Customer Reviews

Etymotic Research ER4S MicroPro Reference Earphones

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

these earphones come in 3 types. the type being sold here are (type-s) are ment for home use with a stereo. etymotic makes a set of these made for portable use- the difference? the portables will sound fine from your portable cd player- the stereo set will sound great from your stereo be will be under powered from your portable device.

My primary purpose for these headphones was for superior portable fidelity. These headphones exceeded all expectations.

I have an Ipod which I have ripped my entire music collection using Apple Lossless format. Songs are quite large; typically 20Mb. But I cannot detect a difference.

I spend a lot of time in the air. The Apple ear buds are pretty good and I was fairly satisfied using them, especially in the office or hotel room. But in the planes, I'd have to turn up the volume to just shy of full volume to drown out the ambient noise and it still washed out the details.

I tried a friend's noise canceling headphones. It was an inexpensive pair (not the Bose). I could hear a small improvement. Not good enough.

I considered the Bose. But before trying them, I wasn't willing to carry bulky headphones and batteries. Batteries are also needed to listen without the noise cancellation activated.

So, after searching several Internet sites, I narrowed it down to Etymotic and Shure for:

- High fidelity

- SMALL package

- No batteries

- 30 decibel Noise Isolation through sealing (natural canceling)

I did not test either before buying. I leaned toward the Etymotic mostly based on reviewer comments. I like the option to be fitted with a custom ear canal adapter like a hearing aid for a perfect fit.

Likes

1. Small package. Fits in included 1.5" x 3" x .5" pouch.

2. Great noise reduction. I could only hear the person next to me talking if they spoke at normal levels a few inches from my ear in the plane. It seems to help cross country flights to reduce fatigue from the plane's noises.

3. Foam fitting seals the best in my small ear canals for best bass ambient noise reduction. Rubber fittings can be cleaned but are larger.

4. Sounds slightly better than my home system.

5. Efficiency. Because so much ambient noise was reduced, I only play my Ipod at just over half volume for normal listening. This translates into longer play time. The ER-6 version is even more efficient.

Dislikes

1. Cable Noise. Every time the thick cable touches something like rubbing across your shirt, you can hear it. It sounds similar to lighting rubbing your ear.

2. Too much noise canceling for some situations. I still carry my Apple ear buds for situations that I need to hear my environment around me like, walking on the street, in the office to hear the telephone or colleague, etc.

One other point mentioned by many other reviewers is the feeling of it inserted in your ear. It feels like an overstuffed Q-tip. Inserting far enough is essential for adequate bass and detail. I wasn't sure it I'd like it or not and it did concern me when some described inserting it a few millimeters from my ear drum in a review. It's not in quite that far. Only other option is high-end sealed over the ear headphones. But, they are bulky, hot and not conducive to abuse on the road.

Finally, ER4P or ER6. The ER6I is less expensive. But, the ER4P significantly outperforms the ER6 acoustically and through isolation. It also has an optional cable that converts it into the revered ER4S. I'm only going to buy one pair of head phones for home and away, so I chose the ER4. I've used them for about 4 weeks and will happily keep them.

My pair of ER4S is about to turn 10 years old. I thought enough time had passed to finally write an Amazon review. Heh heh. I was the second person on Headwize.com (before there was a Head-Fi) to get them and post comments. I've used a seemingly endless number of headphones over the years: Sennheiser HD580, Denon 950, Sony 7509, Sony 7506, Sony MDR600, Koss ESP950 electrostatics, about half a dozen Koss dynamic headphones, one pair of Stax, Ixos' top of the line 1001, Pioneer's top of the line DJing headphones, two models of AKG studio headphones, JVC's former top of the line (only available direct), HN-7506, both versions of the Extreme Isolation UR-29, and a seemingly unending number of cheapos bundled with music players.

Whew! So what do I think about the Etymotic Research ER4S? I think it is frankly without peer amongst those cans I've heard. It is flat, transparent, resolved, extended, dynamic, fast, tight, totally grain-free, and impossible to distort. It is not capable of the inner-light of, say, Pierre Gabriel of Quebec's loudspeaker systems, or the sheer delicacy, finesse, and seeming perfection of Burmeister of Germany's loudspeakers. But those are, after all, loudspeakers. I've never heard any headphones achieve what those two audiophile names have. And yes, I have listened to them thoroughly and been marveled. If you question my ears, I was the only person in a room run by Thiele at CES (filled with audiophiles and magazine writers) to point out repeatedly and correctly when the active cabling technology was changed without us seeing.

