Etymotic ER4XR/ER4SR Review by dentReviews

A review of the Etymotic ER4XR and ER4SR earphones, with a comparison to the ER4S by dentReviews. An overview of the products and description of the sound characteristics.

[@MasterIP14]

Nice in depth review Sean, hope to see more from you in future!

[@GlitchyBastard]

Man, I hope you got more subscribers, you really deserve more attention. Great review!! Detailed and easy to understand!

[@00MetaHunter00]

Exceptionally thoughtful and thorough review. Many thanks!

[@nedzeppelin]

Exceptional. Thank you Sean. Loving my ER4SR's. Just received them today. The sound isolation and quality are excellent for my work as an online drum teacher. It really helps me hear what my students are hearing, so I can be sympathetic to what they're hearing and make changes.

[@bagajohny1673]

"You rock and I'll be back" is the best closing line I have heard in a while.

[@paco1669]

Love the thorough review!

[@dentReviews]

thanks!

[@RealStuntPanda]

Very thorough review. Thanks!

[@chenfei386]

Thanks for review and details about SR and XR.

[@a.j.fontana]

I was really liking this review. Then you started talking about Steely Dan and I started loving it.

[@tpacalypse]

Just picked up the ER2XR. I'm very impressed specially when amped.

[@totinospizzarolls4737]

Yeah the ER2XR are phenomenal. They're basically ER4XRs with a bit more sub, which I felt the ER4XR needed more volume.

[@RakeshBattulag]

Great in-depth review as others have said! My suggestion is to segment the review and mention the bookmarks in the comments below to jump straight to section one might be interested in. That way both ppl with time and those looking for quick review will be well-served.

[@dentReviews]

very good idea. i was trying to post it asap, so this was sort of rushed a bit... i can check if i can add bookmarks when i have some time though.

[@vapour_focus]

Exceptional review, thank you!

[@Wildblu]

Good job, Sean! I didn't even know the SR and XR were out. I'm really interested in this "fit" video you mention that you're going to make. I've used multiple Etys over the last 14 years, and find the fit issue to be very important. I even had custom ear molds made for my Etys, which I hope you address in that video as well. Keep it up!

[@dentReviews]

coming soon :-)

[@dentReviews]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5vFZ6qjhqiIerM

[@docdetroit99]

Excellent review.Over the last 14 years I've owned two pair of 4pts (the first pair was replaced with a new pair after a cable failure) and will be getting the ER4sr earphones in the mail in a few days. Each time I've been in the market for a new set of earphones I've considered other, more expensive brands but have always come to the conclusion that (as you pointed out) the ERs are the best buy on the market!

[@dentReviews]

indeed. i own the er4sr and er4xr. they are both amazing.

[@icriou]

very good review! thanks for sharing

[@seandentremont9094]

Thanks. i hope to be getting back to making more reviews soon.

[@geraldescalante2577]

Great review. Feel the same about the lack of color coding and thinner cables. Wondering if there are third party cables that fit their custom MMCX connectors.

[@humorss]

my blue red er4s cable is still working, but I did replace the driver once One way to correct the bass for some music is to elevate the sub bass, I do +10db at 31hz, the bass is more apparent, and it doesn't alter the vocal as much

[@danielbeatty487]

I bought both of these recently and the description of how the XR sounds great and full bodied with few instruments and the SR shines with a lot going on is super accurate. Listening to Kendrick Lamar's to Pimp a Butterfly definitely needed the XR. Some songs the kick sounds flabby but the bass guitar sounds great on the XR vs perfect kick sound and ALMOST thin sounding bass guitar and with the SR. Some songs the low end on the SR sits perfectly in the mix, especially the more classic styles of recording like orchestral/stereo pair types. The only other thing is that horns sound a bit smoother on the XR, perhaps due to a little more lower mid "warmth". The XR seems to smooth out the 2k-3k region a little more. Personally, I'm leaning towards the XR due to it seeming more "full" and "warm", but it's proving very difficult to choose.

[@dentReviews]

it is indeed. the sr with eq is great as is the xr with an eq cut. if you don't mind eq. i'd lean to xr personally as it will "always" at least sound great if not excellent. at times the sr may sound even better, but at other times it may sound thin and fatiguing in comparison. so the xr is maybe "safer" overall. but both are probably equally good. I think the xr bass level is better, it just bleeds into the lower mids a bit. tradeoffs for sure...

