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Etymotic Research ER-4 MicroPro Noise Isolating Headphones (Ear Buds, 108 dB, 1 oz - MPN: ER4P)
Description: The ER4 MicroPro earphones are the next best thing to live music, with noise isolation far surpassing that of active noise canceling earphones. The ER4s require NO batteries, and can be plugged into any audio source. Their external noise ex.... Read More Description: The ER4 MicroPro earphones are the next best thing to live music, with noise isolation far surpassing that of active noise canceling earphones. The ER4s require NO batteries, and can be plugged into any audio source. Their external noise exclusion; 33 dB with 3-flange eartips, 41 dB with foam eartips; allows you to hear the full dynamic range of recordings without having to play them at unnaturally high and unsafe levels. Minimize |
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| Date Reviewed: 08/11/2005 |
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Strengths: great sound, excellent ambient noise reduction
Weaknesses: hassle to get in and out, somewhat uncomfortable after long periods of time, expensive
Summary: I recently received my pair of ER-4P's after debating for a long time whether the price was worth the sound quality. I had tried a friend's pair and fell in love with them, but still hesitated about the price. (That is, until my most recent airplane trip, which made me realize that the ambient noise reduction would be worth it. I can't wait to try them on my next trip!) In the meantime, I've been using them at home, and they're wonderful! I work out of my house, and now I can't even hear the racket that my husband is making in the garage with all his power tools. And although by my own admission I don't have a real discriminating ear when it comes to sound quality, they are by far the best sounding headphones I've ever used.
They only have a few minor drawbacks:
1) They're a hassle to take in and out and you can't have a conversation with them in, so if you plan on being interrupted a lot while wearing them, I wouldn't recommend them for you.
2) After extended periods of wearing them, my ear canals start feeling a little weird...sort of itchy, like if you leaned your head up against a window in a moving vehicle.
3) They're a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for.
Overall though, I'm extremely happy with my purchase.
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| Date Reviewed: 12/31/2005 |
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Strengths: Superb sound quality
Isolation is much better than the Shure or Bose headphones
Amazing for iPod and even better for home use
Weaknesses: Some people may find the in-ear design uncomfortable
Summary: I bought a pair of ER-4P's just before Christmas, they are truly mind blowing, bass is phenomenal, enough to give a nice 'bumph' yet not overpowerful to drown out mids. Treble is definitely there but it is not over-bright which can be a problem on other headphones.
Just to comment on one of the previous reviews which said these would not be good for children; I agree that these could be uncomfortable for children, but small children would not appreciate these anyway.
I am 15 years old and appreciate my music, and I appreciate sound quality unlike many of my peers. I previously had a pair of the Etymotic ER-6i headphones but upgraded to these. They are not uncomfortable for me and I have friends who have tried these and have not found them uncomfortable. So yes, they may be uncomfortable for small children, but not anyone from teenagehood up. Some people who I know who have used these say that they can become a little uncomfortable after prolonged use though.
There are three different types of ER-4 headphones. The ER-4P's are for portable use. I use mine with an iPod and they give slightly more bass response than the other models, eliminating the need to use a portable amplifier. The ER-4S's are the stereo model. These aim to match the natural frequency response of the ear and would be excellent with a home stereo, but with a portable device, an amplifier may be needed. The ER-4B's are for the binaural recording engineer. If this means nothing to you then this model is not for you. The goal here is to produce the same frequency response as the ear drum.
These are the best headphones to get for portable use. DO NOT bother with the Bose noise isolating phones. Sound quality is much worse and noise isolation is no where near as good as these and they are heavy. DO NOT bother with the Shure headphones. The top models are overpriced and are still not as good as these, be warned, you are paying for a brand name with Shure.
100% of People (10/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 07/20/2005 |
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Strengths: impressive sound,
Weaknesses: in ear design takes a while to ge comfortable, high cost.
Summary: I purchased these for $201.00 shipped. They provide great sound and superior sound isolation. I use them when riding on my lawn tractor and have been able to dispense with my earmuffs. Once you get used to inserting them in your ear, the sound isolation is fantastic. They do tend to accumulate ear wax which degrades the sound quality. They come with filters and a tool used to remove the filters. I try to clean wax out of my ears before placing the earphones.
100% of People (8/8) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/04/2005 |
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Strengths: small and discrete, total sound isolation, anazing sound quality
Weaknesses: feel slightly uncomfortable so takes time getting used to them. Somewhat pricey but hey you get what you pay for.
