[episiarch]

I've had around 1/2 dozen ER4 sets since 2001 or so. First was ER4S and lasted me about 10 years. Subsequently I went to ER4P because I use them 75% of the time with portable players. My ears aren't shot but I do have tinnitus and ~50% attenuation 3khz and above. I don't presume to differentiate various headphones and long ago gave up audiophilia concerning speaker systems! I have some decent speakers, but will not entertain the notion of spending big bucks on upgrades.

I just sent two sets of ER4P's to Etymotic Research because they aren't functional anymore. I seem to get discontinuity issues nowadays not infrequently... I lasted ~10 years without such issues with that first set of ER4S. It seems like they don't make them to be as durable as they used to!

Unfortunately, I didn't seek warranty relief some months ago when at least one set (I think) was in warranty. Anyway, I expect they will suggest I get replacement sets from them at the discounted price they will offer me. They did this in June 2017, and IIRC it cost me around $150 for ER4P.

Should I just get more ER4P or maybe get one of the other offerings? I'm perplexed concerning the other ER4's available now. Suggestions? I listen to all manner of music, usually MP3's, but sometimes a CD player, also FM receiver at times, TV and Movies via DVD, Blu-ray and 4K player.

The new ERs are great. Mind, I'm in that minority of ER-4S people who just didn't like the ER-4P, so my likes are a poor proxy for yours. That said, I think ER2SE, ER3SE, and ER4SR all sound great, and I believe you wouldn't go wrong with any of them. I'm less qualified to comment on the XR models.

Out of the modern lineup, for someone who doesn't presume to differentiate various headphones and long ago gave up audiophilia I'd say try an ER2-SE and see how you like it – or an ER3-SE if the price difference is negligible to you. Either is just terrific sonically*, and I think you'll like the near weightlessness and easy replaceability of the new cable system in contrast to the legacy models'.

* For my tastes, I think ER3-SE is noticeably better than ER2-SE on good equipment, but not hugely so. Both will play nicely on portables, but on a less audiophile portable source I tend to like ER2-SE a bit more.

 

[headenvelopedinsound]

That’s good advice. I’ve been watching amazon prices go all over the place with the ER2 and ER3 series. Right now they are only $3 difference in price. $119 was the lowest I’ve seen on the er3se new. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting another ety but not sure if I want to go with the er3 or er4. Not really wanting to get the ER2SE as I would want to use it for critical listening or as a stage in ear. I’ve got the ER2XR which is great for everyday use and where micro detail isn’t a focus that I’d imagine the BA versions offer.

The new ERs are great. Mind, I'm in that minority of ER-4S people who just didn't like the ER-4P, so my likes are a poor proxy for yours. That said, I think ER2SE, ER3SE, and ER4SR all sound great, and I believe you wouldn't go wrong with any of them. I'm less qualified to comment on the XR models.

Out of the modern lineup, for someone who doesn't presume to differentiate various headphones and long ago gave up audiophilia I'd say try an ER2-SE and see how you like it – or an ER3-SE if the price difference is negligible to you. Either is just terrific sonically*, and I think you'll like the near weightlessness and easy replaceability of the new cable system in contrast to the legacy models'.

* For my tastes, I think ER3-SE is noticeably better than ER2-SE on good equipment, but not hugely so. Both will play nicely on portables, but on a less audiophile portable source I tend to like ER2-SE a bit more.

 

[drMuse]

The new ERs are great. Mind, I'm in that minority of ER-4S people who just didn't like the ER-4P, so my likes are a poor proxy for yours. That said, I think ER2SE, ER3SE, and ER4SR all sound great, and I believe you wouldn't go wrong with any of them. I'm less qualified to comment on the XR models.

Out of the modern lineup, for someone who doesn't presume to differentiate various headphones and long ago gave up audiophilia I'd say try an ER2-SE and see how you like it – or an ER3-SE if the price difference is negligible to you. Either is just terrific sonically*, and I think you'll like the near weightlessness and easy replaceability of the new cable system in contrast to the legacy models'.

* For my tastes, I think ER3-SE is noticeably better than ER2-SE on good equipment, but not hugely so. Both will play nicely on portables, but on a less audiophile portable source I tend to like ER2-SE a bit more.

