out of a phone.

 

[Tommy C]

I promise I'm not earning any commission for LG here, but the V30 is a completely different kettle of fish from the Android phones you mention. LG is also one of the best OEMs at regularly pushing out patches and updates. It has a quad ESS DAC to improve the SNR and an amp that (when plugged with a higher-impedance phone, like the ER4S) will automatically bump up the output power.

By all means stay with Apple if your company insists you have to. But just for fun, try out the V30 once in a store someday. I think you'll be surprised at the sort of sound quality coming out of a phone.

I don’t disagree with you and the LG V30 is probably a super nice phone.
I’m not married to Apple either.
Unfortunately having an Android phone isn’t an option for me and I have no issues with my phone.
I will try to test it out though in the near future! Thx for the info.

 

[luisdent]

Not sure if that’s the case but for those of us who use the phone also for work and especially corporates anything other than iPhone is not an option.
Android phones don’t get updates regularly unless it’s the Pixel and for good and bad, they are not as secure as Apple.
Just to add to this, I use iPhone 6s and had Galaxy S6 and Nexus as well at one point.
Sound quality was superior on my iPhone 5 and 6s compared to the Anroid counterparts.

yes. i tried a Galaxy s7 a while back and my wife has a Galaxy s6 and the audio was not as good as the iPhone 6 or 7 on either, nor is the Bluetooth audio. I'm sure there are better Android phones for audio, but there are many other "non audio" things i need to do on my phone and the Android doesn't even have equivalent apps for some of them.

there are many things i like on both platforms and many things i don't. but for now the only one that works as a whole for my needs is the iPhone. so i use that for my portable audio.

i plan on trying the sony nwz-a45 when it comes out soon though, because i really do hate phones for audio primarily due to lack of physical controls and file management and battery life.

anyhow, I'm all for people not promoting bad Apple design choices if they choose to. but until there is an alternate that fits my needs better i will stick with them. most companies aren't free of ethics or product issues unfortunately. but every now and then you do find someone out there like etymotic who seems genuinely trustworthy.

so no matter what device you use, i still recommend an er3/4 series earphone. (er3se/er4xr)

 

[luisdent]

by the way, the er3se reminds me a lot of the er4s with red filters. just saying.

 

[Tommy C]

by the way, the er3se reminds me a lot of the er4s with red filters. just saying.

I now wonder how the ER4sr sound with red filters.....

 

[luisdent]

I now wonder how the ER4sr sound with red filters.....

i was thinking the exact same thing... even the er4xr might sound cool. i wonder how close they would be to the er3

 

[Bubblejuice]

for me the stock tips didnt work at all. westone star green fit perfect and i have no issues whatsoever. maybe these would be a solution for you toom a single flange irritates the skin way less when removing the headphones.


proably the most accurate uvulas ever made.

How much do the Westone tips change the sound? Are there only one size star tips or are there an Etymotic specific pack?

Possibly, I don't mind them when I use a little water. Lubricant could work too, I didn't realize that was an option. But it might become cumbersome to have to apply that every time I use the ER4s.

 

[Tommy C]

Coconut oil is the best lubricant imo. Been using it for years with all kind of silicon tips.

 

[Bubblejuice]

Coconut oil is the best lubricant imo. Been using it for years with all kind of silicon tips.

Wouldn't natural oils attract dirt when you're done using the earphones?

 

[Bubblejuice]

Ok, so another thing I underestimated with these new ER4XR is the micro-phonics. I guess I'd never experienced real cable noise before these. So I just wrapped the cable around my ear and no problem. Only issue is with moderate activity they will slip off my ear. So I had an idea.

I've seen a lot of angle adapters in images of older ER4 earphones so they can be used with other cables, and I thought, couldn't there be an adapter for the ER4/3 that would only serve as a... double angle adapter? In other words, it would essentially allow you to flip the stock cable plug the other way round, so the cable would sit just a little more flush with the helix of the ear? I know it seems like a complicated fix for a small problem. But I've read many people try orienting the stock cable vertically, and because of the angle, the cable just doesn't stay on the ear very long. Additionally it could serve to put a left and right colored dot to give a clearer visual for left and right channels (other ER4 adapters had that too).

So, with that in mind, I made a little image on paint to give a better picture (took longer than I want to admit ):

Would something like this be possible to make? Would it make a difference? Would the angle cause extra strain on the driver MMCX connector?

