Etymotic ER-4P Portable In-Ear Earphones

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review




Amazing Headphones, November 1, 2009
By Jeremy Sjodin (Marysville, WA USA)
These earphones are absolutely phenomenal! Every sound is clear and well balanced, just like the artist intended. I've owned Bose® In-Ear Headphones before. They had a little bit more bass than these, but the clarity on these earphones is better than with the Bose. Also, the sound isolation is amazing. These earphones block out a ton of ambient noise. Put them in and try clapping. It's amazing how much of the clap is blocked out. This sound isolations leads me to my only complaint: The amount of noise that travels through the cord. Because it's a sealed in-ear type the vibrations go right through the cord and into your ear. They are best used when you're holding still or where the cord is able to hang away from your body.



Super.Fi 5 Pros are by far the better investment., October 30, 2009
By dedla (Missouri, USA)
I've owned a set of Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5 Pros for 2-3 years. I wear them everywhere, I'd forgotten how good they were. The left bud on my Pros died, so I've been just listening tot he right channel for weeks. I ordered a set of ER-4Ps based on reviews. Received them Tuesday, got an RMA Wednesday morning. I tried them out on 3-4 songs, with just the right buds and my left ear plugged, so I could compare them to my Super.Fi 5 Pros.


First problem, I had to double my volume every time I plugged the ER-4P's in. Because of the default adapters on the ER-4Ps were sealed better than the UE's, that just seems bad all around. I'm assuming this is from more resistance in the Etymotics, just a guestimation. I have no idea why they'd take more to power them though, it didn't show at all. This was consistent on either my Meizu SP or my Cowon D2+. A big problem with having to raise the volume is things start to distort, regardless of the quality, not to mention it drains the battery faster.


Second problem, they sound like mud compared to the Super.Fi 5's. I saw reviews with people complaining about the bass. I was barely noticing anything, and I have the bass turned up on my custom EQ setting(and I don't even like "heavy" bass). On top of the lack of "OMG it has so much bass!", the mids were muffled, murky, and the highs weren't there at all, not near as much clarity or crispness as the Pros. Keep in mind, I felt and heard the ear-plug sealing effect BETTER with the ER-P4s, and they still sound this bad in comparison. I haven't had another set of headphones in for years, every now and then I think "maybe I did pay too much for this, maybe it was just in my head, just hype." Nope, there's a definite difference.
I tried out one industrial song, one orchestra/choir song, and one ambient synthesizer song, all of which I knew very well on the Pros. I'd listen to a song on one set, then the same song on the other, move on. I left the Etymotics running to "burn them in" a little, maybe an hour or so before I attempted any comparisons (I know that's nothing for a the mystical "burn in" time). As a comparison though, my Pros sounded amazing right out of the box. When I got them, I my only thought was "I'm so keeping these". I got the 5 Pros after starting with Shure's E2's, then E3's, then E4's, the first two having negative bass. And yes, they were just E#'s back then, I got them right at the transition into the E#c phase.


Third problem, the cable. ER-P4's longer than what I'm use to, the Pros really need a longer fricken cable, drives me nuts. nice an thick all the way up till it splits off, then it's feels VERY fragile. I also really don't like the around-the-front design, dangling around, they would get in my way all the time. Yes, I'm very much use to the Pro's behind the ear design, how they go down my back then to wherever, and I haven't had time to get use to the Etymotic style, I understand that.
Another major problem with the cable of the ER-P4's, I tried taking it out of the buds, to see if it's replaceable, no go. Either there's a special trick to it that I didn't see in the 5 minutes I tried this, but a non-replaceable cable is a huge no-no to me. The Pro's? You rip a cable? Pet chew through it? Some jerk cut them? 20 bucks. That's it. These are a heck of an investment, and the cable is usually the main dying point when it comes to headphones & earbuds. I've gone through 4 sets of cables in all the time I've had the Pros, but I also wear them ALL the time.

Granted, I can't remember what how bad standard 'generic' headphones sound, so I'm obviously not as thrilled or impressed with these buds as other reviews. But as I see it, I'm paying $170 for the ER-P4's, when there are Amazon stores selling the Super.Fi 5 Pros for $200. If I'm paying this much money, again, I'm going to order something I already know I love, and I damn sure know sounds better than these things. The Etymotics also seem more...hyped? Maybe that's too strong of a word. But they come in a big hard-ish plastic case, like some cheap presentation, foam lined with a slot for several of the size fittings. That case, that foam, that packaging cost something, I'd say at least 20-30 bucks if they sold it seperate.

The Ultimate Ears had a much more generic package, but I can also hear where more of my money went.



Accurate monitors for sure. Highly Recommend., October 19, 2009
By Daniel J. Brown (New Jersey, USA)
Hello all, I purchased a set of Etymotic ER-4Ps around a month ago. ( September 2009 ) I have listened to a wide variety of music from a few different sources. Primary music focus for very critical listening: Movie scores/Classical/Classic Rock/Jazz/Ambient/Medidative/Psy-Trance. Sources include PC/Laptop/iPhone/Amplifier.