People all have different tastes. We all have different hearing responses, even if slight. Our ear canals vary. And on and on. Your results may vary. But when I can take some of the most lauded DJ mixers and compare them adequately using such a relatively inexpensive piece of gear when heretofore it was only possible to do such comparisons on large nightclub sound systems, I feel pretty confident the little Etys are doing enough right to recommend them. Over time, I have found the black foam earpieces to give the best sound and comfort, but the white rubber flanged tips certainly isolate better, which if there's background noise is more beneficial to the sound than anything else. Years ago, I preferred the sound of the flange tips. Maybe I have hearing loss? Maybe I just didn't test the foam ones enough? Don't know, but they come with both, so you have no excuse not to try both. You can also get larger yellow foam ones and smaller blue flanged rubber tips. I tried the blues recently and they were too small to seal properly.

A word of advice on the flanged tips, use a dab of water on them, pull your ear up slightly, and put it in so the edge of the flanges are the same depth on both ears. After a few minutes, assuming you don't have ear problems, the pressure of the air between the earphone and the eardrum will equalize since the tympanic membrane is slowly permeable to air. If there's not much bass, you don't have it in deep enough, you need a better headphone jack, or the source device sucks. Most MP3 players have poor headphone jacks, so don't blame the Ety for having an impedance of 100ohms and wanting a touch more of current capability. In spite of that, they still sound impressive connected even to cheap gear. I have a $40 portable CD player with a monster headphone jack that, combined with the Ety, you'd have to pay a significant sum to keep me from using on airline flights. It makes flying not only tolerable, but something to look forward to.

The sound produced from the Etymotic ER-4P headphones is excellent, but they do take some getting used to. When I first purchased the Etymotic ER-4P headphones I was under the impression they had to be inserted far enough into your ear canal that they almost scratched your brain. But they really don't have to be inserted that far. I have learned that if you moisten them, insert them quickly, with your mouth slightly open, you get a more consistently comfortable fit, tight seal, and improved resonance. I understand other reviewers complaints of a lack of bass, and I do click on the iPod EQ bass for a slightly fuller sound, but the bass on the Etymotic ER-4P's is intended to be a natural sound, not a boomy bass that is so prevalent with less expensive headphones.

It seems to me that I can hear sounds in music that I never even knew existed with other headphones. I have listened to many of my favorite 70's hits on my iPod, and the Etymotic ER-4P's give them a whole new life. For instance, John Lennon's #9 Dream sounds especially good, and when Carly Simon sings I can hear her enunciate each consonant as they leave her lips, and there are bongo drums I had never heard before in the Bee Gee's disco hit, More Than a Woman !! The Etymotic ER-4P's are a great pair of earbud headphones, but they may require patience and a moderate break-in period to get used to the feel of them. I would say the Etymotic ER-4P's easily rival the sound of my Bose Quiet Comfort II headphones.

I've been using the Etymotic ER-4P for about 6 months and I find them indispensable. I spend 2-3 hours a day commuting by bus and train, and the combination of a 20GB iPod with my Etymotic ER-4P is an essential commute accessory. They reduce ambient noise (even nearby loud conversations and normal train noises) to a quiet rumble, such that I can listen to music without feeling like I have to crank up the music to drown out those ambient noises.

I'm not an audiophile by any means, but I do listen to a lot of music. This setup (20Gb 3rd gen iPod + ER-4P) is by far the BEST listening environment I've ever experienced, way better than my crappy home stereo. The sound quality from these headphones, along with the acoustic isolation from outside noises, brings out parts of songs I've never heard before. I prefer listening to songs on these headphones over anywhere else, really.

I can't compare these to the ER-6 or the ER-6i, etymotic's lower priced alternatives. I sprung for the ER-4P's without trying either of those, but I have no regrets spending the extra $100 on them. Like the other reviewer said, just make sure you get the ER-4P if you're getting these for portable listening, as its impedances are tailored differently for portable devices.

