I own both and feel the exact opposite. I really enjoy the E500s (especially with Creed...) and the E4s just dont do it for me. the comfort of the E500s is second to none of the IEMS I own, about 13 and counting. have not sprung for the customs yet, but am totally content with the Shures for now. The E4's are really good IEMs but for me, they require being plugged into my Hornet to even compete with the E500s and I dont need the Hornet at all with my IPOD/E500 combo.
Originally Posted by CMasten /img/forum/go_quote.gif I own both and feel the exact opposite. I really enjoy the E500s (especially with Creed...) and the E4s just dont do it for me. the comfort of the E500s is second to none of the IEMS I own, about 13 and counting. have not sprung for the customs yet, but am totally content with the Shures for now. The E4's are really good IEMs but for me, they require being plugged into my Hornet to even compete with the E500s and I dont need the Hornet at all with my IPOD/E500 combo.
My worry is that after hearing E500, when going back to ER-4P, the bass and soundstage is going to sound really anemic. No?
Yes.
When you go back to the ER-4P you will notice the wonderful detail and transparency for which they are well known, but beyond that they will sound quite hollow and anemic compared to the E500 or Triple-Fi.
Once again this type of thread demonstrates that one should never solely rely on the recommendations of others.
Obviously, source, amp, eq etc. can make a significant impact one's perception of a headphone's sound. So, while comparison's such as this are quite good at helping one to look out for potential deficiencies, I would never base my final decision on it.
I was fortunate enough to be able to audition the e500 before I purchased it, but I realize that not everyone will be so lucky. For me, the decision was easy once I was able to hear them with my set up and music.
On the other hand, the ER-4 have never given me the same level of enjoyment that I get from my e500s.
Fortunately, we here are able to "rent" headphones for a while, by buying and selling them on our forum if they don't suit our needs.
Having said all that, the e500 is the best and you'd be crazy to buy the ER-4 over it. Take my advice, it is sonically world's better!!!!!
I had the same problems you did rdwm. When I first got them, I was using the Yellow Fomies and the bass was just overtaking the rest of the spectrum. But once I switched the the Tri-Flanges modded to a bi flange with a cut stem, the music just came to life. The details and the vocals are brought up more front, and the bass is less bommy. Give it a try!
Originally Posted by bellsprout /img/forum/go_quote.gif interesting. u'd think that e500 should be leagues ahead of er-4s for its price.
what did u feel about the contrast between listening to a triple driver phone vs single driver phone?
I was under the impression that utilizing dedicated woofers would enable the E500 to increase bass impact without taking anything away from the upper registers, but this was not the case in my experience. Someone mentioned that the crossover network (or lack thereof) may have something to do with this percieved result. I would like to find out more about that.
In terms of comfort, I would say they are both about equal. If you are going to be using them primarily while walking, I would sway toward the E500 though, since the microphonics with the ER-4S are difficult to totally eliminate even with the shirt clip. Then again, I would have to reccomend against using this type of IEM while walking, especially outdoors....it could be hazaardous to your safety. Maybe if you left the microphone feature of the E500 on all the time it would be okay.
In this comparison I think it is important to emphasize that I was using the ER-4S, more specifically the ER-4P with the S convertor cable. The ER-4P alone sounds much closer to the E500, and I would be more hard pressed to pick a favorite between those two. I would not say the E500 "trounces" the ER-4P, but that comparison definitely plays into the E500's strengths. I did not directly compare the E500 and ER-4P for any extended amount of time, so I will refrain from further comment comparing those two until I have an opportunity for a more careful analysis.
Someone mentioned that going from the E500 to the ER-4 makes the ER-4 sound anemic and hollow....while that is a valid opinion, I must respectfully disagree. Making that transition sounded like someone had lifted a thin curtain that had been hanging in front of the band, at least when using the ER-4S. Like I said earlier, the ER-4S simply presented greater detail and clarity than the E500. To my ears, this resulted in a more satisfying listening experience in most if not all music genres.
the detail in the shure's is in the background because that is the shure sound. just up the 3khz to 6khz region and all the clarity you were missing is there. i don tknow why they chose to put a dip in this region, but it does result in a more laid back sound. up it and compare the detail is there it's just recessed. atleast that is how my e4c's are, and i definitely feel like there is something missing, and it is in that range.
the ER-4S simply presented greater detail and clarity than the E500.
I would agree with that assessment, but it's only part of the story. As I said earlier, it's pretty hard to compete with the Etymotic products in terms of transparency/detail as they pretty much represent the gold standard in that respect. But while the E500 (and most other IEMs) does fall a notch below the ER-4x in that area it does compensate in spades in terms of improved bass impact and soundstage. In the end a preference for one of these phones over the other is going to depend largely on an individual's preference. If possible try to hear them both as they do represent two very different listening experiences.
Originally Posted by rlanger /img/forum/go_quote.gif Once again this type of thread demonstrates that one should never solely rely on the recommendations of others.
Obviously, source, amp, eq etc. can make a significant impact one's perception of a headphone's sound. So, while comparison's such as this are quite good at helping one to look out for potential deficiencies, I would never base my final decision on it.
