mkozlows
100+ Head-Fier
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So I've had a pair of Etymotic ER-4p headphones for three years or so now, and while I've certainly not been displeased with them, I decided to see how the state of the art had moved on since the early '90s. So, after reading various good reviews (and noting that they were about to be replaced by the pricier SE530), I decided to order a pair of Shure E500s.
I've been listening to them for a few days, out of a variety of sources (unamped iRiver H340 with Rockbox; computer to Micro DAC/Amp), and think I think the following:
1. To my ears, the sound of the E500 is unambiguously better than that of the ER-4p. It's far more natural, less fatiguing and shrill, and possessed of actual bass. It's also more "normal" for me, because it sounds a lot like my speakers (Paradigm Studio 100) and regular headphones (HD-650). With the ER-4p, I hear my music differently -- different instruments brought forward in the mix, different timbre to voices -- but with the E500, I hear the same music I'm used to hearing from other devices.
That said, I'm obviously coming at this from a perspective of someone who likes the HD-650. If you prefer the bright and shrill sound of the DT-880 (which I returned in disgust, because I hated them), there's no question that you're going to prefer the Etymotics here. The E500 isn't exactly the same as the HD650, but it's definitely got a family resemblance, even though it's a completely different type of headphone and from a different company.
2. Comfort-wise, the E500 are unambiguously better. The ER-4p phones were always surprisingly comfortable, considering that you have to shove them four feet deep into your ears, but the Shure is just inherently less intrusive with the default tips. They're more lodged in the outer part of the ear canal, and less jammed deep into the center of your ear. Plus, the shape of the E500 is more ergonomic, as it sort of nestles in your ears, with cords that wrap around -- as opposed to the ER-4p, which just stick out of your ears and dangle there.
The upshot is that I spend a lot less time fiddling around with positioning the E500, and they don't keep trying to worm their way out of my ear the way the ER-4p always did. And they're so unobtrusive that I can actually lay on my side on a pillow with them in my ears, which is extremely cool.
(I'll also note that one of the more frustrating thing about the ER-4p was that the sound was very dependent on positioning. If I shifted the phones around slightly, the sound would change radically in character. Combine that with their tendency to slowly slip out of the ears, and I spent a lot of time fiddling around with them.)
3. With the default tips, the Shure is less isolating than the Etymotics. If I put the tri-flange tip on, then they seem about even, but the Shure feels even more invasive than the Etymotics, as the tip is somewhat thicker. Neither of them are in the same league as the seven-year-old HD580s I used to have, which were like little puffs of marshmallow somewhere in the vicinity of my head, but that's not surprising.
4. Both of them are susceptible to hiss, but the Shure is definitely worse. I'd never heard a hint of hiss out of the Micro Amp, but it's there with the Shure. It's easily enough fixed by hooking the (included) volume control in-line and turning it down just enough to eliminate the hiss, but it's something to be aware of.
5. Conversely, the Etymotics cable transmits sound like crazy, and can drive you nuts rubbing against your shirt, whereas the Shure cable is essentially silent. So that's a plus.
6. Portability-wise, the Etymotics definitely win, with their combination of smaller phones and thinner cable; they can be jammed into an insanely small space in a way that the E500 can't. Still, these are both fundamentally IEMs, and both of them are perfectly portable in almost all cases.
All in all, for me the Shure is a big win for both ergonomic and sound quality factors. I can imagine that there are people out there who'd prefer the bright and direct sound from the Etymotics, but ergonomically, I suspect that basically everyone would prefer the Shure.
I've been listening to them for a few days, out of a variety of sources (unamped iRiver H340 with Rockbox; computer to Micro DAC/Amp), and think I think the following:
1. To my ears, the sound of the E500 is unambiguously better than that of the ER-4p. It's far more natural, less fatiguing and shrill, and possessed of actual bass. It's also more "normal" for me, because it sounds a lot like my speakers (Paradigm Studio 100) and regular headphones (HD-650). With the ER-4p, I hear my music differently -- different instruments brought forward in the mix, different timbre to voices -- but with the E500, I hear the same music I'm used to hearing from other devices.
That said, I'm obviously coming at this from a perspective of someone who likes the HD-650. If you prefer the bright and shrill sound of the DT-880 (which I returned in disgust, because I hated them), there's no question that you're going to prefer the Etymotics here. The E500 isn't exactly the same as the HD650, but it's definitely got a family resemblance, even though it's a completely different type of headphone and from a different company.
2. Comfort-wise, the E500 are unambiguously better. The ER-4p phones were always surprisingly comfortable, considering that you have to shove them four feet deep into your ears, but the Shure is just inherently less intrusive with the default tips. They're more lodged in the outer part of the ear canal, and less jammed deep into the center of your ear. Plus, the shape of the E500 is more ergonomic, as it sort of nestles in your ears, with cords that wrap around -- as opposed to the ER-4p, which just stick out of your ears and dangle there.
The upshot is that I spend a lot less time fiddling around with positioning the E500, and they don't keep trying to worm their way out of my ear the way the ER-4p always did. And they're so unobtrusive that I can actually lay on my side on a pillow with them in my ears, which is extremely cool.
(I'll also note that one of the more frustrating thing about the ER-4p was that the sound was very dependent on positioning. If I shifted the phones around slightly, the sound would change radically in character. Combine that with their tendency to slowly slip out of the ears, and I spent a lot of time fiddling around with them.)
3. With the default tips, the Shure is less isolating than the Etymotics. If I put the tri-flange tip on, then they seem about even, but the Shure feels even more invasive than the Etymotics, as the tip is somewhat thicker. Neither of them are in the same league as the seven-year-old HD580s I used to have, which were like little puffs of marshmallow somewhere in the vicinity of my head, but that's not surprising.
4. Both of them are susceptible to hiss, but the Shure is definitely worse. I'd never heard a hint of hiss out of the Micro Amp, but it's there with the Shure. It's easily enough fixed by hooking the (included) volume control in-line and turning it down just enough to eliminate the hiss, but it's something to be aware of.
5. Conversely, the Etymotics cable transmits sound like crazy, and can drive you nuts rubbing against your shirt, whereas the Shure cable is essentially silent. So that's a plus.
6. Portability-wise, the Etymotics definitely win, with their combination of smaller phones and thinner cable; they can be jammed into an insanely small space in a way that the E500 can't. Still, these are both fundamentally IEMs, and both of them are perfectly portable in almost all cases.
All in all, for me the Shure is a big win for both ergonomic and sound quality factors. I can imagine that there are people out there who'd prefer the bright and direct sound from the Etymotics, but ergonomically, I suspect that basically everyone would prefer the Shure.