I'm not an industrial designer (as you can see), but it was a curious idea I wanted to share that I haven't seen in my scouring of forum posts. What are your thoughts?

 

[motorbit]

How much do the Westone tips change the sound? Are there only one size star tips or are there an Etymotic specific pack?

i think they all have the same inner diameter, witch fits the etys. the rest has to fit your ear...
as they are intended for headphones that get way less deep insterted, we need smaller sizes for the etys. the smallest size (green) fits me just nice and with very strong seal that is actualy tricky to break when i remove the speakers.

as for the sound, i think its just a matter of seal and insertion depth.

as for microphonics, just wear them with the cable over the head. certainly not the most stylish way to wear them, but what pokes out from your ear is tiny anyhow. cable sliping back over the ear isnt a problem for me, though maybe my glasses help a bit.

 

[EmPathWalker]

You may not be an industrial designer but you get the idea across brilliantly.

My first thought is that the invert direction of the head of the cable would create a 'stop' preventing a full insertion of the earphone.

When I first got my Ety 4B I was reluctant to insert tthem fully because it worried me that something that sticks out of the side of my head quite prominently should have it's other end so close to my ear drum. Eventually, or I should say gradually, I put them further in. I realised that when fully inserted, they don't really stick out the side of my head much at all. Not quite enough to comfortably wear industrial ear defenders over them, but pretty flush, like most other earphones.

 

[Bubblejuice]

i think they all have the same inner diameter, witch fits the etys. the rest has to fit your ear...
as they are intended for headphones that get way less deep insterted, we need smaller sizes for the etys. the smallest size (green) fits me just nice and with very strong seal that is actualy tricky to break when i remove the speakers.

as for the sound, i think its just a matter of seal and insertion depth.

as for microphonics, just wear them with the cable over the head. certainly not the most stylish way to wear them, but what pokes out from your ear is tiny anyhow. cable sliping back over the ear isnt a problem for me, though maybe my glasses help a bit.

I'll have to give them shot! They looks interesting at the very least. I have some large bi-flange eartips I tried with my etys and they didn't sound very good, but I'm also not a large. If the westone get a better seal it would be interesting.

You may not be an industrial designer but you get the idea across brilliantly.

My first thought is that the invert direction of the head of the cable would create a 'stop' preventing a full insertion of the earphone.

When I first got my Ety 4B I was reluctant to insert tthem fully because it worried me that something that sticks out of the side of my head quite prominently should have it's other end so close to my ear drum. Eventually, or I should say gradually, I put them further in. I realised that when fully inserted, they don't really stick out the side of my head much at all. Not quite enough to comfortably wear industrial ear defenders over them, but pretty flush, like most other earphones.

Thank you! I thought that too, that's why the female mmcx is recessed a bit into the adapter. At first I just made a rectangle, but after realizing what you mentioned, I looked at some pictures of people wearing Ety's, and I put mine in and looked in the mirror and there seems to be a very tiny edge of the driver enclosure that sticks past the tragus of the ear. So by making the female recessed it could keep the adapter size to a minimum while still accounting for the bend on the cable connector plug. I guess?

Yeah, they sit pretty flush with me too. I'm not sure this idea would be useful, all it really does is flip the direction of the cable, for what it's worth. Before they arrived I thought they would look like two antennae sticking out of my head. But when fully inserted, they look even less noticeable than most other In-ears. I'm not sure about the foam tips though, those don't go very deep in my ears.

 

[Tommy C]

Wouldn't natural oils attract dirt when you're done using the earphones?

I haven’t noticed any dirt.
I apply a very small amount. Just enough to make it easier to insert and adjust

 

[luisdent]

You may not be an industrial designer but you get the idea across brilliantly.

My first thought is that the invert direction of the head of the cable would create a 'stop' preventing a full insertion of the earphone.

When I first got my Ety 4B I was reluctant to insert tthem fully because it worried me that something that sticks out of the side of my head quite prominently should have it's other end so close to my ear drum. Eventually, or I should say gradually, I put them further in. I realised that when fully inserted, they don't really stick out the side of my head much at all. Not quite enough to comfortably wear industrial ear defenders over them, but pretty flush, like most other earphones.

yes, i definitely wear them too deeply for such an adapter. i think the new cables and connectors are superb for comfort and fit. what they need to design (and i was planning on drawing a mock-up) is an ear guide like the pfe but with a slight curve near the connector to allow a bit of flexibilty the way the cable points.