Pros: Excellent sound quality (except cable noise distracts from this)
Cons: High price, comfort and best performance requires custom earpieces (even more $)
The Bottom Line: Cord noise, high price, and requirement of custom earmolds at additional price for optimal comfort and performance make the Etymotics uncompetitive with Sony and Bose.
epinion8ted's Full Review: Etymotic Research MicroProâ„¢ ER-4P Consumer Headp...
I am a frequent flyer (1,000,000+ miles), and I enjoy the advantages of noise-canceling headphones for music, movies, and just sleeping (connecting them to nothing at all). I bought the Etymotic ER-4Ps hoping that they would be worth the high price (more than twice the cost of my Sony NC-10s), but was disappointed to find out that they not only weren't better, but they aren't as good. I know some audiophiles will take issue with this, but my Etymotics sit in the closet collecting dust while my Sonys are back in my good graces.
On the plus side, the Etymotics do sound great. I don't listen to music that's particularly challenging (pop/rock from a MD player, mostly), and the ER-4Ps sound good. Not particularly bass-heavy, but I perceive the sound to be very "accurate". The well-documented problem with the Etymotics' microphonic cord (you can hear the cord loudly when it shifts/moves) may be better with the ER-4Ps, but for someone used to either Sony's or Bose's alternative products, it's annoying and bothersome.
One of the things I was looking for was a more comfortable set of headphones since the Sony's sometimes bother my ears on long flights (my ears dry out and chafe a little since the earphones plug in tightly to seal out noise). The ER-4Ps were not much of an improvement. First, they are more difficult to insert in my ears and get a good seal (the Sonys are easy and the Bose are over-the-ear models) -- it's possible, but even after a good seal I find that the ear-earphone seal breaks and I have to reinsert them periodically (not a problem with the Sonys) to regain sound isolation. The ER-4Ps feel more "pointy" in my ears than the Sony, and don't seem more comfortable.
Part of comfort is being able to enjoy the noise-canceled silence and sleep in my earphones with no input on planes. The microphonic cord makes that difficult since the effect is even more noticeable with no background music, and any movement of the cord makes enough noise to wake me up.
Etymotics devotees may make the point that I need to get custom ear seals to really enjoy these the way they should be enjoyed. I can't confirm or deny that assertion, but I would expect a $250+ product to perform better out of the box and I was unable to easily locate someone to create custom earmolds nearby, even if I were willing to pay more.
Overall, I am disappointed with this purchase, and wish I hadn't made it (I would MUCH rather have two sets of Sony NC-10s than one set of ER-4Ps, and I would still have change to boot!).
One more note, the people at Headroom (where I bought the earphones) were very nice and professional and provided excellent service. They do offer a good return policy, but I didn't get a chance to try out my earphones on a long flight until after my 30-day return time period was exhausted.
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
BRAND NEW ITEM! AUCTION DESCRIPTION BRAND NEW! SEALED! Retail Packaged. ER-4P earphones have enhanced bass and higher sensitivity. ER-4Ps can be used ...More at eBay
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
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 Buy.com Marketplaces
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.