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Etymotic ER-4 microPro Sound Isolating Earphones
Specifications
Response Accuracy: ER*4P MicroPro Earphones: 86% ER*4S MicroPro Earphones: 92% (impedance converter included) Noise Isolation: 35-42 dB Frequency response: 50-10 kHz +/- 2 dB; 20-16 kHz +/-4 dB Acoustic polarity: + electrical = + acoustic Transducer type: balanced armature 1 kHz sensitivity (ER*4P): 108 dB SPL for a 0.2 V input (102 dB @ 0.1 V; 106 dB @ 1mW) 1 kHz sensitivity (ER*4B/ER*4S): 108 dB SPL for a 0.79 V input (90 dB @ 0.1 V; 100 dB @ 1mW) Impedance (ER*4P): 27 Ohms nominal Impedance (ER*4B/ER*4S): 100 Ohms nominal Maximum output: 122 dB SPL Maximum continuous input (ER*4P): .75 Vrms Maximum continuous input (ER*4B/ER*4S): 3.0 Vrms Weight: less than 1 oz. Usability The first thing you'll notice when you put a set of ER-4Ps in your ears is that, when a proper seal is attained with the triple-flange tips, they sit fairly deep in your ear canals. This can be uncomfortable for the uninitiated (and still took some getting used to for me) but your ears will get accustomed to the fit after a few hours of listening. I tried out triple-flange tips for my Shure SE210s again to see if the Etymotics were better or worse, comfort-wise. I couldn't get comfortable with the Shures, which made me remember why I had chosen to stow those tips deep in the recesses of my desk. There are also several sets of disposable foam tips included in the package, and these have a few benefits. First of all, they don't require quite as deep an insertion to get a proper seal, and they are a bit softer on the ear. They also reportedly provide a slightly higher level of sound isolation than the triple-flange tips. The downside is that the earpieces stick out quite a bit more than with the other tips. I stuck with the triple-flange tips for most of my listening once I got used to them. The ER-4Ps, in the end, were much more comfortable as I got used to them. I ended up wrapping the cables around my ears, which relieved some of the pressure on my ear and had another benefit - this removed the cable noise (microphonics) I was experiencing. Microphonics can kill the deal with a set of IEMs. The Etymotics were noisier than most other headphones that I have experienced, probably due to their deep, tight fit in the ear canal. If you are in a sedentary listening situation, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. But I'd almost discourage active use. I say almost because you can use the aforementioned wrap-around technique or employ the included shirt clip to remove most of the problem. Running with them was out of the question as there was too much vibration that caused sound degradation. I know it's really incompetent of me to ride a bike with highly isolating headphones, but I did anyway, and the headphones worked well during that outing. I'd suspect that listening in a subway car or on a bus would work out just fine.
Page 1: Introduction & First Impressions
Page 2: Specifications & Usability Page 3: Sound Quality Page 4: Conclusion 
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Add Comment
1 User Comment 1 - Posted by
georgeryder9
on September 13, 2009 - 10:01 am I find this earphone awesome and the quality of sound is great, it is comparable to the new nokia bluetooth headset, its great experience
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