[@EssenceofPureFlavor]

Does the XR extend lower than the SR, or is it just louder? I prefer a neutral sound generally, but across as wide a band as possible. Do you think it would be better to get the SR, or get the XR and then just lower the bass eq?

[@jonathanoh4100]

Good stuff, thanks.

[@johnyang799]

er4sr with ptos adapter from etymotic is the best combination imo.

[@rotex]

Great review! love Etymotics. Still have my er6i. My wife and I use ERS with amp on our motorcycle. Did you use an amp for your comparison? Also I am looking for triple flange clear replacement. The gray do not seem the same as they used to be, more stiff. How do the new clear seem to be?

[@andrewr8364]

well done thanks, would be good to get a shot of how it looks/ fits in the ear.. Cheers

[@dentReviews]

i posted some on head-fi... in the er4s thread...

[@Z3Chosen1]

When will you be making the review?

[@NiharSavala]

I have the 4SR & the ER6i. I got the 4SR for mixing reference. What you mentioned at 18:50, about the adding that little bass to the 4SR to make it close to the perfect studio monitor ; Does the EVO go in that direction? I was wondering if EVO could be a good friend to the 4SR for mixing & mastering music.

[@dentReviews]

the evo does go that route a little bit. but the treble also changes a bit too. i think they're similar in their accuracy but different... no eq i would prefer evo. with eq i prefer sr.

[@charlesfrahme2769]

Great review. I've been enjoying the ER4PTs for almost 2 years. I'm considering purchasing the new SR version using Etymotic's trade in program, available in July. Although you've only had them a short while, do you still like the SR? ( I like neutral, flat, accurate response so am not interested in the XR model.)

[@dentReviews]

i like the sr more than the xr and ever so slightly more than the s mostly. i would get the sr and not worry about the xr at all if you find the bass good on the er4pt. if you feel the bass is greatly lacking, i'd get the xr. otherwise, the xr offers nothing over the sr for people who already love the er4s line. it just adds more bass, so if you want that it's great, but even though small, it can only add bass at the slight detriment of the rest of the response... so the sr is truly the reference model here. the xr is just a nice bassier flavor of the sr.

[@bid6413]

My almost 20 Year old Etymotics have finally broken off in my ear molds. The cable is as good as new but the small diameter ends do the drivers have separated from the body. I have to bite the bullet and buy new ear molds and IEMs. Etymotics are my first choice but I have a question you may be able to help me with. With age (71) I’m losing my upper and mid range hearing. Not yet ready for hearing aids but definitely have a mid to high frequency loss. How would you suggest I approach selecting my next IEM’s? I definitely do not think I need more base so the 4XR are probably not my best choice. Any thoughts on what my next steps should be will be appreciated. Regards, Will

[@lgsoltek]

I have 4s and 4b for years. I might get an XR as a complement to these two...

[@johnyang799]

try red filter for 4b.

[@jmongesr]

Hi. Great Review. I have a pair of HD600 and am thinking of getting a pair of iems for portability that sound close to the Sennheisers. Which one of the etymotics (er2 or er4) would you suggest?

[@dentReviews]

Well, I would note that none of them sound "exactly" like the hd600. But in terms of accuracy and overall balance, I would get er4xr no question. If cost is an issue, er2xr. But er4xr is more smooth and resolving like hd600 a bit.

[@minhbu95]

Hey great review! One question: Have you tried the Jays Q-Jays? It's their flagship iem. If you have, one would you compare that one to this XR or SR? Thanks, great detailed review again!

[@dentReviews]

have have not had a chance to hear those, so i can't comment... sorry.

[@iheartcomps]

do you know if they are compatible with shure mmcx cables?

[@TrantaLocked]

It's really hard to decide on one pair of headphones because of the variance in music. As an ER4PT owner, sometimes the ER4P sounds better and other times the ER4S; it depends on the music and how it was mixed or even what I'm in the mood for at the time. I decided to go with the ER4XR, still waiting on it to arrive. I've heard the ER4S and thought the clarity was great, but drum impact was noticeably lacking (ER4P improves on this but not quite enough, it's close though). Fullness doesn't seem lacking, though it could be improved. But drums sound artificial and missing impact. It's the only aspect I'd call a true con of the ER4S sound, which at times can be a bit sibilant but not enough to be fatiguing. If I'm not a fan of the XR I might consider the SR, but then I'd be giving up the versatility of the ER4PT with the adapter (I can only keep one set due to budget concerns). I'm fairly confident in the XR though.

