keep the ER6i's or upgrade to ER4's?

[jbforever05]

I've owned the Etymotic ER6i isolating IEMs for almost a year now and enjoy them immensely. I get a much clearer sound than on any other earphones I've ever used and love hearing the different instruments I never noticed before as well as the isolation that these IEMs offer. They definitely make music very fun and interesting to listen to and add new dimensions to a lot of my library. I must wholeheartedly agree with all of the positive things I heard about the ER6i's before purchasing.

While I love the ER6i's, I can't help but wonder if Etymotic has something out there that would work even better for me, the ER4's. From what I can tell the ER4's are the best that Etymotic has to offer, with the ER6i's a still very good second best. I also see that the ER4's are very pricey. Basically, I'm trying to decide whether I should upgrade to the ER4's or keep using my trusty ER6i's.

A little background on my music listening may be useful. These would usually be used with my ipod nano 2nd generation or my PC, so by no means an audio powerhouse. Also, I would not call myself an audiophile. I like good quality music but am not someone who could sit down and separate a 128 kbps AAC file from a lossless file. All of my music is encoded at 128 kbps VBR AAC in itunes. I can't tell any difference between these files and higher encoded files with the ER6i's and I wouldn't want this to change with the ER4's since I don't want to reencode my whole library and dont' want to have to fit less stuff on my ipod. I don't know the differences in sound between the ER6i's and the ER4's. From what I can tell the main difference is the ER4's give a little more bass. I don't care about this very much. I think I get a decent amount of bass with the ER6i's and don't care for the thumping cranked bass that some phones give. I'm sure the ER4's wouldn't do this, just saying that bass isn't a huge deal. I care more about the mids and highs which the ER6i does very well. So do I keep using the trusty ER6i's or would it be worth it to fork over the cash for the ER4's?

[ctakim]

This may be a hard call as you sound pretty happy with the ER6s. Also you don't sound too obsessed with absolutely having the most clear pristine sound. I have owned both and I think the ER4s are somewhat clearer overall even in the mid range and highs. The bass may be a bit more present but none of the Etymotics tend to accentuate the low end making them more true to the music than most consumer head/earphones. You sound pretty happy with what you have. I say stay with the ER6s.

[Serpent]

I own a pair of ER-6i's as well and I would love to hear the difference with the ER-4p's. I struggled with the decision between the two but I decided to save the money and I am very happy with mine also. If you get them, let me know if they are worth the extra money.

[bobb-mini]

When u have the extra cash and I stress WHEN, get a pair of ER4.

Worth it to u depends whether YOU can hear the difference. I am not into buying expensive cables or fall for hype, but I gotta say, b4r u die, you hafta listen to a pair of ER4. You may not end up liking it or the "accuracy" that it's so famous for doesn't impress you, but most ppl would say the ETY ER4 is in a class of its own (for better or worse) and that alone u have to experience it for yourself. Good resell value if u don't like 'em.

I currently listen to podcast more than music, so it would be a waste, your mileage vary am sure.

[jbforever05]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have decided to stick with what I have for now. I enjoy the ER6i a lot and am in no hurry to retire them. I will definitely have to try the ER4 based on everything that I've heard about it but with being a poor college student and happy with the excellent sound quality I am getting now I am satisfied with the ER6i. If I get the ER4 sometime in the future I would most likely have a different ipod by then that holds more and could reencode my music at a higher bitrate if need be. So the ER6i lives on.

[a7dk]

I also have (and love) the ER6i and would love to hear your impressions if you ever do upgrade to the ER4. So let us know if you ever make the switch!

[thedodgyguy]

none of the Etymotics tend to accentuate the low end making them more true to the music than most consumer head/earphones.

I think this is the single most oft-said bull-puckey about 'intended music' and the tin-can performance of the Etymotics. The competing Shures four years ago were compromised but they managed music better than the Etys even back then. Most laughably, much of the finer elements of the 'detail' that people talk about isn't in the original music.


On topic however, I think if you're happy with the 6i, stick with it - or upgrade to an IEM that delivers music instead of sound (and that is not offered by Etymotic). The 6i's are also quite practical and comfortable, moreso than the 4P's IMO.