[mark88888]

He literally says the words "worth it" in the review under his own metrics. The issue is that the ER4 has been an absolute stellar price to performance IEM so this would, by comparison, look so much worse from that perspective.


Edit: to be honest, his review sounds like he's griping about the price more than anything else. For the price, the EVO isn't a steal like how a lot of people feel the ER4, ER3, and ER2 are. But it is a fair price for the SQ you get from it.

He says that the $300 headphone performs about the same as the $500 headphone, so by his metrics it's worth it. (I suppose that he groups them by price tier, and they fall in the same tier?) But he follows it up immediately by questioning why it exists at all and calling it canned bread. This after calling the ER4 a legendary IEM that deserves all the praise it gets. I agree that the writeup isnt that favorable.

 

[tinyman392]

Does the EVO have the same microphonic cable issues that normal Etymotic ER series have?

It does not. The issues or more or less fixed due to the cabling going over the ear vs straight down, this allows cable noise to be absorbed more vs a straight down. Note that you can also fix the ER cable noise by wearing it with the cable over the ears, though it does fit a little oddly when you do that. The EtyMotion cable (or other BT cables) can also help in this regard since there is less for the cable to conduct noise from as well, but then wind noise becomes an issue.

He says that the $300 headphone performs about the same as the $500 headphone, so by his metrics it's worth it. (I suppose that he groups them by price tier, and they fall in the same tier?) But he follows it up immediately by questioning why it exists at all and calling it canned bread. This after calling the ER4 a legendary IEM that deserves all the praise it gets. I agree that the writeup isnt that favorable.

It isn't favorable with respect to the ER4, that I will agree with since it's a marginal upgrade at best and a side grade at worse. However, the ER4 is a special headphone that serves a tremendous value from the cost perspective. But if you go outside Etymotic, it likely is worth the price, but not any more (IE they priced the IEM appropriately). Basically one IEM is a very good deal while the other is just "worth it" (note how the EVO does get the "worth it" star in its rating, but nothing more).

I feel like, based on what he's said, the Evo is more or less bridging the gap between the ER4XR and the ER2XR by trying to bring positive qualities from both onto the table, but not quite hitting the peak that both offer. It provides better bass response than the ER4, but not as good as the ER2 while at the same time providing better detailing and clarity than the ER2 while not quite reaching the level of the ER4. From what I can gather, a lot of users of the ER4 would like a more ER2-like bass response while a lot of ER2 owners wouldn't mind a better midrange. The Evo tries to do both, though doesn't quite hit both perfectly.

Note my original comment was more along the lines of whether or not he would like the headphone (I hadn't read the review yet). At worst I'd say his review was neutral overall, due a heavy dwelling on the price.

 

[qsk78]

Crinacle's take on the Evo, headline is "Canned Bread" giving it:
Overall Grade: A- ★
Tone Grade: A
Technical Grade: A-
(the same as the 4XR)

https://crinacle.com/2021/08/11/crinnotes-etymotic-evo-canned-bread/

What was the source? Why people do not say what is the source? The earphones do not sound on their own...
I disagree with some statements in this review - and this is fine, we all hear differently (using different sources too).
I rank Evo higher than ER4 Series.

 

[donthuang]

Somehow i feel his criticism too picky.
Yes, we all knows the law of diminishing in here.....

 

[Zachik]

I rank Evo higher than ER4 Series.

Same here. I read several reviews claiming ER4XR has better treble, but I personally do not hear that!
Granted, people with better hearing in high frequencies may disagree with me...

 

[Gorlmond]

What was the source? Why people do not say what is the source? The earphones do not sound on their own...
I disagree with some statements in this review - and this is fine, we all hear differently (using different sources too).
I rank Evo higher than ER4 Series.

Cannot agree more.I received my EVO yesterday,put it on immediately then pull it out immediately, tips-fitting is the first annoying thing I met,with the small Tri-flange,my right ear gets a bit leak ,'til I switched to the M size the problem got solved. Also the EVO sounds more NORMAL&COMPLETE on my iBasso DX150 then my Redmi K20.

 

[rwelles]

So based on @crinacle's review, I decided to try canned bread. Never even heard of it before. Given his analogy to the EVO, I might like canned bread as much as I like my EVOs. In any case, I'll find out on Monday.

Yes, Etymotic may not have risen above the extraordinarily price/performance high bar set with the ER2 and ER4. But I love 'em anywho!

