Voyager
Do not let me borrow your SportaPros
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2001
- Posts
- 391
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- 12
Originally, I intended to have this be an introduction to how I felt about the Etymotic ER-4P, but it didn’t work out that way. I started writing and it just came out. I’m going to make a separate post for the Etys.
Before I begin, let me tell you a little but about where I am coming from. I haven’t bought a pair of headphones in years. For a long time, I never even thought about buying one. I had found the perfect headphones for me, the illustrious Grado HP-1. They did everything I thought headphones should do. They had superb extension at both ends; a silky smooth, coherent treble; an incredibly neutral midrange, and the most astonishing resolution in the bass. To me, they were like injecting liquid sex into my ears. Until I spent a lot of time listening to seriously high end speakers, I couldn’t even imagine a better sound.
My HP-1s were the last in a long line of headphones which began when I was about 13 years old. As long as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated with music; it’s likely because when I was growing up, some of my fondest memories were time spent listening to music on my father’s Yamaha R-8 receiver and ESS AMT-1C. I still have the Heil AMTs.
I never ever got an allowance. At that time, if I wanted headphones, I had to save my lunch money for months at a time. I remember buying a pair of Sony MDR-828s. Next were some Panasonics that were labeled ‘Sport’. They were essentially earbuds with a headband. Probably about a year after that, I bought a pair of headphones from RadioShack. These were my first decent headphones. They look just like the Koss TD-80, except with an open back.
Those were all I needed for quite some time. Hell, at this point, I don’t even think Head Wize existed. I remember when I used the internet for the first time; it took me all about 30 minutes to discover the recently released HD600’s and their $449.99 price tag. I drooled over those for a long time. I never thought I would ever see a pair, let alone that I could ever own one; do you know how many lunches I would have to not eat?
To be perfectly honest, I was perfectly satisfied with the sound I was getting at that point. What I wasn’t satisfied with, however, was the idea that I really didn’t know if I was missing anything. I couldn’t stand the idea that some slippery electrons were sneaking by, not contributing to my auditory elation.
So onward I went, experimenting with what little resources I had to discover musical Nirvana. Gluing headphones together, drilling holes where they clearly did not belong, duct taping toilet paper tubes, and submerging drivers in water. Yes, I learned a lot. But I broke even more!
So now, we’re in 1998, right around the time Head Wize came to be. That’s when I learned about the Sony MDR-888LP. I lusted so badly for those phones. Fortunately for me, I started high school about this time, and with an increase in the cost of school lunch, came an increase in my headphone buying power. I made friends with the owner of a local Video/hifi shop, and convinced him to get me a pair for only $40. More likely, he felt bad, but either way, I got them on a cold November day.
Immediately when I turned 15, it was out to the working world for me. This was actually a good thing. For one thing, it meant that I could buy stuff and eat lunch. It also meant that I could buy things way cooler than I did before. First thing on the list: Grado Sr-80s. On first listen, I instantly formed a very strong opinion of them. Not the best one either. I distinctly recall thinking that the bass was overpowering of the rest of the music. One thing I did not want to be was a bass head. But still, everyone on Head Wise advised that I should give them a try, that I just needed to adjust. So I bought them anyway. Best Decision Ever.
By now I was hooked. The problem with the SR-80s is that they aren’t perfect. They are very good, and coming from a background like mine, they will resolve things you didn’t know existed. There were a lot fewer electrons getting by without me knowing about it, that’s for sure. But while the SR-80s have a musical midrange, and a seductive, punchy bass, there are enough peaks and spiky harshness to make you want something else. Especially with the bowl pads.
