[apotek]

Hello to you all;
It has been a very very long time since I checked head-fi..and I am kind of glad for that because since I stopped coming here I was able to manage not to spend crazy money on these little things called Headphones I've been using my good old ety's er-4p for the last 6 years (if I am not mistaken) and lately I've been noticing (specially in trains) that there are so many new headphones and IEM's out there with flashy designs, colors and weird cables....when I bought my etys there was only few brands with few models. I recently checked headphone.com to see whats out there and I couldn't believe my eyes...
 
so my question is, how is my Ety Holding up with new comers?? I am sure there are better headphone out there with more expensive price tag. But even etymotics have new models..So should I upgrade to anything..or keep using er4-p??
 
thank you...

 

[ZARIM]

There are many highend IEMs include ER4P/S but it's lacks in some areas like soundstage, bass and now few IEMs has great soundstage, detailed mids and clear extended highs like SM3, JVC FX700, E-Q7, DBA-02, Radius DDM and MTP Copper.

 

[poliact]

dun repair whats not spoiled.thats it.

 

[lucozade]

If your happy with your etys ,why upgrade 

 

[Spyro]

Get some W2's or DBA-02's.  Both a decent upgrade over ER4P at the same cost.

 

[stevenswall]

"Upgrade" is in the eye of the beholder... Etymotics are unmatched for their natural frequency response curve and isolation. Other phones may have "better" bass or treble, but it's not technically as accurate as what Etymotic strives for.
 
That being said, I still appreciate colored phones, and appreciate the difference...
 
OP: Maybe do more of a sidestep, ie. get a colored more musical earphone to contrast with your ER4P... You won't get much more clarity or accuracy even with more money, Etymotic is tops for that type of thing.

 

[apotek]

I tend to like the grado sound, is there any EIM with that sound signature??

 

[rawrster]

One would think the Grado GR8 would fit a Grado sound signature but definitely expensive.
 
Also what part of New York are you from? If you are in Manhattan anywhere and have interest in the Coppers or the DBA-02 send me a PM.

 

[mark2410]

well the etys can be beaten but they are stil pretty close to the top of the heap.  unless you have a desperate desire to empty your wallet stick with with and be happy.

 

[Spyro]

Not being a smart-ass or anything but I have yet to hear any decent speaker system or live music which was even remotely close to what an Ety sounds like.  The exaggerated treble and lack of bass sounds anything but a natural frequency response to my ears.  Only when you amp it to pump in some fullness/thickness does it start approaching "natural".  Like a couple bookshelf speakers in a 20' x 20' room.

 

[David58117]

That's an exaggerated treble and lack of bass frequency response?  Just trying to understand..
 


Quote:

Not being a smart-ass or anything but I have yet to hear any decent speaker system or live music which was even remotely close to what an Ety sounds like.  The exaggerated treble and lack of bass sounds anything but a natural frequency response to my ears.  Only when you amp it to pump in some fullness/thickness does it start approaching "natural".  Like a couple bookshelf speakers in a 20' x 20' room.

 

[rawrster]

http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm
 
Take a look there. The majority of music can't be heard above 10k and that's too high a number but more like 5-6k

 

[stevenswall]

@David58117:
 
Here is a better explanation... The red dotted line is how the human ear perceives loudness at each frequency:
 

In this respect, Etymotic earphones cannot be beat based on objective data by any other IEM manufacturer...  Same goes for isolation:
 

 
Etymotic and objective data go hand in hand... Though I do admit most people like a good deal more bass and fullness, which I can get through the amazing EQ abilities of my S9.
 
Quote:

"Just trying to understand..."

 

[Grimloki]

Etymotics ER4s are how old now? They are stage monitors. BA drivers have advanced since then, as have dynamic drivers.


People are making great strides in both single and multi-driver designs, and quality sound is available for prices that wouldn't have been thinkable at all before. Stage monitors aren't the end-all-be-all of audio reproduction. Video monitors are 15" CRTs color calibrated to perfection, with a hood... you don't see people claiming their superiority to 60" plasmas on video forums.


 


Yep there is plenty better than the Etys, in lots of ways. The following thread compares the top tier universal IEMs.


 


http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/476315/top-tier-universal-iem-comparison-chart-frequency-response-charts-discussion


 


And custom molded IEMs run from $400 to $1300 now.

 

[ClieOS]

Just FYI, ER4S isn't really meant to be stage monitor. They were designed for music. I have heard several custom top-tier (UE18, JH13, JH16, etc) and the conclusion I have is simple - they are great, but not as great as their price tag suggested, not even close when compared to a ER4S.