Thanks for the info. I just checked the price of ER3-SE at Amazon, it's about $126 and the ER2-SE just ~$3 cheaper. Yes, to me, the difference is basically negligible. Would Etymotic Research offer me a better deal on them in replacing my screwed up ER4P sets? If not, guess I'll just order new ER3-SE's off Amazon. I'll probably check prices on ebay, I usually do that before buying anything on Amazon (or elsewhere)!

Tips on tips? I used to like the white silicone tips that Etymotics was supplying with the new ER4 sets but they stopped delivering them. They supplied me with greyish 3 winged fluted tips last time or two (I'm color blind, so not sure what color they are!). Service person at Etymotics said they don't supply silicone tips anymore. Indeed, I found that they disintegrate over time, seem to get oily and waxy, just decompose, so that may be the reason they've abandoned them. They were comfortable! I have never used their foam tips. However, several times I've had tips remain in my ear canals after pulling out the drivers! My fingernails are usually decent and I can get them out. I don't dislike the "greyish" fluted tips. I use them. When I researched tips for Etymotics I encountered a bewildering array of offerings out there. AFAIK, I've always gotten my tips from Etymotic Research themselves, however.

Um, the filters. Do the ER4s and the ER3-SE's use the same filters?

 

[Gorktastick]

Thanks for the info. I just checked the price of ER3-SE at Amazon, it's about $126 and the ER2-SE just ~$3 cheaper. Yes, to me, the difference is basically negligible. Would Etymotic Research offer me a better deal on them in replacing my screwed up ER4P sets? If not, guess I'll just order new ER3-SE's off Amazon. I'll probably check prices on ebay, I usually do that before buying anything on Amazon (or elsewhere)!

Tips on tips? I used to like the white silicone tips that Etymotics was supplying with the new ER4 sets but they stopped delivering them. They supplied me with greyish 3 winged fluted tips last time or two (I'm color blind, so not sure what color they are!). Service person at Etymotics said they don't supply silicone tips anymore. Indeed, I found that they disintegrate over time, seem to get oily and waxy, just decompose, so that may be the reason they've abandoned them. They were comfortable! I have never used their foam tips. However, several times I've had tips remain in my ear canals after pulling out the drivers! My fingernails are usually decent and I can get them out. I don't dislike the "greyish" fluted tips. I use them. When I researched tips for Etymotics I encountered a bewildering array of offerings out there. AFAIK, I've always gotten my tips from Etymotic Research themselves, however.

Um, the filters. Do the ER4s and the ER3-SE's use the same filters?

I have the ER-4XR, and, for me, the best tips are the double flange silicone EarFills from Futuresonics:

http://www.mcssl.com/store/futuresonics/earfills0153-silicone-sleeves-medium

Hope that helps!

 

[episiarch]

Filters: yes, they're the same.

Eartips: I have weird ears, so my tip choices may not be helpful to others. But here goes.

The white silicone tips Etymotic used to supply as standard are now called large. Same size, just called large now. And now they're grey.
https://www.etymotic.com/consumer/accessories/er4/er38-18.html

For the last few years the standard size has been a little smaller. The size is called standard, and the color is called frost. It's very light translucent grey.
https://www.etymotic.com/consumer/accessories/qsa/er38-15sm.html

With ER4-S4, the standard frost triflanges were a good fit for me. Much more comfortable than the large, but the same really good seal.

With the new generation (ER2/ER3/ER4-SR and XR), the total length from the bend of the cable joint to the end of the earpiece is just a little shorter than with the legacy ER-4, and I can no longer get a good seal with the standard triflange. But, happily, Etymotic separately sells a long-stem version of the triflange that fixes the problem for me. I think very few people need this. But I do, because my ears apparently don't get narrow as soon as other people's do.
https://www.etymotic.com/consumer/accessories/qsa/er38-15sml.html

In the perhaps even more unlikely case of someone needing tips that are both bigger than typical and longer than typical, there's a long stem large as well. This one is clear rather than grey. No, I don't know why.
https://www.etymotic.com/consumer/accessories/qsa/er38-18cll.html

If you're still reading, the Ety-compatible third party tips that work for me have been

- Westone's series https://www.westone.com/store/music/accessories/tips
(Each color is a different length/width combination. Red is what works for me.)

