As in any other technology, the world of headphones has its own legends, won world recognition and sold in large print runs (or, conversely, the remaining piece and rare phenomenon). Legends are blown, left on advertising, such as Beats, and there are those who have really deserved all their popularity. Today I'll tell you about, perhaps, the most famous in-channel monitors - Etymotic ER-4.
Somehow often I've been writing such an introduction lately, but Etymotic Research started with the manufacture of devices for hearing aid and audiometry. Founded in 1983, as early as 1984 the company introduced the first in-line headphones, appearing as the inventor of such a form factor. ER models with indices from 1 to 3 were intended for audiometry and laboratory hearing studies, music was a contentious pleasure in them, but in 1991 everything changed, Etymotic ER-4 was introduced, which became the IEM benchmark for many years.
The first Etymotic ER-4s were without an alphabetic index, but they correspond to the current ER-4B, they were intended primarily for listening to speech (the letter B in the index from the word binaural), but for the rest of the music there was a lot of HF. Correct it was designed model ER-4S (from the word stereo), it was destined to become the model of the line. Later, with the growing popularity of portable audio devices, Etymotic released the model ER-4P ("portable"), which had less RF and lower impedance. Brand fans usually consider version P "not canonical", although in fact you can have both versions at once.
One of the interesting features of the ER-4 is that the P and S models are easily converted into each other, all the difference is in the resistors installed in the cable, so a simple change of the latter can be tuned to their sound. Etymotic even offers a 75Ω adapter that allows you to turn the P version into S. As the "branded" adapter is very expensive, the market is full of solutions from folk craftsmen, and on eBay you can find many options at very modest prices. Unfortunately, version B does not lend itself to this modification, since it also uses capacitors installed in the headphones themselves.
During the development of the change, the appearance also underwent. The very first modifications differed with colored plugs of the replaceable cable, and their complete wire was straight. Then the cable was made twisted, to deal with the microphone effect, and modern modifications are already produced completely in black. This, by the way, is the only change the model has undergone. Just think about it, headphones are released for 24 years, next year will celebrate the anniversary in a quarter of a century, and everything that changed in them is a cable. At the same time, they remain relevant even in our century of multi-drivers, hybrids, three-dimensional printing, membranes from nanopolymers and other high-tech achievements.
Retail price of Etymotic ER-4 for many years is 300 dollars. In 1991, it was a huge sum, which most professionals, working with sound and quite notorious music lovers could afford to part with. Nowadays this is quite an average price for good headphones. For example, (P-version with an adapter to turn into an S version) for only 17,000 rubles.
Specifications
- Emitter: with balanced armature
- Frequency range: 50 Hz - 10 KHz ± 2 dB; 20 Hz - 16 KHz ± 4 dB
- Sensitivity (@ 1 KHz): 100 dB / mW (ER-4B and ER-4S); 106 dB / mW (ER-4P)
- Impedance: 100Ω (ER-4B and ER-4S); 27Ω (ER-4P)
- Maximum volume level: 122 dB
- The maximum operating voltage (Vrms): 3.0 (ER-4B and ER-4S); 0.75 (ER-4P)
- Cable: interchangeable with 3.5 mm TRS
Packing and delivery kit
I got my Etymotic pair straight from the secondary market, so the appearance of the box and the delivery kit lost a bit of their novelty, but overall the ER-4 packaging is just perfect. They are sold in a plastic box, on top of which is a cardboard "dust jacket". Inside the box is an insert, in the slits of which all accessories are neatly laid out. In addition to the headphones themselves, complete with them you will receive:
- hood with a snake for transportation
- two pairs of large three-flange nozzles
- a pair of small three-flange baits
- two pairs of cylindrical foam nozzles
- two pairs of foam nozzles mushroom-shaped
- adapter for 6.3 mm
- Clothes clip for clothing
- tool for changing filters and self-replaceable filters
- instruction
As you can see, the delivery kit is chic, although the nozzles are highly non-standard. All of them are aimed at ensuring the maximum quality of music and high sound insulation.
Design and comfortable wearing
The appearance of the ER-4 is very spartan and to this day it does not strike the imagination. The headphones themselves are a small thickness of black cylinders, in one end of which there is a thin sound guide, and on the other - jacks for cable connection. The internal design of the headphones is as simple as possible, one radiator per channel, plus a filter in the sound.
Filters in ER-4 are replaceable, as they are contaminated with earwax, you can easily carry out replacement using a complete tool. You can order new filters on Etymotic's website (folk craftsmen wash filters using a syringe, but I prefer to just buy new ones, especially not so often).
These headphones have become not only the first universal rebar IEM, but also the first headphones with a replaceable cable. It uses its own, incompatible connector with two pins of different thicknesses (to avoid wrong connection and problems with the phase mismatches of the radiators). Despite the twisted construction, the stock headphone cable is quite loud with friction about clothes, and hardens in the frost is very noticeable, that's why many people order replacement cables for this model. I also ordered cable production in , and I use ER-4 with the product of their manufacture. With a breech landing, the microphone effect is virtually non-existent, and the lightness of the cable adds convenience when worn.
