[Spyro]

Moose - how can you enjoy ER4 after the holographic 3D presentation of multi-drivers?

 

[Deviltooth]

  Moose - how can you enjoy ER4 after the holographic 3D presentation of multi-drivers?

Honestly that's a good question.  Much as I originally loved my Etymotic it can't compare to what multiple BA drivers are capable of.

 

[Mooses9]

  Moose - how can you enjoy ER4 after the holographic 3D presentation of multi-drivers?

well easy, i love the accuracy of the ER4, i dont find the se535 and w4r to deliver that kind of  accuracy, even though they are multi balanced armatures....they still arent flat and accurate.
 
i love the se535 and w4r dont get me wrong, but if you wanna critically listen to music and hear every nuances,and give you a presentation that is just how the engineer intended, you wont get that from the se535 or w4r.
 
and IMO even the hf2 deliver that kind of accuracy and clarity that i dont find is there with the se535 and w4r, maybe im nuts

 

[Spyro]

I guess I don't find "flat" natural or realistic.  And I don't find the ER4 bass realistic at all.  Tonally very good but zero tactilness.
 
But not want to argue, I see what you are saying (or what your preference is). 

 

[squallkiercosa]

and IMO the hf2 deliver that kind of accuracy and clarity that the w4r (...) maybe im nuts

The hf5 are honestly one of the best iems I ever heard. Never complained about them.

 

[Deviltooth]

and IMO even the hf2 deliver that kind of accuracy and clarity that i dont find is there with the se535 and w4r, maybe im nuts

I agree. My hf5 are honestly one of the best iems I ever heard.[/quote]

For me increased detail is 'more accurate'.  I get greater detail with multiple BAs. 

 

[GearMe]

My hf5 are honestly one of the best iems I ever heard. Never complained about them.

+1... amazing clarity

 

[Saoshyant]

Not being nearly as far along in this hobby, I'm still learning what I like. I have a mixture of various designs to get an idea on my preferred fit and sound signature.

I've been aiming to pick up some of the various IEMs that seem to perform beyond their price among the inexpensive options, such as the jvc hafx40 and the meelectronics m6 which was a steal for 12. I've also picked up a couple more expensive IEMs that looked promising. I can't say I'm a particularly big fan of Ety's hf5 sound, but its isolation is phenomenal, and I do love using it for Les Miserables. I also tried out monster turbines which have an enjoyable sound, but feel overpriced. Luckily I got those used for a good deal.

I guess what I've taken from all this is it's a very complex hobby. You try your best to balance sound sig, sound quality, comfort, features and accessories, quality of build, all of this being balanced vs the cost.

 

[Spyro]

A lot of people think I am not an Ety fan (even though I have had ER4 (3X), ER6i, HF5,....but if I had $100 and could only pick one IEM it would surely be the HF5.  It's a steal at that price for that level of detail.

 

[Saoshyant]

I suppose I need to look into where Ety performs best musically

 

[GearMe]

A lot of people think I am not an Ety fan (even though I have had ER4 (3X), ER6i, HF5,....but if I had $100 and could only pick one IEM it would surely be the HF5.  It's a steal at that price for that level of detail.

It'd be #2 on my list...would have to choose my TF10s; just listen to too much variety of music and am willing to trade the detail for a full and fun sound signature.

 

[Mooses9]

the thing about triple or quad balanced armature iems, with multiple armatures and multiple crossovers sometimes it seems like the frequencies get in their own way, or the way of other frequencies. hence why jh made the freq phase with those small tubes to deliver the frequency straight from the armature to your ear canal.
 
as far as being accurate me personally feel the er4p are more accurate than both the 535 and the w4r. generally the etymotic er4's are considered flat, where IMO there are emphasis with the se535 in the mids forward, and there is emphasis on the w4r mid bass. in my opinion a accurate sound would again imo be non emphasized in any one frequency. or emphasize a frequency if the engineering for the track calls for it, and not just randomly emphasize low frequencies to have a bassy IEM. comparing the er4 to the 535 and w4r, becuase thats all i have at hand to compare to currently, the er4's make the 535 and w4r seem all over the place in frequencies. thats just me
 
i like both the 535 and w4r dont get me wrong.

 

[Mustard Mayhem]

Off-topic, but since this thread has been pretty much resolved, whats a good (100 - 400 dollar) pair of IEM's that are focused on bass? I have the vPulse ($89) iem and love them, but just wanna see what the next upgrade would be

 

[Watagump]

  Off-topic, but since this thread has been pretty much resolved, whats a good (100 - 400 dollar) pair of IEM's that are focused on bass? I have the vPulse ($89) iem and love them, but just wanna see what the next upgrade would be

I don't know if I would say they are focused on bass, but the Noble 4 looks to be a winner. They are $450 though, the Noble 3 is $350. The Dunu DN-1000 is a hybrid, so those would possibly have the bass you might be looking for.

 

[audioops]

  Also, just make sure you are not just bored with you current set-up.  What I mean is I have re-bought many IEM's over many times.  I realized I was just making a change but not necessarily getting a better sound. (and this is exactly where the sickness of this hobby comes in)
 
If it sounds decent, try to be content with what you have unless you are truly upgrading to a whole nother level.
 
Just off the top of my head I have purchased the following IEM's  
 
W3 - 4 times
W4 - 2 times
UM2 - 2 times
GR10 - 2 times
ER4P - 3 times
TF10 - 3 times
 
And today I own W4R and JH5.  Very good choices for as much as I listen.
 
But keep in mind I have been here 10 years so as sick as I am.....it took many years....

 
If you could do it all over, would you just save up from the beginning and buy a flagship like the JH Roxanne's, or would you buy a mid-tier set and just save the money to spend on other areas of life?