[planx]

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hi guys! i have a quick question about the er-4p in-ears
so here's the thing: recently, my sennheiser cx880 broke. that being said, now i'm looking for some new in-ears and i'm quite willing to perhaps spend a little more money on those if that means that i can REALLY enjoy the music. so lately i've stumbled across the etymotic er-4p and all its positive reviews. however, many seem to be a bit unhappy with the bass so i'd just like to ask you if it really is THAT weak. see, i don't listen to techno or hiphop or whatnot and i'm by no means a bass-addict, but listening to, say, nine inch nails or thom yorke does require a certain minimum amount of...don't know...'bass impact' or whatever you call it (sorry for the non-technical terms, i'm really not an expert^^). however, apart from that, i listen a lot to classical music as well, so i'm really trying to find a nice pair of in-ears that can handle both types of music as well as possible. with that in mind, would you still recommend the er-4p?

 
The Etymotic line has bass unlike many IEMs on the market. I find that the majority of IEMs today are heavily coloured and the ER-4S is one of the very few IEMs that are close to uncoloured at all. A lot of users find Etys to sound too "serious" and often "boring" because they are really that transparent. There is no coloured texture that adds to the sensation music gives you; it's a really honest listening experience. The ER-4S is the most "serious" sounding Ety to my ears and the ER-4PT is a bit on the softer side, but that can be easily changed by adding an ohm resistor on. The ER-4 has potential to give very satisfying bass (for example with certain Amps), but generally speaking they are very detailed and accurate. Classical music should sound splendid because there's that BALANCE with the ER-4. If you listen to classical with a V-shaped IEM, you get recessed mids and that really kills the listening experience with classical. So, the ER-4 should be good for you. Just don't expect a "fun" sound. Expect clarity, detail, neutrality, and a touch of cold.

 

[FieldingMellish]

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Well??? I don't know who that is?
All I can say is: I'm Your Captain and I'm Getting Closer To My Home...
The over ten minute version of course !!!
LOLz, Jim

 
He played bass for Grand Funk. 

 I mention it because the bass lines are conspicuous in some songs and could be good for bass comparisons.

 

[AstroTurf]

Oh OK, I think I understand.

Kinda like AC/DC... Kewl

He played bass for Grand Funk.   I mention it because the bass lines are conspicuous in some songs and could be good for bass comparisons.

 

[ArmAndHammer]

I'm excited since Wednesday I have an appointment to go to my local audio guy (shout out to Frank at Earhead Audio) and try out the entire Ety and Shure IEM lineup. Should be an enjoyable time and I hope to walk out of there with a new IEM. 

 

[cmat]

k guys, thanks very much for your replies, greatly appreciated. however, i've got an additional question because, depending on the source, one sort of gets different answers.. so: is an iPod (i myself own an iPod touch) actually good enough for the 4p's?

 

[AstroTurf]

I drive my ER-4P with an ipod.

Normal listening at 50%.

Jim

k guys, thanks very much for your replies, greatly appreciated. however, i've got an additional question because, depending on the source, one sort of gets different answers.. so: is an iPod (i myself own an iPod touch) actually good enough for the 4p's?

 

[planx]

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k guys, thanks very much for your replies, greatly appreciated. however, i've got an additional question because, depending on the source, one sort of gets different answers.. so: is an iPod (i myself own an iPod touch) actually good enough for the 4p's?

 
Yes, it is enough for the P. If you want better results though, I urge you to try an amp out because I find that Etys like being amped, especially my ER-4S.

 

[ArmAndHammer]

I just got the ER-4S today and they are FANTASTIC! I am running them off my cMoyBB and the warmth of the amp is just enough to really add depth to these earphones while the Ety sound still comes through nice and strong. I am a very happy person today!

 

[planx]

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I just got the ER-4S today and they are FANTASTIC! I am running them off my cMoyBB and the warmth of the amp is just enough to really add depth to these earphones while the Ety sound still comes through nice and strong. I am a very happy person today!

 
Hey slow down there Arm!!!! I thought just last week you bought the RE-262 as your first IEM?!

 

[ArmAndHammer]

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Hey slow down there Arm!!!! I thought just last week you bought the RE-262 as your first IEM?!

 
haha...I did. I also have a pair of Vsonic GR02's on the way. While the RE-262's were pretty great...after trying the ER-4S today, they can't even compare. I knew that I'd likely never use them so I boxed them up and sent them back for a refund. I figure for the little bit that the GR02 costs I could have my higher end IEM for serious listening and the GR02 for when I want things to be a little more fun or for travel when I run a greater risk of damaging or loosing my earphones.

 

[planx]

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haha...I did. I also have a pair of Vsonic GR02's on the way. While the RE-262's were pretty great...after trying the ER-4S today, they can't even compare. I knew that I'd likely never use them so I boxed them up and sent them back for a refund. I figure for the little bit that the GR02 costs I could have my higher end IEM for serious listening and the GR02 for when I want things to be a little more fun or for travel when I run a greater risk of damaging or loosing my earphones.

 
My gosh, you're awfully quick. It takes me months to depart with something I deeply care about LOL. Glad you like the Ety sound, really world-class IEMs. Timeless design and sound is what I would call the ER-4S

 

[ArmAndHammer]

Yeah, it just worked out this way. I made an appointment to see my audio guy, he works one on one and by appointment only, and today was the day. However, I ended up jumping the gun and getting the RE-262's before I made it in to see him, based on reviews on here. The 262's are a great earphone and honestly, I would have been perfectly happy with them I think. But since I kept my appointment and went in and tried a couple of the Etys, the ER-4P and the ER-4S, I knew I HAD to have the Etymotics. I guess I would have ended up with the same earphone in the end even if I hadn't gotten the RE-262 first. I'm glad I did because I got to try something else for a week so I have that much more experience. The GR02 Bass was just kinda on a whim...figured for $36 shipped I couldn't really go wrong if the reviews were somewhat accurate. It'll give me a knock around set of IEM's to go with my nice ones that I'll pamper and treasure and keep hidden away from prying eyes and fingers...lol

 

[planx]

Congrats however hahaha. The ER-4S is truely a great IEM. It's fascinating to hear such levels of detail. There's nothing like the ER-4 in both the Headphone and IEM realms, or at least from what I heard of. Things comes close. I haven't upgraded yet, but you should get custom tips for your ER-4S to further increase the experience.

 

[ArmAndHammer]

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but you should get custom tips for your ER-4S to further increase the experience.

Yup...already found the nearest audiologist that does it and plan to call tomorrow to see what they charge and when I can get in to see them...haha

 

[planx]

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Yup...already found the nearest audiologist that does it and plan to call tomorrow to see what they charge and when I can get in to see them...haha

 
Man you move fast... I've been planning getting a custom tip for my ER-4S for 2 years but I haven't done it yet LOL