Impressions: APureSound Ety ER4P cable

[socrates63]

I received my APureSound ER4P cable yesterday from Alex. Ever since the cable on my ER4P began cutting in and out, I had been thinking about whether I should go for [AK]Zip's cable (costs about the same as the Ety itself) or send it to Etymotic for repair (said to be $50). After hearing APureSound recabled KSC75 at a recent meet, I became convinced that it was worth it. I had no question about the workmanship as Alex is well regarded. My trepidation was about the degree of improvements that would be achieved. My only complaint about the ER4P/S sound was that it can sound a tad thin at times, and it seemed that Alex's cable would address this.

Enough blabbering, on with the pics:

As the thread title states, this is just my impressions of what I'm hearing and I'm still a newbie so take my comments for what they're worth, about 2 cents. I've listened with the cable less than an hour (not burned in if that's an issue), so you may see giddyness over a new toy in my comments. I also used a 75ohm resister connector that Alex sent, so essentially, I'm talking about the ER4S. I have a second ER4P with the stock cable, and I used the triple flange on both ER4P. Source was my iRiver iHP-140 (ALAC files) and amp was a MisterX PINT.

Physically, there is no additional layer of sheathing like the stock Ety cable but the stiffness and flexibility is about the same as stock cable. I didn't perceive a significant different in micronics either. That said, I love the braiding. It looks so organic (bundle of nerve fibers).

And now the sound... I listened to a few Alison Krauss songs as well as a couple of tracks from Korean CCM albums. Three things jumped to me immediately. First, acoustic guitars sound amazing and real. Second, the sound didn't seem like it was being generated inside my head, typical of IEMs, but rather closer to the openings of my ears, more like headphones. Third, the soundstage got bigger -- deeper and wider.

Overall, there was better detail and texture to the sound and better punch from the drums. All this had the effect of making me feel like I was brought closer to the front of the stage, somewhere between the middle rows and the front rows. In comparison, the stock cable makes it seems like I'm somewhere between the middle rows and the back rows. Clearer and more detailed transients ever so slightly fattened the sound.

My only minor quibble with the cable is with the angle of the connectors to the drivers. On the stock cable, the connector angles the cable about 35 degrees. With the APureSound cable, the cables are positioned at 90 degrees to the driver (see photos above). This means the cable rubs against the side of my face. While this isn't a big deal and not bothersome to the point of annoyance, it would be good to see Alex address this in the future.

If it hasn't been made apparent already, I really love what the APureSound cable does with the ER4P. I've tried other IEMs (E500, super.fi 5 Pro) and I prefer the Ety by a long shot. I'm glad to have found something to enhance that experience. I look forward to using the cable with my Gilmore Lite which is currently sitting in my office. I found recently that the ER4S responds well to the GLite, and portable amps don't do the ER4S justice. I also look forward to improvements with cable/ear burn-in.

[jinp6301]

I think the 90 degree bend might be for putting them around the ear, a la shure, which should reduce microphonics more

[Icarium]

Nice impressions.

With my furutech'd out v3 Qualia cable I notice similar improvements. Additionally compared to moon audio cables in general there is a significant widening of soundstage in addition to just being a clearer sound in line with that which you have mentioned.

[GPH]

My only minor quibble with the cable is with the angle of the connectors to the drivers. On the stock cable, the connector angles the cable about 35 degrees. With the APureSound cable, the cables are positioned at 90 degrees to the driver (see photos above). This means the cable rubs against the side of my face. While this isn't a big deal and not bothersome to the point of annoyance, it would be good to see Alex address this in the future.

The cable was made this way so you can wear your Etys over-the-ear like Shure, Westone, etc. and it eliminates most of microphonics.

Thanks for your impressions BTW. I ordered this cable too a couple of weeks ago and Alex said I should receive it this week. I never thought I could spend that much money on an IEM cable, but I love my Etys to death and I've always thought their weakest link was the cable design, so I think it'll be worth it.

Did you notice any difference with bass presentation?

[boomana]

Nice impressions! How long is that cable?

GPH, welcome to head-case

[socrates63]

I think the 90 degree bend might be for putting them around the ear, a la shure, which should reduce microphonics more

Oh, I see. I never took to wearing IEMs over the ear. Either the fit didn't seem right or the IEM would fall out easily (Shure E500).

With my furutech'd out v3 Qualia cable I notice similar improvements. Additionally compared to moon audio cables in general there is a significant widening of soundstage in addition to just being a clearer sound in line with that which you have mentioned.

That's interesting because I thought Alex's Ety cable and v3 headphone cables were made from different cables. Perhaps this shows the maker's preferences in cable sonic design.

Did you notice any difference with bass presentation?

I'm going to defer answering this until I get more time with the new cable. But then again, you should find out soon enough. It looks like your cable was made in the same batch as mine.

