[cknelson15]

Hello -

I am a new member but have been reading these forums non-stop for a few weeks now. It seems that in the $200 range (which seems to be the best balance between being an audiophile and *trying* to be somewhat budget-conscious), the obvious frontrunners for portable audio sourcesare the Shure E4c's and the Etymotic ER-4P's.

I just want to get opinions from the extremely discerning Head-Fi members on the below points to consider:

- Bass response (this seems to be a consistent discrepancy btw. the two)
- Microphonics (i.e. portability)
- Soundstage
- Clarity / Fidelity
- Warmth
- Hi / Mid / Low balance

On the practical side, I believe most people buy earbuds for portability's sake, so microphonics is a pretty huge concern in my opinon with discrete form-factors such as these. But to that point, is it even wise to wear such high quality earphones to the gym?

Also, types of music is crucial. I listen to a lot of House/Techo/Electronica as well as Hip-Hop. I'm wanting some clarification on the Shure vs. Ety "sound" and how it applies to different types of music.

Sorry to throw so much out there - please feel free to respond to any or all points. This seems to be the place to go if you want some opinions from hardcore, tech-savvy folks, so let it rip!

 

[NewSc2]

I'm considering the same here, I'm purchasing a Powerbook for music and I want good canalphones for monitoring (and for my iPod as well). I was thinking of skipping over both and going for the E3c's though (hard to justify twice the cost).

Debating between Mackie HR824's and Dynuadio BM5A's for monitors too sigh.

Can anybody give some insight? Looking to produce electronic tracks mainly (house, techno, live PA)

 

[bobeau]

Based on my experience using an EMU 0404->Portaphile V2->ER-4P/S | E4C, of course completely IMO. I've had the Etys for 5 months, the Shures for 2.5 weeks.

- Bass response (this seems to be a consistent discrepancy btw. the two)

Quite a bit more with the Shures. With Etys I have to boost the low registers about 6-8 dbs to approximate the Shures. Boost the lower mids a few dbs.

- Microphonics (i.e. portability)

The problem here is you're supposed to wear them different. If you wrap the Etys behind your ears you cut this problem out - your ears act as dampers. And if you wear the Shures like the Etys it can be a problem. But everything else equal, the Shures are a bit better.

- Soundstage

Somewhat better with the Etys, could be an illusion though created by a more detailed sound.

- Clarity / Fidelity

Etys. The Shures have a looser sound, the instruments blend better. There's more decay in the notes. OTOH, the Etys have a 'pop' to the sound due to greater detail and dryness that lends to more of a wow factor on complex/fast music.

- Warmth

Shures.

- Hi / Mid / Low balance

Shures. There's some relative treble rolloff, like 4-5 dbs off the highest highs, but otherwise nice and even. The Etys have treble spikes in the 2.5k and 7.5k regions which color the sound a bit and can give an ice-pick-in-yer-ear sensation depending on what you're listening to. Do a search on Linkwitz filter to learn more.

 

[Barney Rubble]

I am in the exact same postion as cknelson

I too listen to alot of electronica through my ipod whilst I am on the move. I have been looking for some new phones to replace my ER6i's which I have owned for 1.5 years

80 % of mys music is ripped at 128 kbs but I have not been able to differentiate between the 128 and higher bitrates with my current etys. I obviously dont want the phones to highlight the shortcomings of the encodings, but I have heard the E4 are warmer and therefore it wont be that bad. Is this true ?

I had all but decided on the E4 but with bobeau review I am worried about the reference to the ER4's being faster - what does this mean ?

I do have a cmoy amp but would like to keep the on the go package a minimmal as possible

I would like a bit more bass and warmth to my music and retain or better the clarity, spearation and high end that I love with my ER6i's.

Which is the best phone for me ER4 or E4 ?

Sorry for all the questions

BTW I have ruled out the superfi pros as the would stand too flush from my ears (I have a small head.)

 

[cknelson15]

Barney -

I think faster means that the ER-4P's are a bit more adept at rendering spatial detail and clarity and can keep up with the multitude of sounds that are sometimes going on simultaneously in electronic music.