- Comply P-series https://www.complyfoam.com/products/p-series/

Again I have hard to fit ears so your mileage is pretty likely to vary, but that's the info for what it's worth.

 

[episiarch]

Thanks for the info. I just checked the price of ER3-SE at Amazon, it's about $126 and the ER2-SE just ~$3 cheaper. Yes, to me, the difference is basically negligible. Would Etymotic Research offer me a better deal on them in replacing my screwed up ER4P sets? If not, guess I'll just order new ER3-SE's off Amazon. I'll probably check prices on ebay, I usually do that before buying anything on Amazon (or elsewhere)!

Tips on tips? I used to like the white silicone tips that Etymotics was supplying with the new ER4 sets but they stopped delivering them. They supplied me with greyish 3 winged fluted tips last time or two (I'm color blind, so not sure what color they are!). Service person at Etymotics said they don't supply silicone tips anymore. Indeed, I found that they disintegrate over time, seem to get oily and waxy, just decompose, so that may be the reason they've abandoned them. They were comfortable! I have never used their foam tips. However, several times I've had tips remain in my ear canals after pulling out the drivers! My fingernails are usually decent and I can get them out. I don't dislike the "greyish" fluted tips. I use them. When I researched tips for Etymotics I encountered a bewildering array of offerings out there. AFAIK, I've always gotten my tips from Etymotic Research themselves, however.

Um, the filters. Do the ER4s and the ER3-SE's use the same filters?

Filters: yep, the same.

2SE vs 3SE: I think we're in sync on this. Don't get me wrong, the ER2SE is every bit an Ety, and I'm shocked at how detailed and just overall excellent it is. But it doesn't feel as "true" as the ER3 and ER4 to me. For critical listening I think ER3 and ER4.

ER3SE vs ER4SR: first, I'm assuming your source/amp chain, DAP, or whatever, is pretty decent. (Probably a good assumption if you're an Ety fan interested in critical listening, but I do feel it matters a lot with these earphones so I wanted to put that out there up front.)

Given that, my very odd analogy for ER3SE and ER4SR is "same speakers, in the same room, but with different positioning."

Because subjectively they remind me of playing around with speaker positioning – usually there'd be one spot that sounded really really nice, yet you could tell the response wasn't quite as flat as it could be, and another spot where it really felt like you'd locked in a flat response about as well as you could, and it sounded excellent, yet it had just a little less warmth and groove than in that other spot. Not sure if you can relate, but that was me. Anyway, in that analogy ER4-SR is the more technically correct one, and the ER3-SE is the not quite as flat, a little warmer, but just about equally proficient one.

 

[guicnovaes]

The new ERs are great. Mind, I'm in that minority of ER-4S people who just didn't like the ER-4P, so my likes are a poor proxy for yours. That said, I think ER2SE, ER3SE, and ER4SR all sound great, and I believe you wouldn't go wrong with any of them. I'm less qualified to comment on the XR models.

Out of the modern lineup, for someone who doesn't presume to differentiate various headphones and long ago gave up audiophilia I'd say try an ER2-SE and see how you like it – or an ER3-SE if the price difference is negligible to you. Either is just terrific sonically*, and I think you'll like the near weightlessness and easy replaceability of the new cable system in contrast to the legacy models'.

* For my tastes, I think ER3-SE is noticeably better than ER2-SE on good equipment, but not hugely so. Both will play nicely on portables, but on a less audiophile portable source I tend to like ER2-SE a bit more.

Looking at some measurements, the ER2SE seems to be more closer to the Ety's Target than the ER4SR.

PS: Where's @EtyDave??

 

[guicnovaes]

Looking at some measurements, the ER2SE seems to be more closer to the Ety's Target than the ER4SR.

PS: Where's @EtyDave??

Looking at some measurements, the ER2SE seems to be more closer to the Ety's Target than the ER4SR.

PS: Where's @EtyDave??

At least, the ER2SE seems to be closer to the ER4S/ER4SR than the ER3SE.

