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Reviewed By Matt Carnicelli(Audiophile) From Queens, NY Review Date 02/16/2001 Overall Rating  5 of 5 Value Rating 5 of 5 Rate this review? Price Paid: $300.00 from Headroom Summary This is a follow up to my previous review. I recently had a problem with one of the transducer tips breaking off while being used with custom earpieces. The ER-4S were out of warranty, so I sent an email to Etymotic asking for help and the probable cost of repair. They instructed me to return the transducers with the earpieces, and they would be repaired free-of-charge. When they returned, Etymotic had added an extension tube to the end of each transducer -- which both reduced the amount of stress on the tips (since they would no longer have to be shoved far into the silicon earpieces), but also improved the sound. Outstanding!As far as amps go, if you're looking to save cash, you can't go wrong with basic Headroom Airhead ($99) or the "Total" Airhead ($160). I'm using a Musical Fidelity X-Cans V2 at home, which so far has stubbornly resisted my attempts at sweetening the sound by replacing the stock Philips 6922 type tubes with some affordable stuff I have around...but the Mullards are next! For an all-out assault on the home headphone experience, my guess would be the Cary integrated amp that Sam Tellig loves so much...or possibly a completely NOS re-tubed Sonic Frontiers Line 1, 2 or 3 preamp (with the built in Headroom circuit). But, of course, we are now in the realm of audiophile obsession. In the end, this is an extraordinary product, produced by a company that offers extraordinary customer service. The only product line I've ever heard as good are the big Apogee ribbon speakers (how good, you say...I am the co-founder of the Apogee Acoustics Users Group). The tonal balances are completely different, but the astonishing transparency and degree of detail are equal. Strength Weakness Would you like to Comment? Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member. Reviewed By Martin Defronde(Audio Enthusiast) From West Deer Park, Michigan Review Date 02/26/2001 Overall Rating  2 of 5 Value Rating  1 of 5 Visitors rate this review 1.00 of 5, 1 votes Rate this review? Price Paid: $345.00 from Internet Summary After an ear piece broke 2 weeks after I received these headphones I sent them back for a refund.The sound was good but not great. Certainly not worth the $345 I paid for these. I sent these fragile cans back and purchased Sennheiser 600's. I am very happy now. Strength Nice but not overwhelming soundWeakness Build quality - an ear piece broke after 2 weeksWould you like to Comment? Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member. Reviewed By Z. S.(Audio Enthusiast) From Austin, Tx Review Date 03/08/2001 Overall Rating 5 of 5 Value Rating  4 of 5 Rate this review? Price Paid: $275.00 from headroom Summary These earbuds are phenomenal. I primarily purchased them for their isolational abilities, but have found them to be absolutely remarkable in tone as well. While, as a previous reviewer noted, they lack an extra crispness at the high end, they do seem to make up for this by rounding it off into a tight treble that is even sometimes preferable to the original.They're remarkable, in terms of transperancy. They don't have the "soul" that comes with such greats as Grado and Beyerdynamic, and they aren't quite a precise as the HD 600s - but you aren't buying these to put in a studio setting. If you don't like running around with two huge cans strapped to your ears, and don't want to give a concert to any passerbys with your open headphones, these are, by far, the most convenient and best-sounding headphones I've owned. Strength Tonality; isolation (Air-travel!)Weakness Construction - (ought to be alloys, not plastic for $300)Would you like to Comment? Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member. Reviewed By Ryan Merrill(Audiophile) From Dallas, Texas, USA Review Date 05/02/2001 Overall Rating 5 of 5 Value Rating 5 of 5 Rate this review? Price Paid: $225.00 from Sage Arts Summary For those looking to be complety connected and absorbed by their music these are the cans for you. The isolation, while great, is not their strength however. The sound produced by these little guys is absolutely amazing! These are all about accuracy. The sound is tight and controlled across the board. The soundstage is magnificent, leaving you with the feeling that you're on stage performing. Some would say that the bass is lacking. I find it to be anything but! While you don't feel the bass against your ear, you do hear it very well. In some cases I could actually feel the bass reverberating within my ear canal, especially with the foam eartips. Not until I purchased these had I really unserstood what it meant to be an audiophile. Listening to cymbals crash off into infinity with the utmost clarity is a pleasant experience. I had never really heard a consistent, and clear, high hat either. As far as construction goes, etymotic uses the strongest plastic they could find for the application. And besides, if they do break, they usually repair them for free. If you want true audiophile sound, with the utmost accuracy and detailed presentation possible, along with sound isolation to boot, then you can't go wrong with the etymotics.Strength accuracy, control, separation, and isolationWeakness noneWould you like to Comment? Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member. Reviewed By Nancy Marinelli(Audio Enthusiast) From Rochester, NY Review Date 05/11/2001 Overall Rating 1 of 5 Value Rating 1 of 5 Visitors rate this review 1.00 of 5, 5 votes Rate this review? Price Paid: $200.00 from Audio Review classifieds Summary Imagine wearing a vise on you head with 2 tin cups as ear phones and you get an idea of what these headphones are like. I got headaches wearing them and the music reproduction from my CD player was so bad I seriously had to double check to see that these weren't hooked up to an old 45 rpm record player.Painful to wear and painful to listen to - avoid these - I wish I did. Nancy Strength Build qualityWeakness Sound reproduction, comfortWould you like to Comment? Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
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4.59 of 5
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