Summary: I was recomended The Etymotic ER-4P and i am glad i took his recommendation. These little earphones are just fantastic!. The sound isolation is second to none. I travel on the London's Underground practically everyday and they totally isolate all external sound. On flights, you can plug them straight in to listen to the inflight entertainment offerings, in doing that the aircrafts was totally cancelled out.
The sound quality is superb!. Even with the volume turned down on my ipod the sound quality and isoltaion is excellent.
As they are so small and discrete, no one can tell the value of them when you're wearing them which makes them even more appealing especially when in public places.
10 out of 10 for quality of sound and isolation.
They do take a while to break in and for anyone with small ears they may take awhile to feel comfortable.
i wouldnt recommend them for younger users (kids) probably would have difficulty fitting them in.
The have to fit right for you to get the bass, sound quality and isolation.
i just love em!
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| Date Reviewed: 09/30/2006 |
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Strengths: Life like sound, powerful bass, excellent isolation
Weaknesses: Little uncomfortable in the beginning
Summary: I also have shure e-4, which are loud, have clear sound,good sound color, but etymotic e-4p are still on the top.They have been around for few years now, and for portable use, nothing beats them. They isolate so good, that when I'm on the plane, and I travel a lot,if people ask me something, I have to get them off, as I do not hear nobody talking, even loudly, they cut down 90% of the engine roar too. I had no problem with inserting them in the ear canal, while using white triple flanges, for best isolation. Clean You ear first, wet the ear flange before inserting, and silence begins. Sounds like a lot of work, but is well worth it. I purchased them, as well as my Sure's, from COMPUPLUS, so I did not pay the premium price, for the premium sound. At home I use SENNHEISER, also from COMPUPLUS. No need to mention, I got them cheap.
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| Date Reviewed: 05/18/2007 |
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Strengths: Very accurate, high-quality sound. Super lightweight & compact. Blocks background noise so music shines through...
Weaknesses: May not satisfy deep bass freaks, but most headphones are not strong there anyway.
Summary: I bought these phones from COMP-U-PLUS 2 years ago (best price). I have been an audiophile for 2 decades and have critically listened to many different headphones. I can't think of a better headphone to use with portable music players like the iPod, etc. The sound of these Etymotics is very smooth and evenly distributed from top to bottom, which when listening to for hours (like traveling), will NOT fatigue your ears. If you have ever used ear plugs for hearing protection, you will take to these like a fish to water. They block out a great deal of background noise, which has many benefits: 1) saves your hearing because you don't have to turn up the volume to uncomfortable levels just so your music can overcome those jet engines, city buses, etc 2) allows you to enjoy more detail in the music that grooves you 3) doesn't disturb the person you may be sleeping next to...
In my opinion, these are much better than "noise-cancelling" headphones because these Etymotics are super light, take up almost NO space, and they DON'T need batteries. In fact, this ER-4P model is made to get the most output from portable players. They are easier for your player to drive, so they don't drain your player's batteries as fast as full size headphones will. Keep in mind that you put these phones inside your ear canal, so read the instructions to get a good seal and great sound.
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| Date Reviewed: 07/23/2006 |
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Strengths: Block all ambient noise, outstanding sound perfomance
Weaknesses: None
Summary: I've been using these for over a year with my portable MP3 player and laptop. I use them at the gym about 3 times a week and haven't had any problems. I also fly on military aircraft a lot and these gems not only sound terrific but also work as ear plugs, blocking all ambient noise so you only hear what you want to. I use the rubbery inserts because their easy to put in and take out. Convenient if you want to talk to somebody or need to hear something. They're not as comfortable as the foam inserts but the foam inserts have to be rolled and inserted just like the foam ear plugs - not convenient if you're taking them out often but more comfortable for extended periods of listening. Be careful though because they block everything, so if you're running or riding a bike you won't hear anything around you (using either insert). They also work well if you're trying to go to sleep and others are being loud or snoring. They have a little clip on them where the two separate wires come together which helps keep them in your ear and the wires from getting in your way. The sound is exceptional for an earbud - I wasn't expecting such response from an earbud!
If these ever take a turn for the worse I'll be buying another pair. They're a bit pricey but well worth the money (you get what you pay for in this case).
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| Date Reviewed: 02/26/2006 |
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Strengths: Tiny, well constructed, and painfully acurate sound reproduction.
Weaknesses: Not the prettiest things in the world--and make sure your source components are at least as good as the headphones.
