Summary

Exceptional sound. Excellent isolation. Customizable fit. Blah, blah, blah - read the reviews these are the best in-ear canal phones out there. People love them. Also, the company stands behind this product. My 3 year old ER-4s broke a transducer. I sent them to Etymotic with a nice note - hoping they could fix them for less than the cost of a new pair. Ten days later I got them back - they replaced both transducers, free of charge.

Strength

Sound - clear, accurate, full
But you will realize that you need to boost your sample rate on imported music files to take full advantage of these phones. So you use up your hard drive faster - its the price of quality. Of course, iTunes downloads will comparatively sound like crap.

Weakness

Stethascope effect when the wires rub. Handy shirt clip helps to isolate the wires.

Customer Service:

Great - read above.

Summary

I use isolation phones for stationary listening (usually sitting). When on the move, I prefer open air phones so all the concern about microphone effect is irrelevant to me. I wouldn't recommend isolation phones for walking or running anyway, it can be dangerous. I listen to all kinds of music and am also a musician.

I've been using the ER-6's for a few years now and love them. They finally failed (hot car I think) so I decided to upgrade to the 4P's. These phones have better audio quality than the ER-6's and are more durable as well. The triple flanged tips seem to be less comfortable that the ER6's since I seem to have to shove them further in to get a good seal. Once sealed though they offer awesome isolation. I may start using them with the foam tips to alleviate the discomfort. Etymotic should provide at least one pair of each sized foam tip so that the user can determine which size is best for their particular ear physiology.

Excellent product. The most common complaints I have seen seem to be the microphone effect and lack of bass. I noticed a small effect then turing my head. By using the clip high enough up to put a lot of slack in the chord this we eliminated. As far as bass response is concerned, I must not be a bass junky because it sounds excellent to me.

Strength

Excellent audio performance. Awesome isolation. Both better than anything I have used before. Durable construction. Very portable.

Weakness

Triple flangs tips are a bit uncomfortable when inserted enough to produce a proper seal. Etymotic should provide a pair of each foam tip size.

Microphone effect is not a weakness but a characteristic of in ear phones. If you want to move around while listening, isolation phones in general are not for you.

Summary

Great product, especially for travellers. Isolation is great (better than most active noise cancellers) and they are super portable...but don't miss your flight announcement when wearing them! Better, more expensive in-ear phones are available though. Not for everyone - experience depends on fit. Try http://www.sensaphonics.com/prod_ety_sleeve.html to get custom fitted ear pieces, which will GREATLY increase comfort and bass quality due to greater seal.

When I first got these phonez, I was amazed at how much better they sounded than Bose noise cancellers and 99% of ear-buds. Much closer to Grado RS-2 and Sennheisser HD-650's I use as a reference. You can hear the difference between MP3 and lossless coding with these, and bass benefits from using external phone amp w/ iPod. .

However, bass is still a weak point. It's there, but has no impact, little texture, and is disconnected with the music sometimes. What I mean is that a bass guitar doesn't always sound like it is playing in perfect time w/ the kick drum or rest of the music. Using a headphone amp with these and that greatly increases bass resolution and texture, but did nothing to make the bass integrate with the music better.

I recently moved to the Ultimate Ears UE-5C, which are about $200 more expensive, but clearly superior in musicality, tone, detail, smoothness, bass texture, and comfort (IMHO). I actually find myself wanting to listen to my iPod w/ the UE-5C's even when I can listen to my Sennheisser HD650's on my expensive main system. When listening to the UE's, it's never an effort to hear how all the musicians are playing together, and I always feel a distinct sense of loss when I take them off and stop the music, which is not something I felt when taking off the Etymotics.

Still, if you can't swing the extra $ for UE-5C's, these are worth every penny. For me, I would wait a few more months to purchase the UE-5C's, which are already custom fitted.

Strength

Super portable, nuetral sound, great isolation, especially with custom-fit sleeves. Pick these anyday over active noise-cancelling phones. Worth the money.

Weakness

Bettered by other, more expensive phones. Bass lacks texture and impact, and is sometimes disconnected from the rest of the music. If you wear them while working out, the sound of your own heartbeat and breathing can be overwhelming! Microphonic cord, so use the clip to minimize this.

Summary

Ok, everybody agrees that the sound quality is second to none. Some CONS remain however: 1) Comfort 2) Bass 3) Stethoscope effect of wires rubbing 1) and 2) Throw away the white plastic earpieces - they are uncomfortable, don't make a proper seal, and give crap bass and don't exclude as much noise. Throw away the black foam pads too, unless your ea canal is very small. Buy the YELLOW foam pads and you cure both the bass and comfort problems. 3) The latest versions have cured this. So you now buy without the previus caveats being potetnial showstoppers.

