[jeeger]

Greetings!

Since I bought my Etys 2.5 years ago, I haven't visited this forum. Now, the Etys are falling apart and beginning to bore me. So, I am searching for a suitable in-ear successor.

They will be used unamped from my iPod. I value great isolation (probably spoiled by the Etys) and comfortable fit (the tri-flanges were great for my big ears). However, I would like something more fun than the etys. Price range should be in the 200€ region (and they should be available in Europe).

I have looked at some in-ears, and the IE8's seem to fit pretty well. The alternatives I found (Westone 3, UE 10 Pro and such) were way to expensive for me. Are there some canal phones comparable to the IE8's that I should take a look at?

Regards,
Jan

 

[bcpk]

I don't think anything really matches the Etys for isolation. Would you consider a different source, cables, amp? I've read good things about ER-4Ps and Apuresound cables.

 

[Pianist]

I think you may want to consider ATH-CK10. Do a search on them - there are lots of reviews of these IEMs and they are mostly very positive. In a nutshell, the CK10 seems to have a sound signature that is detailed and clear like Etymotic, but with fuller sound and more bass. The isolation is also apparently very good if you insert these properly into your ears.

 

[jeeger]

Unfortunately, here in europe, the ATH-CK10 is prohibitively expensive (on the order of 400€). Seems like a very good tip, though...

 

[swayne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeeger /img/forum/go_quote.gif Unfortunately, here in europe, the ATH-CK10 is prohibitively expensive (on the order of 400€). Seems like a very good tip, though...

These people have a sale on:
Audio Technica ATH-CK10 In Ear Headphones | SALE Now On!

£160 + delivery charge of £6 to Europe.

 

[ChroniCali]

Quote:

Originally Posted by swayne /img/forum/go_quote.gif These people have a sale on: Audio Technica ATH-CK10 In Ear Headphones | SALE Now On! £160 + delivery charge of £6 to Europe.

Decent price.

 

[weibby]

I think the W2 maybe something you'd like.

 

[jeeger]

weibby: Do you mean the Westone 2? I can't find much information on these... The ATHs seem a nice fit, however I wonder if they differ sufficiently from the Etys... I would definitely like something less analytical now, and I don't know if the ATHs are what can be described as "fun".

 

[Duggeh]

If you used and liked the Etys for 2 and a half years, are you sure you want to move on to something else? That seems to me to be a long and satisfactory ownership period, and for the money you seem to be stepping sideways rather than up. Have you considered saving a little more, or maybe selling the faulty Etys to help, and moving towards a custom IEM? Customs are the last word in comfort and isolation and can sound absolutely spectacular. You can also get custom molds for the Etys.

If you do want to move a different direction from the Ety4, the Shure E500/E530 would certainly be an option. More midbass, less treble presense but not quite so clean sounding as a result. Could be that fun factor you seem to be after. And you can use a triple flange earpiece with them.

 

[jeeger]

Duggeh, you know what? You're perfectly right. Instead of stepping sideways, I'll wait a bit longer, and then look again. Buying cans in the same price class does not really get me anything. I'll wait a few months and then look again what I can afford.

 

[googleli]

If you want a true upgrade to ER4P, get CK100. I have ER4P, SE530, Westone 3 and TF 10 Pro. I have also auditioned IE8. But only CK100 is a true upgrade to ER4P in terms of details but with added bass quantity which makes it more balanced. After around 6 months of listening to CK100 it gets so good that I can't listen to my speakers (floorstanding Monitor Audio RX8), but that's probably because I do not have a proper stereo amp for these speakers (they serve as front speakers in my AV system with a Pioneer HD amp preout to a Rotel 5-channel power amp, with the 2 rear speakers directly powered by the AV amp itself, and with a SVS PC13 Ultra subwoofer). Yet CK100 is the best 2-channel thingy I have listened to. And I have listened to Stax Omega 2. If you are so used to ER4P don't even think about SE530, it sounds absolutely crap for me after I decided to "upgrade" from ER4P. Get CK100, for real. Now I am waiting for my UE-18 Pro to arrive but I doubt it will be very much better than my CK100. Actually I am looking forward to JH13-Pro more but I have to wait for a comparison between JH13 Pro and JH16 Pro before I place the order, and to my knowledge it will take months for them to make the earphones, so it will probably be mid-year when I get JH13 Pro / JH16 Pro. By then I will be able to do a comparison of the JHs with my CK100.

 

[yipcanjo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by googleli /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you want a true upgrade to ER4P, get CK100.

Since people have a tendency to mention MODEL names without BRAND names, I had to search to figure out that the CK100s are Audio Technica IEMs. What's the first review I find? This one. And it ain't pretty. Certainly some good impressions here, though.

 

[Pianist]

Actually, I would recommend Ortofon e-Q7 as a true upgrade, but they may not offer sufficient isolation for you after the Etys.

 

[james444]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yipcanjo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Since people have a tendency to mention MODEL names without BRAND names, I had to search to figure out that the CK100s are Audio Technica IEMs. What's the first review I find? This one. And it ain't pretty. Certainly some good impressions here, though.

Hi, your second link is for the CK10, not CK100. There's a long thread about the CK100 here.