If you still love Etymotic ER4, this is the thread for you...
May 1, 2019 at 1:42 PM Post #13,262 of 19,246
You do have rather large ears, to be honest I'm not surprised you have some issues with IEM's. That headphone seems to fit you OK though. :)

I generally don't have problems with IEM fit for shallow insertion, and even for the ER4 it's mostly just an issue in my left ear. But I think after some weeks of experimentation I've found how to get a good seal every time. Totally worth it... These ER4S just sound right to me, and once I got a perfect seal I was finally able to hear that their low-end extension actually isn't as bad as I previously thought.
 
May 1, 2019 at 8:14 PM Post #13,263 of 19,246
we're here today to pay respect to a joke that died too soon, crushed without mercy under an elephant's foot.
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May 2, 2019 at 5:00 PM Post #13,264 of 19,246
I'm curious about the small beige foam tips but I don't want to buy a whole set just to find that they may not fit. Is it possible that I can trim the current large grey foam tips down to the size of the beige foam tips, or will that interfere with sound or otherwise?
 
May 2, 2019 at 8:15 PM Post #13,265 of 19,246
@EtyDave: I just spoke with a very nice customer representative regarding a recent purchase of some green filters for my ER4s, ER4sr, & HF5 IEMs and asked her to pass on my kind regards to you and inquire about the official balanced cables for the ER4sr ("coming soon"). Do you have any update on the ETA?

Thanks... Brian
 
May 3, 2019 at 11:53 AM Post #13,268 of 19,246
I just replaced my old ER4Ps, which I used with the S converter cable, with new ER4SRs. My custom molds still fit the SRs. There seems to be a bit more midrange and a tiny but noticeable bit less of the emphasis on the highs with the SRs as compared to the Ss. The SRs sound more accurate to me. And they are more revealing, too. I'm hearing things with headphones that I only have heard in the past with my home big rig, such as when musicians take a breath before singing, or a more precise placement of instruments in the soundfield. I'm impressed!
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May 4, 2019 at 3:01 AM Post #13,269 of 19,246
You may have a bend in your ear canal like I do. I used custom molds to "get round the corner".
 
May 4, 2019 at 8:37 AM Post #13,270 of 19,246
These are the various MMCX connectors I've seen in Lunashops' Etymotic listings:
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I have a cable with type 2 and find they make the IEM too long and stick out too much.

Types 3 and 4 seem to have a shorter profile (but still not as good as the stock cable's connector) but I can't tell from the photos if they have the Etymotic notch. Can anyone confirm?

Problem is that Lunashops has photos of all 4 types on their listings but don't specify which one is used. I've contacted them and couldn't get an intelligible answer.

In short I'm looking for a connector or a custom cable maker using a connector that:
1) Minimizes the length of the IEM.
2) Has the Etymotic notch.
 
May 4, 2019 at 9:40 AM Post #13,271 of 19,246
Greetings all. I'm new to this thread. I have two questions:
1. Any classical music fans out there? I listen to symphonic music and was wondering which is more suited to that type of music, the ER4SR or ER4XR?
2. I do the majority of my listening on a LG V40, with its wonderful quad dac. Do any of you use an LG phone, and does it drive them sufficiently?
 
May 4, 2019 at 10:28 AM Post #13,272 of 19,246
I use ER4SR for classical music regularly and they are great. I normally use a DAP, but they work fine with my old Samsung S4. I suspect that the V40 is an improvement. The ER4XR might give the cannons in Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture a bit of a lift, but otherwise the 4SR are fine (IMHO).

Cheers... Brian
 
May 4, 2019 at 3:07 PM Post #13,273 of 19,246
These are the various MMCX connectors I've seen in Lunashops' Etymotic listings:
I have a cable with type 2 and find they make the IEM too long and stick out too much.

I too wish Lunashops were clearer about which connector was used, but for a different reason.

I think one of my cables has that "type 2" connector too, and I actually need the extra insertion depth it provides. On me the ER-4S could go deep enough but the ER4-SR doesn't, quite, with the stock cable. The longer connector gives the extra little bit I need to get a complete seal.
 
May 7, 2019 at 1:19 PM Post #13,274 of 19,246
A quick update on my quest for iPod video + ER4s portable amplifier from a few posts ago. I ended up going for Graham Slee's Voyager. Ugly, bulky and... sounds fantastic.

It does not deprive the etymotics of the characteristics I enjoy about them and builds on them in a very musical way. Lots of added space, separation, revealing incredible detail with no signs of harshness; I keep being amazed at what I keep hearing on familiar recordings.

Listening via the unamped 30pin output and experienced no issues with inadequate volume levels whatsoever . The "contour" switch makes it sound a bit boomboxy, I prefer the default "flat" profile*. (*June update, following some more burn-in I actually enjoy the contour setting more, the harshness is gone and the bass more controlled; the sound signature changes to more of a closed design, which is remarkable really)

Ipod's amped jack out, while not terible, sounds much less sophisticated in comparison. There's no going back for me.
Definitely a justifiable addition to the portable rig.
 
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May 7, 2019 at 2:58 PM Post #13,275 of 19,246
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Life is better sometime with just a small splash of Blue.
 

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