Etymotic ER2XR Extended Response Earphone, Multicolored

The headphones are just amazing. They work very good with many of my genres, in particular electronic music (psytrance) and pop. Extremely well defined sound, and although a bit intimate stage the definition and separation is just another level, especially for a single dynamic driver. The big breaking point is the fit, but i got used to it fairly quickly and the obvious advantage is superior noice cancellation that you wouldnt get without this type of fit. It does make the stage a bit intimate, but for electronic music this isnt something i care that much about anyways. It turns it as an advantage in that genre, atleast to my preference. Getting a good seal and deep fit is absolutely crucial for these iems to come alive and show what they are capable of and it may require some perseverance to get used to them. But if you manage, they are very hard to stop listen to. They are almost addicting. What isnt that good is basically all the rest. Some of the ear tips was literally broken(had holes and leaked sound/didnt isolate external sound) right out of the box. Even if the earphones are fairly priced, things like this shouldnt happen at this price point. Now i have to spend extra to be able to explore other potentially more optimal tip fits. The cable is also pretty lacking in many areas, and the clip is absolutely essential to avoid the pretty apparent microphonics the cable brings. It also feels cheap and it seems like the plug core is of some steel/iron alloy, and not copper(or atleast brass) since its magnetic. Not really ideal, but thanks to the stellar earphone itself it doesnt have that much of an impact on the general performance, although no fair comparison with an adequate cable has been done so far. If you dare to take a gamble on the fit, these are the absolutely best iems you will find in the ~100$ category. I have the hexas and olina se which are also heavy hitters in this category, and the er2xr beats those two fairly easy to me in most categories (excluding staging, but not to say er2xr staging is "bad". Its just intimate and special). I can however see how rock genres/electric guitar songs sound better on the hexas but for me that is not something of weight since i rarely listen to that type of music.

Entry level audiophile equipment is always exciting because there is often the promise of getting more for less. Many embark on the endless hunt for the best price to performance ratio, endlessly comparing one IEM to another. Most go for ChiFi, or Chinese HiFi devices, with their proclamations of triple drivers and balanced armatures. Unfortunately, even these high end technologies don’t necessarily promise excellent sound. That’s what makes the ER2XR, with its single dynamic driver, an incredible feat. At around $100, these headphones prioritise sound among everything else. The accessories are thoughtful, though perhaps a bit spartan. There’s a selection of foam and 3 flange ear tips, replacement filters, a small bag, a clip, and the IEMs themselves. A word on those ear tips: the three-flange variety go deep into your ear canal and take some getting used to. For that reason, I opted for some aftermarket Shure foam tips, which I personally prefer. However, none of this matters nearly as much as the sound. Here’s the thing: they sound great, and arguably better than HiFi community darlings like the TinAudio T2. The sound is very inviting, with a slight lift in the bass, hence the XR or ‘Extended Range’ designation. There is a pleasant warmth in mids, but nothing compromising. Highs are clean with little sparkle. The separation is good, even out of a Lightning dongle. Finally, soundstage is about what you’d expect for an IEM of this class, with its impossibly small chassis, which is to say rather narrow. All this to say that the ER2XR’s serve as a great introduction to controlled, accurate sound, while still being quite enjoyable out of the box. However, these IEMs, like all impossibly good things, come with compromises. Firstly, though they get plenty loud and are easy to drive with any 3.5mm jack, they really do need a good DAC for optimum sound quality. Paired with a Fiio BTR-5 or a Qudelix-5K, these IEM’s would make the perfect sub $200 introduction to “real” HiFi. I’d also upgrade the cable to a balanced 2.5mm 4 pole variant, which leads to me to perhaps the most irksome quality of the ER2XR — a proprietary MMCX connection. First party cables from Etymotic are pricy, at around $50 or half the cost of the whole IEM package. Naturally, AliExpress can solve any problem you have for around $25, but it’s still a nuisance. To summarise: + The gold standard between “fun” and accuracy + Incredible sound for the money + Excellent (+36db) noise cancellation - Proprietary MMCX connection - Fit might not be for everyone - Cable isn’t terribly durable

