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Etymotic Research MicroPro™ ER-4P Consumer Headphones
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Etymotic Research MicroPro™ ER-4P Consumer Headphones
34 reviews   4.79 of 5

Product Description

Price Paid:  $269.00 from Headroom


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Price Paid:  $269.00 from Headphone.com


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Price Paid:  $260.00 from www.headphone.com


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Summary

According to www.headphone.com, the ER4P earphone was designed for electronics with low power amplification (basically line-level). If readers interpret this as a sign that the ER4P is lo-fi, then they will be mistaken. I cannot comment on the relative sonic qualitiy of the ER4S (the higher impedance sister to the ER4P), but I can say that after 4 months of using the ER4P''s, I think that my money was well-spent. The setup: just a cheap Sony CD portable, circa 1995, no external amp, no external power source. For everyday use, the 4P''s are sometimes more revealing than my Dynaudio speakers (driven by Meridian CD, Melos pre, EAR 509 mono''s), but they are never fatiguing. They also confirm my long-time hunch that the little Sony is an excellent CD player. The sound is never harsh or fatiguing, it is very detailed, expansive, and has deep, tight bass. As far as comfort, I have used cheap ear buds that become painful after 20-30 minutes. In contrast, I have worn the Etymotics comfortably for 3 hrs at a time. For people who find the phones uncomfortable, I believe that Etymotic can make a custom fit. As impressive as the sound is around the house, the real wow factor begins with air travel. I have used foam ear plugs on planes for years. They never shut out the sound completely; they just attenuate it to a tolerable level. With the 4P''s, however, when the music starts, the airplane noise disappears! Gone are the screaming children, the roar of wind over the skin of the plane, the blaring announcements overhead. If you already own 4P''s, you owe it to yourself to take them on your next flight with a CD player. No, you don''t have to turn them up to a higher SPL. I keep the Sony turned up to about a 4-5 volume both at home and on the plane and can''t tell the difference. Oh, and if you see some unfortunate soul who spent their hard-earned bucks on a pair of Bose sound-canceling headphones, be a humanitarian. Lend them your Etymotics and turn their life around. These headphones are that good!

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