First of all I must say that brother Claypone made a good choice with the Sennheisers he got. They're strictly for home use, imo, and need some good juice to power them up, but when it happens they once again spell out that Senn. is tough to beat in value.
A month or so ago I got much louded Etymotics ER•4P headphoes [can't call them cans, because they go inside the ears]. Here are my impressions, after giving them a fair run with my walkman.
Pros-
*Amazing sound reproduction. It was the clincher for me.
*Can be easily converted into the ER•4S with a simple extension cord[ER•4P produce 10 dB greater output at high frequencies and 13 dB greater output at low frequencies. The higher sensitivity and enhanced bass make them desirable for portable use, which is what I was after. ER•4S are preferred for the hi-fi listening.]
*Very sturdy build for its size, but time will tell.
*Extra goodies.
Cons-
*Microphonic effect. In other words, the wire rubbing against clothing when I walk/bike transmits the noise to my ears. It can be eliminated to a large extent by attaching the wire to the supplied clip and then clipping it to the shirt.
*Price - around $230. Steep, but these are the best h-phones I've stuck in my ears so far.
*Unavailability in brick-and-mortar stores for a trial listen. Bought them sight unseen from a retailer that offered 1-month return no frills.
*Sennheisers were more comfortable. Remember, the ER•4P go into your ears direct. You might want to have your MD flush your ears. It's a good idea anyhow to do it yearly.
*Warranty could be 3 years istead of one.
I've decided to keep them, mainly because they sound very very good, despite all the little Cons they have one huge Pro - the sound is amazing even with my shitty portable. I can only imagine what a good headphone amp can do for these babies.