*Advice Needed* ER-4P or ER-6?

[lucifix 0]

Hi guys,

 

I just went to Jaben today to audition some IEMs, namely the Shure e3c, UM1, CK7, ER-6, and some audio technica iems as well...

 

I am really impressed with the ER-6 and would like to get one.

 

I have some questions and doubts that I hope you guys could help me with before I proceed on to buying it.

 

Comfort

I see that the er6 has only the foam (not to my liking) and flange tips.

I like the flange tips but have a preference to the Shure silicon earbuds that does not come with the er6 as it offers better sound isolation.

Is it possible to use any ol' Shure earbud with the er6?

And also, are most eartips compatible with each other, or are they usually unique to the earphone it was supplied with?

 

Sound

In your point of view, how would you rate the er6? I really liked it because of the clarity and all, and the bass was not that bad like how I heard on some reviews. It also sounded, to me, the most vivid amongst the IEMs tested.

 

Also, I read on reviews that amps are highly recommended on this iem. Is that true? Or could this be used comfortably on an ipod video 5.5G with no issues?

Are there any cheap and good amps around that offer great sound quality?

 

Price

Generally, which shops sells the er6 for the best price in Singapore?

Am i able to get it much cheaper overseas like on ebay, etc. ?

 

Warranty

If i buy the set on ebay.com, would the warranty start from the day i purchase the set, or would if be void because I did not buy it from an official reseller?

 

Thank you for the much needed advise!

 

*I have now found out that I can get the ER-4P for only 270SGD which is fully within my budget.

I am not too sure which to get and whether paying double for the 4P's are worth it and if it makes that much of a difference? Please help me out with your wise advise as im really torn between the two... i wouldnt want to be in a situation 6 months later where i have to sell the er6 to get that er4p -.-

but then again, if the differential in the sound quality is small, then i would be getting the er6.

 

Also, if say 1 year later, i want to sell the er4p, would people buy it? is it still popular here?

 

Thank you!!

 

Gerald

Edited November 28, 2006 by lucifix

[aloy 0]

i think you should buy it from jaben itself. i believe uncle wilson will quote you a good reasonable price. buying it overseas is quite complicated. if the earphones have any problem, you'll have to send it back to the country to service it, so buying it locally is much better. for good pricing, check out SE or jaben.

 

there should be other eartips to go with the earphones, as most IEMs can use eartips of other brands. (not very sure, i dont use IEMs)

 

as for the sound, it really depends on the person using it, the for the amp, you can also check it out at jaben. but best if you can quote a budget first.

[lucifix 0]

i think you should buy it from jaben itself. i believe uncle wilson will quote you a good reasonable price. buying it overseas is quite complicated. if the earphones have any problem, you'll have to send it back to the country to service it, so buying it locally is much better. for good pricing, check out SE or jaben.

 

there should be other eartips to go with the earphones, as most IEMs can use eartips of other brands. (not very sure, i dont use IEMs)

 

as for the sound, it really depends on the person using it, the for the amp, you can also check it out at jaben. but best if you can quote a budget first.

 

Thanks, I actually went to Jaben today... yesterday actually... and wow, uncle Wilson was very cool as he let me try out all the iems... the last one i tested was the er6 and i REALLY LIKE that one alot... but the price he quoted me was 225sgd... i would really want to buy it from him because he helped me with my selection of iems but SE quoted me a sub 200sgd price for the er6 but the stock has not come in yet.

 

My budget for the amp is 3/4 the price of my iem... if i get one... which is 175sgd?

[pegasus21 0]

Should be able to get the GoVibes or the Xenos. If you can find a 2nd hand one with good ICs thrown in, shouldn't be a problem with the budget.

