Sensaphonics ER-4S thoughts

[Yikes]

I received my Sensaphonics custom molds for my Ety ER-4S and the difference that they make is fairly substantial, so I believe that some comments are called for.

I won’t comment on the comfort because my ears still have to get use to them.

I’ve been using the tri-flanges and I have been very happy with the sound. To my ears the ER-4s had a nice mellow sound. Sort of like HD-650’s except without the 650’s bloated bottom end. It complemented the use of a mp3 player nicely.

Now with the custom molds the sound is very different. Much more transparent and open sounding. Better bass slam and definition. They sound more like my SR-325i’s now. The only problem is that they may have crossed over the line of being too revealing for portable use. I may have reached the wall with my Archos AV420 player. I may need to check into getting an Ipod (rumored to have the best sonics of the HD based portables).

 

[ampgalore]

ER-4S sounding like HD650? To my ears, ER-4S never sounded anything like the HD650.

The silicone triflanges do not give as good a seal as the foamies, so generally you get less bass if you use the triflanges.

I would presume a properly made custom mold would give you a tighter seal than the foamies, so you should hear more bass not less.

 

[AuroraProject]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampgalore ER-4S sounding like HD650? To my ears, ER-4S never sounded anything like the HD650. The silicone triflanges do not give as good a seal as the foamies, so generally you get less bass if you use the triflanges. I would presume a properly made custom mold would give you a tighter seal than the foamies, so you should hear more bass not less.

Agreed, I have both and they sound nothing alike to me.

 

[Yikes]

Where did I say that I have less bass with the custom mold? I said

"Much more transparent and open sounding. Better bass slam and definition."

Perhaps my stating that the ER-4s's with the tri-flanges were:

"To my ears the ER-4s had a nice mellow sound. Sort of like HD-650’s except without the 650’s bloated bottom end."

was not exactly fair. You see I liked the ER-4s's even with the tri-flanges, and I did not like the HD-650's (which I owned for 8 months). The bass with the custom molds is better, a little deeper with more power, and even better improved definition. Throughout the frequency range there is improved clarity, more transparent and open sounding.

With my ears the ER-4S's with tri-flanges were a little closed in (similar to my experience with the 650's) which is a good thing when used with an inferior source (mp3 player). With the custom molds they are now closer to the SR-325i’s or dare I say my favorite K1000’s.

Obviously IEM performance or character will vary with each person. I was getting a good seal with the tri-flanges. I never tried the foamies due to cleanliness issues. I never re-use foam earplugs when I ride my motorcycle, why would I want to re-use Ety foamies?

 

[Jmmmmm]

Could you post a picture of them with the new mold?

 

[PATB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampgalore I would presume a properly made custom mold would give you a tighter seal than the foamies, so you should hear more bass not less.

My Shure E3C foamies provide tighter seal than the Sensaphonics custom molded 2X-s.

 

[Yikes]

I'll post a picture by the weekend.

One downside is that the molds are much larger than the triflanges. So sticking them in my bag is a tighter fit.