Strength

perfect flat sound

Weakness

nonoe if you folow the above advice

Summary

Thought it would be like a portable Sennheiser HD600, reading all these positive reviews here. Unfortunately it wasn't. * I am not a BASS freak. I think Sennheisers have enough lows for any type of music, though a lot of people don't think so. So I safely ignored the comments on lack of lows on ER4P's. Well, I was wrong. I coudn't really hear anything I'd say below 100Hz. That is bad! * There will be a lot of background noise-and-hiss that will ruin the music when you use these with a lot of portables, and laptops. Since it picks up everything, it will amplify the noise also. Well I had to sell it on Ebay... No compare to Senn HD600's...

Strength

Sound isolation and detail are really good.

Weakness

Lack of low frequencies!!! though itself is portable, will require a good source and amplification to justify the purchase and use; which makes the whole package a bit nonsense.

Summary

Lost long review to brown out, so short/sweet. ..Another big time positive review, sorry. Isolation is amazing. Try earplugs and you'll have an idea what these things do. Not other maker out there, AFAIK, came up with the idea to put so small a transducer inside, literally, an ear plug. Great for commuting. Great for home. Get a good source. Check out MD players, or better the Ipod. I don't have Ipod, but www.headfi.org raves about the Ipod/Ety 4P pairing. Otherwise, try these with an amp if you can. Headroom may just be redifined for even some audiophiles. Search "altoids amp", <$100.

Strength

Silence before the music starts. Superb for dynamic music, like classical, some pop. The better the recording, the more these things are up to the task.

Weakness

Needs an amp unless paired with a select group of portables. Yes, the 4P needs to be boosted, albeit less than the S. Try it with many casually selected portables and you may be disapointed with volumes all the way up. Too much of an issue has already been made of the cord. Wrap it around the ears. Not all can take ear buds, or live with stuff sticking in there like that. Have to have a good seal and be in pretty far to get any bass. If you use a Q-tip, imagine going in 1 to 3mm shy of that far! Come on in, try them...

Summary

Some people may comment that these earphones don't have any bass. I just want to clarify something. These earphones CAN output bass....and a lot of it. The bass can be very rich and very detailed....never boomy. These earphones may sound a little flat compared to your previous headphones, but that's because these earphones have an extremely flat frequency response throughout it's range. Your previous headphones may have been engineered to "boost" bass response (some to the point of being too much). Some headphones may also boost both the treble and bass, in an attempt to give the music a warmer sound.... A word of advice, folks: you don't want your headphones to do this!!! If you want the ultimate in sound quality, you WANT a flat frequency response...and let your equalizer and amplifier boost the frequencies you want. The result will be a superclean, highly resolved, and full-bodied sound. You want more bass? Then amplify the bass frequencies (BEFORE it gets to these earphones), and the ER-4P's WILL DELIVER! I guarantee you that. You will hear your bass and you will feel it. Right now, I am listening to Diana Krall (Live in Paris), and let me tell you....the bass guitars really ROCK. So detailed... so perfect. Diana's voice is so clear and concise. Combined this with a multitude of instruments, I can actually choose the instrument I want to listen to and hear it with stunning clarity. This are one of the best earphones I have ever heard. It's hard to imagine getting better sound without paying dearly for it (and only getting a very small incremental improvement in sound - law of deminishing returns, I guess). For the money, these earphones are definately worth the money.

Strength

Superb sound reproduction. Outstanding noise isolation. Highly portable.

Weakness

Some cord noise, but is eliminated when using the shirt clip. Can't jog with these things on, but obviously with the high noise isolation, these earphones are not designed for jogging use. You will also "hear" your walking....but again, these earphones are designed to be portable, but NOT mobile. If you want earphones specifically for jogging or walking, then I advise you to consider other earphones/headphones, as the cord noise/microphonic sounds will interfere with the music to some degree.

