Etymotic ER4

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Bob2

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Etymotic ER4
« on: 18 Jun 2016, 01:29 pm »
Was wondering if anyone has tried the new Etymotic ER4 SR's or the ER4 XR's
http://www.etymotic.com/consumer/earphones/er4-new.html

If so what are your thoughts?

dB Cooper

Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #1 on: 19 Jun 2016, 01:10 pm »
Here is a Head-Fi thread with some comments directly from Ety at the end (which the link should take you directly to) (p. 493) (!)
http://www.head-fi.org/t/538615/if-you-still-love-etymotic-er4-this-is-the-thread-for-you/7380

Interesting that representative of the company said he "wouldn't want to over sell the differences" in the drivers, so maybe not that much difference there, but machined metal housings and detachable/replaceable cables which is a real nice touch.

Sounds like a good choice for someone who was considering the ER4 but not selling your old pair for if you already have them.

timind

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Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #2 on: 19 Jun 2016, 01:25 pm »
A couple years ago I owned a pair of ER4s (don't recall exact iteration). They sounded ok, but the noise caused by the cable if it touching anything was intolerable. If they haven't fixed that issue, I wouldn't consider them.

dB Cooper

Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #3 on: 19 Jun 2016, 03:54 pm »
My Ety hf's are pretty good as far as cable microphonics go. Cables for the ER's look like a twisted pair arrangement which apart from the removable connector seem to be similar to the originals.

Bob2

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Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #4 on: 20 Jun 2016, 02:43 pm »
Thanks for the input!
First place I checked out was head-fi. Read the last 30 or so pages and didn't get the info I was hoping to.

Hey Tim,
The cables do pass on alot of noise with the ER4's I have. I use mine mostly for mowing because of that.  I picked up a new hi-res player for traveling or times I don't want to fire up all of the hardware.
I too am interested in finding out if the cable issue has been addressed. I see the new Ety's have removable cables so someone may offer a cable that will fix that.
Thanks guys!

Bob2

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Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #5 on: 3 Jul 2016, 02:41 pm »
Received some info from the company.
Said that there is a bit more bass extension, they are now made from aluminum and have removable cables.
One would think that aftermarket cables may solve the noise issue.
As soon as I see some interest in producing those cables I'll have to give them a try..

gregcss

Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #6 on: 3 Jul 2016, 02:57 pm »
I have had the HF5 since April 2012. Since then I replaced the filter once and probably due for another change and there is a small tear in the cable coating. My experience is limited - before this I had a 'lessor' ER model and before that Denon in-ear buds. Overall I am happy with them and would purchase again. Note - in-ear buds (for me) are not good for workouts/jogging because the noise isolation.

I have never experience noise by moving the cable as previous post mentioned.

ACHiPo

Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #7 on: 4 Jul 2016, 12:13 am »
I've used ER4s for going on 10 years.  I use them almost exclusively for workouts and travel.  I like the sound quality (never noticed any cable microphonics).  The biggest issue I had is every 2-3 years one of the cables would go out.  They used to charge $50 to "replace" the cable (basically send a new set of earphones), then increased it to $199.  I switched to their Kevlar cable version--still decent sonically although not quite as good as the ER4s.  I've had the Kevlar version for about 2 years with no issues.

I also was fitted for custom silicone inserts which makes them much more comfortable.

dB Cooper

Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #8 on: 4 Jul 2016, 12:42 am »
As soon as I see some interest in producing those cables I'll have to give them a try..

The connection is called "MMCX" which is used by Shure and (IIRC) Ultimate Ears, so there may already be some workable aftermarket cables out there.
Ditto gregcss, I've had no complaints re cable microphonics in my hf series Etymotics.

ACHiPo, who did your tips? I recently had impressions made for my Shure SE535s and I showed my Ety tips to the audiologist who said they weren't done right- they should go justpast the second bend of the ear canal and mine don't. Had two sets made at different times and they both look the same. They were done by Etymotic's "official" provider (who I won't name here). Is that who did yours? Sensaphonics, the recommended supplier for Shure, can do them for Etys too so I may try them sometime.

toocool4

Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #9 on: 27 Sep 2016, 10:29 pm »
The connection is called "MMCX" which is used by Shure and (IIRC) Ultimate Ears, so there may already be some workable aftermarket cables out there.
Ditto gregcss, I've had no complaints re cable microphonics in my hf series Etymotics.

