If you still love Etymotic ER4, this is the thread for you...
Oct 11, 2021 at 6:16 PM Post #17,131 of 19,205
My very personal opinion, and I still own, and need IEM for isolation and traveling purposes, and office use, is that none of the ones I have tried, and even I tried one prototype multidriver in one of the Head-Fi meetings a long time ago, that at the time costed over a thousand dollars, and people blamed the seal, this and that, I blamed the monitors...none of them, are in the same remote ballpark of sound, of high-end full-size close back cans...I know the hearing may differ, and people may not even consider to use full-size cans because they use them for commute, traveling, jogging, gym, etc....but there is no way on earth that I will use IEM's home sitting listening music, I got those Ety's really cheap, otherwise I would have never jump on them, (and one of my other IEM die, that BTW is the repair process now, the cable was the issue)...the sound is not even comparable....I had custom-made IEMs once, Sleek, Klipschs, Ety's now, and have tried many others with armatures, and I always found the same issue, roll offs on the highs and no realistic performance on the top high end, for acoustic music they are good though...maybe is because of the fact the outer ear is not used to shape the sound waves, but it is not a problem with seal or anything like that, that is for sure....I love my Fostex's, and even others I have previously owned, and the details are simply amazing, I do not know how to explain with words, but something is missing on the IEM....
 
Oct 11, 2021 at 7:43 PM Post #17,132 of 19,205
My very personal opinion, and I still own, and need IEM for isolation and traveling purposes, and office use, is that none of the ones I have tried, and even I tried one prototype multidriver in one of the Head-Fi meetings a long time ago, that at the time costed over a thousand dollars, and people blamed the seal, this and that, I blamed the monitors...none of them, are in the same remote ballpark of sound, of high-end full-size close back cans...I know the hearing may differ, and people may not even consider to use full-size cans because they use them for commute, traveling, jogging, gym, etc....but there is no way on earth that I will use IEM's home sitting listening music, I got those Ety's really cheap, otherwise I would have never jump on them, (and one of my other IEM die, that BTW is the repair process now, the cable was the issue)...the sound is not even comparable....I had custom-made IEMs once, Sleek, Klipschs, Ety's now, and have tried many others with armatures, and I always found the same issue, roll offs on the highs and no realistic performance on the top high end, for acoustic music they are good though...maybe is because of the fact the outer ear is not used to shape the sound waves, but it is not a problem with seal or anything like that, that is for sure....I love my Fostex's, and even others I have previously owned, and the details are simply amazing, I do not know how to explain with words, but something is missing on the IEM....
Have you tried the ER4SR? Only because I also complained a lot about high roll-offs until these
 
Oct 11, 2021 at 7:51 PM Post #17,133 of 19,205
Have you tried the ER4SR? Only because I also complained a lot about high roll-offs until these
Unfortunately not, but if one day found one cheap, or maybe someone willing to let me try one I will, but I will not spend more money on IEMs...the ER3s if I read correctly I believe use same armatures as the er4 , just not match so close and maybe different tuning...maybe I'm wrong, but how different could they be?
 
Oct 11, 2021 at 8:10 PM Post #17,134 of 19,205
Unfortunately not, but if one day found one cheap, or maybe someone willing to let me try one I will, but I will not spend more money on IEMs...the ER3s if I read correctly I believe use same armatures as the er4 , just not match so close and maybe different tuning...maybe I'm wrong, but how different could they be?
The ER3 has a rolling upper mid and treble compared to the ER4SR. You should try ER4SR if the treble response that you're disappointed from ER3. If the treble is still lacking, you should try the old ER4B.

ER3SE has a different driver from ER4SR.
 

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Oct 11, 2021 at 10:39 PM Post #17,135 of 19,205
quite good, i don't know how it would compare to the triple flanges (as i can't quite have a stable seal on one of my ears using that one), but using my etys with the AET16 compared to my other IEMs, the Ety still have better isolation. it's a bit expensive if buying it in their packs (of 3 pairs). Luckily in my country (Indonesia) there are sellers that sells them in one pair, so more tolerable
Funny that you mentioned Indonesia, because I live there too :D So, could you tell me the seller's name? Thank you.
 
Oct 11, 2021 at 10:44 PM Post #17,136 of 19,205
Oct 11, 2021 at 11:06 PM Post #17,137 of 19,205
The ER3 has a rolling upper mid and treble compared to the ER4SR. You should try ER4SR if the treble response that you're disappointed from ER3. If the treble is still lacking, you should try the old ER4B.

ER3SE has a different driver from ER4SR.
It seems that then the 4B should be the way to go in my case...while I was browsing the Ety page for info and even while I ask on the chat they have I was given the wrong info about the driver just being not matched the same way and different tuning...it seems that is more to this that for some reason was not told and rather pushed me to the new Evo...
 
Oct 12, 2021 at 3:59 AM Post #17,138 of 19,205
You are soooo right about the planar comparison. I’ve had the privilege of comparing the 4SE to some great midrange monsters and there is no way I can tell a significant enough difference to choose those sets over this one. There is only one thing that I miss a little on these and this is being extremely picky, and it’s a slightly wider soundstage. Having said that since this is basically an IEM that produces a near-perfect representation of what the artist intended, if the recording was made binaurally or anything similar then the 4SE play it back sublimely. So in a way I miss the wider soundstage but in other ways I don’t, because I know it isn’t being faked.

