[Chris_Himself]

I own the ER-6, I haven't used it in about a week, I play all my music through Grados for 6+ hours a day (at respectable volumes) and I just put my ER-6's on and I was able to hear "The Gargoyle" by Paul Gilbert honestly a little better since the bass is a little drier and I don't get that treble warmth in the high end, so it honestly comes off as much neutral and detailed for me.
 
I stopped using them because they felt lifeless compared to the cans so they were just my duty phones while I was out and about.
 
So how good is the ER4 compared to the ER-6? (I don't have the i model), I hear it's better if you can power it up better though.
 
Honestly debating if I should reallocate some of the Grado stable to pay for some ER-4's but some of you don't really know how much I love them... I might honestly be missing out on another world out there

 

[Omnirai]

The ER4S amped sounds leagues ahead of the ER6, but the sound signature remains analytical and perhaps cold. If you prefer the Grado sound too much then it might end up just being an upgraded version of a sound that you do not enjoy.

 

[Yggdrassilious]

ER4 is an upgrade to the ER6 but the general "lifeless," as you've described, sound remains largely the same. 

 

[kmhaynes]

The ER4 isn't really "lifeless" -- it's accurate, minimizing embellishments.  Extremely accurate, revealing everything hiding in the music.

 

[Chris_Himself]

Oh no I was just saying how I thought they sounded lifeless, but I've begun to appreciate the sound sig for what it is since it gives me more by sounding like less actually. I've said before that instead of "adding to music" it sort of peels back the layers revealing even the littlest of things that even some full size cans fail to show. Grados are accurate, but apparently they're not THAT accurate if an IEM that has been out since the 90's can beat it haha!
 
With Grado I love the coloration, but I feel that when I'm listening at night and paying a little more attention to the music, it can distract me at times, when I'm just listening for sheer detail. I feel that the ER4 is a more serious sound and I'm beginning to move towards that. That being said in terms of my cans, I doubt I"ll ever exactly be a K701 person.
 
But the ER4 is definitely up there eh? I can't even listen to my UE's anymore these days when I have the ER-6 in the stable and I'm trying to pick apart some death metal songs.

 

[poliact]

I would say if er6 does not sound good to you, er4 wont do much justice either. Maybe because you too used to grado sig the er6 sound bad, but either way er4 is gonna be a high end version of the er6.

 

[Omnirai]

Don't be misled by the ER4's age - it remains among the most detailed and analytical instruments on the market today. If you are looking to "pick apart" your music and hear everything there is hear, rather than hear colourations, the ER4 is unlikely to disappoint. Do take note that not all users are comfortable with the deep insertion and that the ER4S model somewhat requires amping to sound its best.

 

[Berkovajazz]

Etys becomes more musical and interesting with warm sources.
Analytical, but melodical, not boring.
Apple devices can help you.

 

[Chris_Himself]

I mean how good are they compared to the ER6? It's really hard to believe that I love a 100 dollar IEM so much more than my TF.10 and SF5 reshell at this point! It sort of just became an experimental aquisition at first, then as time grew I realized I was just hearing more music with less bass/treble hump!
 
It was weird too because back in 2007, I would have absolutely abhorred these things, yet now I've been wearing them for like 5 hours listening to the Tron soundtrack and other Daft Punk offerings just grooving along! It's when I switch to Al De Meola and Yo Yo Ma that these things really blow me away! I'm curious is the HF5 an upgrade over the ER6 in sound, or is it just an sidegrade that comes in super cool colors?

 

[kmhaynes]

If you like the ER6i over the TF10 and SF5, then you are clearly inclined to the Ety sound signature.  It's been a long time since I heard the ER6i (and didn't quite like it then, 6 years ago), but the HF5 will be a decent step up from the ER6i -- the HF5 really blew me away with it's clarity over all the $50-100 IEMs I had tried up to then.
 
Having the ER4P now, it is another step above the HF5 -- more cohesive, more refined, more detailed, more realistic.
 
I bought my ER4P used here for way less than the current Amazon.com price, so it can be affordable if you are patient.