Ben Gramain

Have I given you enough time to calm down? This is a good thread to read BTW by your very own mod. Sorry it's on 'the other place'.

Exactly. I'm sure they'd suit a cubicle slave fine. I'm actually outside when I use a portable closed phone. As far as comfort goes, it's the old ear-cartilage mangling typical of a supraaural phone. I didn't find it that heinous, but some might.

Apart from the obvious externals, the tone is definitely what sells it. For most people, I think the visual impression of the wood / overall materials, and the sound that you're consequently expecting rationally or not, was a great match to the tone the phone produces (in a way that e.g the EW9 or the W1000 didn't manage). But the technicals aren't there to the same level, especially as it's not that isolating so it's harder to attribute any compromises down to a usefully isolating design. For me at least, I'll take more chops (and isolation) for this type of use even if it means less bloom down low.

You wish. I kind of wished, since mine got stuck in customs and I had to pay tax on top. The 700 is my 'low water mark' - and as such, a useful reference. Of course the ESW9 is not worse - but it was a little too close to the 700's for comfort.

See reply above. While it can sometimes be somewhat entertaining to poke a stick into peer groups of various kinds, not entirely deliberately. When I kick back and listen, I have to say I'm generally pretty happy with anything decent - but when I'm talking about relatives, I think its worth it to be more thorough than a few brief meet impressions. Sometimes I go over the edge - e.g. I once bought two HD650s and wrapped them in plastic bags for two weeks to run a test and prove a point to myself. But otherwise you're just butting egos.

I'd say pick up an MDR-V700DJ for example, take a listen, and see how far apart the two actually are. The ESW9's are agreeable for sure, but I think some people got carried away.

Diddums. Did I hurt your ego in the other posts?

I mean there's a compromise made in the frequency representation which as you acclimatise to it appears to give you more detail than would be perceived with a more balanced phone. Whether you see it as a compromise depends on a lot of factors. This isn't a new opinion - it's been something I've been aware of since before e.g. the E3c's (a different kind of compromised single-driver response, and one that didn't offer as generally favourable a response as the ER-4 because it concentrated on the midrange) came out. Have you played around with EQing multi-drivers or other phones to match the ER-4P/S's perceived response for example?

The illusion of detail is partly a tonal issue, as I'm sure you're aware. Give e.g. an 'audiophile-unapproved' phone, e.g. the Beats Solo - the perceived frequency representation of an Ety ER-4S for example, hand it to a typical audiophile of the ilk here, and see what happens. That's before anything else. I'd certainly concede regarding the price point - it appears to be a worthy replacement for the ER-6i, if it is meant to be that. I have little against the HF5 - maybe more against the 4's and the praise that's heaped on them. But the OP appears to have the budget beyond that, which is why I chose the Westones out of the list that he'd narrowed down to - and that, and the difference between the 530's and the Westones seem to be a matter of taste. I'd also agree about the poor ergos of the TF's, and that an IEM which doesn't work because it's constantly falling out of your ear is not worth even $50, no matter how many drivers it has.

It also mystifies me how people don't run simple comparisons with things they own and want to compare at the same time against another established baseline. I guess it's too much to ask.

Out of those I'd go for the Westones. I've never been an Ety fan, mind you - I don't like the way the single driver is stretched to offer the illusion of detail.

I'd take an SRH840 over an ESW9 any day. OK, so the A-T doesn't make you look like a dork, but sound quality (the 'phat' tone aside) is more on the Sony DJ side than AKG et al Studio - it mystifies me that among supposed audiophiles they get such a high rep.

YAY! (let's say I'm not fond of them) Will this mean the end of the lifetime warranty ?!?!?!

Wonder who's the dickhead - someone who gives everything a fair shake, or someone who, well, compares stuff in meets.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (pause for breath) AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH Man - I see a whole new generation of bullshit. It's wonderful to behold.

Ah yes, the 'I've tried x at meets' worthless gambit.

Interests Collecting too many mediocre-sounding headphones So yeah, why not collect fairly decent headphones like the T1?

I run a quad-Vertex array on the HTPC. So by rights I should be drowning in my jizz....? No sonic changes since I moved the FLAC library off the WHS. Tell me you're shitting us. Tell me, please.

Bah Humbug To All!

I find it pretty hilarious though that everyone is saying it should be $900. If the cups were wood, that would be out of the window. Lesson to Beyer - never underestimate the dumbness of your buyers.

Damn, too late to argue a case for the illin' Beats Solo HD's. Oh well.

Hmmm. I might give it a try. Any others would be appreciated.

The Nokia BH-214 kind of works, for anyone interested. The major issue is that you have to be very careful about which order you switch on the paired devices, especially if you have an iPieceofshit in your lineup.

Try the P's. 'For deep insertion'... oooh yeah. Of all the foamies out there, the Comply's are the only ones I find remotely tolerable these days I can't deal with triflanges anymore for *any* length of time. Not that I care to tolerate them that often, but the Comply's are infrequently useful when I don't want to use the UE's due to frequent removal but need additional isolation from the Shures.

I presume that would be the forthcoming backpack accessory.