What length did you order and did you ask for an impedance resister to be built into the connector?

How long is that cable?

The same length as the stock cable, 5'. If I were to order again, I'd go for 6' instead for an extra freedom of movement.

[GPH]

What length did you order and did you ask for an impedance resister to be built into the connector?

I've asked for a length of 124 cm, which is a little more than 4 feet, and it's the S version cable. Also, I've asked Alex to use a Neutrik straight 1/8 connector instead of his standard Switchcraft one, because the Neutrik one is a little bit smaller. I'll post my impressions in this thread when I'll get the cable.

[ojnihs]

god damn you...now i'm really wanting these

[socrates63]

Hehe, if you're seriously interested, PM me and I'll give you a deal on mine. I want to order a longer one.

[jp11801]

damn I was thinking about selling my etys but now you have me thinking recable

[Tony]

In my opinion the recabled ER4S still has a thin skin.

[socrates63]

Tony, based on your post in the livewire thread, I take it that by "thin skin" you mean the ER4S still sounds still.

In some respects, yes, I agree with you. The new cable does not alter the basic sonic signature of the ER4.

[APureSound]

The cable in no way was intended to alter the original sound signature of the ER4's. I noticed you used no amp. You truly need to try with an amp.

-Alex-

[Tony]

Yup. I think they would gain a lot from more power.

I've also been told (by reputable source) that they have an awesome WOW factor out of a LisaIII with 25% bass boost, probably more than stock Etys.

I also think they could benefit more from the Supermini's bass boost switch (since they have more bass than stock Etys)... bass boost on the Xins is too polite for normal Etys, at least for my taste.

[Tony]

Also out of a RudiStor RPX-100, it seems.

[darkless]

Also out of a RudiStor RPX-100, it seems.

Talking about Jan again? I did listen to his recabled Ety while I was there about a month ago, but we didn't try it out of the Rudistor. I'm sure it sounds nice that way, given that it had enough power to make the L3000 sound really nice.

[Tony]

Yes, it's Jan.

[GPH]

Here's my impressions as promised. I received my cable on friday and I've done some extensive Etymotic listening since then.

Comfort/Ergonomics:

This was one of my main reasons for getting the APS cable and it doesn't disappoint. With the new cable, it's incredibly low profile and it stays very well behind the ears. I used to wear the original cable this way too, but it was sticking out too much and I had to replace it behind my ears once in a while. Also, the new cable is stiffer than stock cable and it works as a memory cable which is a good addition. The downside to this is that it's less flexible and it's pretty hard to make it fit in the small Etymotic pouch, but it's not a big deal for me.

Sound:

The first thing I noticed with the new cable is the wider soundstage. Compared to stock cable, it's quite weird to say, but it seems to take more space horizontally and less space vertically. The music is closer to your ears than the inside of your head. Also, it seems like you're closer to the band, though not Grado-style. More like first row of a concert hall.

Another thing I noticed is that the treble lost some of the sparkle that the Etys are known for. It is definitely smoother than stock cable and I think it's a little bit less detailed, but there is still more detail than any other IEM I've tried. Paired with my Mini^3 amp, the Etys sound more laid back and a little bit more "fun" to listen to.

The best feature of this cable, IMO, is the presentation of mids and bass.

I always found that Etys mids were quite cold, but I loved the very fast attack and the ton of micro details. Now, with the APS cable, the details are still there, but it brings a lot of warmth and the vocals are really "in your face". It sounds very natural and it feels like the singer is singing for you.

The bass is bigger than with stock cable and a little bit bigger than ER4P. The tightness is pretty much the same, but it sounds more fat and has better impact. It's still not a basshead phone, but it's a satisfying experience coming from ER4S bass.

Finally, I noticed that the Etys with the new cable sound awesome with classical. I'm listening to the last movement of Mahler's third symphony and it sounds more lush than with the original cable and everything seems to blend together instead of hearing individual parts.

Price/Value:

I agree that 200$ is big bucks for an IEM cable and I was very skeptical that the changes in presentation would be worth it, but I'm very surprised by the differences it brings to the sound. Also, the cable is beautiful and it looks like Alex did put a lot of time do build it. My advice would be to buy it only if you've had enough time with the ER4S to know that it's the right universal IEM for you and you want to enhance the experience.

Here's some eye candy:

[laxx]

Hey, do you mind posting a picture of how it looks when you're wearing them?

[JimP]

Damn you, GPH you may have just nudged me over the line. I have an old pair of Ety's sitting in the drawer (literally haven't used in about a year). Stupid question, but do you send in the Ety's for recabling or user replaceable? Too lazy to look up the manual (I vaguely remember cables are detachable?), or I don't know where the manual is.

[hYdrociTy]

They are detachable.