So we get the sexy smooth HD-580s, little brother to the HD600s I once desired intensely. These things were smooth in a way I didn’t know was possible. They were exquisitely detailed compared to the SR-80s. This is where I began to learn about the difference between bass extension and quantity. I wrote a review, comparing these two value leaders, and declared the HD580s the unstoppable champion. I still stand by that decision, but I realize now, that the Sennheiser HD580s and 600s aren’t for me. The sound staging is expansive, and everything is there, but oh, that treble. Will someone please remove that curtain from my ear canal? To people who say that these phones have no veil, you are DEAD WRONG. Now, if you don’t hear it, that’s fine. In fact, I’m even jealous of you. But for me, it is there, and you will never ever convince me otherwise. When I wrote my review in 2002 or so, I wasn’t yet experienced enough to hear it.
“Wait,” you say. “We can change cables, or amps, or whatever else we want. The drivers are good, just give them a chance to throw off the chains that bind them down and let them sing!”
[This is where I’m going to introduce what kind of sound I like.]
What you say is the biggest cop out ever. It’s poor engineering on Sennheiser’s part. A headphone or loudspeaker is always the weakest link in the audio reproduction chain. If you want a certain character of sound, that’s fine by me. But the loudspeaker or headphone should be made to be as accurate as possible. Any losses there can never be recovered. Changing the character of some signal should always be done in the electronic domain, where you actually have control over exactly what happens to the signal.
Needless to say, I have since sold the HD-580s. Next up were a pair of RS-2s. Those things were soooo beautiful. Light, graceful, and exactly what I needed after the HD-580s. The bass and lower mid-range were liquid sound incarnate. Even more detail than the SR-80s and HD580s. But like most things, the good stuff comes at a price. Here, the cost was a pesky peaky treble. If I had only known about the flat pads and the vicissitudes the sound would undergo, I might never have gotten rid of them. But I did.
Enter HP-1s stage left. Even buying these was an odd experience. I was 16 at the time (we’re in 2001 for those keeping track), and trying to decide between a car and a pair of headphones. I picked the headphones. So I took my $700, met some guy in a subway station, handed him cash and got a box in return. When I got home, I plugged them in first thing to see what was up. “These things sound f-ing awesome!” I was instantly captivated, transported to the music. I felt like I was a part of the band, and that I could feel their souls. To put it bluntly, they were laughably better than anything I thought was even remotely possible.
Four years I had them, and I used them nearly every day. During this time I stopped participating in the forums and just lurked around on rare occasion. I didn’t need or want anything else. In fact, it took me about 4 years to appreciate how transparent they really were. It’s hard to get a handle on the true character of their sound because they are so source dependent. Crap in, crap out as they say. But with the Hp-1s, it’s more like anything in, and exactly that out. After four years, I thought I had finally identified their character. I thought that the bass, while it had good extension, was a touch lean, and that the treble was a slightly more than itty bitty bit hotter than it should have been.
I started looking around for amps to switch to. Somewhere in my travels, I discovered the flat pads. I would even go as far to say they are essential for the HP-1s. It’s amazing how a little piece of foam can bring so much joy into one’s life. With the flat pads, the HP-1s themselves became flat, more so than any other phone I’ve yet heard. I spent another 4 years with them in perfect delightful bliss. If I had to find a defect to detract from their sound, I would say the very highest highs of the treble are rolled off a bit. Maybe.
So 1000’s of hours into the most consistently awesome relationship I’ve ever had with a piece of electronics, life decided to happen. Yay! I got into grad school! Yay! I’m going to move across the country! Yay! I need a car. Crap. I need a car. Oh No! I need a car!!!
[Onset of panic as HP-1s exit stage right]
So there I was; me, a car, and all of my worldly possessions traversing the great North American continent. Honestly, I couldn’t have been happier with life, save one teensy weensy detail. My only headphones were the white ones that come with the iPod. Do you know what it’s like to go from 8 years of HP-1s to what seems like an eternity of IPod head phones? Have you ever had your boss put you on a bed of nails or in a vacuum chamber? It’s a very similar experience. I know.
Amazingly, I made it 9 months with only iPod headphones. You know what’s the most amazing thing? About 8 months in, you can actually convince yourself that they aren’t that bad. After an existential breakdown, I promptly ordered myself what I hoped would become the poor man’s HP-1s.
The Etymotic ER-4P.