If anybody has a killed planar by the way, just play Danse Macabre on the 4SE (can’t speak for other etys) and on your best planar. You’ll see what I and Blackwoof mean. Not only do you get the lush midrange but the transition from the upper bass through the mid to lower treble is flawless.
Anyways I best stop now before I get blamed for overstating the performance :)

All BA headphones sound like planar Headphones, It almost meme worthy when impressions are folk saying BA's are too fast & detailed. But then rage when the DD headphones they hype can't even do Grindcore, EDM, etc with the bass sounding like a fart, or the bass notes crash into the next bass note smearing the whole sound. Reddit get's edgy very quick if you point out the HE400se/Sundara/ER4SR outperform the HD800S.

Planar/BA already fix the limitations dynamic drivers suffer from so It should be no shock that a $300 headphone will outperform a $1600 DD headphone that still has 5% bass THD while the HE400se/Sundara/ER4 are <0.3% bass THD.
 
Oct 14, 2021 at 4:52 AM Post #17,141 of 19,205
I have a set of Shure 425s that I was really excited about, and they are remarkably underwhelming. Neutral and clear, sure, but somehow boring, and zero bass. Zero. I prefer listening to my Tin T2s. The 425s stay in a drawer.
Fun to mention; I have considered the SE425, the ACS customs. Then went with accuracy instead. Even if 'more detailed' monitors exist, I doubt their sound is on point as they are competing for costumer liking bleh. Other sets may have ended up in the drawer at some point, adding to the human dilute and disperse.
 
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Oct 14, 2021 at 8:24 AM Post #17,142 of 19,205
Fun to mention; I have considered the SE425, the ACS customs. Then went with accuracy instead. Even if 'more detailed' monitors exist, I doubt their sound is on point as they are competing for costumer liking bleh. Other sets may have ended up in the drawer at some point, adding to the human dilute and disperse.
What did you go for when you said you went for accuracy?

By the way ACS Customs Evolve are incredibly detailed and have tremendous bass. A tiny bleed into mids but nothing worth crying about too much (in case you wondered :))
 
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Oct 14, 2021 at 12:59 PM Post #17,143 of 19,205
All BA headphones sound like planar Headphones, It almost meme worthy when impressions are folk saying BA's are too fast & detailed. But then rage when the DD headphones they hype can't even do Grindcore, EDM, etc with the bass sounding like a fart, or the bass notes crash into the next bass note smearing the whole sound. Reddit get's edgy very quick if you point out the HE400se/Sundara/ER4SR outperform the HD800S.

Planar/BA already fix the limitations dynamic drivers suffer from so It should be no shock that a $300 headphone will outperform a $1600 DD headphone that still has 5% bass THD while the HE400se/Sundara/ER4 are <0.3% bass THD.
Saying that planar outperform dynamic is a little gross generalization I think, planar as a technology tend to lack the bass extension, and impact on the lower frequencies, same as electrostatic, also in speakers they have the same issue...and all armature I have heard to the date, not too many either, all as a general rule, lack details in comparison to those and high end dynamic, even from the past like the hd580/600,650, the Beyers, R10, Denon, Fostex, etc...I had the pleasure to listen to the mighty Orpheus, and I was really impressed with the details on the highs and natural sound, listening of course a very nice recording of acoustic jazz live, now switch to another not so good recording, and they may not sound that glorious....both very detailed, (same way dynamics can be) but the bass has no impact...use them for heavy metal or rock, and you will see how they perform, and yes probably the will blame the recordings, and they are indeed very good with jazz and acoustic in general, specially with good recordings, throw something heavy on the mix, and thanks I pass....
 
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Oct 14, 2021 at 4:19 PM Post #17,144 of 19,205
Saying that planar outperform dynamic is a little gross generalization I think, planar as a technology tend to lack the bass extension, and impact on the lower frequencies, same as electrostatic, also in speakers they have the same issue...and all armature I have heard to the date, not too many either, all as a general rule, lack details in comparison to those and high end dynamic, even from the past like the hd580/600,650, the Beyers, R10, Denon, Fostex, etc...I had the pleasure to listen to the mighty Orpheus, and I was really impressed with the details on the highs and natural sound, listening of course a very nice recording of acoustic jazz live, now switch to another not so good recording, and they may not sound that glorious....both very detailed, (same way dynamics can be) but the bass has no impact...use them for heavy metal or rock, and you will see how they perform, and yes probably the will blame the recordings, and they are indeed very good with jazz and acoustic in general, specially with good recordings, throw something heavy on the mix, and thanks I pass....
DD Headphones in general(ignoring IEM's) : High bass THD like 5 ~ 10%, The bass smears and lingers if thing get fast like on Melodic death metal/Power metal, DD treble sounds like my ER3SE stock. At least Planar/electrostatic HP's can take a 16db self boost under 55Hz while the HD600/650 choke with a 7db boost under 100Hz causing distortion issues.
 
Oct 14, 2021 at 5:29 PM Post #17,145 of 19,205
DD Headphones in general(ignoring IEM's) : High bass THD like 5 ~ 10%, The bass smears and lingers if thing get fast like on Melodic death metal/Power metal, DD treble sounds like my ER3SE stock. At least Planar/electrostatic HP's can take a 16db self boost under 55Hz while the HD600/650 choke with a 7db boost under 100Hz causing distortion issues.
Let's agree to disagree...I still have to hear yet an IEM that come close to my Fostex in any area...the ER3SE is a joke in comparison...but different persons have different hearing, different tastes and at the end nobody knows how the recording is supposed to sound like...unless you made it...
Also I have been here since 2002 and that is the first time I heard such allegations as facts and so general about the dynamic headphones, it seems that choose the wrong thread to ask for opinions and solutions on actual real flaws of IEM's, and I hit a nerve it seems...Sorry I was looking for answers of how to improve the highs of them, but it seems to be a dead horse, trying a couple of adapters right now, same thing, but less efficiency...if I used them like that I need an amp, what I was trying to avoid in the first place, and I have one, but hate to carry around more stuff while traveling....
 
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