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Review of the Etymotic ER-4P/T

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Introduction
 
If you saw my last article, you’d know I basically found the Bose QC15 to be a total failure in the only department I thought they might actually outperform, noise isolation.  Turns out an earcup is an earcup, and no amount of fancy null wave technology will cancel out the low level rumbling of a small regional jet rattling along on its final serviceable year.  However, the Proears and a lot of other hearing protectors I’ve seen used by ground crews around airplanes gave me the idea that earplug styled headphones might be a better option. 
 
An in-ear monitor is a small driver with a tip that sits in the ear canal.  Its small size means it can be used to discretely monitor music both on and off stage, making it useful for musicians in high decibel environments.  The major strengths of in-ear monitors are simply put, isolation.  They are earplugs, plain and simple, and a good pair will beat anything at isolating sound, whether it’s a concert or an airplane.  Of course, as anyone whose worn in-ear monitors can profess, they are simply frustrating and sometimes downright painful to insert, especially if they don’t come with a tip that fits your ears.  Custom tips can be made to improve fit, but the process can be prohibitively expensive.  For me, my prior experience with this kind of headphone has been very bad.  Let’s see if Etymotics can change my mind about IEMs.

Comfort (or fit, in this case)
 



Does that lady not make the creepiest face you’ve ever seen?  Yeesh.  Regardless, I was directed to this video in the included case via a big yellow card inserted into a pocket on the lid.  You know, it would have been nice if anyone had ever explained this about in-ears to me when I was a kid.  They’d constantly fall out and they had no bass response, and the fact I didn’t insert them deeply enough into my ears is exactly why I thought that.  Like the creepy lady shows in the video, I also found that the ear-tug and twist technique was a VERY effective way to insert the tips properly.  When you actually get one of the Etymotic’s 6 different tip styles, all of which are included, to fit properly into your ears, they hold snugly in your ear canal.  With the included shirt clip there’s no tugging to deal with either.  However, even with the correct tip, they still feel really annoying in your ears, and opening your mouth noticeably moves them around in your ear canal.  If your ears are as sensitive as mine are, this is still pretty annoying, but for in ear monitors, all that discomfort is a usual drawback.

Sound Quality

I’ve seen a lot of different in-ear monitors recommended in the forums around the $100 level.  The Etymotic brand certainly includes models that are easily in this range and even a model for kids with really high impedance so they can’t blow out their ears on an iPod.  This particular model, however, is their flagship model, and retails for around $250.  So is there a major increasing in sound quality or isolation with this particular in-ear monitor?  Oh yes.  The high frequency response definitely gives the AKG K702 a run for its money.  It’s a bright, clean, and sparkly sound all the way up to the highest chirps.  There’s not a lot of “bloom” in the bass range as the lows are not pronounced, but definitely not subdued either.  Overall, the sound of these headphones is dead flat, partly to thank to its extreme isolation.  It’s sufficient to say this design finally achieved an acceptable level of noise isolation on my plane rides.  It’s not 100% by any means, but it’s at least 90-95%.  I can’t even hear the air conditioner right next to me in my hotel room, and I’ll have you know it’s quite loud!  If I had any complaint about the sound of these monitors, it’s the one flaw that no in-ear can escape, that in-your-head feel to the soundstage, because, actually, it IS in your ear.

Conclusion
 
I think it goes without saying that I’ll be keeping these.   Not only are they more compact than the Bose QC15, they don’t need batteries, isolate better, and sound as good or better than most headphones of any sort in their price range.  It’s a win-win, unless you can’t get used to those tips in your ears.
 
I hope the last couple of articles have gone somewhere towards proving my overarching point about picking out headphones – Design over features.  Yes, design can of course include sound quality, but that shouldn’t be your only concern.  Comfort, portability, and durability can be just as important in determining your ultimate choice, and you shouldn’t overlook any of these in favor of features like “noise canceling” or “surround sound”.  This time at least, the simplest, most reliable solution was the best.

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"Pardon my French but this is just about the most ignorant blanket statement I've ever read. And though this is the internet, I'm not even exaggerating."

 

 

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