Sennheiser PC37X randomly goes bad after disconnecting the cable ?
Greetings, Yesterday I was using my headset like normal with my macbook, just listening to music and on a call with people like usual, and the headset was perfectly fine. The stock wire that came with the headset is extremely long and yesterday it annoyed me very much that it kept getting tangled with itself, so I decided to see if the cable is replaceable. I pulled out the cable from the headset and saw the adapter, and looked online for a replacement. Upon plugging it back in, the audio sounded extremely muffled and washed out. Im not sure what I did wrong to make it mess up like that as I've always taken good care of it, ive had it for about 2 years and its always just been chilling on my desk, but anywho I thought the cable just went bad and ordered a replacement. The replacement came, and the issue is still persistant, so I am not sure what the issue is I've tried multiple different headsets and the issue is not with the port, and I also tried it with my windows laptop and...
Apr 23, 2024
After all these are the people that will sell a cable adapter with a 75Ω resistor in series for $55 to convert your PT to S. Rip off is an understatement and others sell these adapters on ebay for $15.
The green filters from Etymotic are also really expensive considering how cheap you can get them on mouser. Considering that in the lifespan of an IEM you'll be buying replacement tips you'll certainly be charged quite a lot for them by Etymotic. Etymotic are certainly happy to take you for a ride for their overpriced accessories.
The cable it comes with is also awful and hasn't been updated in 20 years. Super thick rubber below the split and microphonic as hell above. The cable is simply awful for portable use which is how the majority of buyers will use it considering that it's an IEM with excellent noise attenuation. You will have to buy an aftermarket cable to get something sensible and they are pretty damn expensive because Etymotic use their own proprietary connector that nobody else uses. You can get adapters that convert the Etymotic conector to a MMCX or standard 2 pin but these adapters are pretty bulky and stick out the ear.
You start to get the picture of how much Etymotic cares. Still as an IEM goes they are pretty damn good though most people prefer some bass boost for enjoyable listening.
You can also use a 75Ω with the HF series: http://rinchoi.blogspot.com/2013/04/etymotic-research-hf-3-er-4-equivalent.html
However, the treble isn't boosted as much and the HF5 that Rin Choi tested appeared to have more bass roll off than the ER4 they tested.
I would recommend getting foam tips for comfort and better noise attenuation. The foam tips that Etymotic IEMs come with is a pretty rough and abrasive foam. Comply foam is good but SO EXPENSIVE.
You can change the filters to change frequency response as well: http://rinchoi.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-effect-of-acoustic-dampers-on-iems.html
Etymotic only provide green. Many like orange/red/yellow which reduces the mids for a bassier sound.
You can find them for sale here: https://mouser.com/search/refine.aspx?Keyword=knowles+dampers&FS=True
You can work out which is which from the impedance.
@EdinNJ
Custom tips certainly are more comfortable but the shallow insertion will mean that it will change the frequency response and increase the higher frequencies due to the occlusion effect. For the reference frequency response they need to be inserted to the 'reference plane' which is around the second bend in the ear canal and I think it's defined as a certain volume of air... I think it is 0.5cc (0.5ml).
It is explained here: http://rinchoi.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-deep-do-you-insert-you-er4.html
You can see in the graph that with a shallow insertion you'll get a spike in frequency response at 10Khz.
Personally, if you don't care about the reference sound I'd just buy the HF2/3/5 which is more than $100 cheaper. Buy a 75Ω P to S adapter from ebay if you want to boost the treble a bit. Buy some acoustic filters and have fun. The HF series is only very slightly worse but has an inline mic and a nicer (certainly not the best) cable.
and you will be blown away by the difference (I have no affiliation with that particular brand). One major negative of the Ety 4's, which is an overall "thinness" of sound, was completely fixed by re-cabling.
Are you serious? I own the 2 cables and could easily blind A/B them with 100% accuracy. The difference is not subtle!
It will definitely improve microphonics. One of the biggest issues with the stock cable is that sound will transfer through the cable if it rubs on something (aka Cable Noise)
I already own a pair of ER4-PT Micro Pro Headphones, but I ordered one of these cables because they are my daily driver and I hate the sound transference. YMMV.
Thanks, Floor-mica!
If you do actually get those Null Audio's, I would love to hear your impressions. Yes, the horrible micro-phonics of the stock cable go bye-bye, but the upgrade is much more than that. To me, the combo (along with my custom molded tips) literally takes the 4P to a different level.
I also need to re-shell my Unique Melody Miracles, and I know Null can do it, but for some reason I feel compelled to use UM themselves. Any input?
When you replace that cable, be ready for a fuller bass and thicker midrange that you didn't think the Ety 4s could have. Be advised that it will lose a little of the 3D "twinkliness" in the treble. Not really lose it...more like it takes a little getting used to hearing more weight across all other parts of the audio spectrum.
Happy listening, -Max M.
I'm enjoying it tremendously. Thanks for the suggestion!