I haven't heard the Eterna in about a year but I have a pretty good sonic memory, and from what I remember I would say the EPH don't sound as big or powerful as the Eternas because the bass is more controlled, and the soundstage depth is greater in actual depth, as well as in proportion to its width, which makes it seem more well rounded and portioned, especially given its excellent instrument separation; the Eterna, on the other hand, has a kind of big-and-in-your-face sound due to the wide but not so deep soundstage and really big bass. I would say the mids on the EPH are not as forward as those on the Eterna rev.2, but I know it's mids are more forward than the rev.1 which I haven't heard. Either way it definitely has less bass quantity and impact than the Eterna, but it's definitely no slouch; the Eterna is a true basshead IEM, in my opinion, whereas the EPH is more balanced but with a significant emphasis on bass. It also doesn't do EQ that well in the bass, though, so if you really do want monster bass like the Eterna, you aren't going to get it out of the EPH. The EPH also has noticeably more abundant and forward treble than the Eterna; I think it still falls on the warmer side in terms of overall sound, but it will be a noticeable difference from the Eterna. That said, the EPH bass is deep and well-rounded without bleeding into the mids, so if you are looking for something slightly more analytical presentation and don't mind giving up the sheer rawness of the Eterna's bass, the EPH will give you a little bit of that warm and bassy sound, while doing just about everything technically better than the Eterna.
I do remember that my rev.2s were really magical with vocals, and had a way of really wrapping me in the music, and that is something that the EPH doesn't quite aspire to; it's definitely a phone that is more about listening to the music rather than feeling it.
If you are mostly pleased with the Eterna, but just want an overall upgrade from it, I can recommend the Shure SE215 ($100-ish) as a phone with overall better soundstage, great bass, forward mids, and laid back treble with a slightly less warm/thick feel than the Eterna, but noticeably clearer and a bit more of a balanced sound. The form factor is similar, but a bit bulkier, with replaceable cables which is almost unheard of at the $100 price level. If you want a more direct upgrade to the Eterna, and probably more of an upgrade at that, you could look at the Monster Turbine Pro Golds, Miles Davis Tributes or IE8/IE80; I haven't heard any of those so I won't say anything specific, but from what I've read, they might be something to look into and read up on.
Quote:
Hello!
How do the EPH-100's compare to a thick-sounding IEM like Fischer Audio Eterna? I really like the "big" sound of the Eternas, but now I want something with a bit more clarity. Will EPH-100 have that same big, engaging sound to them?
Also, are they easy enough to drive straight from a Clip+? Or do they benefit from using an amp? They have pretty low impedance...
Thanks
