[Meloncoly]

Hello everyone! I purchased the ER-4S and got it 4 days ago. I've been using it frequently on the BART and MUNI train lines, specifically the K line. I have also used it at home. Let's start with the impressions.

Comfort:
When I saw the images before buying the ERs, I thought that having tubes coming out of my ear wouldn't be as comfortable as my previous UM1s but they are not bad. I currently use the foamies that were included in the package, and they are definitely better than the Shure foamies I used to use, and IMO, the Shure olive foamies, which I also have and used with the UM1s.

When it's on the ear, without the alligator clip, I feel the earphone being pulled down and usually the seal messes up...so the clip is definitely needed. Also, I don't like the fact that it's so annoying to hook it around your ear, but it is managable and to me, makes the ERs more comfortable.

There are mods that are availiable from Redshifter (link) or the EXTREME AWESOME recable from EFN (link), but I'm not daring enough to mod it and I'm too lazy to buy more accessories for the ER-4S so I will have to live with it. It's pretty comfy otherwise though ^_^

Sound quality:
This will be absed on the music I hear and what I hear, you might disagree or agree, but it's my ear! *holds ear away from preys*

Electronica: I listen to a variety of electronica. I'm not going to say specific soundtrack names, but I will describe quality. Synth sounds good...very good. I like how smooth they sound and how they flow. I love how they decay onto others to make it more flowy, my UM1s didn't do that, or they did and they were too dark for me to hear it D: . Also I like how everything has a more forward presentation rather than the laid back UM1s. It makes the music more exciting and involving, that it makes up for the lack of thumping bass because I'm too busy convulsing my body to the music (omg bad imagery!). The UM1s make me tap my feet and shake my head to the beat, but the Etys make me go into orgasmic-pure-bliss-seisures. I love them. The only thing I don't like, but it's probably my source, but sometimes the treble is overwhelming...like screechy...but I think it's probably either my VBR New mp3s, my V6, or LOD, or just the CD itself...but I don't mind, I EQed treble a little lower...and crossfeed on Rockbox helps as well.

Rock: I'm not too big of a rock fan, but I do listen to it occasionally. I love how acoustic/electric guitars sound. They have a nice edgyness to the sound...crisp? that I really enjoy. I can't say if it sounds more realistic because I have never really heard enough real electric guitar + acoustic to differenciate, but from the ones I heard, the Etys makes it sound almost like it...but a little colder at times.

Piano:
I am a beginner piano player...just got Ode to Joy down! Yes!! but anyways, my experience with listening to Piano is very limited, but when I listen to calming or melancholic piano pieces, I soar away from the world and go into the environment that the music brings me, so I will assume that it is good!

Vocals:
Again, I can't differenciate well amongst vocals, but when I hear vocals sung in any song that has vocals, I can't help but to induce a sigh of happiness. That's all I can say. Wet pants anyone? o_O

Conclusion:
I'm glad that I bought the Etymotic ER-4S. In the beginning, I held it off for the lack of bass and various other things said, but in the end, I do not regret my purchase one bit. I'm bit of a basshead, K81 = perfect, but the Etys, even though it lacks power, makes me happy. Paired with the V6 or my home setup, they sound great. Thank you for your time and hope that my review, if not informative/intuitive, was at least a fun read/fun joke to read. Thanks! If you have any questions, please do ask. I will answer them with the best of my abilities, especially the people who are interested in purchasing the ER-4S'.

 

[Meloncoly]

Update: Listening to Chrono Cross music brings back memories...MY UM1s DIDN'T DO THAT!! *cries* But seriously this is making me love Chrono Cross music even more than ever before!

 

[apnk]

thanks for the impressions!

 

[Meloncoly]

Yes! A reply! Thank you very much.

 

[feh1325]

glad you're enjoying your new iem

if you can spare a few bucks, get a couple pairs of comply tips
verry comfortable, but verrry expensive

maybe the new shure black olive foamies are more durable

i think your incoming ms2i will pair with your er4p nicely

 

[riceboy]

Great review. Glad you are enjoying your ER-4S. I use the Shure olive foamies as well. Good luck with your piano playing and I'm sure you will be purchasing new IEMs and cans for some time to come.

I know I still. I started at 4th grade

.

 

[ken36]

Excellent.

 

[mdarnton]

I like the two-flange tips from ER6s--they're much softer, less abrasive, and less filling--smaller. The stock three-flanges feel like sandpaper covered tree trunks to me. I didn't have any satisfaction from olives or complys, but I guess what you jam in your earholes is a personal type of thing.