[@Paelorian]

How has it gone? I'm trying to decide between the ER4-PT, which I've seen as low as $180, and the currently much more expensive ER4-XR (I like accuracy, but I'm leaning toward the XR over the SR as it seems to have a more general recommendation from reviewers).

[@donunus]

The hollow sound you are talking about with the sr could be due to burn in. The s is an old pair thats had hours of music fed into it after all.

[@johnyang799]

Don Vittorio Sierra no

[@neelshiv]

Thanks for the review! Do you think that the er4xr could be sufficiently driven by an iphone or portable device?

[@dentReviews]

Absolutely. They are much more sensitive than the er4s, so at any given volume they are a decent amount louder and don't require an external amp for most decent devices like an iphone or galaxy.

[@chrisstroud60]

Please do a video on the er2se if you get a set

[@dentReviews]

i have and i am. ;-)

[@see08sharp]

I absolutely loved the ER4-PT, but in the end sold them as I felt the sub bass just couldn't do a track like Mike Oldfield's "Tubular World" justice. Without sub bass oomph (

[@dentReviews]

get them both and return the one you like less... etymotic has a great return policy direct from them... sounds like you might like the xr though... it isn't a huge boost in sub bass, but it is more.

[@johnyang799]

you are a bass head then klipsch x10 x11 x12 x20 are goos for you.

[@cyclops214]

Just got my SR today. Do you run yours on high or low impedance through a amplifier?

[@johnyang799]

Low please.

[@pozamatrixem7540]

How about synergy with iPhone (I have 6s plus). Does it work better witj SR than with multi-armatures IEM (like top Shure); greetings from Poland

[@WideOpenChange]

This may sound silly but could you EQ the the SR to do what the XR can do?

[@dentReviews]

They are technically different drivers, although the overall frequency response is very very close. I believe you can make either sound very very similar to the other using eq, yes. If you want the best bass though I would buy the er4xr and eq it down to be an er4s. I believe the subtractive eq is the way to go.

[@RomanOrekhov]

Didn't you get the frequency response graphs within the packages?

[@johnyang799]

fr not always tells what you hear. Because as the package shows that 4s are almost identical to 4sr.

[@miguelluz7765]

Nice review! On the bass response, how would you compare the SR and XR to Sennheiser HD800S? (i don't know if they can even be compared) Thank you.

[@dentReviews]

first, I haven't yet heard the hd800s, so i can't comment on that specifically. However, the sennheisers have fairly similar bass responses between the hd 600 and 800 series. And the hd600 is more convincing bass than any etymotic because of the form factor of the headphone. That doesn't mean it is as accurate though, and some prefer the etymotic. any sennheiser will give you more speaker like bass. The etymotic will give you more revealing bass perhaps in terms of detail... It is really a difficult comparison...

[@MT-ll3tu]

The ER3SE can be EQ'd to sound like the ER4, It pretty much a budget ER4PT. Since it FR matches the ER4P.

[@dentReviews]

The er3se is definitely close to the er4sr, however, the er3se is also definitely more accurate than the er4p. they are not the same treble. but you could probably get the er3se very close to the er4 with eq for sure.

[@MT-ll3tu]

@@dentReviews The ER3SE uses a different driver that close to what the ER4SR uses. 3SE odd sounds like the 4SR/S with less treble, While the ER4P sounded like stuff was missing kinda. But I've liking the ER2SE more since i don't EQ to make it sound like ER4SR/S, Since the FR the same with no 7k dip.

[@matusjurcik6974]

Hello do you swap cable with them? From my xperience the stock cable sounds horrible...

[@dentReviews]

i don't put much stock in cable differences myself. I've found they make no major difference unless there is a drastic difference in impedance and the iem is ultra sensitive to that. if you mean cable vibration noise, they aren't the best but i find wearing them over the ear ans clipping them to a shirt helps a lot.

[@matusjurcik6974]

@@dentReviews no I just mean that the stock cable causes veil and bluntness in the sound its obvious :) when u cable swap...

[@Zenatrons]

Do you have any experience with the ER4P-T? They are much cheaper than the newer models on Amazon and I don't know if the differences can be justified by the large gap in price.