These in ear monitors allow a lot of details to come through. They do a nice job of isolating ambient noise. They will also let you hear every single tick and crackle in a cheap PC integrated sound card. On a nicer PC sound card or real amplifier they sound great. They are efficient enough to play very well from an iPhone. ( I have a Gen 1, need to use a adapter. These will not fit direct to first gen iPhone )

I have listened to the James Horner score to Sneakers countless times since the score was released. I knot its details better than any other album. It is my own reference point. In my home stereo setup when I upgraded my speakers to some Cambridge Soundworks T200 full towers. I was so amazed at the details I never heard before. Shocked in fact that I have never made them out before. The same level of shock was realized with the ER-4Ps. I am hearing yet again, more details I have never ever noticed before on the Sneakers soundtrack. Specifically a bass recorded at very low levels in the background of several tracks. They are deep in the background and until I heard the score on the ER-4Ps I never it was there in as many places as it is. This experience is repeating with many albums. I am going through all my favorite albums anticipating hearing things I always missed. That is exciting. For that reason alone I recommend these highly.

The point is these IEMs ( In Ear Monitors ) play what you give them. They do not mask, enhance or change the sound at all. I used a freeware utility ( sinegen.exe ) to do some tone generator tests. The ER-4Ps trail off rapidly between 16.5khz and 17 khz. This is really not going to be noticeable in a track. I am comparing to a 15 year old pair of Denon Over the Ear-phones who have served me well up to this point. The Denons ( on the same source PC ) trailed off very gradually but audio could be heard to about 22k with volume levels set way up. The ER-4Ps trail off to 0 by 17.5-18k regardless of amplification levels. Again let me be clear that I am hearing clarity and definition much greater in the ER-4Ps than the Denons.

Working my way through the sound level spectrum output is consistent and linear, read: very flat, way far down. You can hear a sine wave generation down to 25 hz. Levels trail off to 0 below that. It seems that the correct levels of energy are reproduced through a very wide range.

Let me be clear, the CORRECT level is produced. These do not over-boom-ify like most in ear cannons are expected to do to provide brain massages. IF there is heavy bass recorded, you WILL hear it. If the recording was made ( often ) to anticipate a system with the bass turned up to eleventy-seven, you will not hear much deep bass.

You will hear the music, as it is recorded. They are clearly monitors. They may not be for everyone who wants purely entertainment in a casual environment. If you appreciate accuracy and fidelity and expect to hear so many details of a track, these ARE the IEMs for you.

They do a very nice job of muting outside noise. I have been able to wrap the cords over my ears, forward then over and around the back to all but eliminate the microphone effect. The clip provided also helps with that. Without wrapping or clipping the cables will pick up a lot of noise. Ambient in-the-air noise is cut way down.

In the office I work in, there is steady hum of air conditioning , the lite-fm over the PA, and in the computer data center, deafening cooling and equipment noise. Wearing these nulls out those sounds very well. Better than foam insert ear plugs, with no audio even playing. With a track playing you are in your own sonic universe. Really amazing.

They are great in a library too. You can have them on at standard listening levels and the person sitting next to you will not hear them. The apple ear buds waste so much sound ( and people play them so loud ) that I can usually make out words from 20 foot away from some listeners. It bothers me, and it must indicate severe hearing damage to the poor listener. Not a problem with the ER-4Ps. You and you alone hear all the music and only the music through the ER-4Ps.

You do not need to play these loud at all to hear everything. They handle high volumes nicely tho. Be careful tho, you could will likely do damage to your ears turning these up to full power.

The ER-4Ps take a few seconds each ear to seat correctly. I have not had the troubles that others have had. My ears happen to fit fine with the standard smaller mushroom cap inserts. You will know you have a good fit when outside noise drops to about 5% normal. I gave them 4 stars for comfort because after an hour or so it feels like its time to take them out and let your ears breath and stretch a bit. That may be the case with all in-ears.

I got a chance to listen to some V-Modas that my cousin got last year. They were 1/2 the price as the ER-4Ps. They were not as accurate, but definitely more "fun". I would recommend V-Modas ( not sure the model but they go for around $80) for casual listeners who want big booms. They are a bit easier to insert and take out.

I waited over a month to write a review. I did not want to give a pre-mature/just-spent-the-cash-and-now-I-must-justify-it/fan-boy review.

Edit: One possible downside, the cabling is very fine. I am very careful with them always. It feels like you *need* to be careful with them. For transport the kit does come with a larger hard case and small soft zipper pouch. The low mass of the earpiece and cabling makes them effectively weightless in your ears.

I am truly enjoying them. And listening to them for a few hours a day at work without fatigue.

Daniel




They make a great product, and they stand behind it., October 9, 2009
By S. Grevemberg (Washington, DC)
These are in-ear headphones... a bit unusual out of the box, but used properly give you unreal sound, and natural sound isolation. I use them professionally as well as just around town on the bike, exercising, on a plane, etc... When I'm on the metro and see people blasting their ipods using the standard white apple earplugs with their ipods I cringe. Earbuds don't block out the loud noises, and in order to hear the music people over compensate. It's damaging... might as well stare at the sun.

So far Etymotic has been nothing short of stellar when I've had to send in headphones for repair, and I should add that the repairs have only been needed because of wear and tear beyond normal use.

I am a big fan of this company and how they deal with their customers.



Earphone Rocks!, October 4, 2009
By Sam Walker (N. Virginia)
These Etymotic ER-4P Portable In-Ear Earphones are great! The sound is crystal clear. The base is felt and yes, I would buy these again.