ACHiPo, who did your tips? I recently had impressions made for my Shure SE535s and I showed my Ety tips to the audiologist who said they weren't done right- they should go justpast the second bend of the ear canal and mine don't. Had two sets made at different times and they both look the same. They were done by Etymotic's "official" provider (who I won't name here). Is that who did yours? Sensaphonics, the recommended supplier for Shure, can do them for Etys too so I may try them sometime.

Save your money on the custom molds, I had some made for my ER-4S and I did not like them complete waste of money. I now use Comply foam tips, better isolation, better fit, better comfort levels and cheaper too.

I do have custom molds earplugs which I love, using the 25db sound reduction filters.

toocool4

Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #10 on: 27 Sep 2016, 10:40 pm »
My Ety hf's are pretty good as far as cable microphonics go. Cables for the ER's look like a twisted pair arrangement which apart from the removable connector seem to be similar to the originals.

I did have one of the originals and yes the microphonics are terrible, I got round it by making a clip for the cables that slid up to my neck that stopped the noise.

Some years ago I broke the ER-4S and when I sent them in for repair, the replacement had better less noisy cables. I think they have been slowly improving the cables over the years but did not say anything about it.

I use my ER-4S while traveling especially on planes, I did not know that they have new ones out with detachable cables and metal housing I will have to check them out.

Johnny2Bad

Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #11 on: 27 Sep 2016, 11:24 pm »
Ironically, I have been listening to my ER4's all afternoon when I came upon this topic. My cables do not suffer from triboelectric noise, so that's a new issue for me. I've had them about 10 years and still love them.

Russell Dawkins

Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #12 on: 28 Sep 2016, 01:17 am »
Save your money on the custom molds, I had some made for my ER-4S and I did not like them complete waste of money. I now use Comply foam tips, better isolation, better fit, better comfort levels and cheaper too.

I do have custom molds earplugs which I love, using the 25db sound reduction filters.

+1 on the molds. I had a pair made costing a large fraction of the cost of the ER4Ss and found them uncomfortable, inconvenient and not as good sonically as the nylon tips. I phoned Etymotic and they said they felt the same way and didn't understand the compulsion  to buy custom molds.

I know I bought mine based on a strong recommendation by a reviewer, and it seemed like it should work as advertised but — no. I don't even know where my Etymotic custom molds are these days, and don't care.

ACHiPo

Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #13 on: 28 Sep 2016, 03:10 am »
The connection is called "MMCX" which is used by Shure and (IIRC) Ultimate Ears, so there may already be some workable aftermarket cables out there.
Ditto gregcss, I've had no complaints re cable microphonics in my hf series Etymotics.

ACHiPo, who did your tips? I recently had impressions made for my Shure SE535s and I showed my Ety tips to the audiologist who said they weren't done right- they should go justpast the second bend of the ear canal and mine don't. Had two sets made at different times and they both look the same. They were done by Etymotic's "official" provider (who I won't name here). Is that who did yours? Sensaphonics, the recommended supplier for Shure, can do them for Etys too so I may try them sometime.
Sorry dB, I just saw this.  I used a local audiologist to make my ear molds.  I had them do a set for my earphones and another set for musicians ear plugs (-15 dB attenuation)

dB Cooper

Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #14 on: 28 Sep 2016, 04:48 am »
ACHiPo- I had a local audiologist make my ear and impressions also, then I sent them off to have those impressions made into the finished product. That's what I was asking, whether those final pieces, the ones that actually go in your ears, were made by Etymotic's recommended supplier.

Russell and toocool4- I had custom tips made for both my Etys (twice actually) and my Shures. The first set for the Ety's I wasn't completely satisfied with, so I remade them a couple of years later. The new ones (from a new set of impressions) fit more snugly, at least in my ears- the right tip has a habit of coming off of the headphones in the carry case etc. I have a discount voucher with the company which I may use to redo the one that comes off.