[@dentReviews]

That is perhaps a matter of opinion, but my opinion is that the sound quality is worth the price. I always found the er4s superior to the er4p. The er4pt usually has the P to S adapter, so if you get the S sound for say $200, that is tough. Because although I prefer everything about the er4sr and er4xr better, the sound difference is minor (but still better) compared to most other earphones which vary greatly from the er4s sound. If you are buying one new and not used, and from a reputable person, I would personally still buy the er4sr or er4xr myself, but I don't think anyone would be crazy to get the S sound and save $100+ dollars. But it's not just the sound. The cable is removable and feels a lot nicer and has a smaller connector and earpieces that are more compact to store and seem to wear a bit deeper for me more easily. They are also louder than the er4s at the same source volume by a decent amount if you aren't using an amp. But the sound quality, while again better, is definitely relatively small between the two. The biggest difference will be your source and output volume, cable quality, and compactness.

[@johnyang799]

Have you tried add ptos cable to er4xr?

[@dentReviews]

John Yang i have only used the stock cable...

[@larethio9710]

Great! this video needs more attention and less dislikes. -Larethio

[@cryptogymbro]

How these compare to Phonak Audeo PFE 232?

[@dentReviews]

More smooth sound. 232 is more boosted bass and treble. It's a good earphone, but I find the er4 makes everything more accurate, smoother, but leaner sounding...

[@johnyang799]

Try add some resistance to er4xr.

[@hyottoko2]

would this work with a ipod touch?

[@dentReviews]

for just listening to music? yes. absolutely. there are no "controls" on this model though.

[@Adam-tp8py]

Just ordered the XR in the name of tonal balance. I'm hoping I'm not about to receive something v shaped. I am quite sensitive to sub bass recognition. I like the tonal balance of the Mad Dogs and HD600s, for example; though I'm more than aware that the XR has a slightly more emphasised low end than both. Would the SR be better?

[@S.G54321]

Teiichi XR is clearer than HD600 and Mad Dogs. That's all i'm saying 😉. Enjoy.

[@y34r]

I have been wondering this myself, since i've got my SR for two weeks now. Comparing SR to my hd600 ,hd650 and thinksound on2 and sennheiser's mx475, I would say SR is the most transparent and neutral of them all. I'm so itching to buy XR to compare ,but i'm afraid the bass boost would be too subtle and wont be any different to SR

[@Adam-tp8py]

y34r While I cannot speak for the SR, the XR has a delightful tonal balance. It can become a little bit...I hesitate to use the term lifeless, but there's quiet steep cut off at about 16.5-17K that can get rid of some shimmer of cymbal extension. The XR, I would say is still more neutral than the HD6000, at least in the mid range and upper regions. This is because of how little mid bass bleed (consequently bloom) there is, leaving you with a very controlled sub bass presence that is infinitely cleaner than the HD600. While I cannot say they are a coloured headphone in regards to the low end, I also cannot call them truly neutral. You have to try them out to understand what I mean, but I suspect you won't be disappointed.

[@S.G54321]

Teiichi Just to let you guys know I have heard that the Noble Sage is a Etymotic Er4P on steroids and people have compared it to the XR as well and have ended up with the Sage. I haven't listened to the Sage yet but so far very very very good impressions about them :)

[@y34r]

Oh shit, you shouldn't have post that, now i'm torn between noble savanna and er4xr. Lot of reviews seems to be saying savanna has er4sr's flattish signature but little,but noticeable, boost in bass and sub-bass ..... Now, i cant really decide lol

[@gilgamesh_the_god9403]

You should try the Prophile 8 they are pretty reference sounding from what I hear from people.

[@johnyang799]

I mean it gives me a feeling that you wear 4sr little bit shallower than 4s.

[@paulosilva8200]

How about the er2? Are they good? Eachone has the most volume ?

[@dentReviews]

ER2 are excellent. Very very similar to the ER4. All the new ER earphones are very easy to drive, unlike the older ER4S... They're pretty similar, not sure which is louder, but none of them have any major different in volume.

[@paulosilva8200]

@@dentReviews thanks buddy

[@spsp5412]

How are the headphones after a year?

[@spsp5412]

*earphones

[@dentReviews]

best headphones ever. however i did get the er4b and i have to say, while not for everyone perhaps, they are incredible in their own right. but the er4xr/sr are absolutely awesome. and my regular earphones.

[@vijendrachejara5060]

Pls review Sony Ericsson MH1 live sound

[@dentReviews]

Have i not done that? Wow. that is a gem. I might just do that soon.

[@vijendrachejara5060]

@@dentReviews I am waiting for your review... MH1 is available on ebay

[@dentReviews]

@@vijendrachejara5060 i own 3 of them ;) i recable them sometimes.

[@vijendrachejara5060]

@@dentReviews pls review them as well

[@MT-ll3tu]

Why are you spamming this on any ER4 focused video?.