These earphones do have to slide into your ear canal, which may freak some people out. I use the 3-flange tip (rather than the foam one, which felt kinda scratchy to me) and it took some getting used to. Allow yourself a few days to get over being weirded out by the feeling. And I'm not even going to get into the ear wax issues. ugh. Still, they're awesome.

I got my first ER4S set 10 years ago and a second set a couple of years later to ensure that I would not be without some ER4S. Both sets are fine after all this time and use but I want a 3rd set!

IMO, the single best thing about the ER4S is their durability. I've literally owned dozens of earphone sets and all but the Etymotics that I continued to use eventually bit the dust. Usually it was a cord discontinuity most likely very near the plug. I've replaced countless cables and plugs, pulling out my soldering iron and rummaging through my collection of parts. Once I got the Etymotics I had put all that behind me. Not once have I had a problem with the ER4S cables or plugs. The only times I have experienced cutout of a channel was when a filter got clogged, which has happened a few times. It's pretty simple to replace a filter, and they give you extra filters and a tool to remove the old filter. I figure I can probably clean the old filters but haven't bothered trying because I have an ample supply of new ones.

I bought the Etymotics because I needed some privacy at my new office job. It wasn't just that I wanted my space, I had a lot of thinking to do and needed to block out distracting noise and at times there was far too much of that. I did some research and determined that the Etymotics were a likely good choice. They were highly touted by audiophiles and had a reputation for being very effective in noisy environments. Of course, they still enjoy that reputation. I no longer have that office job and I mostly use the Etymotics in the gym, where their isolation is just as critical as at that office job.

When I read the reviews before buying my first ER4S I quickly realized that people who used them with portable devices seemed to always use headphone amps, and I assumed that I too would need one and so I bought an Airhead "Headphone Amplifier and Audio Image Processor" at the same time. However, to my amazement and delight I found that I got adequate volume from my portable devices without having to use it. I did use the amp when listening to audio files at my computer, at least sometimes, but have ever since just set aside the Airhead. I have used the ER4S phones without an amplifier with satisfactory results with a Sony WM-FX465 cassette/TV/FM/AM portable, iRiver SlimX IMP-350 portables, iRiver H120 and H140 portables and Sansa Sandisk M250 MP3/FM portables (2 different firmware/chipset models).

My hearing isn't the best, and I won't get into subtle discussions concerning performance in various frequency ranges. However, I recently acquired a set of Sennheiser CX300B earbud headphones and determined that the Etymotics sound far superior. I also don't expect that the Sennheisers are very durable. Also, they came with only one set of buds that fit my ears. The Etymotics came with several sets of both types of buds (the white plastic, which I always use and the foam). I bought extra white plastic tips, but have only had to replace a couple (they got a bit loose over time and would remain in my ear after pulling out the drivers).

It is true that the sound from brushing the cable goes right to your ears and it's a major annoyance. I rarely notice that now, having developed strategies to avoid brushing the cables. I'll take the durability over other considerations!

Lately, I use the ER4S with small Sandisk MP3 players, the M250's. There are 4 different types of M250's and 2 of mine aren't as loud as the 3rd at maximum volume and I've had problems achieving satisfactory listening levels with them at times when using the ER4S's so I anticipate getting the more efficient ER-4P for my 3rd set of Etymotics at some point. I've been reading reviews and considered getting another brand, but I think I'd probably regret that and plan to stick with Etymotic. Fortunately, the price has come down from the $269 + shipping I paid for my last set!

Beleive the hype they really do sound great. I was using the Sony MDR-EX71SL Fontopia earbuds which have a smooth sound but hard to get a tight fit, which will cause a drop in bass.The er-4p's have a varity of coushions to get the right fit.First rate quailty on construction.Bass might seem a little light for some but nothing can match the fidelity that is produced.The stereo seperation is outstanding.I listen to everything from classical,jazz,rock,country,r&b to hip-hop the ER-4P reproduces it all with ease and no distortion.Might take getting used to putting something in ear canal but well worth the time.Price is high for sure but you will not be disappointed.Plenty of headroom from the ipod no need to over drive the unit to get a good level.Isolation from the outside world is close to total,so be careful when using outside keep your eyes open.The one down side may be in the price, but if you want the best it'll cost ya.ENJOY