Hey @Zachik you folks planning to come out with a balanced cable for this little gem??

 

[Zachik]

Hey @Zachik you folks planning to come out with a balanced cable for this little gem??

I believe there will be a balanced cable eventually.
I have no insiders knowledge as for when. Sorry.

I reviewed the balanced cable by Linum, who is also the supplier for the stock cable. See here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ety...ssions-index-in-1st-post.956629/post-16438437
Definitely recommended... At least while there is no Etymotic branded version.

 

[MRSallee]

My review of the Etymotic Evo.



Some notes on build:

• I was pretty iffy on the cable on initial impression, but read some of the rationale behind the design on Linum's website (invisible wear, low microphonics) and wanted to give it a chance. But I really don't like the cable. Especially with the heavy ear pieces, the thin cable gets tangled and knotted more than any cable I've ever used. (Not hyperbole.) It's also kind of springy, so it doesn't wrap up and rest very well. Wouldn't be much of a big deal except they used the T2 connectors instead of MMCX.
• As mentioned, the ear pieces are fairly hefty, which I don't mind (except for how that impacts handling with the cable). They're built more sturdy than I expected. Smooth edges all around.
• It's still Etymotic deep fit. I've been using Etys for years, so I'm not bothered by deep fit. But... I find Evo hard to fit. The larger shell actually makes it more difficult to maneuver the long stem in my ear canal.

Graph: https://squig.link/?share=Super_Review_Target,Etymotic_Evo

Notes on sound:

• Shocker, it's still neutral, but I think the tonality here is significantly warmer than ER4XR.
• Graph may not suggest it, but I think Evo actually comes across a bit dark. Treble quality that's there is good, but there's not much "sparkle" if that's what you're looking for. In head to head comparison, ER4XR sounds kinda bright (which I wouldn't normally say).
• The bass quality on Evo is... probably the best BA bass I've heard south of $2,000. I really, really like the bass on Evo. Has nice body, and even some bounce to the decay that makes it feel almost DD.
• Overall, I'd say this is my favorite Ety sound. Slightly prefer the tone of ER2XR, but Evo does midrange texture and definition better. Imaging is not quite impressive yet, but it's good enough.

 

[Infoseeker]

I believe there will be a balanced cable eventually.
I have no insiders knowledge as for when. Sorry.

I reviewed the balanced cable by Linum, who is also the supplier for the stock cable. See here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ety...ssions-index-in-1st-post.956629/post-16438437
Definitely recommended... At least while there is no Etymotic branded version.

The T2 SuperBax cable made for it exists. https://www.linum.dk/shop/buy-now/

...just it costs 2/3 as much as the iem.

 

[qsk78]

Well, you can buy Plussound Exo Series with T2 connectors for 199 USD (starting point)

 

[FastAndClean]

I wonder, for some people the treble is good quality but not enough quantity, they come with the green damper right? What if you are one of those people and decide to buy Knowles dampers from AliExpress with lower value than the stock damper, for example brown damper? I think you can actually tune them to your liking very easy

 

[AnyDave]

I believe there will be a balanced cable eventually.
I have no insiders knowledge as for when. Sorry.

I reviewed the balanced cable by Linum, who is also the supplier for the stock cable. See here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ety...ssions-index-in-1st-post.956629/post-16438437
Definitely recommended... At least while there is no Etymotic branded version.

We are planning on stocking the balanced Estron cable, which is the same one in your link. It'll be Etymotic branded, but fundamentally the same. If one is in a hurry, getting it from Estron would be an option.

 

[AnyDave]

I wonder, for some people the treble is good quality but not enough quantity, they come with the green damper right? What if you are one of those people and decide to buy Knowles dampers from AliExpress with lower value than the stock damper, for example brown damper? I think you can actually tune them to your liking very easy

The stock EVO dampers are indeed the green 1500 ohm variant. The Knowles dampers would work acoustically, although I'm hesitant to recommend them with the metal shell of the EVO (or ER2/3/4 for that matter) because the outside diameter on the metal dampers tends to vary and they don't flex much when inserted into a metal body. There would likely be some situations where you could insert it and it would be very difficult to remove. The plastic body dampers are better in that particular application.

 

[AnyDave]

The T2 SuperBax cable made for it exists. https://www.linum.dk/shop/buy-now/

...just it costs 2/3 as much as the iem.

Yeah, the SuperBaX are expensive. I like them a lot, though.