Editorial Review
The ER-4P MicroPro noise-blocking earphones from Etymotic Research offer realistic sound reproduction and noise isolation that far surpasses that of active noise-canceling earphones. The ER-4P earphones--which require no batteries--can be plugged into any audio source. They can be used with portable CD, MP3, DVD, and other players without an additional amplifier.
The ER-4P earphones were designed to match the response of the ear, creating nearly perfect sound reproduction. They reduce external sound naturally by sealing your ear canals, without the added weight, bulk, or external power supply required for active noise-canceling. Their external noise exclusion (up to 33 dB using the supplied 3-flange eartips and 41 dB with foam eartips) lets you hear the full dynamic range of recordings without your having to play them at unnaturally high and unsafe levels.
What's in the Box
ER-4P MicroPro earphones, a 5-foot cord with 3.5 mm stereo phone plug, a .25-inch stereo phone adapter plug, six 3-flange eartips, 10 foam eartips, a filter-changing tool, 4 replacement filters, a shirt clip, a zippered pouch, a storage box, a user's manual, and warranty information.
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Customer Reviews
I was 100% satisfied. 
2008-05-31
I love my ER-4P when I'm on the train or bus. Those people who take the tranportation instead of own vehicles, I recommend this item for its ability to block all the junk sounds, except for the annoying sound that comes from its cable rubbing against cloth(It didn't annoy me that much, but people who wants 100% pure music sound would disappoint a bit when they walk or run and hearing those sounds) and when I try to eat something o_Oa...But who cares? I at least enjoy my music 100% great on the noisy train or bus.
Nice earphones that stay in my ears and block sound 
2008-05-27
I always had a problem with the round earbuds falling out of my ears. These earphones stay in my ears. They will stay in anyone's ears because they don't depend on the shape of your ears to stay in place. If you have a hole in the side of your head, these earphones will stay in that hole.
These earphones block sound. Ive always had a problem with headphones because you have to keep the volume too high when there is noise around you like at the gym or on the street. These completely solve that problem.
You can't lay on your side with these in your ears because they stick out of your ears and they don't touch the earlobe to distribute the force of the weight of your head.
When the cords touch something, the sound transmits to your ears so you hear the brushing.
Great sound, but you need to wear them right. 2008-05-27
Similar products used: (Not 100% the same) Senn HD-600, HD-580, Bose QC2.
Used with: iPod nano, T60, whatever else I need to.
Complaints:
They are ruthless. You have badly encoded MP3s. They will not forgive you. You will hear the artifacts. They are more ruthless than the HD-600/HD-580s which are known for being ruthless in this regard.
Taking in and out the plugs can be annoying, especially in an office. But then again, silence can be well worth it. (-20db, and ~60db of music, you can't hear anything, but the music.
You'll hear yourself breathe and swallow, this may disconcert you.
Compliments:
Forget active noise cancellation. These phones will blow away the best I've listened to (Bose QC2). And they cancel more noise. For any really noisy environment they are a great choice. In addition the noise need not be low and repetitive like what the Bose cancel. These will cancel anything, just like earplugs.
In an average office environment they will block about anything but a fire alarm. This is good, in general. You will need to train your co-workers that you can't hear them with them in.
Sound quality is simply wonderful, if your material supports the honesty.
They are EXTREMELY easy to drive, I have my nano volume limited to ~1/2 full volume. At that, they are plenty loud, I would probably go lower, if I listened to more modern music which is mixed louder.
Comments:
Microphonics/vibration is an issue if you mis-wear these. I thought it would drive me insane the first week. Then I looked on the net for ideas on how to solve it. The answer is very simple:
Wrap the cords, down, then forward and up over your ears (they should go between your outer ear, and your head), and out by your earlobes, then clip the clip to your shirt somewhere. It should be at exactly the right height, which tends to make me think they meant them to be worn this way, but they didn't bother actually writing it anywhere.
When worn this way, the microphonics go away largely, and you are left to enjoy some great sound.
Incredible. Amazing isolation. 2008-05-07
Read any review and you'll see the unmatched quality of the sound reproduction, mids, lows, base.
