rich_heimlich's Full Review: Etymotic Research MicroProâ„¢ ER-4P Consumer Headp...
I'm a diehard gamer and have been involved in computer-based sound since its inception. I also do a bit of traveling and do like my music but I am not an audiophile.
The Ety 4P's are hard to beat for gamers. Why? First, they are bright. The bass is there but it's not the boom-boom bass you might be used to. It's detailed bass without the subwoofer-like booming. The end result is that game details, especially in 3D multiplayer games, are deadly accurate.
In addition, unlike most professional phones, these can be driven well by any soundcard with stellar results. No need for a separate amp, though it does improve to another level with a headphone amp.
In fighting games I can now easily hear distant footsteps moving in my direction that were previously undetectable. I can tell in what direction, distance and height a bullet comes from when it approaches or passes me. All of that information results in a lot of people suggesting that I cheat, and in a way, I guess I am but really I'm just exploiting all of the information available better than other players. Bass is often a bad thing in such games. It saturates the details available and reduces everything to a muddy thump, so critical information you can benefit from is usually lost in a storm of competing sound.
You'll also hear things on audio CD's you've never heard in songs before. The detail is that impressive.
However, anyone looking for bass-heavy headphones will be hard-pressed to find these to their liking. They just will not. I find people are either bass-friendly or treble-friendly with little room in the middle. People who like a bright sound will love these earbuds.
The fact that they're earbuds is both a blessing and a curse. First they take some getting used to as most people are not comfortable with something stuck directly into their ear for any period of time. Once you adjust, you barely even notice they're there. The seal, when done properly, is total and immersive. My wife now often scares the HELL out of me when she comes into a room. Most often she's been calling me including from right behind me while I'm totally oblivious to her calling.
In addition to the fit issue, there is also the ear wax issue. If your ears generate a lot of wax, do NOT even consider earbuds. You're wasting your time. The Ety's come with small filters that keep the drivers and canal free of earwax but need to be replaced when clogged. They cannot be salvaged and these tiny filters are not cheap (about $20 for 6). Some get years out of 6, others get weeks. Depends on your ears, amount of wax and how often you clean the wax out of your ears. Big fans literally use drops to force the wax out. I'm not that dedicated so I go through filters about once every few months.
The cord is also an issue. Since these earbuds connect so well with your ear, all movement of the cord transfers to rubbing noises passed to your sealed ear. Much like what you hear when you're underwater or when you cover your ears firmly with your hands and tap your head with your fingers. Eating is absolutely a bad idea. Each bit of crunching, no matter how mild, will sound like an army of horses running through your head.
The cord is also a bit short, but acceptable.
The box you get for these is a bit impressive. It comes with a nice tool for storing and removing the filters, a few pairs of rubber inserts (which I prefer), several pairs of foam inserts (for those that don't like the rubber, though I find they itch) that easily adjust to the shape of your ear canal, a 1/8" to 1/4" conversion jack and a nice carrying case for travel.
Getting the proper fit takes a bit and some real fans of these spend a LOT of money having an audiologist create form-fitted ear pieces for these. Short of that, you'll spend some time figuring out how to properly fit them in your ears. If they are not properly sealed, the sound will be flat and lifeless. Once you get the feel down, you'll find it easy to repeat and the first time you do nail it, the sound quality will blow you away. It's just that obvious.
On a train or plane, you can pretty much knock out the sound of the engines and tracks and most any surrounding noise. I've missed quite a few announcements while listening to music, playing a DVD or game on my laptop while flying. They're also a breeze to travel with given their tiny size.
While they're not for everyone, those they are for will find them hard to beat and will not part with them for anything else. I've worked with all levels of headphones for 20 years and nothing has approached the detail possible with these earbuds, especially with respect to gaming.
The ER4P MicroPro earphones are the next best thing to live music, with noise isolation far surpassing that of active noise-canceling earphones.More at PCNation
Noise isolation: 35-42 dB Maximum output: 122 dB SPL Weight: less than 1 oz. Response accuracy: 86% Frequency response: 50-10 kHz ± 2 dB; 20-16 kHz...More at Amazon
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