I was fortunate enough to be able to audition the e500 before I purchased it, but I realize that not everyone will be so lucky. For me, the decision was easy once I was able to hear them with my set up and music.
On the other hand, the ER-4 have never given me the same level of enjoyment that I get from my e500s.
Fortunately, we here are able to "rent" headphones for a while, by buying and selling them on our forum if they don't suit our needs.
Having said all that, the e500 is the best and you'd be crazy to buy the ER-4 over it. Take my advice, it is sonically world's better!!!!!
right on the money... I also concur with the E500s being outstanding. I didnt buy into the hype that they were UE Pro-10 killers.. but for $325.00/US I find them the best IEM on the market.
I've just bought a pair of Shure E500's and have had a right old time trying out all the different tips trying to find the right combination of fit and sound quality.
I also have the Etymotic ER4P (with an S converter cable) and have grown very accustomed to both their sound and how to get the right fit.
When I first tried out the Shure's I was completely blown away by the extensive bass - at first I thought they made the Sony EX-70's sound thin. After experimenting with different tips and 'learning' their sound signature this changed and the additional bass is a very welcome addition.
The E500's certainly, definitely and absolutely have a different sound signature to the Ety's. I'm very tempted to describe them as a high-resolution Koss PortaPro or 35's - (I also have both). The top end is definitely recessed compared with the Ety's but once you have found the right tips and also mentally adjusted yourself to their sound, their limitations are not as pronounced. They appear to me to be more 'dynamic' than the Ety's - the quiet bits can be a little quieter and the loud bits can sometimes really take you by surprise. Try Apocolypto Soundtrack by James Horner - Wow that can really make you jump out of your skin.
I feel compelled to say this:-
Recording studios generally do not monitor the sound with the finest audio equipment. They don't hear what we hear - ever!
Many modern recordings are deliberately buggered around with to make them sound right through crap electronics/radio airplay. We have to find a way to compensate for this through our equipment.
Many modern electronics have limitations with their playback capabilities. In all fairness to the Shure's - my humble little 5.5G Ipod would seriously hurt now on full volume.
Virtually everyone on the planet has a different way of seeing, hearing and experiencing music. I think it's fair to say that the E500's excel with Rock and the Ety's really lend themselves to Classical and Ambient music.
Virtually everyone on the planet has a degree of hearing damage (especially those who like their music through headphones
)
Are the Shure's worth more than the Ety's? I honestly can't say but I'm glad I bought mine - I really enjoy listening to the MUSIC!
Let's face it, when you get down to it, it's about music - pure music with all of its faults in recording, timing, accuracy and - well humanity.
On a sub-note:
I took the dog out tonight and wore the Etymotic ER4P's (listening to Voyage Into Trance) and thoroughly enjoyed the experience - I've been listening almost exclusively to the E500's since getting them. Yes there are differences, yes there are limitations with the bass on the Ety's, yes there are limitations to the treble on the E500's - truth is - I enjoy (and plan to keep) them both.
Originally Posted by rlanger /img/forum/go_quote.gif Once again this type of thread demonstrates that one should never solely rely on the recommendations of others.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rlanger /img/forum/go_quote.gif On the other hand, the ER-4 have never given me the same level of enjoyment that I get from my e500s.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rlanger /img/forum/go_quote.gif Having said all that, the e500 is the best and you'd be crazy to buy the ER-4 over it. Take my advice, it is sonically world's better!!!!!
so ur implying that everybody has their preferences, but e500 is objectionally better than er-4 because it gives u more enjoyment.
so this type of thread demonstrates that one should never solely rely on the recommendations of anyone other than u and everyone should take ur advice
Originally Posted by bellsprout /img/forum/go_quote.gif so ur implying that everybody has their preferences, but e500 is objectionally better than er-4 because it gives u more enjoyment.
so this type of thread demonstrates that one should never solely rely on the recommendations of anyone other than u and everyone should take ur advice
Exactly! But, I think I might have been making a joke given the wink and smile smilies. Can't be too sure though.
· Recording studios generally do not monitor the sound with the finest audio equipment. They don't hear what we hear - ever!
· Comment : Ever been in a top end studio? or through a recording session? ever been part of the design and build of a studio? What makes you think the engineers that do this for a living can make it but not indulge in it as accurate as someone that has just spent a bunch of money and thinks they know it? You can spend all the money you want on audiophile gear and never achieve the synergy of a studio that has been designed and built to record audio. The recording engineers make sure that they get the sound down accurately, the mixing engineers add the flavor under the producers direction, depends on where the material positioned on how they color it.
·Many modern recordings are deliberately buggered around with to make them sound right through crap electronics/radio airplay. We have to find a way to compensate for this through our equipment.
· Comment : NO ONE mixes sound deliberately for a set of Auratones.... they are just another point of reference, usually we have 3 or 4 that we choose from for the type of music that is being mixed. Trust me, if it was mixed into a pile of crap none of your high end gear is gonna fix it...
Comment: Which brings me to my last point. If your spending good money on audiophile gear, get good source material, there are plenty of good labels with good engineers recording and mixing good talented artists. There are plenty of mass produced bands out there that were rushed to market to sell CDs that are junk.. and will sound even worse through your high end gear.
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