I was most interested in sound isolation. These don't disappoint! You will not believe what you can achieve with the foam tips. They're rated at 41 - the best earplugs I could find were 33s.
I bought the bose QC3s to test them out: even if you could deal with the ear-drum sucking feeling you'll realize they don't cancel much at all, besides anything in the A/C or airplane frequency; and the sound quality is atrocious compared to these. A cheap pair of sony earbuds will do better than the QC3 or QC2s.
I'm in Manhattan with sirens and horns everywhere. As I prepare for Step 2 (med school boards), I really wish I had these for Step 1. Did I mention they're $200 less than the QC3s?
Great headphones but not for everyone. 2008-05-02
These are remarkable reference grade headphones. The sound is very neutral and response is very quick. These are not bass heavy headphones. They are accurate headphones. The limitations of the 4p and 4s are purely with the quality of sound source. With proper (clean highly dynamic) amplification they produce excellent results. The limitations are in the amp or headphone out, not the phones themselves.
That said they are not for everyone. You must stick them deep deep deep into your ear and create a very firm seal. These are like ear plugs - they will reduce background noise just lake ear protectors - even better than some. Getting a good seal is often aided by licking the ear plug before careful insertion into the ear canal. Warning keep your ears clean!
I use the silicon deep ear adapters. Others use the foam inserts. The silicon adapters take some getting used to. Over time they will break-in. They change from a round profile, to an oval profile. The oval is the actual shape of the ear canal. At that point they will be really comfortable. But you may go through a little discomfort as they break-in.
There are microphonics. that means if you walk around, if you eat things, chew gum, rub the ear phone cable, there will be noise that you will hear in your ears from these sources. It will seem amplified. I simply tie up and position the cables so they don't get knocked about. Most ear sealed plugs have this problem. The only ones I'm aware of that are free from this are the little Sony MDR-EX71SLA (very comfortable, great for workouts or sleep - $30), but the sound quality is no where near these etympotics.
There are probably other slightly less quirky ear phones out there, but these are remarkable and rewarding to listen to. If you want neutral accurate and rich sounding phones, these are a great choice. I use these a lot during travel. At home I mostly listen to over the ear phones (AKG701, DT801, Sen 650s) because of the comfort afforded by these larger cans.
But the etyomtics great and they are always with me. The current prices that place them below $200 are great. I recommend that you consider a really good headphone amp. The Ray Samuels Hornet is a superb amp - it is tiny and travels really well.
Superb 2008-07-16
These earphones are very accurate and smooth. At times they can sound clinical. I know that this particular model is not supposed to require a headphone amplifier, but it is my opinion that a headphone amplifier really makes a positive difference with these earphones. They continue to sound very accurate, but they have greater bass presence. They still do not have an overly bassy sound like those wretched Bose earphones, but they do sound a touch warmer.
Fit on earphones is absolutely essential. you must have a seal or they just do not perform. Due to the design of the earpieces, they insert deeply into the ear, but not enough to physically damage the innerds of your ear. It does take some getting used to, but it absolutely worth it.
The packaging is really quite nice. I like the fact that they come in a plastic case that is really sturdy. I always put them back in the full case (okay, I am anal), but the package comes with a small traveling case that would fit in a pocket.
Don't be concerned that the headphone amplifier takes to much space. I have a small headphone amplifier that fits with my Ipod Classic (both the 60 gig and 160 gig models)in the breast pocket of a standard Oxford cloth or broadcloth dress shirt (yes it looks nerdy). If the music starts to sound crackly using the headphone amplifier and that crackle is not normally there, it usually means that the headphone amplifier needs a new battery or needs to be recharged.
All in all, I cannot say enough good things about the Etymotic ER4 P and the ER4 S (I have them both)as long as they are supplemented with a headphone amplifier.
Blue and Red sides 2008-06-30
I had a old pair of these before they were stolen. these are good ear phones. I went through 3 pairs for $39.99 head phones that lasted only 6 weeks at a time (skull candys) Those are some trash. But These are really good. If you get a clip or 2 for the wire you can run with these easy. Or get a cheap pair for work outs so you don't ruin the good pair. I am giving these 4 stars and not 5 because. They changed the blue tip and red tip to all black. and the stock ends are gray not white but I think I can order the white ones no biggie. Other then that THESE are GREAT. 2 year warrenty. SWEET.
