Etymotic ER-4P

The Etymotic ER-4 series isn’t anything new, but when the series were introduced a few years ago, positive feedback was given by professionals, audiophiles, and casual listeners. It really shows that the series were successful because even now these earphones continue to sell in various online sites and shops despite the fact that Etymotic continues to roll out more revolutionary products. One thing that made the ER-4 series successful was the different variations that it came out with. Etymotic has proven that there is no real single pair of earphones that will please all crowds. This is because different people use the earphones in different ways.

For instance, one individual may use the pair with his or her portable media player while others use them as monitors for professional studio production. People that are fond of listening to CD and vinyl recordings should be fine with the first model of the series which is the Etymotic ER4B. It was followed by the ER4S as a response to the people that want higher accuracy and better sound isolation. However, casual listeners that listen to portable devices were left out due to the lack of bass and amplification features until the Etymotic ER4P was released.

Etymotic ER4P Portable In-Ear Earphones

Design and Comfort

The noise isolation and good comfort lie on the eartips that come with the ER4P. These eartips take the form of the triple-flanged design that made other earphones popular for their comfort. However, it takes some practice to actually get these eartips to fit properly in the ear canal. There is a tutorial found on the Etymotic website that is very easy to follow even for people that never wore noise isolation earphones before.

The comfortable pair of eartips isn’t the only attachments that are included in the package. In fact, it comes with a nice storage box that contains a lot more to make the sub-$200 package worth it. Two additional pairs of 3-flanged eartips are included to suit different sizes along with 5 pairs of foam eartips of various colors and sizes for an alternative way to get the excellent sound quality. Although these foam eartips are disposable, the 3-flange eartips are reusable as long as they are cleaned with water and mild soap.

A filter-changing tool is also included with the package to allow the 4 replacement filters to be inserted in order to prevent earwax from entering the pair of earphones. The cable is rather short compared to other earphones, but there is an extension cable that measures 5 ft with a 3.5mm plug at the end so it can be used with all kinds of music players and equipment. When the earphones and accessories need to be taken outdoors, they can be placed in the included zippered pouch. The included shirt clip adds to the comfort when listening on the go.

Actual user review:
“I have owned these earphones for over 3 years now. It is VERY important that you get the fit right to get the best sound quality. If you are concerned about having something “in your ears”, then these might not be the phones for you. However, once properly fitted, the frequency response is amazingly flat and you will hear details and transients in your music that you have never heard before! If you like over-emphasized bass, then these may not be for you, either. I personally find that the bass is more than adequate, but my primary objective in any music reproduction is flat response, as opposed to lots of bass or midrange. These phones have served me well on all sorts of music from metal to classical – if you enjoy a lot of different types of music, then you will LOVE these – buy them! Great price on amazon, too!”

Features

Because this is a “P” model, the real sound quality of the Etymotic ER4P shines when the earphones are plugged into portable CD players, mp3 players, and mobile phones that have the 3.5mm jack. It has a 10 dB greater output than the “S” model at high frequencies while the low frequencies get a 13 dB boost. It is also the only model in the ER-4 series that feature an enhanced bass response, making them the most popular choice for standard non-professional usage. iPod users will get a real kick out of the amazing sound quality no matter what type of song is being played. In addition, it sports the same lightweight design and high accuracy in producing sound.

Bottom Line

The Etymotic ER4P earphones have been around for a long time and cost nearly $300 a pair. However, there are a number of online sites that sell the earphones for a price under $200. Compared to other earphones in its price range, the ER4P offers an amazing package along with superb audio quality. Even non-audiophiles should tell the difference from these earphones and the standard earphones that come with ordinary portable devices. It is best to load the portable music player or mobile phone with high quality mp3s preferably above 192 kbps to really enjoy the lively sounds and possible hidden beats that ordinary earphones cannot detect.

More user reviews:

• “I’m on record with a total rave of Etymotic’s ER-6 headphones – but the ER-4P is vastly more satisfying. The difference is bass (the most immediately obvious difference). The ER-4p has phenomenal bass for headphones – probably state of the art in this regard. But what makes the ER-4P really special is its amazing dynamics. The soundstage is huge, and sonic textures leap out of velvet silence. It’s hard to characterize superb dynamics. Music sounds “bigger”. Quiet passages have more presence – and louder passages have more inner detail. Another strength of the ER-4P is that the extra bass energy allows the vibrant treble detail to sound balanced – not strident or analytical (as the ER-6 can sometimes sound). Between the dynamics and the bass, the ER-4p ends up sounding more musical and alive than the ER-6 (and thus virtually every other earphone). There is a touch of mid-bass ripeness – sometimes deep voices like Mark Knopfler sound a little chesty. There’s also a downside the huge dynamics – sometimes a touch of congestion can creep in during crescendo peaks. The flip side of this is that quiet passages can have enormous presence and emotional power. Small scale acoustic stuff and female vocalists shine and have amazing presence. Nora Jones, for example, has never sounded better. Big rock doesn’t suffer either. The fantastic treble detail and huge deep bass makes both classical and rock really slam. These really are amazing phones. – J.Feldman (NY, USA)

• “The ER-4P excels where the ER-6i fell a bit short. With either model it matters a lot how you seat the ear pieces. A poor seal (insufficient depth) results in very little bass. Correct insertion provides the best external sound isolation and the best bass reproduction. I find the white plastic flange type earpiece comfortable for long periods of wear, but your experience may differ if you have an anatomically smaller than average ear canal. There are foam inserts as an alternative and you can even purchase optional smaller foam ear pieces that I have not needed. Since they do fit so snug and deep in the ear you will soil them. I only hope whoever decided to keep my ER-6i’s enjoyed that mine were well used. The ER-4P comes with two spare pairs of flange earpieces and 5 pairs of foam covers. You will use them.

The sound isolation is excellent. I share an office with two other mates without cubicles. The in-ear design has been a lifesaver. I find it easy to concentrate on projects that require my full attention or merely chug through a mindless task with some good tunes to comfort me without annoying my mates. I have auditioned these headphones on my home audio system and would describe the performance as stunning. When I travel I like to use my Palm T5 and find the volume levels very acceptable and sound reproduction with the Palm T5 is outstanding as well. One problem I found was the plug has a rather large blocky (1 cm x 1 cm) base that fits poorly in this particular female jack. I have had to reseat it repeatedly to keep the tunes coming, but only with this particular device.
It fits my iPod nano just fine and here too the sound reproduction is head and shoulders above other headphones I have tried. At work I use them with a typical computer workstation and plug into the headphone jack in the desktop speakers. I use Winamp as my player and find that the sound is very good although it is not what I get from my home system. Line buzz in a problem here, but that has nothing to do with the headphones it is from the source. In short, a good player will yield the best results from these outstanding ear-inserted headphones. The sound isolation is excellent and is a nice way to better appreciate the nuances of your music and shut out the noise of the world. I found this especially true during airline travel. Finally, shop this product. I found them available from several retailers well below the MSRP and if the price is still too steep the ER-6i is an excellent option that I would have been happy to continue to use for years to come had I not lost them.” – M.Twa (TX, USA)

Average User Rating: