diff --git a/lib/SIN.js b/lib/SIN.js
index f93ae90..dc69499 100644
--- a/lib/SIN.js
+++ b/lib/SIN.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ function SIN(type, payload) {
     return;
   };
   this.data = new Buffer(1 + 1 + payload.length);
-  this.__proto__ = this.encodings['binary'];
+  this.encoding('binary');
   this.prefix(0x0F); // SIN magic number, in numberspace
   this.type(type);
   this.payload(payload);
diff --git a/test/test.EncodedData.js b/test/test.EncodedData.js
index e269661..3573972 100644
--- a/test/test.EncodedData.js
+++ b/test/test.EncodedData.js
@@ -5,21 +5,56 @@ var bitcore = bitcore || require('../bitcore');
 
 var should = chai.should();
 
-var EncodedDataModule = bitcore.EncodedData;
-var EncodedData;
+var EncodedData = bitcore.EncodedData;
 
 describe('EncodedData', function() {
-  it('should initialze the main object', function() {
-    should.exist(EncodedDataModule);
-  });
-  it('should be able to create class', function() {
-    EncodedData = EncodedDataModule;
+
+  it('should initialize the main object', function() {
     should.exist(EncodedData);
   });
+
   it('should be able to create an instance', function() {
     var ed = new EncodedData('1GMx4HdDmN78xzGvdQYkwrVqkmLDG1aMNT');
     should.exist(ed);
   });
+
+  describe('#as', function() {
+    var buf = bitcore.util.sha256('test');
+    var hex = buf.toString('hex');
+    var b58 = '2DFtpKRbW2nfrzgAgE25onW3vwCQwM7S1iHk34LW9cwH1kzmHp';
+    
+    it('should convert from binary -> base58', function() {
+      var ed = new EncodedData(buf);
+      ed.as('base58').should.equal(bitcore.Base58.base58Check.encode(buf));
+    });
+
+    it('should convert from binary -> hex', function() {
+      var ed = new EncodedData(buf);
+      ed.as('hex').should.equal(hex);
+    });
+
+    it('should convert from base58 -> binary', function() {
+      var ed = new EncodedData(b58);
+      ed.as('binary').toString('hex').should.equal(hex);
+    });
+
+    it('should convert from base58 -> hex', function() {
+      var ed = new EncodedData(b58);
+      ed.as('hex').should.equal(hex);
+    });
+
+    it('should convert from hex -> binary', function() {
+      var ed = new EncodedData(hex, 'hex');
+      ed.as('binary').toString('hex').should.equal(hex);
+    });
+
+    it('should convert from hex -> base58', function() {
+      var ed = new EncodedData(hex, 'hex');
+      ed.as('base58').should.equal(b58);
+    });
+
+  });
+
 });
 
 
diff --git a/util/EncodedData.js b/util/EncodedData.js
index af673d0..fbd45dd 100644
--- a/util/EncodedData.js
+++ b/util/EncodedData.js
@@ -8,9 +8,14 @@ var base58 = require('../lib/Base58').base58Check;
 function EncodedData(data, encoding) {
   this.data = data;
   if (!encoding && (typeof data == 'string')) {
-    this.__proto__ = this.encodings['base58'];
+    encoding = 'base58';
+    this.converters = this.encodings[encoding].converters;
+    this._encoding = this.encodings[encoding]._encoding;
   } else {
-    this.__proto__ = this.encodings[encoding || 'binary'];
+    if (typeof this.encodings[encoding] === 'undefined')
+      encoding = 'binary';
+    this.converters = this.encodings[encoding].converters;
+    this._encoding = this.encodings[encoding]._encoding;
   }
 };
 
@@ -18,7 +23,8 @@ function EncodedData(data, encoding) {
 EncodedData.prototype.encoding = function(encoding) {
   if (encoding && (encoding != this._encoding)) {
     this.data = this.as(encoding);
-    this.__proto__ = this.encodings[encoding];
+    this.converters = this.encodings[encoding].converters;
+    this._encoding = this.encodings[encoding]._encoding;
   }
   return this._encoding;
 };
@@ -132,11 +138,10 @@ EncodedData.applyEncodingsTo = function(aClass) {
   var tmp = {};
   for (var k in encodings) {
     var enc = encodings[k];
-    var obj = {};
+    var obj = Object.create(aClass.prototype);
     for (var j in enc) {
       obj[j] = enc[j];
     }
-    obj.__proto__ = aClass.prototype;
     tmp[k] = obj;
   }
   aClass.prototype.encodings = tmp;
diff --git a/util/VersionedData.js b/util/VersionedData.js
index 8614b0f..fa0d348 100644
--- a/util/VersionedData.js
+++ b/util/VersionedData.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ function VersionedData(version, payload) {
     return;
   };
   this.data = new Buffer(payload.length + 1);
-  this.__proto__ = this.encodings['binary'];
+  this.encoding('binary');
   this.version(version);
   this.payload(payload);
 };
diff --git a/util/error.js b/util/error.js
index 6b64997..58f4cc9 100644
--- a/util/error.js
+++ b/util/error.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ function MissingSourceError(msg, missingTxHash) {
   this.name = 'MissingSourceError';
 };
 
-MissingSourceError.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype;
+MissingSourceError.prototype = Object.create(Error.prototype);
 
 exports.MissingSourceError = MissingSourceError;
 
@@ -38,6 +38,6 @@ function VerificationError(msg, missingTxHash) {
   this.name = 'VerificationError';
 };
 
-VerificationError.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype;
+VerificationError.prototype = Object.create(Error.prototype);
 
 exports.VerificationError = VerificationError;