[Mooses9]

The er4p/t has a +10 dB gain over the S thus it is easier to drive thus you will get a more bass response easier either any given headphone since the er4p doesn't have such a high impedance . Which makes then slightly harder to driver

 

[davidsh]

Yes, the hf5 are fragile. My cable is all torn up, though it works. The highs won't be sparkly like the dt880 and might appear rolled off.

 

[Geo212]

Hmm... Maybe I should just save some more dough and increase my budget for this. None of the IEM's I've seen for ~$150 sound promising, at least not really for my tastes.

 

[davidsh]

Hmm... Maybe I should just save some more dough and increase my budget for this. None of the IEM's I've seen for ~$150 sound promising, at least not really for my tastes.

Perhaps, I'm not knowledgeable in that regard. I can tell you that the construction of the er-4 is much better, though

 

[Mooses9]

  Hmm... Maybe I should just save some more dough and increase my budget for this. None of the IEM's I've seen for ~$150 sound promising, at least not really for my tastes.

do you mean looking in another direction other than etymotic?

 

[davidsh]

 

  Hmm... Maybe I should just save some more dough and increase my budget for this. None of the IEM's I've seen for ~$150 sound promising, at least not really for my tastes.

do you mean looking in another direction other than etymotic?

I'm quite positive that's the message of the OP

 

[Geo212]

do you mean looking in another direction other than etymotic?

I moreso meant any IEM's around the price of the HF5's. Though, if I do look into the ER-4's, I might as well review other comparable options before I decide on anything.

Perhaps, I'm not knowledgeable in that regard. I can tell you that the construction of the er-4 is much better, though

The ER-4's do look better built, and I'll definitely keep them in mind as I continue to search around. The sound signature is still iffy, just because it's difficult to judge solely from people's words. Ah, well, if I'm really curious I'll just end up ordering them and trying them out for myself.

 

[Mooses9]

what sound signature are you looking for? What do you like?

 

[davidsh]

He said something comparable to dt880

 

[Geo212]

what sound signature are you looking for? What do you like?

Yep, something as comparable to the sound signature of the DT 880 as possible. I suppose I'll bump my budget up to $300 and see what kind of options there are.

 

[Mooses9]

Forgive me what is the signature like of that phone?

 

[davidsh]

Neutral, ever so slightly v-shaped, sparkly, cold, sterile, good bit of bass though slightly muddy at times (IMO)

 

[Geo212]

I guess the biggest issue I've had with IEM's is the tuning of the treble. I do enjoy "sparkly" highs, and I can't stand sibilance; most IEM's I've heard, though, (not that that list is particularly extensive) have pretty early roll off at the high end and never possess the airiness that I enjoy. That's really the main reason I'm returning the ATH-IM02's: the higher treble is way too recessed for my liking. I could easily live with the slightly boosted bass, but not with the lack of airy treble, mostly because it's much easier to EQ some of the bass out than to try to boost the appropriate high frequencies while still retaining accuracy (if that makes sense; I'm not exactly an expert in this field ).

EDIT: I actually managed to find an enjoyable EQ setting for the ATH-IM02's. I've decreased the mids a slight bit (800hz -1.0dB with a Q of 0.4), decreased the harsh highs (7000hz -3.0dB with a Q of 0.8), and increased the airy highs (16000hz +6.5dB with a Q of 0.8). While this is still an imperfect solution, it's at least much closer to what the DT 880's output. Really, though, I'm now wondering if it'd be worth it to look at pricier IEM's, especially since a lot of them still seem to be mid-centric with treble that's not particularly airy. Of course, I haven't viewed absolutely all of my options, so I'm not yet giving up hope that there's a pair that fit my specifications; but if I'll need to end up EQ-ing my earphones no matter the price I spend, I actually wouldn't mind keeping the ATH-IM02's.

 

[palinetes]

After years wanting an HF% i finally bought one, man what a sound for just 130 dollars absolutely stunting 

 

[GN-0015]

I saw a good deal for HF5 at a local store, but do they fit under a helmet? Kinda tempted to jump on them.