Summary

It's you & the music - the rest is a movie with the sound turned off. Herein lies the wonder of these earphones; the ER4p earphones do a brilliant job of isolating you from any external sound and placing you within an audio cacoon of your choosing. The earphones deliver simply accurate sound right into the middle of your head. No hype, no wham, just pure balanced rendering of what was recorded. This upsets some of us, especially when we've become accustomed to being literally physically moved by bone shaking bass in movie theatres and dance clubs. I am a pretty mobile guy, moving around the country and writing at my laptop in public spaces and between places. This is why I am so endeared to these earphones - they allow me to create a sonic space for myself wherever, whenever. Roadworks? - I didn't realise, Traffic noise? - really?, Family fight? - when? I love using these earphones with my iPod in the gym - I can pace my workout and cooldown beautifully - I focus easily without overhearing others conversations - I can't even hear the Aerobic Class' thumping techno over the club speakers! It really is a case of Me & my Music...everything else is a movie with the sound turned off.

Strength

Beautifully accurate. Small & light. Isolation- everywhere - great for flights ( Buy the Airplane headphone adaptor plug at the same time )

Weakness

They seem a little fragile but other feedback says they're durable so count me as 100% thrilled.

Summary

This is a pretty in-depth review. I'm writing this review because I wish that a review like this one had been written before I made my purchase, so that I could have read it and made a more informed decision. I have had these for some time now (about 9 months), and have used them with a variety of hardware and feel that I can now distinguish between the sound of these headphones and the sound of the equipment being used with them. The 'newness' has long since worn off, they are fully broken in, and I feel that my opinion on the ER4Ps is now an informed one. Engineering is all about trade-offs, some things have to be sacrificed in order to achieve particular design goals, and these ER4Ps are no exception. They have strengths, and they have weaknesses. First, the weaknesses: - Cord Design: This is the biggest pet peeve I have. This is design flaw, pure and simple. First, the cord attaches to the drivers at a 45 degree angle. This means that the cords stick out and down from your ears a few inches like pigtails, which looks goofy, and more importantly, affects sound when mobile. The weight of the cord pulls down on the drivers, acting like a lever which slowly loosens and pries the drivers from your ears. The feeling of this slow loosening is irritating, and if it breaks the seal, reduces low frequency response dramatically. A smarter design would be to have the cord attach at 90 degrees, going straight down, flush with your neck so that there is no leverage for loosening the headphones ( http://www.fixup.net/tips/ety/ety.htm ). The second major design flaw with the cord is that while the cord is durable, due to higher-gauge wires and thick insulation, these two 'strengths' produce vast amounts of microphonic noise, as mentioned in other posts. Do not underestimate how annoying this can be. Even while in bed, turning my head will produce this effect a little, masking the music that is playing. Running is out of the question, and even walking produces this. I have _sort of_ overcome this by pulling the ER4Ps up through my shirt/wife-beater and out through the neck, flush with my torso, so that very little cord is exposed and capable of chafing anything. Etymotic could solve this instantly and easily by offering a replacement cord made from limp wire like that used on lesser earbuds, which if combined with a 90 degree driver connection, would make these almost flawless, five star headphones instead of inherently flawed, four star headphones. This was a poor choice made by Etymotic, who paired this with their excellent drivers. Again, see http://www.fixup.net/tips/ety/ety.htm for details of what I mean. I hope Etymotic is reading this! I'd pay $35 for such a cord. - Low Frequency Bass: This is a tradeoff of having in-ear headphones. Low frequencies are not really heard, but rather felt. You will not feel these low frequencies with ER4Ps, even though, for all I know, the ER4Ps are producing them. Traditional, over-the-ear headphones (eg: Senn. HD600s) produce tones that are felt on the side of the head, a buzzing that provide a richness and depth to the bass. If you've ever been to a rave and felt the music buzzing your entire body, you know what I mean. The result is that the bass on the ER4Ps seems thinner than traditional 'phones. Simply be aware of this, especially drum'n'bass-heads! - In Ear Sound: The soundstage is very close and tight, especially as compared to open-ear headphones like Sennheisers higher quality products, as well as Grados. This is a trade-off of having the noise-blocking provided by foamy drivers wedged in your ear canals. It sounds like little drivers are in your ear, producing sound, as opposed to 'being there.' I must admit, sometimes that feeling does go away, and it is just me and my ocean of music. - Uber-revealing: This is also a strength, but the downside is that you will hear every blemish and weakness in your: transport, amp, interconnects, and source material. This can, depending on the latter, make for a very unpleasant listening experience. The super-revealing nature of these headphones is a two-edged sword. Be prepared to upgrade other audio hardware to accommodate these. Pair these with low-end crap (like my budget Panny discman) and you will have bright, noisy music. And now, the strengths: - Uber-revealing: Also a positive, these ER4Ps squeeze every last ounce of detail from your source material. Try Plastikman's Consumed, cranked up, and you will hear everything in the recording in crystal clarity and punch, from uber-lows to uber-highs. You can hear acoustics of recording rooms on some recordings, and on Miles Davis: live @ Newport 1958, one of the earliest stereo recordings, you can hear quite plainly the bassist humming along while he plucks strings on track 3. These are fast, tight, sweet little drivers. Give them quality hardware and they will reward you. - Quiet: They block noise considerably. It takes a little getting used to, but it is great on the bus, or sleeping w/ GF. It spares others of the trebly 'tss tss' of traditional earbuds/'phones, and allows you to listen at lower volumes with greater clarity. I can't wait to use them on an airplane! - Small: They can be stuffed in your pocket. Sennheiser HD650s cannot. - Durable: These are really durable. The small plastic drivers have been stepped on, with no ill effects. My sister has gone through three pairs of Bose Triports in the last year, without abusing them, so I really appreciate the 'toss 'em on the floor' build of the ER4Ps. Again, stuff them in your pocket/bag. - Frequency Response: These have flat response right through the frequency range of human hearing. Crank the treble/bass on your amp, and these respond in full. While you will miss the 'felt' frequencies, the 'heard' ones are all there, all the way down. These are not 'bright' but extremely neutral. I used to think they were bright, but it turns out both my cheapo, crappy Panasonic MP3 discman and Creek OBH-11 amp were the respective culprits there. If they sound bright to you, check your transports and interconnects. Their ruthless fidelity will make them seem bright if paired with bright hardware. Similarly, the may seem dark if vice versa. This is a testament to their neutrality. I use the foam earpieces for the best seal and thus the best freq response.

