 ""The Best" Earphones for Portable Players" | 2008-08-06 |
| - Reviewed By ejr1953 |
| I've had my ER4P's for about 5 years and find them THE BEST sound quality. You have the option of ordering different seals, I use the large "yellow" foam ones, which completely drown out the noise on my plane & train trips. I'm completely satisfied with the sound quality, you will be too.
BTW, when I bought mine, they were a lot more expensive! |
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 "Great sound isolation, Okay sound" | 2008-10-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1XCMJCGOIZOHH |
I've had my ER-4Ps for over a year. I bought them so that I could concentrate even when there were all sorts of noises around - I've got two kids. These earphones have done a great job. I usually use them so that the kids can watch tv or play while I read or work on my computer. I can literally not hear the tv that's only ten feet away with these in my ears.
The earphones took some getting used to because in order to get the seal to isolate the sound, they put more pressure on your ear canal than other types of ear buds and they also need to be inserted deeper than other types. If you don't insert them correctly the sound quality is terrible and the sound isolation just isn't there. Regardless, with some practice and time to get used to the feel, I've grown to love them. I only use the foam ear plugs because they are more comfortable to me and they block out more noise. I still have not gotten used to the silicone plugs.
The down side of these ear plugs is that the sound quality isn't as rich and detailed as I would have expected. Don't get me wrong, they sound good but not as good as I expect for the price. My stock earphones on my old Sansa provide more richness in mid-range and bass.
Summary: if you want good sound isolation, these earphones rock. If you want high fidelity, look elsewhere. |
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 "Great sound... But that's it." | 2008-09-25 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2CRAI8QC1X2YS |
| Pros: Great sound, probably the best I've heard in a headphone. br /Cons: Everything else. br /br /I mean, really. I was a little surprised to open up the box and see these headphones in there. They look more or less like something that is put together by a 12 year old. Cheap and nondurable is what came to my mind.br /br /Another issue i've had with them is that you cannot put the cord over your ear, which insures that the headphone will stay in. They look goofy when you have them in, due to the cable being almost always erect and sticking out. I don't understand why they weren't engineered to go over the ears. For this sum of money I believe these are definitely not worth it. br /br /Summary: They sound great, but everything else is surpassed by other headphones and better engineering. |
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| "Excellent sound and design for headphones" | 2008-09-23 |
| - Reviewed By User: A27BWEHB3182SK |
| I misplaced my Shure headphones so asked around and one of my friends recommended the Etymotics. While the sound quality from the Shure was very good (using foam inserts) they would tend to pop out during heavy exercise and the cord was too short and not well designed. The Etymotics solve this problem and more. Better noise reduction, as good or better sound and a far better design both on the cord and the three level plastic insert into the ear. It makes a tight seal to keep noise out and music in and doesn't fall out with movement, sweat or exercise. At first, it hurt a bit but moistening the headphones seemed to solve that problem. Overall, I like them a lot and am happy I made the switch. |
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 "Good earphones, but costly and not the best" | 2008-09-11 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1HW0U05CWPF9Q |
Good high definition earphones, however value/price ratio is suffering...
Problems: Sound is somewhat not very live; not enough bass - even for classical music.
The "noisy" cord problem really kills the thing.
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| "Have to hear to believe" | 2008-08-26 |
| - Reviewed By jzeroisstaind |
Most people I know only have listened to their music with ear buds given to them along with their iPod or some they picked up at Target; the problem is they can listen to their music with these but they can't 'hear' it.
If you've never tried any higher priced headphones you really do not know what you are missing, and if that is the case these are the perfect place to start. I do know there are some people who really don't care but if you're reading this then I'm guessing you care.
There are some reviews (on Amazon and across the web) that talk about how a perfect seal is hard to get and I'm here to tell you (and maybe I'm just special) that it's not (after some practice). Trial and error is the way to go. Put them in, take them out, put them in, take them out. I find it difficult to put them in without moistening them a bit; this makes sliding them in much easier.
