[Scholarlymonk]

I'm coming straight out of a 4th generation ipod. I think i want to go for the Ety er-4.
I listen to everything, but mostly these will be for jazz and some instrumental rock.
any imput will be much obliged.
thanks.
scott

 

[go_vtec]

I sometime use ER-4S unamped out of ipod. Bass sounds little bit thin compared to amped sound, but it sounds pretty good IMHO.

 

[Gino]

Same with the Altec IM716. A bit shy on headroom.

 

[nelamvr6]

I use my ER-4P's right out of my iPod. I like the sound. I haven't tried ER-4S's.

I do get plenty of spl with the ER-4P, and the bass has always felt fine to me. But then again, I'm not much of a bass head.

 

[episiarch]

I own ER-4P, 4P-4S converter, ER-4B, iM716 and ER-6i, and out of all of them the one I really like straight out of an iPod unamped is the ER-6i.

- ER-4S unamped lacks bass punch and gets a little "mushy" during complex passages. And volume is limited unamped from an iPod (not too limited for the moderate-volume listening I do, but FYI, it's definitely limited).

- ER-4P's tonal balance just sounds off to me. And although it's easier to drive than the 4S, I still find it congested-sounding unamped.

- iM716 is surprisingly hard to drive, almost as much as the ER-4S, with similar results unamped. The larger transducer tubes make it harder (much) for me to get a sufficiently deep seal with tri-flanges. And I don't especially like the white color or the (to me oversized) volume/bass module. It's a stunningly good value for the money, though.

- ER-6i unamped is almost in the same league as ER-4S amped. Not quite there, but really, it's amazingly good. Strong, clear bass, clear, uncongested highs, pretty good mids (a little recessed compared to 4S, but still really good). And there's plenty of headroom if you want to play it loud, and there's no inconvenient module at the junction of the wires, and it comes with a wider selection of eartips than any of the others, and you can get it in either white or black.

I just love the ER-6i. Really, I do. I've gone from ER-4S snob to ER-6i fanboy. I still love the ER-4S when I don't mind being tied to an amp, but the ER-6i is far and away my favorite unamped sound.

 

[Scholarlymonk]

So out of the iPod, the Er-6i is a better sound than the er-4p?
that seems to be the consensus. but I thought that the er-4 was suppose to be top dollar.
anything else?
are the shures to be considered?
is there any overall opinion of ety or shure's?

 

[K2Grey]

Not to say that episiarch is wrong or that no one agrees with him (as I can remember one other guy who does), but one person does not a consensus make. Or even two people. If you do searches you will probably find people who prefer the ER-4P is > ER-6i straight out of iPod.

 

[Scholarlymonk]

i know it to be a hot button issue, but what are the basic threads of argument between the shure e3c or ec4 and the ety er-6 or er-4?

 

[go_vtec]

BTW, have you tried some of those IEMs? I think you gotta try some of these IEMs before you put down your big $$$. Shure E3c and Ety ER-4 are just about polar opposite. I bought E3c and sold it in just two weeks. To my ears, it was a single most recessed sounding IEM I've ever tried. On the other hand, some head-fiers think Ety ER-4s has piercing highs and sound too thin (I'm not one of them). However there are some headfiers just love their E3cs.

My suggestion is to take everyones input as mere few grains of salt and use your ears for final decision. You may attend local meet and able to audition some of these IEMs (you probably will need to arrange your own personal formies/triflinges for auditioning purpose). Or at least buy from a reputable dealer with 30 day return previllege just in case.

 

[angler31337]

I haven't A/B'ed the ER-6i against the ER-4p on an unamped source, but IMHO you would do better to go with the ER-6i if you can then never return to this place, and would do better to go with the ER-4s if you plan on sticking around. Without an amp, I think the better value is in the ER-6i (again, IMHO). With an amp, I much prefer the sound of the 4s to the 4p (and if you stick around here long enough you will get an amp... or four).

-Angler

 

[episiarch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scholarlymonk I thought that the er-4 was suppose to be top dollar.

...and in my opinion it really is, when properly driven. But from the iPod's relatively weak amp, I prefer the ER-6i.

This isn't an altogether unique situation. I'm sure you could find people who, upon plugging something like an HD650 directly into an iPod, find it doesn't sound as good as something lesser/cheaper. Doesn't mean the HD650 isn't top dollar, it just means that it was engineered for a set of conditions in which power isn't as scarce as it is from a portable player basically designed to power earbuds.

Anyway, the ER-4S doesn't sound bad from an iPod, not at all. (Nor does the ER-4P, though it's not my cup of tea.) If you're thinking you might scale up to an amp one day, the ER-4S is a great choice that will scale up along with you.

As a person who has several of these things at my disposal, the one I take along for unamped listening is different from the one I pick up for amped listening. But if you're looking to buy just one that will provide great sound now and even greater sound at some future time when you invest more in your amp and/or source, the ER-4S or ER-4P (plus P->S cable later on) will do very nicely for you.

 

[drxpert]

From my experience, the 4P sounds horribly thin and lacks weight straight out of the ipod compared to my pcdp, or my friend's minidisc player. It could be the issue with old 4G ipods not being able to amplify low impedance cans properly.

I tried the E3C with my ipod as well, and it sounded more full in the mids, but bass still lacked authority, and highs were too rolled off for my liking.

 

[Scholarlymonk]

I know that I will not get an amp. I just don't want to be carring around that extra weight.
So then out of the iPod, the er-6i seem to be the best bet,right?

 

[smeggy]

I run my Ety 4S directly from my Rio Karma and it sounds great. The volume has to be set higher than for most IEMs but I still have enough headroom to make my ears bleed. I do apply a bit of bass boost to them as the Karma has a very good parametric eq and can be tailored nicely. Sound quality-wise it's very good. If you need an amp with your Ety 4 then I suggest that your source DAP isn't upto snuff because I certainly don't need on with the Karma.

 

[episiarch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scholarlymonk I know that I will not get an amp. I just don't want to be carring around that extra weight. So then out of the iPod, the er-6i seem to be the best bet,right?

I would recommend it as the best bet. I speak only for myself, of course, and your mileage may vary.

At any rate none of the others are really bad bets. If you don't choose the ER-6i you are still going to wind up with something truly good.