To get that sound, which is conceived by Etymotic engineers, the ER-4 needs to be placed very deep in the ears, these headphones, perhaps, are record-holders in the depth of landing. The complete nozzles do not contribute much to this process, so these headphones will not be suitable for everyone, many simply can not wear them. If your ears have become friends with them, in return you will get sound insulation, close to the maximum possible. Complete gray three-flange nozzles, usually called "Christmas trees", allow you to enjoy ER-4 music anywhere, from the metro train to the turbine of the airplane. Depending on the nozzles, sound insulation is from 35 to 42 dB.
On the Internet, I met advice to use baby oil to soften the three-flange nozzle, you must carefully apply it to the flanges themselves, trying to avoid hitting the central tube of the nozzle (it should remain rigid for reliable fixing). I did not bother with it, somewhere in 3 days either my ears were used, or the nozzle softened by itself.
Sound
The following equipment was used for listening:
- Yulong DA8 as a DAC and amplifier
- CEntrance Mini-M8 as DAC and Amplifier
- Apple MacBook Pro Retina 2013 as a source
- Fidelia as a player
- Fiio X3-2 and QLS QA360 as portable players
- VSonic Gr01 and HiFiMan Re600 as headphones for comparison
- High Definition Records in Lossless-formats (Dr. Chesky The Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc and others)
Before listening to the headphones were warmed for 48 hours.
The sound of the ER-4 depends very heavily on the attachments used, so the description of the sound below is made for the S version (100Ω) with large gray three-flange nozzles.
In general, the sound of the product Etymotic does not look like almost anything. The use of a single radiator with a balanced anchor per channel has led to the fact that they have an absolutely incredible speed and resolution, but their sound is lightweight, especially on LF it lacks physicality. But the main goal set by the developers, they are still achieved - naturalness and naturalness ER-4 knows no equal.
The bass is magnificent in resolution, speed and delineation, if the source allows, it is well controlled and absolutely clear in its place. More than enough of it and in quantitative terms, the depth also does not make you want more. At the same time, it lacks density and pressure, a small reinforcement driver simply can not "pump" enough air through a thin soundtrack to create the right pressure. The bass situation is somewhat reminiscent of the Sennheiser HD-800 story. To improve the situation, it is recommended to place ER-4 in the ears as deeply as possible.
The midrange frequencies are as ideal as they are at all for headphones of this form factor. Thanks to the excellent resolution and speed, they transmit the slightest nuances of recording beyond the limits, the tracks oriented to the MF sound very vividly and naturally. The volume is transmitted very well, both in width and height. Tracks with volume effects (such as those of Yello) amaze the imagination, recordings with a large number of instruments and voluminous rooms - will also open on the new side. Very good ER-4 and the transfer of vocals, but here it is already necessary to ensure that the records were of high quality.
The upper frequencies are fairly flat, without excessive accents and sharpness, although according to modern standards, ER-4 still are bright headphones. In recent years, headphone manufacturers very often "overwhelm" the HF range to achieve a relaxed and soft sound, which has led to the emergence of a separate movement of RF-fobs, panically afraid of any manifestation of the upper frequency range. At the same time, the high frequencies are an integral part of the sound, and on some records they just have to be. For example, the great "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" by Iron Maiden is recorded vividly, and Dickenson's voice there almost always breaks into frank sybilants, and headphones that do not win back - in fact, do not cope with the correct transmission of HF.
In general, ER-4S headphones are openly monitored, created for lovers of natural and undistorted transmission.
ER-4P with reduced impedance and slightly muted HF is quoted among the fans of sound less, as quantitatively reduced HF lead to a deterioration in the volume of sound and headphones lose in naturalness. In addition, the low-frequency range is accented, and the lack of its corporeality becomes more noticeable.
Compatibility
Although the P version plays well with most sources, it's not enough to connect "mochiki" to usual smartphones or tablets. Headphones with this resolution should be used with a source that allows them to fully tap their potential.
Genre they are almost universal, but here it is rather worth talking about the taste universality. There are no genres that ER-4 play badly, there are genres, monitor feed on which you may not like. Actually, I will not even give you any advice here, you should listen to these headphones yourself. I like almost all genres in ER-4, except, perhaps, modern pop music and primitive electronics, styles that focus on the amount of bass. Also quite specific these headphones play out heavy metal, broken down into separate notes, this style will not be liked by everyone.
The quality of recording Etymotic is very critical, like all high-end monitor headphones. Bad records with a lot of HF listening to them is very problematic.
conclusions
Unique from all sides headphones, consisting of absolute opposites. An inconvenient landing complements the excellent soundproofing, an unassuming appearance is contrasted with an excellent delivery kit, an out-of-the-way resolution is combined with an atypical light head for modern headphones, and the lack of bass is offset by its chic quality. As you know, this unusual and contradictory product simply did not have the chance to become cult and legendary, which, in general, happened.
The article is based on materials .
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