Etymotic ER-4S

It's hard to imagine that such superb sound can come from such tiny objects, but trust us: these ER4S ear canal headphones [ECHs] are a traveler's best friend. "Extremely detailed across the entire musical spectrum", "well-balanced", and "amazing highs" are just a few phrases used around here to describe the audiophile sound of the Etymotic ER-4S. A lovely sonic check-out from the hectic & noisy 'real world' is what the Etys promise —and they will deliver. The minimum -23db of isolation leave the ER-4S unrivaled by any closed/sealed headphone or by active "noise-canceling" headsets. Wearing comfort with all ECHs depends solely on your ear canals — 85% of people find the design fairly comfortable to wear — and if you find the stock eartip sleeves too uncomfortable to deal with, one can always get audiologist-customized ear molds made exclusively for you by the good folks over at Sensaphonics or Westone Labs. The ER4S delivers a very well-extended midrange & ultra-clear treble response that might qualify as one the very best in the ECH category. However, funk-loving listeners who enjoy a big full bass presence might find the Ety sound signature a tad lean in the bottom-end for their tastes.

The ER-4S are one of the few earphones that require a dedicated portable headphone amp to sound their best. Their very stiff 100-ohm impedance rating makes them slightly hard-to-drive -- and thus somewhat 'flat-sounding' & undynamic -- when plugged directly into most portable audio players (iPods, Mp3 players) or laptop computers unless you use a quality portable head-amp like one from our HeadRoom Mobile, Micro, or Desktop series! Please consider the nearly-identical Etymotic ER-4P model for non-amped use.

The high-impedance, single microdriver Etymotic ER-4S provide excellent sound quality while remaining small enough for total traveling convenience. Contrary to popular belief, the chances of hearing damage are actually lessened with the Etys and other ear canal headphones because of their amazing isolation properties — you don't need to turn them up as loud to overcome external ambient noise in order to get full musical clarity & impact. The ER4S come with two different types of variously-sized earpieces: black foam-material tips and white flanged flex-silicon 'X-mas tree' type eartips. If you find that neither of these tip types works right for your particular ear geometry, you can have a custom ear-mold made by specialists like Sensaphonics or Westone Labs. The ER-4S also include a shirt clip that serves dual functions: to keep the tension from the cord off the ears, and to deaden that annoying microphonic "thump" sound made by accidental rubbing/ body contact with the earphone cable. The Etys are terminated to a 1/8" (3.5mm) mini-plug with a 5-ft cord, and come in a nice, plastic storage/maintenance case that contains the following: 3 pairs of white flanged rubber tips; 5 pairs of black foam tips; 2 green internal filters; a filter-changing tool; a shirt clip; a hard-shell carrying pouch; and a handy 1/4" inch adapter to a full-size plug.

Obtaining a good ear canal seal with the Etymotics -- or with ANY in-ear earphone -- is critically important for best sound quality. Please watch the Etymotic Insertion Video to learn more about proper in-ear earphone insertion techniques.