 

[guicnovaes]

Very interesting interview with Mead C. Killion Ph.D (Etymotic's founder and actual president) and original article from 1980, where he explain about the CORFIG (Ety's DF Target for neutrality):

https://www.etymotic.com/about-us/interview-with-mead

https://www.etymotic.com/media/publications/erl-0083-1980.pdf

 

[drMuse]

I studied those graphs for about 10 minutes but couldn't make out what's going on with them. Can I get an interpretation? Like I said a few posts ago, below 3khz my hearing's pretty normal. From 3khz on up, it's attenuated about 50%. And I have tinnitus in both ears. I'm not looking for a distorted sound, e.g. boomy bass. Obviously, an accentuated treble would help if I can't do it through EQ. Would the ER2SE be better for me than the ER3SE or vice versa, or is it pretty much a wash? TIA for help!

 

[blockchainhero]

I have the ER-4XR, and, for me, the best tips are the double flange silicone EarFills from Futuresonics:

http://www.mcssl.com/store/futuresonics/earfills0153-silicone-sleeves-medium

Hope that helps!

Do you have the mediums? How do they compare in size to the stock triple flange tips?

 

[guicnovaes]

I studied those graphs for about 10 minutes but couldn't make out what's going on with them. Can I get an interpretation? Like I said a few posts ago, below 3khz my hearing's pretty normal. From 3khz on up, it's attenuated about 50%. And I have tinnitus in both ears. I'm not looking for a distorted sound, e.g. boomy bass. Obviously, an accentuated treble would help if I can't do it through EQ. Would the ER2SE be better for me than the ER3SE or vice versa, or is it pretty much a wash? TIA for help!

Both ER3SE and ER2SE are very similar, but the ER2SE seems to be more closer to the ER4SR than the ER3SE. If you compare both ER4SR and the ER2SE, the ER2SE seems to be more closer to the Etymotic Target, as you can see on the first image (the red traced line).

 

[luisdent]

Do you mind repeating the eq settings? It’s lost(to me) in all these recent rabbit trails.

You are correct we agree on our idea of neutral to a T. Fearless S6Pro is flat linear bass and follows the Harmon treble the most closely than any of the target curves. The treble is not really changed from the original target, but yeah bass I tend to boost 5-6db at 40hz down to 20hz. If you can find it a bit back we had pretty much the same-ish discussion. It’s pretty well why I lean to sonar works. It rides the fine line right between the ety and current Harmon curve. My ER2XR I need to cut around 150hz 1.5db or so and boost 6khz -8khz about 3db to get closer to what I hear on my studio monitors. With the S6Pro the sub boost is really all that’s needed.

Edit: Here are a few graphs to show what I am talking about a bit.

Sure. It seems to match your graph pretty closely as well.

 

[Voyageur]

Merry Christmas to all Etyheads!

Early SN 1141 and 1157 still going strong after 3½ years of service to my ears (as are my faithful ER-4Ps).

 

[bcaulf17]

Merry Christmas to all Etyheads!

Early SN 1141 and 1157 still going strong after 3½ years of service to my ears (as are my faithful ER-4Ps).

Merry Christmas! Just got a pair for a Christmas (thank you to my wonderful family!) Tried them out this morning but not for too long do impressions will be vague at first:

• Packaging is excellent. Comes with a very nice hardcover case and a truckload of accessories. Small carry pouch, foam tips, triple and double flange tips, termination jack. The certificate of authenticity and signed measurement card is REALLY cool. That alone makes the IEM feel worth it’s price.
• Isolation is excellent! This will probably be my new travel pair for isolation alone. None of my closed back cans isolate this well. Makes it worth it for plane and train travel.
• They are a little uncomfortable so far but it seems like they’ll get better as time goes on. Still trying to get the fit and insertion locked down.
• Sound is good, very neutral and natural sounding. Lots of detail in the midrange BUT I’m not hearing as much treble detail as I was expecting yet, their tone is definitely on the warmer side and they’re smooth. They image well and have nice separation but not a lot of soundstage or depth; they have more of an IEM sound than the Tin T2. But again, I haven’t used them much yet nor have I used them with my portable amp.