The short of this is: 1. These sound spectacular, are well tuned, detailed, and resolving. The sound quality and price is spot on and class-leading. They do require more power than most other IEMs and have the below caveat. 2. The cable is nearly unusable in any situation where you cannot sit down and not move at all. The cable just rubbing on my shirt overpowers what I am listening to. Using these while moving around or working out is not a good experience. Sound: From the sound perspective (the main reason why I purchased the ER2XR), these are at the top of anything I have listened to IEM (in-ear monitor) wise for under $200. While I tend to prefer neutral tuning, I wanted something a bit warmer with good bass extension which these hit effortlessly (if you don't want the bass boost, get the ER2SE instead). The bass is detailed and reasonably tight while not overpowering the mids. The extension is great as well, listening to deep house or chopped and screwed music is honestly a lot of fun with these without being overdone! The mids are also quite good, neutral, detailed, not recessed or pushed forward, just right! The treble, while slightly boosted over neutral, is not sibilant, harsh, or fatiguing. After getting the right tips on for my ears, I can listen with these for hours at a time without my ears fatiguing from the sound or fit. Ear Tips: Using the triple-flange ear tips that are included (the small ones that were on the IEMs out of the box were too small for me and did not seal well), the isolation achieved is better than any IEM I have ever used, but these need to be inserted really far into your ear. The isolation is as good or better than any earplugs I have used. I can only think that well executed active noise cancellation can be better than the isolation these provide. Seriously, even at low volume I can barely hear people in the same room. If swapped over to the any of the dual-flange tips that are included, the isolation isn't as great, but still is at the top of any IEM I have used. Now, two points of consideration when it comes to the ear tips. One, if you are used to single-flange tips, you will probably feel like your ear is getting violated by these IEMs. Even the dual-flange tips insert pretty far compared to other dual-flange tips on other IEMs. Two, the stem on the IEM is very long and thin. To use tips from other brands, a small nozzle that is long is needed. Using a nozzle that isn't long enough will either cause the end of the stem to be exposed (and may get clogged with ear wax) or the tip will slide around a lot on the stem. I do have two small complaints with the included tips. First, they are all glossy smooth and honestly have a "sticky" feel with how grippy the material is. Sometimes it is uncomfortable to remove the ER2s from my ears because the tips are yanking on the inside of my ear so hard (the biggest flange almost always gets folded backwards). Second, the glossy finish makes cleaning the tips without wipes or cleaner very difficult. Normally, removing earwax from other ear tips without cleaner or wipes is pretty easy thanks to a satin finish but that is far from the case here. The Cable: I despise the cable that the ER2XR comes with. The construction and quality control is fine, that is not the issue. The issue is the design and intent for how Etymotic wants the user to wear the ER2. As can be seen by the product images, the connector at each IEM comes out at an angle that is clearly intended to be worn straight down out of the ear. When worn as intended, the microphonics are downright awful. The cable material transfers noise really well especially with how deep of insertion into your ears these IEMs are intended for. The cable just rubbing against my shirt can be heard loud and clear. If I am not sitting completely still while listening, the microphonics easily overpower the music. It honestly reminds me of the cheap ear buds that I used as a kid. Using the included shirt clip or using the slider to cinch the cable below your chin would both help the microphonics. Personally, I find both of these solutions to be inferior to ear loops and the slider is very hard to move in my case. Looping the cable over the ear makes the microphonics almost unnoticeable unless nothing is playing. The issue there is