Strength

Really revealing! Durable, small, very high fidelity, full frequency response, noise blocking, cheaper than some other headphones.

Weakness

Really revealing! The cord is the worst design possible, although it can be replaced with home-brew solutions. Etymotic, fix this immediately! May lead to expensive system upgrades. Lowest frequencies cannot be felt. In-ear soundstage. Sound does not 'enter' ear, providing spatial cues, but rather is in your ear.

Summary

For those trying to decide between the P and the S model, I elected to go with the P and the P to S converter cable. As an afterthought, I emailed both HeadRoom and Etymotic the following question: "Is there any discernable difference in sound between the ER-4S and the ER-4P+ER4P-24 when connected to quality equipment un-amplified, such as Denon AVR-3803/DVD-2900?" Both HeadRoom and Etymotic said that, and I quote, "No. They are exactly the same". While I don't have any ER-4S's to compare to, the addition of the cable to the 4P's did change the extreme lows and highs, just as Etymotic’s data suggests. The converter appears to live up to its claim of turning the ER-4P’s into ER-4S’s. While it’s expensive at $49, the converter cable is a worthwhile purchase, in my opinion. It’s much cheaper than buying both the P and the S. Un-amplified ER-4P’s are quite adequately pushed by the following equipment: Sony D-NE300 CD Walkman, Palm Tungsten|T3 PDA, Aiwa CR-LD101 Digital AM/FM Stereo Radio, & Sony SRF-M70 FM/AM Sports Walkman. For the best of both worlds, I highly recommend the ER-4P+ER4P-24 combination.

Strength

Excellent Transparency

Weakness

They don't clean themselves :,)