Excellent sound. Shop around. 2008-06-22
I've had these a couple of years, and am generally pleased with the sound quality. I use these most frequently on an airplane, replacing the excellent but much bulkier Bose QC2 headphones I used to use. Occasionally use at the office, which helps to drown out neighboring conversations. I use the Etymotics exclusively with the foam ear adapters, as I could never get the soft rubber ear adapters to fit my ears properly.
I recently got a chance to preview the Shure SE530's, and found those to be stunningly good sonically, although at a signficantly higher price point. The Shure 530's are also a bit bulkier, but well designed from an ergonomic / looks point of view.
Needless to say, all of the above selections (Etymotic ER-4P, Bose QC2, Shure SE530) are vastly superior to the stock earphones that come with your mp3 player.
My bottom line: pick a price point, and visit some bricks and morter stores that allow you to try them in-ear before purchasing. Top of the line earphones (or headphones) are worth it, but the variation in style and fit make it essential to try them on for size, in-ear fit, looks, sound, and anything that annoys the end user. Don't rush into a $300 set of phones.
Pure excellence! 2008-06-20
Everything good to say about these 'phones has already been said, and there really isn't much more to say.
These are stellar and absolutely worth every penny and more.
I just wanted to add that there are a number of options to make these even better, which might give some even more incentive to buy them.
One is that there are readily available recable options [...] for these. This will increase SQ even more and will also increase bass response, which is always welcome on Etys.
Another option is the Shure Black Foam Sleeves. They fit perfectly on the ER-4 IEMs and will make your listening experience even better than it already is. They are more comfortable, since you will not have to push the 'phones as far in your ear as with the rubber sleeves that come with them and they also create a perfect seal which is so very important for the Etys to sound right.
Also think about purchasing a portable amp and a 75 Ohm impedance adapter (which will bring the ER-4P to ER-4S specs). The ER-4 really shine like a beacon in the night with a good amp.
Etymotic 4P Kicks! 2008-06-15
The 4Ps produce outstanding sound clarity and are far better than the other Etymotic headphones. To the contrary of some of the other reviews, I love them in the gym which is where I have the most opportunity to use my headphones. Occansionally, I would use my Boise Quietcomfort 2 headphones on the ellipitical because I found the sound to be superior to the 6 and 6i headphones from Etymotic. Now, I find myself using the 4Ps all the time in the gym. The sound to me is just amazing. I am hearing nusances in the music better and the sound separation is more distinct in the right and left channels. I was concerned about the noise from the cord based on other reviews and found the 4Ps to be similar to the other Etymotics. Of course, if you block outside sounds from your ear, you will start to hear more sounds traveling from your jaw bone, mouth, etc. but I did not find the cord a big source of sound distraction. The cord is heavy duty compared to the 6 and 6i. The noise comes from the cord above the Y split. For runners, I can see the cord noise would be a bigger issue. Others have complained about the bass because it does require a tight fit in the ear. I did find this to be a problem especially when lifting with my previous Etymotics. I found myself re-inserting the earplugs after lifts to get the seal back. After doing this for 6 months, I broke down and invested in custom ear molds that are fitted to the Etymotics. A great investment that I do not regret. If decide to do this, you might want to call around since I found some price variation from hearing aid dealers or audiologists. I also learned the hard way to store my Etymotics and ear molds in a case after using them and not let them hang from the shirt clip since I lost one this way. The bass is great with a good seal and comfort is outstanding since guess what -- the mold is customized to your ear canel and in my case, I have small ear canels. A side benefit of ear molds that I found is that I went thru fewer filters since there is a gap between the tip of the ear mold and the filter so ear wax gets trapped in this space before it clogs the filter if you clean and squeeze the ear mold to get the wax out. Another issue in previous reviews was that the Etymotics were black which is true but the pair that I got had a red dot on the right channel. The Etymotics web site has been great for ordering extra filters. The other Etymotics I have have worked well for several years so I am looking forward to years of good use with the 4Ps.
