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In Apple Store... Etymotic or E4c?

D

Demon Hunter

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Mar 30, 2004
2,284
39
Hey guys! Need your help.

I'm looking at these Etymotic Research 6i earbuds... they're $149 I think, and the E4c by Shure are twice as much! What's so different about the E4c? I know they're special fit and everything but the ER6i has the same cone-shape. I've heard good things about both. I'm looking for an earbud which is good for travel on buses especially.
 
Forgot to mention my A8s still work but there's a miniscule dent in one of them, maybe the size of a crumb, and now I get a small amount of static... they have those here too. I was very impressed with the quality but maybe these Etymotic or Shure are better?
 
I do not have either of these. But Sound and Vision magazine rated them equal and suggest to save your money and go with the Etymotic as they were the best of the bunch
 
I have Etymotics 4Ss. They are really great. I love them for flights, because with them I can barely hear the engine even on a turbo prop. Its addictive for flights. The company also gives yout otns of stuff with the product. I would have to say to go with Etymotic. I was wondering a similar question wtiht eh higher up range of Shure and Etymotica and ultimately picked my current ones dues to reviews, main reason was comfort over the shures. I mean they aren't comfortable, however, if these are more comfrotable than the shures I don't see hwo I could have standed them.
 
cnet says the e4cs are the best. i think etymotic is overrated personally, and there are lots of simple problems with their products like wires that are too thin and tangle easily. that said, i'm a shure owner. i've had the e3cs for over half a year and they are simply fantastic. you can get them for under $200 on ebay, too, but you will not necessarily have a warrantee (i read somewhere that shure only has warrantees on products purchased from them either over the phone or online)

also, with the e3c shure includes an amazing set of earpieces, seven altogether. i'm sure the e4c would have an even better set. and i think that etymotic sort of skimped on that feature with their headphones.
 
I bought the Etymotic 6's at the MacWorld Boston yesterday. I thought about the 6i's, but the guy said that they are really only worth the extra money if you already max out the volume on the iPod and want more sound. I rarely get mine over half, so I figured these would do fine for me. The other nice thing about the standard 6's is that you can eventually get custom made ear molds for them. They were having a conference deal, too, on all their products. the 6's were $99 and the 6i's were $129. I saved $40 as opposed to $20.
 
wide said:
also, with the e3c shure includes an amazing set of earpieces, seven altogether. i'm sure the e4c would have an even better set. and i think that etymotic sort of skimped on that feature with their headphones.
Click to expand...

Still, something has to be said for the two replacement filters and tool that come with the ER6i... I didn't even know earbuds had filters. :eek: I ended up not buying any, budget is too tight right now.
 
dferrara said:
Still, something has to be said for the two replacement filters and tool that come with the ER6i... I didn't even know earbuds had filters. :eek: I ended up not buying any, budget is too tight right now.
Click to expand...
Usually its not a concern. However, in earbuds of that size the speaker is so close to the ears that alot of junk gets in such as ear wax. The filters are there to prtect the speakers, which isn't nessecary on usualy headphones.

I have not tested the ER-6is, but they do look pricey. My suggestion is to go witht he regular 6s and save yourself a buck or two.
 
I've looked at several different user-review sites that assess these and other headphones/ earphones. In addition to the Apple US Store, these include:

http://www.audioreview.com/reviewscrx.aspx
http://www.headphonereviews.org/index.php
http://www.zzounds.com

Here is the average score out of 5 for each 'phone I was investigating:

Etymotic Research ER-4P -- 4.9
Yamaha RH5MA -- 4.7**
Bang & Olufsen A8 -- 4.35**
Etymotic Research ER-6 -- 4.35
Shure E3c -- 4.1
Shure E2c -- 4.1

*Sorry there's no score for the Shure E4c's - I couldn't hardly find any reviews!

**Of course the B&O and Yamaha 'phones are basically different animals to the other in-ear sound-isolating 'phones, and can't really be compared.

However, the most truly audiophile user-review site - http://www.headphonereviews.org/index.php - rates the Ultimate Ears UE-10 PRO headphones as the very best 'canal'-type 'phones. ...It's just that they'll set you back a cool 900 bucks! :eek: :D
 
If you are serious...

If you are serious about audiophile sound AND hearing conservation make sure you check out Sensaphonics at: http://www.sensaphonics.com/

They are the leading in-ear monitor provider for hundreds of musical artists [see their client list]. They also produce 9dB, 15dB, and 25dB ear plugs that retain the human ear's frequency response curve so that everything still sounds the same, just quieter.

Regarding their in-ear monitors though, they are a good chunk of change, about $650 I think. But, they are worth every penny and more! These are custom ear molds that fit snugly in your ear canal. If you don't live near Chicago, you'll have to go to an ENT to get "fitted" for the molds. The ENT then ships your custom molds to Sensaphonics. They fuse a dual driver system [one driver for low-end, the other acts as a midrange, top-end driver] around a silicon version of your molds along with a serious water-tight seal leading to a very durable 48" cable ending in a pro-audio level 1/8" male connector. Because the mold completely fits into your ear canal, you'll get 26dB reduction in the outside ambient noise level, allowing you to listen to the music significantly quieter without sacrificing any of the "musical experience." Tons of deep bass, clean smooth mid's, and a shimmering top-end.

Their site has links to many reviews, client lists, related products, they will even take Shure and Etymotic drivers and make custom molds for them. That route is much cheaper, but I'm tellin' ya, their ProPhonic SOFT 2x's are truly unbelievable.

And think about the ear plugs too! Especially if you live in an urban area that has high SPL ambient noise. Remember that unlike any other part of the human body, you can NEVER recover lost hearing. There simply is no regeneration.

JM
 
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