[phantomz]

I'm seriously considering buying the ER4. Any suggestions on where I can buy the ER4 for a good price? I can't find it for less than $300. They would have to ship to Canada as well.

 

[steve2151]

Best price I can see online is $256.99 USD with free worldwide shipping at AccessoryJack: http://www.accessoryjack.com/etymotic-er-4s-binaural-micropro-in-ear-headphones-black.html
 
They have the ER4S, ER4P, and ER4B. 

 

[audionewbi]

Quote:

I'm seriously considering buying the ER4. Any suggestions on where I can buy the ER4 for a good price? I can't find it for less than $300. They would have to ship to Canada as well.

Just remember it might be nothing what you like. I suggest start with ER4P and later buy a resistor to test the S sound. 

ER4S/B is one of those IEM that you either love or hate. I personally did not like it as I was expecting way to much from it. After using it for 3+ months I begun to realize the magic of ER-4S. Right now I am actually trying to built a home desktop around them, yes that is how much I have falling inlove with them!

I have tried many multiple BA IEM. I dont want to mention name and I would not dare that they were inferior to the ER-4S but they just could not do what the ER-4S does to my music. 

 

[librarian]

Quote:

Just remember it might be nothing what you like. I suggest start with ER4P and later buy a resistor to test the S sound. 

ER4S/B is one of those IEM that you either love or hate. I personally did not like it as I was expecting way to much from it. After using it for 3+ months I begun to realize the magic of ER-4S. Right now I am actually trying to built a home desktop around them, yes that is how much I have falling inlove with them!

I have tried many multiple BA IEM. I dont want to mention name and I would not dare that they were inferior to the ER-4S but they just could not do what the ER-4S does to my music. 

I agree! ER4S is really something special. It scales very well, so building a desktop set-up around them isn't overklill at all. I love my ER4S paired with Isabellina HPA LFP-V Edition. Sometimes even with WA2. Of course it likes a good source, every headphone likes that. But the way it scales with amping is simply amazing for an IEM.

 

[audionewbi]

Quote:

I agree! ER4S is really something special. It scales very well, so building a desktop set-up around them isn't overklill at all. I love my ER4S paired with Isabellina HPA LFP-V Edition. Sometimes even with WA2. Of course it likes a good source, every headphone likes that. But the way it scales with amping is simply amazing for an IEM.

Isabellina is a beauty, sadly she is out of my league, this starving student must look for cheaper alternative. I am hoping to try to find something around 400-600 region. For DAC I am using bresford caiman, a nice DAC, quiet happy with it. Not quiet in the same league as Isabellina but still offers an incredible bang for a buck factor!

 

 

[phantomz]

Quote:

Best price I can see online is $256.99 USD with free worldwide shipping at AccessoryJack: http://www.accessoryjack.com/etymotic-er-4s-binaural-micropro-in-ear-headphones-black.html
 
They have the ER4S, ER4P, and ER4B. 

 
Thanks Steve. As much as I would love to buy the ER4, my wallet is telling me otherwise. I'm now considering the HF5 as I can get it for under $100.
 
I'm use to the UE SF5 Pro sound signature so I think the HF5 is a inexpensive way to familiarize myself with the Etymotic sound signature.

 

[steve2151]

I used to own the ER4P for travel purposes, but ended up selling it before picking up my XM6. It always sounded a little thin for my tastes. The TF10 was just that much more fun to listen to out of a Clip+.
 
I'm tempted to buy one again since the +75 ohm feature on the XM6 turns the normally muddy and rolled off X10 into a much better iem, on par with the TF10 and IE80. It probably works its magic on a lot of single BA iems. Makes me wonder how big the gap between the ER4P on an inexpensive portable and a ER4S on a good setup really is.

 

[audionewbi]

^No doubt the TF10 is a fun sounding IEM. It was one of the many multiple BA IEM I owned that I actually did not mind keeping. The odd fitting did not bother me at all, or their poorly built cable, for me the reason why I had to let it go is was merely because after two replacement the right BA driver in-charge of low range frequency kept on malfunctioning. The third time I asked them to refund me, they said they will send me a brand new one and there was a guy who was looking for one, I just could not bring myself into selling this BRAND NEW iem to anyone simply because based on my experience it was BADLY built.

Call me crazy I preferred the TF10 sound stage better than the SE 535. 

Yes ER4 marked at that price is indeed high but right now if I was to loss my ER-4S I will buy without hesitation simply because of great customer service and great sound. 

 

[palmfish]

As promised, I'm reporting back with my comparison of the HF5 vs the ER-6i.

First of all, it is very, very close. At first listen, I couldn't tell them apart. Only after careful listening and back-to-back sampling did I detect any differences. And of course, my caveat that there is no way for me to blind test these, or even quickly A/B them since removal and insertion takes time.

The HF5 appears to be a little more sensitive. I had to nudge the volume up one notch on my iPod (Touch 3G) with the ER-6i to match the volume with the HF5. This leads to caveat #2 that the level match was by ear and memory, so even 1 dB difference would be undetectable by me and could contribute to a false preference.