Summary

I REALLY BECAME INTRIGUED WITH THE ETYMOTIC ER-4P'S THROUGH AUDIOREVIEW.COM AND READ ALL THE RAVE REVIEWS THAT PEOPLE WERE GIVING THEM. THEY WERE PURCHASED ON EBAY FOR THE "BIN" PRICE OF $199.00. THAT COMPANY, AUDIOFAIR, HAS NEVER TREATED ME BETTER. THEY UNDERSTAND PEOPLE, THEIR LISTENING DIFFERENCES AND THEY UNDERSTAND THESE ARE QUITE A LAYOUT OF FUNDS. I GOT THEM A COUPLE DAYS LATER, AND FOUND VERY QUICKLY THEY WERE VERY USER-FRIENDLY!! THE WHITE-TIPPED CONES FIT QUITE NICELY IN MY EARS (ALTHOUGH I DISCOVERED A COUPLE DAYS LATER THAT IF YOU MOISTEN THEM, THEY ARE THAT MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE, AND THE FIT IS, ER, WELL, QUITE TIGHT AND AWESOME. THEY BLOCK OUT ALL NOISE AROUND ME WHEN I HAVE THESE BABIES IN USE, AND THATS HALF THE BATTLE!! THE OTHER HALF IS WHAT COMES THROUGH THESE AMAZING CREATURES. SOUND AS I HAVE NEVER HEARD BEFORE. YOU READ THAT SAME COMMENT FROM OTHER REVIEWERS, BUT IT'S VERY TRUE. THERE ARE ROCKNROLL SONGS I HAVE LISTENED TO ALL MY LIFE, BUT WHEN LISTENING TO THEM THROUGH THESE "4"'S, I HEAR LITTLE SOUNDS AND NUANCES IN THE MUSIC I HAVE NEVER HEARD!!! THEY ARE TRULY AMAZING. A FEW REVIEWERS HAVE COMMENTED ON THE CORD THAT GIVES THE "STETHOSCOPE EFFECT" BUT SCOTT AT AUDIOFAIR ASSURED ME THAT THIS PART HAD BEEN REDESIGNED BY ETYMOTIC RESEARCH, AND TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I HAVE NOT HAD THIS PROBLEM ONCE. THE GETTING USED TO ASPECT FOR ME LASTED ONLY AS LONG AS I DISCOVERED A LITTLE MOISTURE ON THE WHITE CONES MAKES A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE!!! I USE MY PAIR WITH MY SONY DIGITAL PORTABLE MDLP PLAYER, AND IT IS TRULY A WONDERFUL COMBO. I RIDE THE TRAIN FREQUENTLY, AND LISTENING TO MY ROCKNROLL THROUGH THESE IS ALL I HEAR!!! YOU CANNOT GO WRONG WITH THESE 4'S. IT IS TRULY WORTH THE MONEY TO GET THESE. YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO AT LEAST TRY THEM. AUDIOFAIR HAS A MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE. CALL SCOTT (1-800-992-0250) AND HE WILL CHANGE YOUR LISTENING LIFE. HE CHANGED THE WAY MY MUSIC SOUNDS--FOR GOOD!!!

Strength

SOUNDSTAGE, CLARITY, TOTAL HONESTY. YOU CANNOT BUY A BETTER PAIRS OF CANS!!!!! VERY COMFORTABLE ONCE YOU GET USED TO THEM--TOOK ME ONLY TO MOISTEN THEM A LITTLE FOR TOTAL COMFORT!!!!!!!

Weakness

NOT REAL SMART FOR JOGGING. YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE CARS...

Summary

Upgrading from Bong and Olufsen's nice little A8's, which sound good but cancel out no noise, I wanted something equal in sound quality but something that allows me to enjoy my music in the loudest of settings - after all, I do live in New York City. The price has continuously come down on these cans, so at the price I got them for, I feel they are quite a deal. They comfortbaly go in/out of your ears with either tip option (rubber or foam), and cancel out an amazing amount of noise. Cooking breakfast this morning while listening to music was truly bizarre - I couldn't hear the running faucet, the microwave, or even the blender - WITH MY HEAD NEXT TO IT. I'm sure these are stress-killers on long flights, although I can imagine these could get uncomfortable after long wearing-periods, simply because they block all air and moisture from getting in your ear. The sound quality is also amazing, and surpasses that of the A8's. I would describe the sound as very neutral and flat, with no noticible sonic personality (a true sign of a great audio product). The sound is crisp, detailed, and very transparent. I have even began noticing musical details that I never heard listening for years with varios high-end stereo's, including my current set-up. Cymbals crash with a brassy shimmer, vocals are crystal clear and powerful, and ambience is ridiculously natural considering these are are noise-isolating, in-ear phones. The bass is the thing most lacking, but you can't expect head-pounding lower end from tiny buds like these. The bass is, however, far better than other phones I've used in this size - far better even than my A8's. The bass is never overwhelming, just tight and punchy. I also like all the goodies they come with - a traveling case (small and large), numerous tips, a shirt clip, tools for changing filters, etc. My main issue with the phones is the effect caused my it being so far in your ear canal - the cable to the phones amplifies every sound, just like a stethoscope. Whenever you tap it or even brush your shirt against it, a nocible noise is heard in your head, disrupting the music. I'll just have to learn to deal with it, because I definitely got these for portable use - they're obviously so small to be ultra-portable, so I'm not just going to sit around not moving with them. But I can imagine that walking or exercising with them on, even with the shirt-clip, could be annoying.

Strength

Very small and portable, amazingly crisp, detailed and transparent sound. Great, natural ambience, especially for small size. COMPLETE noise isolation. Comfortable. Good warranty. Comes with plenty of goodies.

Weakness

Expensive. Cable amplifies sound to your ears whenever it's touched, like a stethoscope, meaning you either get used to it, or don't walk/exercise with them.