Are customs worth the money? I would have to say, overall, probably not. They were the only way I could get the Shures to fit properly and give good isolation though. For some reason, none of the foam tips I tried with the Shures worked for me. I tried Shure factory tips, Westones, Etymotic- none of them worked well (except the hollow 'ball' style, which fit well but provided meager isolation), so I sprang for the customs.

For some people, the custom tips may be advantageous. They are with the SE535s for me. For the Etys, not so much. Those work well for me with the medium-size comply foam tips. I use the custom tips though, because I already bought them. If the stock tips work for you though, save your money. The cost of custom tips would pay for a 10 year supply of Comply tips. The silicone tips are easier to use and keep clean (I use some small hand wipes on both types of tips) but that alone doesn't justify the price. The company that makes the Shure tips even has the gall to ask a $50 dollar upcharge for different color silicone. I have a dollar says they pay the exact same price for every tube of goo.

One other thing: The audiologist told me that the shape of the ear changes over time, due to the fact that cartilage keeps growing and is also affected by changes in body mass (like the 100+ lbs I am trying to lose). So those $1399 custom IEMs may need to be replaced after ~3 years just because of that. I didn't find much difference in isolation performance between Comply foam and custom silicones, so I guess it all depends, like everything in this hobby.

ACHiPo

Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #15 on: 28 Sep 2016, 01:02 pm »
ACHiPo- I had a local audiologist make my ear and impressions also, then I sent them off to have those impressions made into the finished product. That's what I was asking, whether those final pieces, the ones that actually go in your ears, were made by Etymotic's recommended supplier.

Russell and toocool4- I had custom tips made for both my Etys (twice actually) and my Shures. The first set for the Ety's I wasn't completely satisfied with, so I remade them a couple of years later. The new ones (from a new set of impressions) fit more snugly, at least in my ears- the right tip has a habit of coming off of the headphones in the carry case etc. I have a discount voucher with the company which I may use to redo the one that comes off.

Are customs worth the money? I would have to say, overall, probably not. They were the only way I could get the Shures to fit properly and give good isolation though. For some reason, none of the foam tips I tried with the Shures worked for me. I tried Shure factory tips, Westones, Etymotic- none of them worked well (except the hollow 'ball' style, which fit well but provided meager isolation), so I sprang for the customs.

For some people, the custom tips may be advantageous. They are with the SE535s for me. For the Etys, not so much. Those work well for me with the medium-size comply foam tips. I use the custom tips though, because I already bought them. If the stock tips work for you though, save your money. The cost of custom tips would pay for a 10 year supply of Comply tips. The silicone tips are easier to use and keep clean (I use some small hand wipes on both types of tips) but that alone doesn't justify the price. The company that makes the Shure tips even has the gall to ask a $50 dollar upcharge for different color silicone. I have a dollar says they pay the exact same price for every tube of goo.

One other thing: The audiologist told me that the shape of the ear changes over time, due to the fact that cartilage keeps growing and is also affected by changes in body mass (like the 100+ lbs I am trying to lose). So those $1399 custom IEMs may need to be replaced after ~3 years just because of that. I didn't find much difference in isolation performance between Comply foam and custom silicones, so I guess it all depends, like everything in this hobby.
dB,
I'm pretty sure the audiologist sent the molds to ACS for the inserts:
http://www.acscustom.com/us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=38&Itemid=48

Regardless I'm very happy with them.  The driving force was really to get comfortable ear plugs for motorcycle riding and drumming, as all the other ones I've tried hurt my ears (and jaw in my helmet) after a while.  It was pretty cheap to get a second set of inserts for my Etys.  I think it ended up being about $200 for 2 pairs.

AC

toocool4

Re: Etymotic ER4
« Reply #16 on: 28 Sep 2016, 04:34 pm »
Personally I don’t think the ER-4S are suited to custom molds, they work better with the tips supplied or Comply Foam tips.

The custom earplugs I had made are very comfortable and work well, the ones I have are this ones done by ACS http://www.acscustom.com/us/index.php/hearing-protection/acs-pro-27/location-manager