OK, with the caveats out of the way, here's what I think...

The HF5 sounds marginally better to me. There is a slight increase in the midbass which gives kick drums and other lower notes more slam and weight. Vocals seem to have a bit more warmth too, without any trace of bloat or hollowness - they just sound slightly more forward, smooth, and real.

From the midrange on up, I think the response of both headphones is basically the same. The difference in the middle to higher frequencies is that the HF5 sounds a little cleaner - as though there is a hint of grit to the ER6i. I hear this on cymbals and snares and vocals too. The HF5 just seems to sound smoother and cleaner, but with excellent detail which results in the impression of better instrument separation and clarity. I think the HF5 is a nice upgrade from the ER6i that will make my music more enjoyable. It seems to have fixed the few nits I have always had with the ER6i - gritty, congested, and fatiguing treble, cold mids, and lack of mid-bass weight and punch. These terms should not should be construed as problems with the ER-6i, just my way of articulating the differences.

That's basically it. On first impression, they are so close that it is difficult to tell them apart. Let me reiterate that the differences are very subtle and only after careful (and repetitive) listening did I detect any differences at all. These headphones are definitely from the same home - if you dislike one, you will not like the other.

Tested with my iPod Touch 3G and Sansa Clip Zip with no EQ (none needed, they sound perfect to me!). Identical Comply foam tips used on both sets - inserted all the way into the ear canal (which, by the way, I think is critical to hearing these earphones as intended).

 

[steve2151]

I caved and bought Alphaphoenix's used ER4P. Couldn't resist the price.
 
It's hooked up to my XM6 now and definitely deserves a proper dac/amp. My Galaxy S2 doesn't do it justice. I'll post more sound impressions later, but the one thing that I had definitely forgot about was the size of the nozzles. They are about 4-5 times the size of my Klipsch X10 and put some strain on my ear canals since half the ear piece is hanging out and they cannot be worn cable up. If Etymotic could come out with a refresh with the same SQ but the ergonomic form factor of the Klipsch, they'd have a killer product on their hands.

 

[audionewbi]

Quote:

I caved and bought Alphaphoenix's used ER4P. Couldn't resist the price.
 
It's hooked up to my XM6 now and definitely deserves a proper dac/amp. My Galaxy S2 doesn't do it justice. I'll post more sound impressions later, but the one thing that I had definitely forgot about was the size of the nozzles. They are about 4-5 times the size of my Klipsch X10 and put some strain on my ear canals since half the ear piece is hanging out and they cannot be worn cable up. If Etymotic could come out with a refresh with the same SQ but the ergonomic form factor of the Klipsch, they'd have a killer product on their hands.

Speaking from experience after 3-4 months you will get used to how they feel inside your ear. However the microphonic is crazy on this IEM.

 

[cat6man]

Quote:

Speaking from experience after 3-4 months you will get used to how they feel inside your ear. However the microphonic is crazy on this IEM.

 
how old are yours?  i have very old pair and was going to send them to etymotics for re-cabling since i've been told that the new cables are much less microphonic than the old ones (which i agree are crazy microphonic).

 

[cat6man]

Has anyone compared the ER4 with RSA predator and headamp pico slim?
 
I was planning on selling my predator (since i never use the dac) and using the smaller pico slim, but after listening to both, i like the predator sound better.
(note:  the predator is well broken in, the pico slim is new and has very little break in time.
 
Thoughts?

 

[audionewbi]

Quote:

 
how old are yours?  i have very old pair and was going to send them to etymotics for re-cabling since i've been told that the new cables are much less microphonic than the old ones (which i agree are crazy microphonic).

6 years, I am thinking of buying Apurecable for them or get the adaptor from ebay and use Shure cable instead. I really cannot send them back as I am attached to them this much :-D

As far as the amp/dac goes I highly recommend you to try this  http://i-enjoy.com.au/ProductDetails.aspx?ID=84
 
Nothing I have used ever came close to the sound  get when I listen to the ER-4S with that unit. The only issue I have is that it is not portable. Truly a magical DAC section.

The designer of that DAC/amp has a new DAC out which from what I have read has a better amp section. I havent used it since I was after something with a USB input. 

 

[precsmo]

Quote:

For my ER-4P, I use the following settings:
 
EQ:
  80Hz - 5 - Wide
300Hz - 4 - Wide
1.1kHz - 1 - Normal
2.4kHz - 0 - Normal
11kHz - 0 - Normal
 
BBE+:
BBE - 4
M3Bass - 8
MPEnh - On
 
SE:
St Enh - 2
 
I keep the BBE low because any higher is too hot for me; M3Bass really beefs up the impact of the bass.

Hi, wow! I love ur settings! But I prefer M3Bass at 6, and 8 is towards the extreme high side to me, probably due to the foam I'm using instead of the triple flange? Anyway, thank you for the settings, really love it!