[calvinhobs]

I'm looking into getting of of these sets and need some good advice/information on the two of them...

I will primarily be doing my listening from a portable cd player at work, not too many mp3s. It's hard to find many people to give good info who have actually listened to the Shure E4C's...let alone people who have listened to both. Any information would be GREATLY appreciated...all the little differences between the two. Thank you-

Doug

 

[warpdriver]

The E4's offer the most middle of the road sound offering a bit of everthing, tight bass, smooth forward mids,and detailed but still slightly veiled highs, the ER4P's cater to the people prefering a brighter, leaner, more analytical sound. If you prefer a punchier sound, the E4's are better.

 

[Jasper994]

The E4's are excellent for portable uses. I really like them paired with my Zen Xtra. I can't say much about the ER4p though, I've only ever heard the ER4s. Between the E4 and the ER4s, I find the E4 much better. For me this has mainly to do with the fuller sound of the E4 and the harshness of the ER4s. I also personally find the E4 a bit more resolving and find that it provides much better timbre and decay. It seems, though, that there are a number of people that would prefer the Ety to the Shure. My advice, if you can, try to get yourself to a meet where you can try one or both. Goodluck!

Check the Meetings subforum to see if there's a meet near you anytime soon. It seems there are quite a number of them coming up pretty soon here so maybe you'll be in luck.

 

[Teerawit]

Calvinhobs, what kind of music do you listen to? I find the E4 more suitable for rock.

 

[Jmmmmm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasper994 ... I find the ER4 much better. For me this has mainly to do with the fuller sound of the E4 and the harshness of the ER4s. I also personally find the E4 a bit more resolving and find that it provides much better timbre and decay.

Wait, which do you prefer? You say er4 but then make it sound like the e4...

 

[Imyourzero]

I agree with Jasper's comments, except I didn't find the ER-4S harsh. The 4P, sometimes. But I prefer the E4 to both; it's more balanced and has more on the bottom end which is great for rock. The midrange is excellent IMO. And the treble, though slightly rolled off, isn't as recessed as that of the UM2 for example.

However, if you want to extract every last detail from the music in exchange for a less "musical" sound, the Etymotics are the ones to go with. They stick out of the ears much farther though, and I found them fatiguing to listen to for long periods of time.

 

[Jasper994]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmmmmm Wait, which do you prefer? You say er4 but then make it sound like the e4...

LOL ...that's your opinion.

Oh yeah, I forgot to add, the Ety's are terribly microphonic!

 

[DJGeorgeT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasper994 ...the harshness of the ER4s.

don't listen to that troll. The ER4 provides very good highs and detail. I don't find them to be harsh at all.

 

[Jasper994]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJGeorgeT don't listen to that troll. The ER4 provides very good highs and detail. I don't find them to be harsh at all.

Look man, I don't know what your problem is, but he/she asked for an opinion and I offered one. It is very clearly stated as my opinion, and I also stated that many people feel very differently (this would include you). Why you continually feel it necessary to show up in every IEM related thread I post in to try to start some sort of arguement is beyond me, but it's about time you get over what ever it is you're mad about.

 

[steel102]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasper994 LOL ...that's your opinion.

Noooo I think Jmmm was implying that you made a typo. You said you prefer the ER4, but then you said the E4 have fuller sound, better resolving, and that the ER4 is too harsh.

 

[Jasper994]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steel102 Noooo I think Jmmm was implying that you made a typo. You said you prefer the ER4, but then you said the E4 have fuller sound, better resolving, and that the ER4 is too harsh.

Oh, hehe, you're very right... my bad...

All fixed

 

[warpdriver]

I prefer the ER4's, and I don't find them at all harsh. Yes they are analytical, and can sound a bit lean, but I really find it strange when people say they are harsh.

Because they are a bit lean sometimes, I suspect that some people are listening to them at higher volumes to get that bit of punch they expect to hear, hence they are just listening to them at a higher volume, and that's why they find them fatiguing...they are listening to them too loud.

The biggest disadvantage of the ER4's is their microphonics, but soundwise, I prefer the ER4's more neutral/flatter response over the Shure's midrange forward presentation.

 

[drarthurwells]

The Etymotic are more neutral and faithful to the signal. The treble roll-off of the E4 may be desirable on distorted program material or if your ears are sensitive to highs.

I never hear harshness or shrillness with the ER4, but I listen only to commercial CDs with excelent associated compnents.

 

[Teerawit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drarthurwells The Etymotic are more neutral and faithful to the signal. The treble roll-off of the E4 may be desirable on distorted program material or if your ears are sensitive to highs. I never hear harshness or shrillness with the ER4, but I listen only to commercial CDs with excelent associated compnents.

You are making it sound like the E4 is bad if you have bad tastes, and that the ER4 is superior if you have the "proper" taste.

The E4 is fun-sounding, even unamped from the ipod while on the go, but has a treble roll-off. The ER4 has very nice detail and clarity, but lacks the musicality aspect found in the E4. It's a trade-off; you have to choose which aspect of sound you want to sacrifice. You can't have everything at this price range!

 

[ephemere]

I've owned the ER4p for about 4 years. I have never, not even once, found the Etys to be harsh or shrill. I agree with drarthurwells that they score very high on neutrality and transparency. If the bass were improved, they'd be perfect (for me), and for that reason I sometimes wonder if the UE-10 Pro would be worth a $900 gamble.

By the way, the microphonics are much reduced if you use the around-the-ear technique for the cable. I picked that up on head-fi, and it works.