with how the cable comes out at an angle from the IEM, the cable is pushed away from the ear. This results in the cable often falling off the ear when turning the head or moving around. The cable lacks a rigid wire to form an ear loop and doesn't feature any pre-defined ear loop. Normally I would not complain so much about the included cable and just replace it with an aftermarket one. However, Etymotic designed the ER2 with a semi-custom MMCX connector meaning there are nearly no aftermarket options for a cable. The connector is slightly recessed into the IEM and there is a small "key" that locks the included cable into one position so it does not rotate. Using a straight MMCX connector cable would result in a worse cabling situation than what I've already described with the included cable. Then there is the fact that it may not even have enough depth to clear the "key" protruding from each connector at the IEM. What is really needed for a cable to effectively loop around the ear is a 90-degree MMCX cable. At the time of review, there are no such cables offered on Amazon. Looking to popular 3rd party sources, none of them have such a cable on offer either. The only places I have found a 90-degree MMCX connector cable with adequate depth to clear the "key" is either Chinese marketplaces, or custom made by Audiophiles on various forums. Buying from a Chinese marketplace has its risks and buying custom is simply expensive (the cable alone can be 50-100% the cost of the ER2). Other Items: Lastly, the product box and included accessories are fairly nice. The foam inserts in the box hold everything securely in place. The included ear tips have many different sizes that should work for the vast majority of users. The included soft pouch not too small or too big, includes a small internal pocket for holding extra tips, tools, filters, etc., and the materials feel rather nice. No complaints here, but swapping the plastic packaging materials for renewable materials would be a nice touch. Closing Thoughts: These are phenomenal IEMs from a sound quality perspective, though they are not very sensitive. On my EarStudio ES100, I can max out the volume and the volume still is not uncomfortable. Doing that with any of my other IEMs is downright painful. These want power like many over-ear headphones in order to achieve "loud" volumes. Once I get the cable on these replaced with something that can go over my ears with a balanced connection, they will likely become my daily drivers.

ER4XR: Balanced armature driver gives insanely technical performance at the cost of being less enjoyable to listen to. One-note bass. Bass quality and impact isn't as good as the ER2XR. I would recommend this model only to audio professionals who need raw technicality more than enjoyment from what they're listening to. ER2SE: Very little bass; the frequency response curve is flat in the bass region. Otherwise it's identical to the ER2XR. Good technicalities but not as good as the ER4's due to the use of a dynamic driver. Without the extra bass though, the sound signature doesn't sound balanced to me. ER2XR: This is what I would recommend for 99% of people. It follows a pretty neutral frequency curve with a little extra bass. The bass is present, but not overwhelming. Like the ER2SE, it's less technical than the ER4's but are much more enjoyable to listen to music with. Very balanced and non-offensive sound signature overall. I recommend using brown filters or upping the 8 kHz range by 3-5 dB to give a little extra sparkle and air to the treble range to compensate for the "dip" in that range. All of Ety's earphones seal very deep. If the included tips don't work for you, try any tips for Shure or Westone which also work. I've found Shure medium silicone tips work very well and seal a little shallower, but I mostly use the included grey foam tips. The cable is mediocre and probably costs them $3 to make yet they charge a lot for replacements. I've had the cable of my SE's start to come loose on one side after years of heavy use, but your mileage may vary. Other comparisons VS Moondrop Chu: Chu has similar bass, brighter treble, poorer resolution and accuracy VS Moondrop Chu II: Chu II has higher bass, brighter treble, poorer resolution and accuracy, but is arguably more "fun" to listen to because of it's V-shape sound signature. VS Shure 215: Another "budget" default recommendation. Frequency response in the mids and trebles is a little wonky and the driver isn't as technical as the ER2's. The 215 is completely outclassed by the ER2's and lots of sub $50 Chi-fi IEMs.