Another thing: you can do without the clip if you throw the cord over your shoulder, around your neck, and back forward over the other shoulder. Not only do I find that more comfortable, it shortens to cord so I don't hook it on things accidentally.

 

[Meloncoly]

I use the bi-flanges modded from the tri-flanges, tri-flanges, and the Shure olive tips, and I have complys from the UM1s previously, as well as some flex sleeves, and I find that the Ety foam sleeves to be the most comfortable ON the Etys. When I was using my UM1s, I preferred the Bi-flanges.

 

[Meloncoly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by riceboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Great review. Glad you are enjoying your ER-4S. I use the Shure olive foamies as well. Good luck with your piano playing and I'm sure you will be purchasing new IEMs and cans for some time to come. I know I still. I started at 4th grade .

Thank you for your encouragement. I'm off to learn this song on Tales of Phantasia called "Mint". I love it!

 

[Meloncoly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by feh1325 /img/forum/go_quote.gif glad you're enjoying your new iem if you can spare a few bucks, get a couple pairs of comply tips verry comfortable, but verrry expensive maybe the new shure black olive foamies are more durable i think your incoming ms2i will pair with your er4p nicely

That is very good to know. I was going to use the MS2i as a home setup kinda thing and have the ER-4P as a portable, but I might change it around every now and then and wear the MS2i's outside. I will look so retro-ly cool! Oh feh, does the MS2i ship with bowls or does it ship with comfies like the MS1? I have only bought the MS1, which I sold because I was naive and wanted more comfort without stretching them out...I regret it very much so...SO I will heal my wounds with the better MS2i >:3 All in the name of Head-Fi!!

 

[mdarnton]

I did modify one set of tri-flanges to bi to try that out, but it's not the same as the ER6 bi-flange, which is softer AND sized right between the flanges on the tri-flange (like 1.5 and 2.5 size versus 1, 2, and 3). Cutting the big end of the tri off, the whole thing just fell into my ear, too deeply. I don't think cutting the small end off would have gained anything at all, but I didn't try that.

It's too bad there isn't a fitting library where people could borrow a full set, one of everything, so they could try them all and find what they liked best. I bought everything, and now I've got a whole pile of useless fittings.

 

[fallen.angel]

Thanks for posting your impressions. Did you look at other IEMs before you purchased Etymotic ER-4S?

 

[Meloncoly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fallen.angel /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for posting your impressions. Did you look at other IEMs before you purchased Etymotic ER-4S?

Yes I did. I was looking at purchasing the UM2, the Super.fi 5 Pro, and the Atrio M5, but I thought, "Everyone has Etys, everyone loves Etys, and if Ety is so persistant as to ONLY make single driver IEMs, then I might as well try it!" And that's how I bought the Etys. Also there are like a billion people who say that Ety's single driver IEMs outperforms many dual driver IEMs...don't know if taht is true but it was another buying point. ^_^

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdarnton /img/forum/go_quote.gif I did modify one set of tri-flanges to bi to try that out, but it's not the same as the ER6 bi-flange, which is softer AND sized right between the flanges on the tri-flange (like 1.5 and 2.5 size versus 1, 2, and 3). Cutting the big end of the tri off, the whole thing just fell into my ear, too deeply. I don't think cutting the small end off would have gained anything at all, but I didn't try that. It's too bad there isn't a fitting library where people could borrow a full set, one of everything, so they could try them all and find what they liked best. I bought everything, and now I've got a whole pile of useless fittings.

I cut the small flange off rather than the large one. With tri-flanges, if I use it, it hurts my ear, then gives me this REALLY PAINFUL migrane-like headache within 30 seconds and my head starts ringing...nto too fun...think it's touching my eardrum or something. But with the Bi-flange, I don't get any of that, just comfort.

 

[blipmusic]

Thanks for the nice read! I think that the ER4P/S:ed is the one phone I'll never get rid of and I'm saying this despite the fact that I recently aquired a pair of Triple.Fi:s (make that yesterday! ). There's just something special with the ER4 that has me coming back to them - I always have to "try out" new music with the etys and see how they portrait it. ER4S together with an amp that satifies your ears is portable bliss.

I think the ER4 is to blame for me slowly turning into a IEM/detail maniac (though I'm kind of a compact living/portable design freak as well which, of course, is a contributing factor...). Rather then lusting after full size phones I'm much more interested in what's happening at the IEM scene.

[Edit] Triple/Bi-flanges are a head ache inducing torture for me as well so it's all Shure olives from now on.