[Xena]

You think the 4P's over the 4S? I'm getting the impression that the 4S might be a little more neutral than the 4P? I wish there were a place one could go to audition these things ... it's hard to figure out the best choice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmanGeorge /img/forum/go_quote.gif ER-4P is a great option for you, it was the first obvious response that came into my mind based on your sound preferences. I don't have small ear canals, so I can't really give you a good opinion about the comfort factor, but the sound is incredibly detailed and can make good orchestral recordings sound wonderfully uplifting. If $300 is your budget, you could well hop on the FS/FT forums here and pick up both an Ety and a low-mid range amp to drive those babies - you definitely wouldn't regret it.

 

[AmanGeorge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xena /img/forum/go_quote.gif You think the 4P's over the 4S? I'm getting the impression that the 4S might be a little more neutral than the 4P? I wish there were a place one could go to audition these things ... it's hard to figure out the best choice.

So the best I can say here is that I've used the ER-4P with a P-S resistance adaptor, and I prefer the P. I don't know if it's decreased neutrality, but I just find the sound a little more lively and engaging with the pure P than the P with an adaptor (when driven iPod>HEADSIX>Etys). Of course, I have never heard a pure ER-4S before, so I could be off base here.

 

[Orcin]

I think you would really like the Westone UM2's for comfort, but I am not so sure about the sound signature. They are more neutral than super-fi 3's to be sure, but they may fall short of your expectations in the detail plus they are a bit warm as opposed to flat.

 

[Xena]

Received the Shure ES530s yesterday, was able to listen for about an hour last evening. These are really really nice IEMs. The high end is not nearly as subdued as I expected from general comments. It's there, and it's just about right. Midrange is rich and deep, 3-dimensional. Compared to my SuperFi.3's, which aren't all that bad but seem flat and 2-dimensional by comparison. Bass with the Shure's is present, clean, not overpowering, again, seems just right.

Other than a richer midrange, one very noticeable difference between the 2 phones is that quality where sound just hangs in the air ... like a triangle (musical instrument) when struck, the ring just persists with the Shures ... with the SuperFi's, it decomposes very quickly.

I won't have a chance to put any more good quality music on the player until the weekend, so I'll be listening to average quality recordings until then. Of course, by the weekend, I should have the Cowon D2 in my hot little hands too