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

If this product was based solely on sound quality this would rank ***** all day everyday. The Etymotic Research ER2XR is an interesting value proposition considering it's build quality mirrors that of it's more expensive offerings in the ER3 series. Usage - Music/Movies/Television - I have found that the ER2XR is an excellent portable companion for all of the media types I listed. At the current $109 price this is an gets my recommendation considering how great these sound. It's not all rainbows and I will list some things I did not like about these. -Proprietary MMCX connectors. The engineers have forced the consumer to purchasing cables through Etymotic Research at $60+ per cable. -Cable which feels very cheap considering the MSRP retail of $150 for this unit. -Hit or miss fit deep insertion IEM design. This will be a deal breaker for some people but for others it's not a big deal. -Barely visible markings for left/right earbud connectors (you can fix this with a dab of nail polish in your favored color) - lacks volume controls, a play/stop button, and a wired mic. In conclusion the Etymotic Research ER2XR is an excellent set which I have full confidence recommending to people looking for an incredibly small pair of travel earbuds. If you can find these for under $70 it is a must buy as of 2021 there is no earbud that sounds this great at this price.

Triple flange let's gooo

Undoubtly, the sounding of this IEM is very very good, natural & soft. But, it is too costly(Rs. 14500/- around). Presently, I am using CCA-10 IEM which cost about Rs. 3000/- only. & their sounding is also too much excellent. After using ER2XR & CCA-10 IEM, I am sure that there a very very minimal difference of sounding in between them. Both are excellent. But, ER2XR sounds little bit more natural & soft. For this reason, it is wasting Rs 10000/- valuable money on this IEM & it is definitely not a good choice. Remember, ER2XR is USA made so it is costlier.

Met wat equalization ideaal voor niet elektrisch versterkte muziek in het bijzonder. Denk aan jazz, wereldmuziek, klassieke pianomuziek en groot orkestwerk.

Nutze vorwiegend andere IEMs, aber hatte den viele Wochen auch schon im Ohr. Sound ist super, man muss sie aber tief reinschieben um einen satten Bass zu bekommen. Den kriegt man dann aber. Ich muss sagen ich bin beruflich Tontechniker, also halte natürlich wahnsinnig viel von meiner Meinung *ironisch grinsend* Für mich hören sie sich sehr ausgewogen an für den Preis. Flat vielleicht nicht, aber so, dass ich jetzt nichts vermissen würde. Andere teurere 3-Wege sind teilweise weitaus schlechter. Man darf nicht dem "Umso mehr Wege umso besser"- Wahn verfallen. Einziges Manko, seh ich aber eher persönliche Sache: Ich kann sie nicht länger tragen als eine Stunde. Dann tun mir die Ohren massiv weh. Sonst alles topp!

Decided to get these after seeing a lot of positive reviews and hearing a lot of good things from people about them. I am quite blown away by how great the sound is for this price. Soundstage isn't great but imaging is still quite good, detail and dynamic range are fantastic. I quite enjoy the sound signature; somewhat rolled off treble as to not be harsh in the highs while still maintaining proper presence, enough bass to give a bit of rumble while not causing any muddy sound or bleed. I think the best way I can describe the sound of these in one word is "natural". Everything just sounds right, nothing is too emphasized. Etymotic isolation is the best you can get in universal in-ears without going with custom IEMs or active noise cancellation. This level of isolation is part of what makes the sound so great; not a lot of outside sound getting in also helps to protect your hearing as you won't need to turn the volume up as high as with other products. The fit is definitely something that takes getting used to as they are inserted deep into the ear canal but I found that it wasn't long before I was comfortable with how they fit. The included foam tips are the ones I use the most as they are comfortable, isolate well enough and don't affect the sound negatively. The larger silicone triple flange tips are the ones I use when I need maximum isolation. Keep in mind that with the silicone tips, you get somewhat of a vacuum when taking them out. I've heard it mentioned that if they get pulled out too quickly while the silicone tips are fully inserted and have a good seal in your ear, it can potentially cause damage to the eardrum. Only gripe about the ER2XR, if I had to choose one, would be the cable/connector. The cable isn't bad but isn't all that great either; the connector is proprietary so finding replacement cables could be tough due to the notch that locks the mmcx connector in place. I understand that this is to prevent the mmcx connector from wearing out and helps with the way they fit but it's an inconvenience when it comes to changing cables. Overall, I'd recommend these to almost anyone if they're looking for really good sound at a really good price. The XR model works well as an all-rounder and is enjoyable with the wide range of music types I have thrown at it.