 

Take a look at this one... it's a steal for that price. http://www.sgheadphones.net/index.php?showtopic=6695

Edited November 27, 2006 by pegasus21

[Stereo_Electronics 0]

Thanks, I actually went to Jaben today... yesterday actually... and wow, uncle Wilson was very cool as he let me try out all the iems... the last one i tested was the er6 and i REALLY LIKE that one alot... but the price he quoted me was 225sgd... i would really want to buy it from him because he helped me with my selection of iems but SE quoted me a sub 200sgd price for the er6 but the stock has not come in yet.

 

My budget for the amp is 3/4 the price of my iem... if i get one... which is 175sgd?

 

$225 for the ER-6 local is reasonable, I usually don't stock the ER-6 and wouldn't be stocking them anytime soon, so I suggest you get it from Jaben instead. Unless you change your mind and decide to get the ER6i, that we have.

 

[lucifix 0]

$225 for the ER-6 local is reasonable, I usually don't stock the ER-6 and wouldn't be stocking them anytime soon, so I suggest you get it from Jaben instead. Unless you change your mind and decide to get the ER6i, that we have.

 

Hi,

 

Yes but I can get one from Amazon.com for only 80USD and thats about 125SGD excl. shipping.

That is slightly less than 50% off... So I was wondering if its available locally at a cheaper price and I would get it...

[aaron-xp 0]

I doubt it's available for cheaper locally. The Etymotics range seems to be one where the prices online beats the local ones by a whole lot (which is rather rare).

[replay 0]

Go straight to the ER4P.. save yourself the upgrade next time..

[Zephyron 0]

I second the ER4P suggestion.

 

A simple impedance mod may let it switch between 4P and 4S modes.

[dle4e_2005 0]

Go straight for the ER4p!

 

You wont regret or even want to part with the ER4p once you get it.

 

PS:Going to make a pair of custom earmold once i gets my hands on my ER4p.(about 10 more days of wait for me)

[nakedtoes 0]

Get the ER4P... The ER4S is the one of the few phones that give me an eargasm

[lucifix 0]

Wow, just 5 hours and I get 5 replies that say "Go get them, Gerald!"

 

I am really apprehensive about getting it as its double the price, but it fits into my budget.

I mean, what if ety suddenly releases an iem that has 3 drivers or something? then i would have to upgrade again.

haha.

 

Also, I heard that the er4S Sounds better than the er4p?

I dont know about that as i am a TOTAL NEWBIE in this and the ety's would be my first pair of proper, really expensive headphones.

I do not plan to buy an Amplifier so, i dunno... really confused now as there are 4 models im looking at. er6 er6i er4p er4s...

 

the er4p can be made into a er4s but would it sound as nice as an actual, real er4s?

 

and could some kind person answer my questions in the post #1? I would really like to clarify all my doubts before i buy it *tentatively* this monday...

 

Also, this is about the saleability of the er4s/p.

Would it be able to sell if i realize that spending so much money on this is a big mistake and i am better off with my stock ipod earbuds -.- (highly unlinkely but im preparing for the worst case)

[lucifix 0]

I am thoroughly exausted.

 

I have read nearly 7 hours worth of opinions on the ER-6 and ER-4P and from what I have gathered is this:

 

1. Many people upgrade from the er6 to the er4p, without turning back.

2. ER-4P's are being compared with Shure's 500 series. This probably means that the sound quality is outstanding and comparable to the shures that are nearly 2.5X its price!

3. They have gotten rid of the red/blue/green coloured stuff and made everything BLACK.

 

I would be getting some sleep now, please post your opininons on this.. thanks alot guys!

 

 

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My sources: (only the very interesting ones from head-fi.org)

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd R

 

I really liked the bass on the E500 and the relaxed nature, but couldn't deal with the clouded over, dull midrange. Someone here describes it as if the singer was singing from outside the room.

Or, hang a pair of socks over your midrange and tweeter on your speakers to get the same effect.