So first off I have to repeat what everyone else is saying about the sound quality. It is absolutely phenomenal. I would go into more detail, but I'm by no means an expert (just a casual music fan) and you'll get more value from the other reviews. So instead I'll talk about a problem that so far seems mostly unique to me, but I'll write about just in case there's someone out there with ears as tactically sensitive as mine. Basically, since these earphones go in so deep, they start itching. Really bad. Now, that's itself isn't too much of an issue. The REAL issue comes when I've scratched too much and the inside of my ears start getting raw and sore, at which point these earphones are very much not fun to try and wear. Putting them in and taking them out becomes actively painful then. Now, to be fair, this may be an issue exclusively with the silicon ear pieces, but I've never use foam tips before and am still trying to figure out how to friggin get them IN my ear, so I'll edit my review if I ever get that figured out. For now though, I have to remove one star for itchy ear pain syndrome, but no more than that because I acknowledge that send to be a pretty uniquely "me" problem. **Feb 4 Update** Okay, I ended up having to lower the score for this and I'll tell you why, but before I do I want to say that I was able to make the tactile sensitivity issue better by cutting off the second flange of the buds. I personally didn't find the change in sounds quality too noticable, but I'm sure others with more refined ears than mine might be bothered by it. In spite of that, if this was the only consideration, I think these would still be worth 4 stars just because of the price-to-quality. Now for the complaint. After only 4 months of use, one of the speakers has completely failed. I tested switching the cable, so I know it's the speaker. This extra sucks for me because having *both* buds in provided excellent sounds isolation and help me ignore distractions at work. The second ear bud is also having issues, but less of the "speaker broken" variety and more like the "it keeps shocking my ear when I move around" type. Regardless of audio quality, I don't want to pay $100 for buds that will be useless after less than half a year, especially after the discomfort and pain they keep causing me.

TLDR: The product came with what it was supposed to and the quality of it is decent, but the cable rubs against your shirt, making noise that can drown out what you're attempting to listen to. If you stay still enough, you can enjoy a high audio quality. I've been able to game with these successfully without hearing the cable noise, but if you move too much, maybe a pair of Truly Wireless earbuds would be a better buy. I bought these approximately a month and 10 days ago. My primary expectation was that they would have incredible noise isolation, since I live in a naturally noisy house and need to focus for the work I do. The noise isolation is good enough for what I want, but I still wish it was a little better considering how much it was a selling point on their website. That being said, These are not ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) earbuds. They are noise isolating. Let's detail what that means and see if you want ANC instead, and if so, what product you would benefit from. Noise Isolation is different from Noise Cancellation, in that Noise Isolation is a purely passive effect, meaning that if there was no electricity running through the device, you would be experiencing Noise Isolation. If the device touts Noise Cancellation, then it has three major components, specifically a microphone, a chip, and a speaker, that are responsible for the following: 1. The microphone detects the noise that is in your environment. This noise is the stuff you would hear normally, or without the headphones. 2. The chip takes the noise around you and formulaically generates an opposite noise to cancel it out. Think of Newtons' "every action has an equal and opposite reaction". 3. The speaker plays the noise generated by the chip, so as to counteract what you would hear normally. These IEMs (In Ear Monitors) do not feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), however they do have really good Noise Isolation. If you are looking for a pair of travel headphones/earbuds, then I would recommend picking something wireless that touts ANC, as the lower tones of an Airplane or Bus are handled with ANC. