[duetta]

I've owned a pair since 1998 - and still love them...although I do have considerations about using them at home. 
 
First off, I've had one bout of swimmer's ear (an ear canal infection) that forced me to not use them for about 6 months; secondly, I often can't hear the phone when they're inserted and have music playing through them - so they can be impractical in certain circumstances (if also ideal when using meditation CDs!), and repeatedly having to pull one out and then reinsert it can lead to wear & tear on the inner ear.
 
Hence, I've been looking for an over-the-ear phone with the same degree of detail & immediacy as the ER-4S provide.  I'm leaning towards the BeyerDynamic DT-880s 600s.  I have an older pair of 990 600s (of 1993 vintage) - and they don't sound nearly as immediate and detailed as do the Etymotics - but I've never had them properly amped (still using a Headsave Classic that Norm built for me about seven years ago, which I'm sure isn't ideal).
 
Any suggestions on a full size phone that sounds like the ER-4S?
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[cardozo]

Hi nkoulban!
 
be carefull with the impedance choices in the Arrow amp. The P to S adapter have 75 ohms and the position II in the Arrow give you 65 ohms. To my ears, the P to S adapter deliver the best sound in comparison to position II in the impedance switch in the Arrow amp.
 
Cheers,
 
Peter
 
Quote:

... with the Arrow I can make the impedance changes so I can go from P to an S...

 

[shigzeo]

The ER4S has been my gold standard by which all earphones I've had have been measured. Overall, there is no way to really disrupt them - they are bullet proof. On the other hand, sometimes, I want it RAW and dirty and hot and heavy, and no manner of EQ or bass-flabbing amping will give it to me. In the end, I always return to the ER4S.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

I have been using the ER4P/S since 2002. I have just bought the ER4B. You will find me using the ER4 or the im716. I have a bunch of IEMs including TF10, RE0, RE-ZERO, UM2, SF5P.

 

[scompton]

Quote:

I've owned a pair since 1998 - and still love them...although I do have considerations about using them at home. 
 
First off, I've had one bout of swimmer's ear (an ear canal infection) that forced me to not use them for about 6 months; secondly, I often can't hear the phone when they're inserted and have music playing through them - so they can be impractical in certain circumstances (if also ideal when using meditation CDs!), and repeatedly having to pull one out and then reinsert it can lead to wear & tear on the inner ear.
 
Hence, I've been looking for an over-the-ear phone with the same degree of detail & immediacy as the ER-4S provide.  I'm leaning towards the BeyerDynamic DT-880s 600s.  I have an older pair of 990 600s (of 1993 vintage) - and they don't sound nearly as immediate and detailed as do the Etymotics - but I've never had them properly amped (still using a Headsave Classic that Norm built for me about seven years ago, which I'm sure isn't ideal).
 
Any suggestions on a full size phone that sounds like the ER-4S?
 
Thanks in advance.

Stax. 

 

[cardozo]

Wow!
 

 
Quote:

Stax. 

 

[sno1man]

The Ety E4's were my first serious phone purchase and are the only pair that i have kept for an extended period of time (bought them right after I joined head-fi)
They are my home, serious listening, i want the highest detail phones.
 
They have by far the best isolation of the three main sets I have currently (shure 535, monster turbine pro coppers) and arguably the most resolving. By the same token they are also the most unforgiving of poor mastering, ripping, low bit rate etc.
 
My shures have  very nice round sound that suits acoustic folk quite well and I like the turbines for jazz (sketches of spain is a revelation on those phones)
 
I think I have found a great tune that really shows all three's distinct personalities. It's the song Wide Eyes by local natives. On the etys you can hear how sloppy the editing is but also the distinct sound of each instrument and voice. The monsters reveal the compression that is a bit over done (especially the percussion). The shures in this case hit the best middle with a nice anthemic sound that makes you want to sing it very loudly.
 
But for Blood on the Tracks by Dylan or Pirates by Rickie Lee Jones, give me my Etys every time

 

[audiophilefreak]

what`s the difference er4p and er4pt ? especially in the sound quality

 

[MrGreen]

Quote:

Stax. 

Definitely this.
 
