[theBigD]

i would tend to agree with the previous assessments of these phones. ive owned the super pro 5 and the etymotic er-4p. i am generally dissapointed by both. the super pro 5 are more comfortable and have better soundstage and minimal microphonics. er-4p have more details and generally appeal to me soundwise, but the microphonics and lack of soundstage are dissapointing. ive bought and returned the er-4p twice! only tried the super pro 5 once. i really think that iem's are going to come way down in price in the next year and am waiting for some of these triple drivers like the westone 3 to come out.

 

[plywood99]

Superfi 5pro is more for the fun crowd. It's sound signature is by no means flat. Mids and vocals are veiled to a point, sounding distant to me. Bass is strong and highs are decent.

In contrast no one frequency is over-emphasized in the e4, although I have not heard them myself, going off of what i have read on them.

The Shure SE310 which is a newer iem and may be just what you are looking for. It has a very neutral sound and responds well to eq. Microphonics are nill. and it fits in the ear very well...


Ply

 

[rb67]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miester_V /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^ What about the argument that ER4P have shrill highs and hyper-dynamics (artificially fast transients)?

I don't think they have shrill highs, but this is coming from someone who mainly listens to his Grado's and Audio Technica's. I'm quite sure people who prefer the Sennheiser HD6x0 sound signature will find them shrill. They aren't as emphasized at Grado's, but they are closer to the Grado signature than they are to the HD600/650. I've only momentarily heard the K701, so I won't make any comments on that.

I'm not too sure how things can have too fast transients. Too slow, I can understand, but the faster things are the more closely they follow the audio signal's transients. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Personally, I find the ER-4P's to be the more clear/realistic IEM. They really shine with live performances and sometimes I prefer them over my other headphones. I don't think I could say the same about the SF5P's, although they are a great pair of earphones.

 

[rb67]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plywood99 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Superfi 5pro is more for the fun crowd. It's sound signature is by no means flat. Mids and vocals are veiled to a point, sounding distant to me. Bass is strong and highs are decent.

Agreed.

 

[Miester_V]

Oh, my listening preferences is basically various forms of metal at the moment. Sometimes that includes parts where there are meaty bass lines. Would parts of the music where more bass is prominent be properly "expressed" through the ER4P, or will there be a feeling of something "missing" during those bass-centric parts? Some of you are saying that these phones are neutral and revealing...so that means that when there are parts where either high or low frequencies are focused upon in the music, this will be apparent through the ER4Ps?

 

[Spyro]

Based upon the original poster's criteria, I couldn't recommend either one of those IEM's.

Shure E4 would win hands down with numbers 1, 4 and 5.

Throw in the superior comfort and fit compared to the other two and its a no-brainer.

 

[Miester_V]

My target budget is around $180. I can't really go higher, and I don't really want to go lower, cause that would probably mean getting IEMs of lesser performance.

 

[JimBob1971]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb67 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've auditioned the SF5P's and own the ER-4P's. While I prefer the ER-4P's, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the SF5P's to people who I believe will prefer them. The SF5P's are fine 'phones and were made with different intentions. The sound signature is bass heavy and doing so sacrifices some detail causing it sound muddy when compared to the ER-4P's. The ER-4P's are extremely neutral which can make them sound "clinical" to some people, and thus boring. The SF5P's accentuate frequencies that people who aren't necessarily looking for the most "detail" will enjoy. For example, the "thump" of bass in hip hop and electronica is more important than clarity and accuracy for some people. The SF5P's were created with that purpose in mind. In contrast, the ER-4S's were created with the goal of having the most accurate perceived sound reproduction. This means that it attempts to follow what's recorded most accurately as possible with the most detail possible, without adding it's own colorations to the sound. The ER-4P's are a "portable" version of the S's with lower impedance and a slightly bumped up lower end. Both are great, but for the qualities you've stated above (excluding microphonics), the ER-4P's are the best choice.

My god! A decent, well argued and balanced post that doesn't denigrate a set of phones just because that aren't made by Etymotics and sound different to the ER4 range.... It'll never catch on

FWIW I own the UE SF 5 pros, UE 10 TF pros,Shure E500s and E4Cs. I have to say I still enjoy listening to my 5s. I've had a play with the ER-4ps and found they sounded too 'analytical' to me. For a similar reason the E4cs never get used as I prefer the "fun" sound of the SF5s.

Best bet is to try and find a bunch of HeadFi-ers in your area who are willing to let you have a listen to both.

 

[ronmtorres]

i also have the same dillema, my friend. you can read my post andthe replies of our friends here, if you want more:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=231545
i have not bought one yet since i still am currently broke

 

[Miester_V]

^ Hey, thanks for posting the link. I think another important factor I forgot to mention is how much listening you do on the "go". I'm more of a homebody and seldomly do I listen to music while being active outside. I'd say I do 80% of my music listening indoors, in my room. Otherwise I may be listening to my Rio Karma while in a library studying, on a long car trip with my family, or on a plane.

I think as of this moment I am leaning towards the ER4P...it seems like I would appreciate it more for it's detail and supposed neutrality in a quiet and stationary setting as apposed to a loud and active one. Plus, if I get a decent amp (not sure if my Musiland MD-10's internal amp is considered "decent") I can upgrade to a ER4S and appreciate a even higher level of sound quality (from reading impression of others).

I'm very close to pulling the trigger.

But keep the comments coming.

 

[phyrefly]

^Why not get a headphone if you're going to use them at home?

The 'most expensive' IEM I've heard is the E4C and they don't even come close to the $15 KSC75.

 

[Miester_V]

Quote:

Originally Posted by phyrefly /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^Why not get a headphone if you're going to use them at home? The 'most expensive' IEM I've heard is the E4C and they don't even come close to the $15 KSC75.

Cause when I do want to listen to music on the go, I really want to be discreet about it. For that, I think IEMs are unbeatable.

I own a Koss Portapro, and my Audio Technica ATH-500 easily trumps my Koss using my Rio Karma. It simply sounds more refined. This may be prejudiced, but I'm really not that curious as to what a headphone half the price of the Portapro from the same company will sound like.

 

[ronmtorres]

Quote:

Originally Posted by phyrefly /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^Why not get a headphone if you're going to use them at home? The 'most expensive' IEM I've heard is the E4C and they don't even come close to the $15 KSC75.

hey, ue triple.fi pro is more expensive hehe

the ksc 75 is really hard to beat at that price, i agree

 

[rb67]

The KSC75's are great, but the ER-4P's sound better IMO.

One thing to think about if you are using IEM's for home is the duration you will use them. Personally, after about 3-4 hrs of constant listening they become uncomfortable.

 

[PiccoloNamek]

Quote:

I don't want exaggerations or comments spurred up by the inner-fanboy. I am request honest, matter-of-fact, un-fanboy-ish type of responses.

Very well. Having actually owned the super.fi 5 pros, here is a more technical response: They have a very large amount of bass (nearly 10dB above the reference line at 20hz) relative to the midrange. The loud bass caused me to keep the overall volume at a lower than normal level, which only made the midrange seem even more quiet. The upper midrange (where the majority of vocal information is contained) is recessed by more than 10dB, making music in general and especially vocals sound dull and lifeless. Any attempts to turn the volume up to compensate for this were hampered by the bass becoming painfully loud. That, combined with the lower than average comfort forced me to send them back.