Summary: I bought these to replace my Bose QuietComfort II's, which my puppy recently decided to "puppize". I thought the Bose did a reasonable job of turning off airplanes, etc... but were not the best for turning off babies. They also did not reproduct classical music as well as I would have liked...
When it came time to buy again, I demoed these ER-4P's and a pair of (more attractive) Shure 4G's. I was prepaired to purchase the Shures, especially in light of their lower cost and more attractive housings, but after a few CD's of music and a spin on the iPod, I was sold on the spacial, neutral, resoundingly plesant abilities of the Etymotic's. They are effortless to listen to.
To be fair, the Shures are extremely similar (which is to say, superb), and might offer a small edge on bass reproduction, but the elegance of the Etymotic's won me in the end.
Both companies make a very good product, but for accurate sound reproduction with finesse, I feel the ER-4P's are a better bet.
All that being said, make sure you are using decent amplification, clear recordings, and a good source, because on a cheap CD player you will hear the disc spinning up/down through them, on anything nastier than an iPod, you will hear the "beep" between tracks.
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| Date Reviewed: 07/04/2006 |
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Strengths: Isolation of environmental noise.
Accurate frequency response.
Warm, full bass.
Great for non-amplified MP3 use.
Weaknesses: Cables tend to be microphonic.
Not comfortable enough for extended listening sessions.
Summary: I wanted ear phones to do two things - shut out external noise (the jet engine ambient during plane travel and the aggravating stuff played at my gym) and great sound. The Etymotic ER-4P in-ear phones covered those two requisites and then some. Their playback is so accurate I'm wondering how much better my MP3 player will sound through a dedicated headphone amp. Highly recommended.
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| Date Reviewed: 04/12/2005 |
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Strengths: Unsurpassed sound for Ipod or Home Stereo use.
Weaknesses: None found
Summary: 2005-05-11 17:40:42 ER4-p canal style headphones. The "p" is for portable use as with an Ipod or similar device. These list for $330, but I found them available on PriceGrabber for $218 (sweet). These headphones are simply the "state of art". Toss those ear buds that came free with your player and hear what your player is really capable of.
67% of People (8/12) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 03/21/2006 |
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 Beware Strengths: Amazing noise isolation and sound quality, provided you can keep completely still and not move your head.
Weaknesses: Slightest contact with the cord produces loud noise in the ear which completely overwhelms the music being listened to.
Summary: At this price point, there has got to be a solution to the microphonic cord problem. Wrapping the cord around the ears seems to greatly reduce the effect, to the point where the earphones actually become usable, however the cords tend to quickly unwrap themselves - perhaps Etymotic could include a rigid frame that holds the cord around the ear.
Bottom line, I should have read more reviews of these earphones on the web before purchase, and steered clear until the issue is resolved.
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| Date Reviewed: 11/01/2006 |
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 A VERY BAD INVESTMENT Strengths: highly portable, great sound isolation
Weaknesses: extremely(!) poor low and mid bass response, high end sounds far too bright and unnatural, complete waste of a good chuck of change.. NOT WORTH THE COST.
Summary: i bought these because i am was looking for something ultra portable for traveling with, after doing lots of research on these in ear headphones... and the occasional praise and references as "audiophilie" quality i decided to give them a shot. i am extremely picky about what i hear, so dropping the high expense on these headphones would have been worth it.. BUT they are a complete disapointment. i have been using them for several weeks now and i cant achive a good result out of them , even after playing with EQ settings for hours. the low end and mid range bass is completely aweful, with several different genres of music. it just cant reproduce any bass.. period. whats really annoying is if you are listening to a song and and a heavy bass line kicks in the result will be a horrific "clipping" effect. the sound stage seems very small, this however is likely normal to in ear style headphones due to design. the high-end is incredibly bright... sometimes this actually has a nice effect and youll experience a new level of clarity that you may not have caught before.. but more often then not this brightness is displeasing and sounds very unnatural. I have tried both types of plugs (foam and silicon) and found them to be acceptably comfortable... although it is a rather tedous task to put them in your ear. and you might catch yourself having to do that often because the isolation is so good that you cant hear most anything at all around you (a person speaking for example) even when muted. unfortunatly these were a complete waste of money and i will now have to drop more funds on finding a good set of earphones.
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| Date Reviewed: 07/08/2006 |
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Strengths: Excellent fit, great sound, good bass
Weaknesses: Bass could be stronger, low tone noise canceling a little weak
Summary: I recommend this item enthusiastically. Despite the upscale price, these headphones deliver on the promised performance. A fine gift for the ambient noise-sensitive audiophile who wants to escape into the music.
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