The sound range is fantastic. If you are looking for ear shaking booming bass, this is not for you. That being said the bass is there all the way down to about 10Hz. You just hear it and don't "feel" it. The Mids and His are exceptional; the sound is warm but tight. Sound Staging is what you would expect from in ear phones. The sound isolation is awesome, my bus ride to work in the morning is completely silent. Planes are quieted down to a very low rumble. Lastly, construction, these are very nice headphones and rightly so should not be thrown on the floor of you 1980 ford pickup and stepped on. I take them with me almost everywhere, they spend a good amount of time in my pocket or backpack without any case and I have had no problem with them in the 6 months I have had them.

All in all they are the best headphones I have every owned; given there size, sound, quality and especially sound isolation.

I would not hesitate to tell anyone to buy them.

these are great headphones: they are comfortable, they provide exceptional sound quality at many volume levels, and (for the most part) they stay in your ear. However, they suffer from one major flaw that makes me wonder if etymotics user tested them at all -- at the point where the right and left headphone wires connect and join the main cord, there is a large and rather heavy green connector joint.

The problem occurs when you stand up, walk, or (heaven forbid!) try to work out while wearing the head phones: the heavy green connector tugs at your ears. It also rubs against your clothing creating loud vibrations that travel up the cords into your ears. These vibrations are clearly audible above the music you listening to.

My advice to etymotics: get rid of the heavy green connector if at all possible. if not include a clip on it so that you can fasten it to your collar. this solves the problem quite effectively.

At this price, it is very frustrating that they didn't foresee this!

Etymotic Research ER-4S High fidelity earphone

I just received my ER-4S earphones, purchased at the bargain price of $159.95 with free shipping from Academic Superstore.

I am a professional musician with extensive recording and performing experience. I have several other headphones in my arsenal, such as Sennheiser HD600, Sony MDR-V6, Nakamichi SP-7, and the Sennheiser PX100 among others, and because of their truest rendition of the recorded sound, my principal standby and favorites are the Sennheiser HD600, driven by the Little Dot MK 1 headphone amplifier.

Much has already been written about the the Etymotic ER-4S, so I will not go into a lengthy discussion. Before ordering them, I was somewhat skeptical about their ability to reproduce a full range sound, but right out of the box, they surprised me with their exceptional clarity, smooth and detailed highs, excellent midrange, and rock-solid bass (provided they are inserted deep into the ear for a perfect seal). While the sound stage on these is not as wide and expansive as on the HD600s, I expect it to expand after about 100 hours of breaking in.

If you are after a booming and earthshaking bass in your music, these cans are not for you, but if you are a classical music fan, or musician, who seeks realistic rendition of the recorded sound without an exaggerated and distorted bass, then you would be hard-put to find many others that could rival these, and you would have to pay well in excess of $1000 to begin to achieve the transparency and clarity that these provide.

A FEW CAVEATS!

1. These cans are going to make a poorly engineered recording sound worse than the average run-of the mill bass boosted medium-fi cheap phones. You will instead be able to hear every little flaw in mike placement, room acoustics, and flaws in the musician's performance if any. The performance of these earphones is analogous to that of an extremely sharp photographic lens that reveals every little wrinkle in the face of the subject!

2. Proper insertion into the ear is a must! If not inserted far enough into the ear, they will sound tinny and weak. If you can not stand to have something in your ear, then these are not for you. One can get used to wearing them, but not everyone.

3. The ER-4S, with their 100 Ohm impedance, require amplification. Without a headphone amplifier, they will sound thin and weak. For the person who does not want to use a headphone amplifier, the ER-4Ps are a better choice -- they have slightly more bass and are more efficient. But, for the best, and truest rendition of the recorded program material, the ER-4S with a headphone amplifier is the way to go.

Aug. 2, 2008 Update:

After only 36 hours of break-in, the sound stage has expanded considerably, the bass is much more prominent, and the treble is now much smoother. These are indeed great earphones, which I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone who has the ability to appreciate them, and is aware of the caveats I have mentioned above! The ability to isolate oneself from ambient noise, and connect completely with the source in a way that is one of a very high quality is one that is hard to beat, even at much higher prices.