 

 

Having both Etys and E500 and constantly switching between the 2, I have to say that the sound balance on the E500 sounds a little "thick" for me. That plus on multivocal tracks (i.e. more than one singer at any time), I find the voice of one singer "bleeding" into the other. On the Etys, you hear 2 very distinct voices whereas on the E500 it sometimes sounds overlapped and clouded over. It's something that annoys the hell out of me as I prefer detail and sound separation, even at the expense of bass.

 

The other thing that bothers me with the E500 is the way the strong bass seems to wash over the top of other sounds in a recording. Some people have referred to this as a "muddy" sound or "muffled". I find this emphasised most in the vocal parts. It might sound like a bizarre theory but I've wondered whether the separate drivers may be the cause for that, especially if the bass driver can operate independently of the midrange and therefore not "communicate" with the other drivers.

 

On Etys, the spectrum of sound is shared on one driver and perhaps that creates more balance across the spectrum.

 

Whatever the basis for this sound signature, I think I'll go looking for something between the E500 and the Etys as that would be perfect for me.

 

I have ZERO problem with Ety microphonics. Here's what I do. Put them in upside down so that I can loop the cord over my ears. Then, I use a little electrical tape to attatch the "pod" to my shirt collar, near my shoulder. Then I throw the rest of the cord behind my back.

 

Problem solved.

 

The microphonics of the ER4P/S' is easy to deal with, just get a small piece of black electrical tape and wrap it around the wire about two or three inches under where your chin is when you have the phones in. It just has to be thick enough to absorb and dissipate the vibration/harmonics of the cord before it reaches your ears, but not too thin to be ineffective. Too thick and it might look dumb and be noticeable. Too thin and it doesn''t work.

 

It doesn't have to be electrical tape, it can be the small black wire ties for some refuse sacks, a rubber band, a paperclip or whatever - but the principal is the same.

 

That's why most earphones have a small lump of plastic under your chin in exactly this position. It seems Etymotic forgot to include it.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsjong

Nope.

 

Yes there IS a difference:

 

 

Quote:

Hello Matez:

 

Thank you for writing. There are a couple of improvements that have been made in the all-black cable: Over the years, we have received many requests to eliminate the color-coding and add markings distinguishing the left and right earphones. The ER-4 earphones are still made by hand at Etymotic Research, and the drivers in each earphone are matched to within 1dB for an accurate, nearly perfect channel balance.

 

There have been some other improvements made in the cable including: The electronics in the pod, strengthening of the material that holds the pins in the sockets for better retention of the cable in the earphone, and a reduction in the molding surrounding the plug to allow compatibility with a larger range of cases, and easier plug-in for players that have recessed jacks.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Best Regards,

Rick Carlson

Customer Service

Etymotic Research, Inc.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by sxr71

IMHO, nothing beats the ER-4S with the LaRocco PR-II's targeted bottom octave bass boost. The ER-4S reveals its true bass extension and punch when given just a few dB of boost. This bass boost is so well designed that it completely stays out the lower mids and hence does not touch vocals at all. I know this may be hard to take if you are a purist, but my portable setup is for fun portable listening as opposed to reference listening so it really works well. I have no desire whatsoever to trade out of my Etys.

 

If you lived nearby, I'd be more than willing to let you try out the PR-II with your Etys.

 

as long as we're mentioning amps, if you have a chance try out your ety er4s with ray samuels' sr-71 amp. no bass boost but the sr-71 really completes the er4s experience.

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[Gerald 0]

Hi guys,

 

Lucifix here. I realized that I can create an account with my NAME on it! Thats cool. I would be permanantly switching to this account. thanks.

[Absolute0 0]

Hi Gerald, seems like you have done your research conscientiously, but the best thing to do would be to audition both and decide for yourself which is more to your taste and budget.

 

I was one of those who upgraded from the ER6 to the ER4P within less than a year, and I wish I had gone straight to the 4P's as that would have saved me money. The improvement in sound is certainly worth the price IMHO, and there is the option of converting to the 4S's, which scales much better with amplification.