jack.daniel's Full Review: Etymotic Research ER-4S Consumer Headphones
I've been a closet audiophile for most of my life, lusting for sonic accuracy but hampered by fiscal constraint. I knew what recorded music should sound like but my relatively timid purchases left me unsatisfied. Then I heard about the Etymotic phones.
Finally, music sounds as it should. I now experience real clarity, depth, and accuracy every day. The payoff is rich: all my CDs are essentially new to me. The ability of the Etymotics to block extraneous sound and faithfully reproduce what's fed into them is a kind of revelation.
My setup consists of the Panasonic SL-CT470 CD player, the basic Airhead amp from Head Room (a great company), and the ER-4S headphones themselves. Though it's become something of a decision to listen to music -- I have to actually set up the amp, properly insert the tiny headphones into my ear canals, test for a good seal, and adjust the whole arrangement until things are comfy -- I don't mind, since the result is superb and I've never thought that listening to music should be an afterthought anyway.
I also feel that I'm becoming a better listener. It's not just that the phones reveal nuances and separate layers of sound to a degree that's new to me, but they are making me more subtle in what I bring to the sound: for instance, I no longer think of bass as a thumping and somewhat murky deepness, but as a highly articulated and tone-rich experience. This becomes especially apparent with bass drum and effects-free bass guitar.
Even so, these headphones require a mild commitment. If you don't have the time to set them up properly each time you want to listen, you're better off with less labor-intensive units. Also, the sound isolation is enough to make the phones dangerous or irritating to anyone required to stay in touch with the sounds of the outside world. I've also read negative comments about the microphonic effect produced by any incidental contact with the connecting wires, but I got over this within a day and no longer think of it as much of a hindrance.
But if you want true immersion and visceral satisfaction, do try the Etymotics. The $270 is well spent.
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