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds/Headphones are your pick. If you are looking for a pair of "I don't want to hear the people around me" earbuds/headphones, then I would recommend Sonys' ANC Earbuds/Headphones, as they are better for those higher frequencies that typically occur with voices. "Higher Frequencies" here is said with respect to frequencies in general. What I mean is that "deep" voices are still considered "higher frequencies". If you are looking for a pair of "I would prefer eating this month" ANC earbuds/headphones, I've heard the SoundCore Liberty 4 NC are the best budget earbuds, while the headphones you're probably going to want are the Anker SoundCore Life Q30 Wireless. Enough about other products and the details of this industry you probably don't care about. My secondary expectation was fantastic audio quality, since the last pair of headphones that I used were 30 Dollars and these were 3.3 times the price, sitting at 100 Dollars when I bought them. I would argue that the audio quality is very good. I don't "love music" like some people claim to, but I do listen to it for probably 8 hours a day, primarily for the benefits of focus. For the music I listen to that isn't just for focus, I'm able to hear things I wasn't able to previously, and I find myself going back to listen to other music to try for that same experience. The bass is decent, but if you *really* like bass, a typical pair of headphones or earbuds are likely what you want, seeing as how they're tuned more for consumers, which isn't an insult to those who like those headphones. Refer back to my above recommendations if you want a quick guide. Even before buying this, I knew the cable was bad, since I had seen both videos and written reviews that stated as such. That being said, the cable is worse than I expected. Any cheap pair of True Wireless earbuds/headphones can mitigate this issue, and since they don't suffer from it, you'll likely be able to hear what you're listening to a little bit better, but the audio quality may suffer. I've heard you can buy replacement cables that are better, but unlike everything else in this review, I haven't researched that yet. That being said, these do not have the regular 2-pin type of connectors you will see in other IEMs. You probably have to go to Etymotic's website or search specifically for the best cable. Something strange happened just about a month into owning these, where the right earbud would stop working after something like 8-12 hours. I don't know why this happened, but the earbuds themselves are identical in profile, not counting the "R" and "L" imprinted on the right and left earbuds, respectively, so you can put the left in your right ear, or the other way around, with no problem. Just configure your audio accordingly, and you're good. I use Mono audio because of a hearing issue, and so one earbud failing wasn't world-ending for me. I just use the left one. I haven't tested the right one in a while, so maybe it's just broken, but again, I don't really care because it doesn't affect me. It could affect you, though, so take that into consideration. This happened after the "free return" period ended, so keep that in mind. In summary, I would say that these are a good pair of earbuds/IEMs if what you want is good audio quality, isolation, and you're either a relatively still person or you're planning to replace the cable anyway. Despite their quirks, I enjoy the experience they're giving me. Thanks for reading this far and goodbye.

This is my second pair as I lost one side after a gig some months ago. I love these IEMs so much that I bought them again, no doubts. I play bass, I love bass, but harmony in music is better than anything, and thats how I feel with these IEMs. I would describe the sound as very balanced, clear vocals and instruments, with present treble like cymbals but no harsh peaks, and a very satysfing and punchy bass that goes into the sub-bass region, giving a feeling of rumble. Sometimes they might sound so balanced that some songs feel a little bit like "plain", but I enjoy this feeling of getting near to what the original recording intended, so sometimes you get little bass and others a strong bass, according to the track. The fit is unlike any other IEMs (except for Etymotics). These are like wearing the typical triple flange ear plugs for high-noise work environments. They go deep and the quality of the sound depends on that, also giving an exceptional isolation (the main reason why I bought these in the first place). I didn't have issues with the fit and got used to them after a couple of days. Other thoughts: the memory foam tips give the best bass. With the dual flange tips, you get much less bass, which have me a feeling of even more neutral sound, they also give the least isolation. Cons: The cable could be L shaped and be easier to use them over the ears. Yyou can still do this manually, though it's not intuitive. This eliminates almost completely the cable's microphonics, which are real, trust me. You get used on the technique of puting them on and off, but it's not immediate. I would say I sometimes wear the double flange tips when I have people arround. Some songs that have A LOT going on may get a little bit blurry, nothing terrible.

First, the sound is great, of course. I would hope that's the case at this price point. A friend recommended these for motorcycling, but they're too "long" for it not to be painful in an arai xd4. Obviously that's not the intended use, I'm not going to knock them for that issue. They worked perfectly for about six months, but after decent use they just started to fall apart. I was constantly having connection issues with the "drivers" themselves, and the earbuds have lost their elasticity and repeatedly fallen off and gotten stuck a mile into my ear canal. Skip these and save yourself a trip to the doctor.