need advice, ety er4p or AT900

[Evilson]

Hi fellas. I'm looking for a pair of closed headphones, and have narrowed my choices down to two, the AT900 and the Ety er4P. I won't be using an amp, and will be using the phones mainly at home. It seems that the Etymotics are lacking in the bass department, but how bad is it? Some think it's adequate enough, while others think it's nonexistant. I do have the funds to purchase a Shure e5c, but I'm not too eager to spend $400+ just right now. So my question is, which of the two has the better sound and comfort?

Oh, and I listen to all kinds of music, from the Clash to orchestral pieces. And I watch plenty of movies. My source is my computer with an M-Audio Revolution sound card. Nothing flashy, but good enough.

 

[enzoferrari650]

Uhhhhhhhh...... the ety er4's are not closed headphones, they're canalphones. Obviously the a900's would be more comfortable. If you're using them mostly for home then I'd suggest the a900's. There's no need to get canalphones if you arent going to listen while on the go. The shure e5's would also be canalphones.

 

[enzoferrari650]

Do you own anything right now? Or are you just starting out? If you're just starting out maybe you should try something cheaper to see what you really need. You might not even be able to tell the difference between 40 dollar and 200 dollar phones. Who knows, you have to try for yourself. If you cant tell the difference, then theres no point buying 200 dollar ones.

 

[Evilson]

Closed, canal, etc. Meaning I basically want isolation. I'm leaning towards the A900's but everyone seems to be praising the heck out of the er4's sound quality.

well, I've never tried out headphones before, more used to a good speaker system. But I'm starting college. My room has the thinnest walls and I'm living with a roommate.

 

[enzoferrari650]

Ok, cause people wont know what you're talking about if u call the er4p's closed phones, because they're not.

I own them, they do have amazing highs and mids but lack in bass. If you're going to use them at home I'd suggest you get the a900's. The er4's may seem a little unnatural. Some people think that they make the music unmusical. Depends on what you listen to and what kind of sound signature you like.

 

[bangraman]

The Etys do have a few things going for them but they lack 'balls' for all sorts of stuff and I couldn't call them an easy listen for all sorts of reasons. I can't recommend them for home use unless:
a) You need maximum isolation (with the long foam tips, the Etys offer the most isolation)
b) you're going to sit cross-legged in front of your personal shrine to audiophilia with your eyes closed, listening for every flaw in the recording.


As I seem to keep saying, the A900 is a great all-rounder. If your uses are multi-purpose, home only and with fairly low-end sources, I believe these are all the phones you could want.

 

[enzoferrari650]

Hey bangraman, do you think that he possibly doesnt even need a900's. I dont think its such a good idea to just start off with something like the a900's. Its a fairly expensive first purchase. I think he could start off with something cheap and see if he enjoy's them. Maybe even something like the px-100's or px-200's. If he can enjoy them, then why buy something more expensive. If he can find one for about 20-25 dollars here in the for sale forums, he should try them out. You could be impressed with what 20 dollars can bring you and not have to blow 200 dollars on a900's.

 

[Evilson]

Fair nuff. I'll give the A900's a shot.

 

[Evilson]

Oh, I did have a Sennheiser PX100. Used it with my iPod, but broke it. And I'm pretty sure I'm looking for something more than that.

 

[enzoferrari650]

Wait so would you be using the a900's at home hooked to your ipod?

 

[Evilson]

When did I say that?

 

[Natsuiro]

I have the a900s and I enjoy them alot. I think going straight to the a900s would be a good idea because they would eliminate the need to upgrade unless you are willing to pay for the cd3ks or w1000s or whatever.

 

[enzoferrari650]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evilson When did I say that?

Did I say you did? Did you not realize I was asking a question and not making a statement?

 

[enzoferrari650]

Maybe it would be more helpful if you told me what your source is. Cause thats kinda what I was asking and wondering.

 

[Evilson]

Look at my first post. An M-Audio Revo. 7.1