mikeymars's Full Review: Etymotic Research MicroProâ„¢ ER-4P Consumer Headp...
I researched long and hard before purchasing these, and haven't regretted the comparatively high cost ($269) for a second.
Why? Well, to put it simply, these are THE best noise reduction headphones on the market, period. Their simple, battery free passive design works, and they are a dream for the music or video lover who travels regularly.
Compared to these, the Koss and Sony series of "active" noise reduction headphones (e.g. the heavily advertised "high tech" electronic designs that "listen" to the outside environment and add a reverse sound wave to the signal going into the drivers to cancel out the unwanted sound) are an absolute joke. As example, a Koss set is bulky, heavy and only provides about 12db of noise reduction, delivering only so-so sound quality. That 12db will do little or nothing if you are trying to listen to music in seriously noisy situations such as airplanes or trains, as I do regularly.
The Eytomics -- by virtue of having a design that in essence is a very effective earplug -- offer almost TWICE the level of reduction at 23db. Insert these properly in your ear on an airplane, and a second later the world goes almost completely silent.
And against that black background, the sound quality? Fabulous. These are almost -- not quite, but almost -- as accurate as my "serious" home stereo phones, a $450 set of Sennheiser HD600's (which are generally regarded by every substantive stereo publication as the best dynamic headphone on the market). High end? Clean with a broad, definable soundstage. The midrange is almost frighteningly clear and deep. Bass is accurate, albeit the very low end -- perhaps below 75hz -- isn't quite as warm and deep as on the Sennheisers, but hey, there are limits to what you can do with an extremely small driver. Which leads me to another major benefit of the Eytomics - their size.
These phones come with a nice little storage pouch that literally fits in a shirt pocket. The drivers actually go inside your ear (think "earplug" and you'll understand how the simple, passive design of the Eytomics does such a good job at reducing outside noise). And therein lies perhaps the one real downside of these phones: as other reviews here suggest, the "feel' of the Eytomics seems to be one that people either take to right away or just can't stand. I don't mind it, but my wife feels the sensation of smooshing a soft, rubbery element deep into the ear canal to be uncomfortable.
But if the fit feels o.k., you've now got a simple, dependable output system for your music or video portable. I've been using these for almost a year now (on almost a daily basis, I commute to work by train), and in general they've held up quite well. I've only replaced the soft vinyl earpieces and the internal filters once so far, and other than the fact the cover of the left channel cable came loose from the driver (an annoyance which forced me to glue it back in place), they have held up to the daily wear and tear fabulously.
I've noticed reading some other reviews that a common complaint about the ER-4PS is the relative "microphony" of the cord (the situation when movement of the cord causes thumping noises to go into the drivers).
I suspect there are two issues here: first, early versions of these phones used the same cord as the higher impedance non-portable series of this phone (ER-4S), which has a relatively hard cover. The newer versions of the ER-4PS employ a soft plastic cover, which is much less likely to resonate when struck.
Also, listening style may come into play here: I suspect some who complain about microphony are trying to use these headphones for "active" portable use (walking, jogging, bike riding, etc.) That is an inappropriate; these phones were not designed to be used while in physical motion. Not only do those situations bounce the cord around too much, but also the huge amount of noise reduction provided by the ER-4PS makes using these in those situations literally unsafe.
Some others have also implied that many will who purchase these will -- for the sake of comfort -- have to make an additional investment in getting custom molded earpieces. I'm not sure that's accurate. I've noticed that after a week or so of use the standard Etymotic earpieces -- which are made out a very soft vinyl -- tend to "deform" to the shape of the users' ear. In other words, if you can put up with that initial "strange feeling" in your ear (not uncomfortable, just "strange,") they may eventually go away as the product adjusts to the user.
In summary, these are really the only serious choice for travelers who appreciate and know good sound.
UPDATE (09/03/03):
A few days ago, the ground wires in the left ear cable broke (right where the cable attaches to the phone). I sense this was due to the generic regular wear and tear that came from less than a year of use, not any sort of abuse. As a result, I will now have to send the phones back to the manufacturer for repair. This to say the least an annoyance; I expected better from such an expensive item.
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
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