REVIEWER BIASES:
I prefer my sound akin to a mug of Starbucks Italian Roast coffee: warm, full-bodied, dark, and boldly rich with hints of sweetness.

MUSIC SELECTIONS:
• Toby Keith Shock ‘N Ya’ll (HDCD)
• Eagles Hotel California (HDCD)
• Norah Jones Come Away with Me, Feels Like Home
• Sade Lover’s Rock (HDCD)
• The White Stripes Elephant
• Linkin Park Meteora
• Renee Fleming Bel Canto, By Request, Under the Stars
• Andrea Bocelli Sogno, Sentimento, Cieli Di Toscana
• Hans Zimmer Gladiator
• Rachel Podger Antonio Vivaldi: La Stravaganza: 12 Violin Concertos
• Anne-Sophie Mutter Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (DVD-Audio)
• The Beach Boys Pet Sounds (DVD-Audio)
• Fleetwood Mac Say You Will (DVD-Audio)
• Sting Sacred Love (DVD-Audio)
• Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (DVD-Audio)
• Roxy Music Avalon (Hybrid SACD)
• Diana Krall The Girl in the Other Room (Hybrid SACD)
• Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Top Gun (Single Layer SACD)
• Anne-Sophie Mutter Beethoven: Violin Concerto / Romances (Single Layer SACD)
• Midori Debussy, Poulene, Saint-Saens (Single Layer SACD)
• Nikolaus Harnoncourt Anton Bruckner: Symphony No.9 (Hybrid SACD)

ETYMOTIC RESEARCH ER-4P/S: http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er4.asp
The Etymotic Research ER-4P/S is perhaps the best selling audiophile earphone on the market…period. It vaunts an impressive average sound isolation rating of 22db-32dB NRR. This is a versatile canal phone: the ER-4P is easy to drive (~ 25 ohms) and sounds warm while the ER-4S is harder to drive (~ 105 ohms) and sounds neutral. Designed for portable usage where high sound isolation is a necessity, newer versions feature thinly braided cables that reduce microphonics.
Owners love them for their extremely clear, detailed, and resolved sound. Furthermore, imaging and separation of instruments are par excellence. For example, I can hear fingers squeaking up and down the neck of a guitar. As another example, I can hear whether a musician breathes through his nostrils or a slack jaw.
Yet, owners acknowledge their paucities. They have criticized them for anemic bass and shrill treble. For example, I can hear bass notes but I do not feel the visceral slam. As another example, notes beyond the 12.5 KHz threshold sound piercing because of the limitations associated with the single bore / driver design (that leads to clipping). The soundstage is narrow and hemmed in. There are other quibbles. Owners must periodically replace the filters and ear tips to keep them clean. While the thinly braided cables reduce microphonics, they fail to eradicate them due to an inherent design flaw of the earphones. Lastly, the ER-4P/S is a single bore / driver design that is nearly a decade old.

ULTIMATE EARS UE-10 PRO: http://www.ultimateears.com/UE-10_PRO.htm
The Ultimate Ears UE-10 PRO incorporate the best features of the ER-4P/S, but UE takes it to the pinnacle level of performance. In other words, it retains the same level of extreme detail, resolution, clarity…and more. For example, each note embodies its own full-bodied shape: Renee Fleming, who has the voice of a seraph, sounds so convincingly real that I feel she sings only for me. As another example, the whole hemisphere of my brain becomes the soundstage: imaging, instrument separation, and multiple layers of sound take on a three-dimensional, holographic realism. Bass exudes full-bodied warmth: these are the Ultimate Earphones for bassheads! Midrange maintains clarity, extreme accuracy, and transparency. Trebles extend up far while still sounding silky smooth. Changes in dynamics or tempo occur at the speed of light.
Other key features make the UE-10 PRO unrivaled in the in-ear monitor business: it provides an average a sound isolation rating of 26dB NRR that should be adequate for portable usage in even the noisiest environments. If done correctly, then the ear impressions provide the ultimate level of comfort for extended periods; I can even sleep with them in my ears. With the UE, there are no “hidden costs:” owners do not need to replace filters or ear tips. Its’ extremely low impedance (13.3 ohms) permits owners to use them with any source. While this obviates the necessity of a headphone amplifier, I still highly recommend using one! The thinly braided cord loops behind each ear and eliminates microphonics. Owners can detach/replace cords of different lengths/colors and choose from a variety of different colors (or color swirls) along with having their initials engraved on both earpieces. Lastly, owners get a Heavy Metal CaseTM to safeguard their costly investment.
Speaking of price, it costs $900 USD for the hard acrylic or “full soft” material, up to $50 USD for the audiologist fees, and an additional $50 USD for the full-soft material along with shipping and handling fees. Please note owners cannot resell them because UE cannot remanufacture an existing set of ear impressions for another person.

