A friend mailed me his
ER4s to test for a few weeks, since he knows i’m looking to upgrade. Great friend, huh?
anyway, my only other pair of phones has been Sony
MDR-NX1, which I’ve had for the last 4 years, so these are all I can compare to. I’ve also tried the Senn
CX400 for a few minutes, but it was god-awful muddy, so that doesn’t count.
I use a 2nd gen ipod nano. i have enjoyed the
MDR-NX1. not a whopping great set of phones, but the presentation is nice, if a bit bright, and they are easy to listen to. I’ve enjoyed especially their clarity, compared to other phones. This didn’t prepare me for the clarity I experienced with the
Etys though.
The first hour with the
ER4 [which is an original, old pair, modified by Ety with the different impedance wire, to make them useable un-amped, so I think that makes them an
ER4P?], was frustrating. No bass and just too much focus on the highs. I didn’t like the soundstage, as it felt a bit squeezed. But, once I learned you really need to PUSH these things in, then I started to appreciate what they can deliver.
Initially, using the tri flanges, and pushing these phones in until it hurt, I experienced the most beautifully detailed sound. The instrument separation is very good, and each little sound is reproduced independently and accurately. Bass is there, though not overpowering. The bass was what I could call accurate. This is the kind of detail I want! Acoustic recordings are lovely, you can hear the sound of fingers on the strings, in between the notes. Piano was very good, more realistic than I had expected. However, heavy rock was lacking that aggressive punch you might want. These phones are good for natural music, and not overly-amped attitudish aural masturbation. The only trouble is, sometimes I like that too. [LOL]
The soundstage was not as good as I had hoped, it felt a bit squished. however every instrument was still beautifully separated within that space. Also, I thought the presentation was a bit cold. Compared with the
MDR-NX1, the
ER4[P] was less easy to listen to. Don’t get me wrong though, I love this clarity SO MUCH, that I would pick the
Etys every time. No contest.
Another criticism I have, is the isolation. The
Etys have too much isolation for my preference. Though, admittedly I am getting used to that. At first I thought ‘holy gsus, I can’t hear anything around me’, but now I don’t think about it. Some find the isolation a plus, but i am looking for phones I can use everywhere, in every situation, and I don’t see myself cycling down Unter Den Linden completely deaf to the speeding busses around me.
So, now I know what the
Etys sound like, and I am loving them every day until I return them back to my friend in Trollhättan.
From here I will look for something with a little less isolation, a bit more warmth and punch without losing detail and a wider soundstage. Isn’t there a phone that has it all??
Bluey