When I first got them I was trying to stick them in TOO far because I had read about how hard it was to get the 'proper' seal. They hurt and I was worried I was going to have to return them. I tried putting them in less far and not only are they comfortable (can't really feel them) but the sound is even better. If you moisten them just SLIDE them in to where they stop but you shouldn't have to PUSH. Pushing is where I made my mistake.
The noise isolation is awesome (though I can still hear my dog barking, ha) and I actually like the 'finger in your ears' feeling you get when you have them in. Not sure why but for me it gives me a 'safe' feeling.
Anyway, try these out. Experiment with getting them in (remember don't PUSH)and figuring out the direction of your ear canals. Once you get the hang of it they are a breeze to get in (actually easier than your average canal buds like the ATH-CK7's). If you don't like them you can always return them but there is no reason to do that! |
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| "Nice Headphones" | 2008-08-16 |
| - Reviewed By brian_d283 |
I've had an pair of these since 2003. They have a great sound, and not too much bass. My only pet peeve about them is the cost of accessories. Five pairs of gray ear tips is 14.00 and the extra filters (necessary every once and a while) are 15.00 for a package of 6. The markup for the accessories has to be amazing, and increases the total cost of ownership over time.
Other than that, I think they're great for running and working out as long as you don't mind the expense of maintaining the filters, etc. |
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| "Blue and Red sides" | 2008-06-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2H5K4YYPD56QJ |
| I had a old pair of these before they were stolen. these are good ear phones. I went through 3 pairs for $39.99 head phones that lasted only 6 weeks at a time (skull candys) Those are some trash. But These are really good. If you get a clip or 2 for the wire you can run with these easy. Or get a cheap pair for work outs so you don't ruin the good pair. I am giving these 4 stars and not 5 because. They changed the blue tip and red tip to all black. and the stock ends are gray not white but I think I can order the white ones no biggie. Other then that THESE are GREAT. 2 year warrenty. SWEET. |
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| "Excellent sound. Shop around." | 2008-06-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3T10SD8DXUMU9 |
I've had these a couple of years, and am generally pleased with the sound quality. I use these most frequently on an airplane, replacing the excellent but much bulkier Bose QC2 headphones I used to use. Occasionally use at the office, which helps to drown out neighboring conversations. I use the Etymotics exclusively with the foam ear adapters, as I could never get the soft rubber ear adapters to fit my ears properly.
I recently got a chance to preview the Shure SE530's, and found those to be stunningly good sonically, although at a signficantly higher price point. The Shure 530's are also a bit bulkier, but well designed from an ergonomic / looks point of view.
Needless to say, all of the above selections (Etymotic ER-4P, Bose QC2, Shure SE530) are vastly superior to the stock earphones that come with your mp3 player.
My bottom line: pick a price point, and visit some bricks and morter stores that allow you to try them in-ear before purchasing. Top of the line earphones (or headphones) are worth it, but the variation in style and fit make it essential to try them on for size, in-ear fit, looks, sound, and anything that annoys the end user. Don't rush into a $300 set of phones. |
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| "Pure excellence!" | 2008-06-20 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1MKVPO2KWUKQJ |
Everything good to say about these 'phones has already been said, and there really isn't much more to say.
These are stellar and absolutely worth every penny and more.
I just wanted to add that there are a number of options to make these even better, which might give some even more incentive to buy them.
One is that there are readily available recable options [...] for these. This will increase SQ even more and will also increase bass response, which is always welcome on Etys.
Another option is the Shure Black Foam Sleeves. They fit perfectly on the ER-4 IEMs and will make your listening experience even better than it already is. They are more comfortable, since you will not have to push the 'phones as far in your ear as with the rubber sleeves that come with them and they also create a perfect seal which is so very important for the Etys to sound right.
Also think about purchasing a portable amp and a 75 Ohm impedance adapter (which will bring the ER-4P to ER-4S specs). The ER-4 really shine like a beacon in the night with a good amp. |
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