Etymotic ER-4S

Superb detail makes spending over £300 on a pair of in-ears seem entirely reasonable

Etymotic Research ER 4S Earphones Headphones user reviews : 4.6 out of 5 - 34 reviews - audioreview.com

Etymotic Research, leading makers of high-quality earphones, recommend their ER4S model for in-ear stage-monitoring use. We find out whether hearing is believing.

The cab's outside, the plane leaves in 50 minutes. Let's see...HeadRoom Supreme, HeadRoom Bag, portable CD player, CDs, Etymotic ER-4S Canal Phones....Oh, yeah—mustn't forget luggage or plane tickets. Guess I'm set to go. Laugh if you will at my priorities, but I'm much likelier to leave on a trip without my suitcase or my tickets than without a pair of Etymotic's unique "headphones." After all, what's more important: clean underwear or good music?

Make no mistake – Etymotic’s flagship is still a top-tier IEM 15 years later. The fact that the ER4S costs $250 to some of the other flagships’ $400+ is a testament to its high value