[@NM-jn6cp]

Any viewpoints on the ER3SE and the ER3XR with lower impedence for $179??

[@Z3Chosen1]

Yes Im thinking about it

[@NM-jn6cp]

Z3Chosen1 I received mine recently. I think they are fantastic. I'd love to here your thoughts! This was a nicely detailed comparison.

[@Z3Chosen1]

John McLane can you give8 detail about them? Does it give emotion to the sound, is it flat booring? Is it the xr you got? If so how is the base really? Does it go low.enough to enjoy music?

[@NM-jn6cp]

Z3Chosen1 You may differ, it's subjective. But I do have to say it has enough base for me. (I have the ER3XR). The highs are still very much the standout feature though. The base is very tight and controlled but it is still there. The seal is also a factor. Different tips might give you a different sound signature :) Let me know what your preferences are and I'd be happy to answer some questions!

[@Z3Chosen1]

John McLane i prefer smooth base mids and highs.. enough to make me fade away in to my music and enjoy it... not to refrense like and booring. Thats why base is important to me esp sub base.. I also love hearing sound stage and great imaging.

[@CaptainLiones]

wow just last month i got my first pair of ER4 PTs, and it has the best sound quality i have ever heard in my life. much superior than any other IEMs i have tried. Only down side is last week i nearly got hit my a car coz i couldn't hear shit with these on. not sure if it is worth the upgrade though...

[@dentReviews]

don't use them while driving ;) or doing anything that requires hearing. i can't ever hear people talking to me with them on. ha. so they are definitely great if you don't want to talk to people ;)

[@loafie3058]

I got mine in January. They have an option on their website to send them your ER4PTs and upgrade for $75 plus shipping to the new earphones.

[@CaptainLiones]

what really? ill check it out thanks!!!!

[@johnyang799]

Damnit it's been a year.

[@dentReviews]

?

[@johnyang799]

@@dentReviews time flies

[@totinospizzarolls4737]

I don't agree with your FR interpretation. I hear a peak of atleast 2 dB at 1600 Hz, and a dip of 3 dB at 6000-8500Hz. With EQ correction, I find these remarkably revealing though.

[@luisdent]

Have you been reading the ety forum? Lol. If you have you'll see that I do agree with you. This video is older, and I stand by everything i said as far as each model differs from the other. But as i stated, all of those observations were from listening. I was guessing a lot of the values and bands based on my listening. Obviously i was very close, as most people wouldn't hear a 2db difference in one band. Nonetheless, the more I've played with eq and graphs, the more I have found the 7khz is in fact lacking a few db. So i have an eq i made based on listening and graphs over at head-fi ety forum. To me it really neutralizes them. So while i find the relationship between all these models is the same in terms of what I said, I would agree you should add a few db of 7khz. 1.6khz is more debatable, but reducing a db or two along with the 7k boost sounds great. On it's own it makes the sound too soft. I would check out the eq I posted. It seems you hear a similar response.

[@totinospizzarolls4737]

@@luisdent yeah I sometimes read the er4 forum, I don't think I realized that this was you with all those posts! I didn't realize that this video is nearly 3 years old! Yeah, I guess we hear the 1k-2k range differently, but I totally agree with you on the 7.5KHz range. I'll check out the EQ settings you posted! I use the ER4XR, and (I think we may prefer different targets here) I tend to prefer the "Harman style" bass boost, but the over-ear one. The in ear bass boost target is wayyyy too much in my opinion.

[@vijendrachejara5060]

For Studio reference sound use Sony Ericsson MH1 headsets instead of theses..

[@gullibleskeptic3237]

Sony mh1 is good but they have way bigger unit variation compared to the etymotics.

[@vijendrachejara5060]

Sony ericsson mh1 is better than these

[@johnyang799]

foam is shit。。。sounds so bad. But if you need foam try comply ts100 (round look)

[@SoundWaveTrax]

You're using the wrong tips.

[@dentReviews]

I've used many tips for many months each. Even third party. Even custom molded. Ultimately I find the triple flange work the best (standard size, not small). They seal the best, give the best bass, and are cheap enough, last long, etc. So that is my choice.

[@SoundWaveTrax]

Without a deep seal you won't get the neutral FR these are supposed to have. The foam tips you used in the video give you a midrange boost because the IEM doesn't bypass some bony part of the ear.

[@dentReviews]

@@SoundWaveTrax I know. That's why i left my last comment to you :-P