Etymotic ER4p
The ER4p has been Etymotic’s showpiece for a year and a day. For years the ER4p was the unrivalled top In Ear. Nowadays, there’s more competition. From Shure, Ultimate Ears and Sensaphonic for example. But the characteristic sound of the ER4p has still a lot of supporters.
There are three versions of the Err: the P, the S en the B. The ‘P-version’ is the most saleable of the three, because it doesn’t need a separate amplifier which makes it suitable for a direct hook up to the mp3-player. The ‘S-version’ has a higher impedance (105 Ohms) than the P-version (25 Ohms) and, therefore, needs a separate amplifier. The ‘B-version’ was especially made for binaural recordings. In this review I limit myself to the ER4p.
The typical ER4p-sound boils down to a very detailed, accurate and analytical reproduction of the music. When I listened to the ‘Etys’ for the first time it sounded like all instruments had a separate driver. This does especially justice to complex music like classical music. It is often said that the ER4p has no bass. This is absolutely false. The bass is positively there and is beautifully straight, but not predominant or boomy. A good seal is an absolute must for the ER4p. To reach this seal you have to plug your in ear deep, which is not appreciated by everyone. Especially the tri-flange could become irritating after wearing them for a longer period of time. That’s why the ER4p supplies you with sets of foamies, which make your gear more comfortable to wear. They offer the best insulation I have ever experience. That is why they are perfect for usage in planes, metro or noisy working environments. And for sports, because they a plugged deep down into your ears.
The drivers are protected against earwax and other dirt by little filters. It is hard to tell when the need to be replaced, but certainly do it when they are dirty or when the sound quality deteriorates. Changing the filters (by aid of the supplied tool) needs to be done very carefully. The driver tubes are very vulnerable, you see. Because the Er4p has very thin wires, people often complain about microphonics. You can prevent this from happening by wearing the wires over the ear and by using the shirt clip. The last version of the ER4p is provided with a new wire, which causes less microphonics. Although the ER4p is a single driver in ear, they are in no way inferior to the multi driver in ear monitors. The ER4p is ultra portable, because they are relatively tiny. The sound they produce, however, is enormous!
