According to NASA, that story is false. It was developed by an entrepreneur who did indeed spend $1 million in 1960s money, but turned it into a business that lasts until today.
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Yet another memory from the 1960âs dashed. It is a really good pen. The zero gravity thing was by pressing down in the tip you pumped ink into the ball.
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Which SpinFits do you like?
I got my ER4XR in a couple days ago after picking them up on an Adorama sale.
Initial Impressions: (after about 4 days)
Packaging is more elaborate than the ER2XR. I quite like the QC card showing the frequency response of each earphone. They come with a lot more tip options than the ER2XR, which is a big value add. The wire is also longer and feels a bit more premium than the one that comes with the ER2.
The sound is not as punchy as the ER2XR, but more full sounding than the ER2SE. I think it sits between those two tonally. That said, the ER4XR is vastly more detailed and resolving, at least in the treble.
It did take a bit of getting used to after listening to the ER2XR regularly, but after a half a day or so, it was quite enjoyable.
I found that the triple flange eartips are the only way for me to get a good seal. The dual flange tips fit more comfortably, but they just sound dull. I think the ER4XRâs low end needs all the help it can get.
As for the timbre, I see what people are talking about. The BA does sound different from the DD, but itâs not as big a difference as I thought it would be. If I didnât know, I probably wouldnât have noticed.
Preliminary conclusion: Iâm enjoying the ER4XR much more than I was expecting to, and for the Adorama sale price, I think it would be difficult to find something that competes when it comes to detail and resolving capability.
The ER2XR is still the better value, so Iâd suggest picking those up if you havenât tried an Etymotic IEM before, but if you like the ER2XR/SR fit and are looking for something with more detail, the ER4XR is a solid option.
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Nice impressions @Panzer_Applehusky. I have owned the Etymotic ER4SEâs in the past and although I liked the sound it was the fit I couldnât get on with.
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I can totally understand that. Iâm looking into similar performing IEMâs that donât fit so deep to see which fit Iâm more comfortable with. That said, the borderline violating nature of Etymoticâs fit is a much better proposition than a lot of IEMâs Iâve tried since they donât make the outside of my ear sore. I remember trying the Shure SE425, and apart from them sounding terrible, the body of the IEM was way too big so it pressed into my outer ear making them very painful to wear.
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Fantastic deal on Amazon. EtymĹtic has the ER4SR on sale. $181.10 that is a $118.89 cent discount. Iâll have my set tomorrow. It will be interesting to listen to these with itâs balanced cable. I prefer the Studio Edition/Reference versions.
Etymotic Research ER4SR Studio Reference Precision Matched In-Ear Earphones (Detachable Balanced Armature Drivers, Noise Isolating, High Fidelity, World Leader Response Accuracy) Amazon.com: Etymotic Research ER4SR Studio Reference Precision Matched In-Ear Earphones (Detachable Balanced Armature Drivers, Noise Isolating, High Fidelity, World Leader Response Accuracy): Electronics
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I find that EtymĹtic has Deeply discounted the ER4XR, 51% $166.17 USD. Love the ER4SR I just got they are a big improvement on my ER3SEâs.
Etymotic Research ER4XR Extended Response Precision Matched In-Ear Earphones (Detachable Balanced Armature Drivers, Noise Isolating, High Fidelity, World Leader Response Accuracy) , Black , Standard https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GW786B4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_5W86SA6ZFAE8BMR888N1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
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I see the reason for these big discounts. My ER4SRâs were made in November of 2019. I suspect that in 2020 people had more important things to spend money on than a $349 USD set of earphones.
The IEM competitive space changed dramatically between 2017 and 2020. Etymotic used to be a standard, but is now one of many.
Same here. Too deep for me. I just couldnât adapt to them. I guess I had the same problem as with other round eartips not fitting into my narrow oval ear canals.
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FWIW I use size L single flange (in my case, Final Audi Type E using their included adapters to fit the slim nozzles) on my ER4XR and go with a relatively shallow insertion, similar to how I fit pretty much all IEMs (I have somewhat weird ears; somewhat recessed canals with large outer ear canal that narrow pretty rapidly; fit is tough fo rme, but I get excellent sound quality).
Here is what to use with all of the EtymĹtics, Shure foam sleeves. They seal properly to give you the best sound and they donât sit deep in you ears to do it. They are the next best thing to a custom fitting. The only down side is they do not last as long so keep a good supply on hand, but they do last a bunch longer than the EtymĹtic version. I have used them since 2015.
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Here is a tip to save you some money on your Etymotic earphones. The inserts in the ear pieces are for tuning, and to keep earwax out of the audio tube. When they get clogged you use the tool to remove and replace them. The hard to see sleeves are not cheap considering what you get. I have taken to using a 2.5mm interdental brush to clean them. First you use the tool to extract the green sleeve. Next using fine tweezers to hold the sleeve you insert the dental brush to clean it out. Than you can re-insert the now clean sleeve. Now the only time I use a new sleeve is if I lose the old one when cleaning it.
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Here is the link to Amazon where you can get them they are cheap.
100 Pieces Interdental Brush Toothpick Dental Tooth Flossing Head Oral Dental Hygiene Interdental Brush Dental Flosser Toothpick Cleaners Tooth Cleaning Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087R9WKKH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_6N1WW0TWQVKPEGY9N1BE