I ordered the E4c's and am getting them on Monday if you can hold out for my opinion after I run them through the wide range of electronic and hip-hop that I have. While I'm sure you can EQ the ER-4P's and get a decent bass response out of them, I went with the E4c's for several reasons that I deduced from reading tons of material on this site and others:

- more durable
- more portable (less interference from the cords rubbing)
- clarity/soundstaging seems to be at least 95% of the Etys
- better, tighter bass response
- warmer sound

I think those last two are crucial for electronic music. You want the synths to sound meaty, not thin. And you want the bass drops to really kick and if you are having to EQ to do that, you might be sacrificing in other areas. Plus. the Shures are brand new technology designed more with portable audio devices in mind. And lastly, they come with a much wider range of ear-pieces. I have a small head as well and I was slightly apprehensive about the IEM's, but I tried out some Shure E2c's and they sounded awesome and fit very well. The E4c's are supposed to be a bit smaller, so I thought they would be perfect. I really don't think you can lose with them, unless you are so dead set on have the utmost in clarity on those piano rolls...

 

[Barney Rubble]

CKnelson I have been following your posts and reading the reviews also, I am pretty much set on the E4's myself but being thorough. It has not been an easy decision superfi pro's, ER4 or the E4's.

Just making sure, but I would to like hear a evaluation of the phones with some prog and house music if you get the time, I think that I am going towait for the black E4 rather than the white E4c's .... athough the anticipation is killing me.

My current phones are ER6i so I am not used to huge bass, but would like more in my new phones FYI

Cheers

 

[Little J040]

I just recently purchased the Er-4s, and the clarity and preciseness of them is quite good. However, if you are using 128kbs encoded songs, im not particularly sure if these are the best for you. If i hear a 128kbs song on my ipod i can immediatly hear the "crappiness" to me. Most of my other songs are at least 320kbs +. If you want a less revealing canal phone id say go with the e4c's warmth. However if you are looking for rediculous accuracy and speed, id say the ER-4 is a better choice

 

[cknelson15]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barney Rubble Just making sure, but I would to like hear a evaluation of the phones with some prog and house music if you get the time, I think that I am going towait for the black E4 rather than the white E4c's .... athough the anticipation is killing me.

You're a better man than I for waiting for the black ones. I wanted to as well as I hate the thought of being an iClone, but I have several trips coming up that I was desperate to have them for. I'll be sure to post some thoughts on Monday.

 

[jesse_w]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cknelson15 On the practical side, I believe most people buy earbuds for portability's sake, so microphonics is a pretty huge concern in my opinon with discrete form-factors such as these. But to that point, is it even wise to wear such high quality earphones to the gym?

You can eliminate microphonics from any canalphone by wrapping the wires over the ear, but I wouldn't recommend any canalphones for such physical activity... Occlusion is simply impossible to eliminate, and it affects all canalphones. THey're really no good for truly "portable" use, beyond sitting on public transit or taking them out somewhere when you're not moving. I don't understand anyone who walks around with or exercizes with their canalphones... it woudl drive me insane.

jesse

 

[ReD sKyE]

Errr, nm.... completely off topic, sorry bout that

 

[bobeau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barney Rubble I am in the exact same postion as cknelson 80 % of mys music is ripped at 128 kbs but I have not been able to differentiate between the 128 and higher bitrates with my current etys. I obviously dont want the phones to highlight the shortcomings of the encodings, but I have heard the E4 are warmer and therefore it wont be that bad. Is this true ?

Yeah, the Shures are definitely more forgiving.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barney Rubble I had all but decided on the E4 but with bobeau review I am worried about the reference to the ER4's being faster - what does this mean ?

With fast/complex passages you can get some muddiness, esp. in the low end. Nothing seems to faze the Etys.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barney Rubble I would like a bit more bass and warmth to my music and retain or better the clarity, spearation and high end that I love with my ER6i's. Which is the best phone for me ER4 or E4 ?

Based on what you said directly above I would go for the Etys. Plus I found the bass to be somewhat anemic with the Shures an an unamped 3G iPod. But I haven't recently spent time with Etys on the iPod to compare (don't currently have them in my possession to try out). The Shures respond better to amping on my computer rig - the bass really pops out when I put the Portaphile inline.

I said this in another thread and I'll say it again - I prefer the Shures for everything _except_ electronica, that is out of my computer rig amped. They Etys are a bit thin yet somehow satisfying without futzing with the eq, but I do punch it up a bit on the low end to get a more balanced sound. That the highs can be a bit over the top gets me a bit more than the lack of lows. But the main reason I'm keeping the Shures over the Etys is cause I listen to mostly rock... listening to stuff like Zepellin, Hendrix, GNR... and there's just no contest. The guitars sound more natural, no shrillness, and there's more punch to the music - they simply just rock better. If my tastes were more split I could see holding onto both.

 

[geardoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cknelson15 - Clarity / Fidelity..snip

Shure E4 = muddy, veiled, like E3 and E2
ETY ER4P/S = clear, especially highs, but a bit thin
Shure E5 = clear and full