random person
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I just came back from Macworld in Boston where I was finally able to demo the ER4P vs my Ultimate Ears UE5c. Several of you have PMd me, hoping I could eventually try out the ER4P and comment on the differences between these two phones. And now I can!
Interestingly, I actually met Mead Killion, the President of Etymotics. Very cool guy, knowledgable, and dismissive of all things non-Etymotic. He had neither seen nor tested Ultimate Ears custom products and stuck my own in his ears! Naturally, not a good fit, but he wants me to send mine to him for testing. Fat chance!
Anyway I did check the ER4Ps on some reference classical, trance, and rock cuts, using my own Ipod, no amp. Clearly this was not an extended audition, so the canalphones did not have the opportunity to "grow" on me. Also, my seal was not great, although decent enough if I held them in with my hands to simulate a better seal.
My thoughts? Compared to the UE5c, very disappointing. There is some nice detail going on with the Etys, plus a clarity in the high end that can be nice on some cuts but downright shrieky in others. A person next to me was auditioning them at the same time and we both uttered the same word when we removed them from our ears: "Harsh!" For me, relative to the UE5c they were fatiguing, harsh, and thin (I don't know what the other auditioner's point of reference was.) Also (big surprise here) they have no bass slam at all, rendering Trance cuts virtually unrecognizable, and frankly unlistenable. Listening to something like Phoenix' "Everything is Everything" from the Alphabetical album -- yikes, there's no warmth, fullness, power, slam -- well, essentially, there's no bass!
Mind you, I can see where if they were your reference phones you might find other phones unlistenable in some ways -- they are quite different. But I really wouldn't call them neutral in any sense -- they clearly favor the high-end at the expense of mids and bass. I can see how over time they might win over some, especially classical fans. But I must admit I found them unengaging and artificial-sounding, and from an overall perspective absolutely not in the same league as the Ultimate Ears UE5c either in terms of faithful music reproduction or even detail. Of course, the UE5c are much more expensive, custom fitting, and dual-driver to boot. But they are, as a result, to my ears much more musical and exciting to listen to, regardless of genre.
One thing's for sure -- these are entirely different beasts. As one of the few who can compare them both, I'd have to say that I think they really shouldn't be compared at all. The Etys may be king of the single-driver canalphones, but they are no match for the UE5c dual-driver design, unless you have certain specific sound signature preferences that favor the high end of the frequency spectrum.
Caveats of course: custom fit vs universal fit, time with the product, and so on. That said, I heard enough to know that I didn't need to hear more. These are not subtle differences -- they are completely different beasts.
Interestingly, I actually met Mead Killion, the President of Etymotics. Very cool guy, knowledgable, and dismissive of all things non-Etymotic. He had neither seen nor tested Ultimate Ears custom products and stuck my own in his ears! Naturally, not a good fit, but he wants me to send mine to him for testing. Fat chance!
Anyway I did check the ER4Ps on some reference classical, trance, and rock cuts, using my own Ipod, no amp. Clearly this was not an extended audition, so the canalphones did not have the opportunity to "grow" on me. Also, my seal was not great, although decent enough if I held them in with my hands to simulate a better seal.
My thoughts? Compared to the UE5c, very disappointing. There is some nice detail going on with the Etys, plus a clarity in the high end that can be nice on some cuts but downright shrieky in others. A person next to me was auditioning them at the same time and we both uttered the same word when we removed them from our ears: "Harsh!" For me, relative to the UE5c they were fatiguing, harsh, and thin (I don't know what the other auditioner's point of reference was.) Also (big surprise here) they have no bass slam at all, rendering Trance cuts virtually unrecognizable, and frankly unlistenable. Listening to something like Phoenix' "Everything is Everything" from the Alphabetical album -- yikes, there's no warmth, fullness, power, slam -- well, essentially, there's no bass!
Mind you, I can see where if they were your reference phones you might find other phones unlistenable in some ways -- they are quite different. But I really wouldn't call them neutral in any sense -- they clearly favor the high-end at the expense of mids and bass. I can see how over time they might win over some, especially classical fans. But I must admit I found them unengaging and artificial-sounding, and from an overall perspective absolutely not in the same league as the Ultimate Ears UE5c either in terms of faithful music reproduction or even detail. Of course, the UE5c are much more expensive, custom fitting, and dual-driver to boot. But they are, as a result, to my ears much more musical and exciting to listen to, regardless of genre.
One thing's for sure -- these are entirely different beasts. As one of the few who can compare them both, I'd have to say that I think they really shouldn't be compared at all. The Etys may be king of the single-driver canalphones, but they are no match for the UE5c dual-driver design, unless you have certain specific sound signature preferences that favor the high end of the frequency spectrum.
Caveats of course: custom fit vs universal fit, time with the product, and so on. That said, I heard enough to know that I didn't need to hear more. These are not subtle differences -- they are completely different beasts.
