NeilPeart
Headphoneus Supremus
I recently visited zeplin’s house a couple weeks ago; my purpose in being there was his MDR-V6, which I was purchasing for my office rig. Zeplin welcomed me into his home and he let me audition all his awesome gear. His hospitality and amazing character make him an outstanding person and a great Head-Fi member.
Zeplin’s array of headphones was very nice, as each complimented another can’s weaknesses. The ATH-W1000 had tremendous soundstage and a great, woody timbre; it was like my W2002, though not quite there in resolution, dynamics or build quality (though the two shared similar personalities). The HD-600 is still the smoothest headphone around, and definitely one of my favorites. Finally, the ER-4P + S cable caught my eye. I’ve had an ER-4S for awhile, but my dad loved the ‘phones so much he had a custom mold created for them. He simply adores their sound and even savors the “insertion ritual.” He’s quite the esoteric enthusiast…
Needless to say I never truly heard the Ety earphones. The few times I tried them I could never establish a proper seal, and my canal always felt violated. However, I kept reading about the neutrality and unique sound the Etys offered, much like the K1000 (regarding unique sound) and electrostatics (regarding unique sound and neutrality): one must at least give such technologies a proper audition before one forsakes them.
Zeplin was excited and really explained and demonstrated the proper insertion method – he ensured I had a proper seal and that I was comfortable. I plugged the ER-4P+S converter into the HeadRoom Cosmic (with PS upgrade) and popped in “Kind of Blue into the Sony DVP-NS400D. Wow. I cannot believe how long I neglected these amazing little guys! The sound was truly special and very neutral. I am intimately familiar with “Kind of Blue” having heard it in nearly every format over hundreds of times. I love this album, and I recognize every nuance and detail. I know how this album sounds like on my reference system, and I’ve heard it with all my headphone configurations and my dad’s crazy Wilson/Krell combo. The Etys took KoB and presented it in the most neutral, realistic way I’ve ever heard. The “in-the-middle-of-your-damn-head-experience” was somewhat disorienting and fatiguing at first, but the sound was pure and right. After listening to Alice in Chains’ “Would” I was hooked. I had to get myself a pair of these hot little potatoes.
I recently received my ER-4P+S converter (2 headphones in one!) and after plugging them into my Meridian/Max combo I admit I am hooked. The treble extended into HP-2 range and the midrange was lush and smooth. The bass was taught and defined. The only flaw with this thing’s sound is one inherent with their design: there is no visceral bass impact at all, even less than the weakest electrostatic headphones. While this is not a problem for most music, it can be a glaring omission on certain albums. Other than that negligible blemish, which by their design is actually a feature, the Etys are great. I realize I’ve used the “neutral” adjective when describing these earphones, but there is no other way to explain their sound. These things truly must be heard and offer an irreproducible feeling with a distinctive characteristic all its own. This is the same feeling the HD-600s gave me when I plugged them into my Max and the same magic I felt when the K1000 and the RKV MK II met each other. I wouldn’t go so far as to call my experience an audio epiphany, but it was truly a special moment. I would like to thank zeplin for extending his hospitality and his dedication to the Ety cause: you have converted another heathen, but my ears are still sore from the conversion.
Zeplin’s array of headphones was very nice, as each complimented another can’s weaknesses. The ATH-W1000 had tremendous soundstage and a great, woody timbre; it was like my W2002, though not quite there in resolution, dynamics or build quality (though the two shared similar personalities). The HD-600 is still the smoothest headphone around, and definitely one of my favorites. Finally, the ER-4P + S cable caught my eye. I’ve had an ER-4S for awhile, but my dad loved the ‘phones so much he had a custom mold created for them. He simply adores their sound and even savors the “insertion ritual.” He’s quite the esoteric enthusiast…
Needless to say I never truly heard the Ety earphones. The few times I tried them I could never establish a proper seal, and my canal always felt violated. However, I kept reading about the neutrality and unique sound the Etys offered, much like the K1000 (regarding unique sound) and electrostatics (regarding unique sound and neutrality): one must at least give such technologies a proper audition before one forsakes them.
Zeplin was excited and really explained and demonstrated the proper insertion method – he ensured I had a proper seal and that I was comfortable. I plugged the ER-4P+S converter into the HeadRoom Cosmic (with PS upgrade) and popped in “Kind of Blue into the Sony DVP-NS400D. Wow. I cannot believe how long I neglected these amazing little guys! The sound was truly special and very neutral. I am intimately familiar with “Kind of Blue” having heard it in nearly every format over hundreds of times. I love this album, and I recognize every nuance and detail. I know how this album sounds like on my reference system, and I’ve heard it with all my headphone configurations and my dad’s crazy Wilson/Krell combo. The Etys took KoB and presented it in the most neutral, realistic way I’ve ever heard. The “in-the-middle-of-your-damn-head-experience” was somewhat disorienting and fatiguing at first, but the sound was pure and right. After listening to Alice in Chains’ “Would” I was hooked. I had to get myself a pair of these hot little potatoes.
I recently received my ER-4P+S converter (2 headphones in one!) and after plugging them into my Meridian/Max combo I admit I am hooked. The treble extended into HP-2 range and the midrange was lush and smooth. The bass was taught and defined. The only flaw with this thing’s sound is one inherent with their design: there is no visceral bass impact at all, even less than the weakest electrostatic headphones. While this is not a problem for most music, it can be a glaring omission on certain albums. Other than that negligible blemish, which by their design is actually a feature, the Etys are great. I realize I’ve used the “neutral” adjective when describing these earphones, but there is no other way to explain their sound. These things truly must be heard and offer an irreproducible feeling with a distinctive characteristic all its own. This is the same feeling the HD-600s gave me when I plugged them into my Max and the same magic I felt when the K1000 and the RKV MK II met each other. I wouldn’t go so far as to call my experience an audio epiphany, but it was truly a special moment. I would like to thank zeplin for extending his hospitality and his dedication to the Ety cause: you have converted another heathen, but my ears are still sore from the conversion.