I spent a lot of time with the ER4 as my only headphone and recently upgraded my home rig to a Lambda Signature setup. Although the sound isn't exactly the same, it has "it" (the thing that nearly every high end headphone is missing) and IMO is better than the ER4. It solves some very minor bass impact problems with the ER4, as well as manages to make some tracks that sound just awful on the ER4 (usually mediocre masters with heavy bass) sound good
 
The Stax have a slightly different tonal balance - but it EQs nicely. However, I think the EQ is unnecessary. I would actually recommend a lambda over the 007 (or omega 2) to an etymotic fan unless maybe you're planning to run it out of a blue hawaii.
 
The DT880 is an okay choice, but the stax is much better

 

[Marcus_C]

Quote:

what`s the difference er4p and er4pt ? especially in the sound quality

er4pt comes with an airline adapter and a certificate. 
 
http://www.inearmatters.net/2010/11/new-bottle-old-wine-etymotic-er4pt.html

 

[Dubwicht]

I recently purchased the ER4 and have given it a go for about two weeks.  I love the sound of the earphones - nice detail and lots of punch. However I am a little dissapointed with the bass response.  I am use to full sized headphones and these don't seem to measure up.  I was hoping that an investment of close to $300 would be a little better.  Am I expecting too much from earphones? 

 

[kmhaynes]

 
Quote:

I recently purchased the ER4 and have given it a go for about two weeks. ...  However I am a little dissapointed with the bass response.  I am use to full sized headphones and these don't seem to measure up.  I was hoping that an investment of close to $300 would be a little better.  Am I expecting too much from earphones? 

 
Most people who come to Ety, esp. from full size headphones, have to give their brain time to adjust to what they are hearing from the Ety.  There will always be a debate about this, but Ety claims their products are as close as possible to an accurate representation of the original recording & mix.  I can now move back and forth from my HF5 to MS1 and appreciate the different presentation -- but I do accept the Ety sound as being more neutral and accurate -- bass is there when actually present in the music, otherwise, it will not overwhelm you with 300 hz bloat.
 

 

[MrGreen]

Quote:

I recently purchased the ER4 and have given it a go for about two weeks.  I love the sound of the earphones - nice detail and lots of punch. However I am a little dissapointed with the bass response.  I am use to full sized headphones and these don't seem to measure up.  I was hoping that an investment of close to $300 would be a little better.  Am I expecting too much from earphones? 

In my opinion, you are not going to get better IMPACT without having a a large amount of increased bass which often accompanies the antithesis of what makes the Etys so good. Alternatively, without a larger size driver (which obviously isn't going to happen)
 
The Ety balance, in my opinion (and that of many people who research into the design of headphones such as Moller), is unquestionable. However, I think the perception at first is greatly different to a fullsize because it is not moving as much air, which results in a loss of impact to my ears relative to larger headphones.
 
When I moved over to stax, it was one large revelation to me that a lot of tracks I listen to seem bassier than they do on the etys, even though they both are FLAT in that region.

In my opinion, the inability of the ETY to demonstrate a truly bass-heavy track is it's only objective weakness, and I attribute this to it's size. That said, I find the bass balance on the Etys and the stax to be fairly similar on most tracks, or a track that involves a low impact bass/balanced bass response. I like to think of it as a "ceiling" the etys put over bass due to their design

 

[Dubwicht]

Thank you.  I suppose asking for big bass from something so small is not realistic.  The only thing that I do not like about the earphones is cable management.  I wish they had provided one of those rubber rings that pull the wires together under your chin preventing the cord from rubbing on you jacket collar or other objects (as on the Wes tone 2). 
 
I also purchased the Wes tone 2's but prefer the ETy's.   This may sound crazy but I use them in my car instead of the car stereo. 

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

Thank you.  I suppose asking for big bass from something so small is not realistic.  The only thing that I do not like about the earphones is cable management.  I wish they had provided one of those rubber rings that pull the wires together under your chin preventing the cord from rubbing on you jacket collar or other objects (as on the Wes tone 2). 
 
I also purchased the Wes tone 2's but prefer the ETy's.   This may sound crazy but I use them in my car instead of the car stereo. 

 
You are not crazy at all. ER4 is probably higher fidelity than 99% of car stereos.