CONCLUSIONS:
If you can afford them, then I recommend the Ultimate Ears UE-10 PRO over the Etymotic Research ER-4P/S unhesitatingly: there is no comparison…period. I daresay that the UE-10 PRO will work well with any audio system. Once you hear the UE-10 PRO play your favorite song, I guarantee you will believe every penny paid was totally worth it. UE sets the benchmark for customer service – they lavish you with the “rock star treatment.” If you want the best in IEM design and technology, then the UE-10 PRO is the ultimate solution.

So how is the UE-10 PRO compare to the E5C ? Have you ever tried the E5C ?

Cheers,

I never tried the UE-5c. Sorry...

Without custom fitting there would be sound leakage.

If this is the case it would mean I cannot take advantage of special offers for ER-40 & 4S at $200.

Thanks
SS

[Edited by Reticuli on 11-27-2004 at 07:12 PM.]

Reticuli: The Sennheiser 650 to my ears don't hold a candle to the ER4S. The only thing about them is I can still hear arround me and don't need a big amp like the omegas (or do I ?). Otherwise they are slighly bright compared to a live signal and the Etys and the Omega both agree in comparison. Live recorde punk rock hurts in my ears, more then it should. This brighness makes organs harsh sounding. Violins tend to get edgy. Baroque trumpets in a distant 2 mike stereo recording should sound very warm and spaciously mellow. Not stand out strong and bold, totally unlike the real performance I listened to, some soprano voices get changes enough were I am not sure if I recognize the singers. The Etys and the Stax Omega agree much more when it comes to a live classical concert listend to live and then recorded state of the art and listened to with all these cans. The Sennheiser is artificially bright and it does not matter what DA converter, amp or cables it is hooked up to. Unless the Headroom Blockhead amp totally changes the sound I don't quite care for these. But that is a lot of money and I might just stick with the beautifully detailed Omega and take a chance and buy the UEs. But seriously how does the Ultimate Ear stack up in a fair mmatch with the Etymotic ER4S. Has anyone compared molded etys to these golden ears UE-10s? I am very tempted to try if no one comes forward and hope to report then.

Fuzzy

My results were not favorable. When they showed up, the seal wasn't good and the sound was horrible. For the first round, the manufacturer blamed me for not knowing how to put them in (yeah. Right!). Then, for round two, they will blame the audiologist who did the impression. The audiologist then blamed the manufacturer for trimming too much. After a while, neither will talk to you (damhik!) and they certainly won't talk to each other as neither thinks they can make a mistake.

Note that the big three custom in-canal manufacturers: Sensaphonics, Westone, and Ultimate Ears all offer 30 days on the impression fit and some from the time they are shipped - not when you recieve them. If they don't fit who is to blame and how will you resolve it? None offer a money-back guarantee (as they are custom made) so if it doesn't work, you are out $700-900 depending on what you bought.

It's a gamble on fit and you can be out a lot of money if the fit becomes a finger pointing game. If you "think" $900 is expensive, you may be better off forgeting about something as extravagant as custom made in-ear phones.

A jar of petroleum jelley should not be a requirement to assure fitment of custom molded plugs - but it can! Buyer beware.

Rafael

Thanks again,

Rafael