The Etymotic EVO proves to be the first iteration of an earphone from Etymotic from two fronts, it’s the first to not take on a cylindrical shape and first to utilize a multi-driver form factor. Etymotic steps away from their traditional target curve to focus on something a little more consumer friendly and fun. Granted this is not the first time they’ve gone this route with a pair of headphones as they have an entire line of XR headphones.
Design
The Etymotic EVO are really a handsome looking IEM utilizing an injection molded stainless steel housings with a gorgeous blue finish to it; it’s almost a gunmetal blue in color. The Ety name is etched into the faceplate of each housing with the new Etymotic ETy logo.
Estron T2/IPX connectors are used for cabling. Though the are a more rare connector type, they are not proprietary, but finding cables may still prove to be somewhat difficult. Adapters exist, but may not be perfect either. Counterfeit cables do exist on the market as well.
Sound
So the Etymotic EVO is tailored towards the XR-series of IEMs which have a larger bass emphasis. The EVO to my ears is the classic Etymotic target with a subtle warm tilt to it. The signature is very nice and a lot less fatiguing to listen to while still having all the detail and clarity that Etymotic is known for; it’s just not shoved in your face.
Starting down low, the EVO is still very tight with a nice defined impact. Though the bass body and presence has been improved from the SR/SE variations of Etymotic’s IEMs, it can still use a slight increase from that perspective. Bass texturing is subtle and there, though it feels like it’s been smoothed out; my ER4SR does a better job from that perspective.
Etymotic has always been known for their detailed and clear midrange historically. Fortunately, this is still true for the EVO, though it’s been dialed back a notch. The detailing and clarity come by a little less in your face, but a little more refined and controlled. There is a small trade off between clarity and smoothness; it’s welcomed though as it leads to a less fatiguing sound overall. The vocals follow this pattern over with the highest edge of vocals tamed slightly while still being able to retain the needed energy. Overall, things have a slight hint of warmth and smoothness to the midrange; it’s not huge, again slight hint.
Heading over to the highs, the treble is tamed a little bit as well over their ER4SR. Like with the midrange, it’s toned down, but not enough to affect the detailing and clarity that exists up top. Energy is cut off slightly, but not overly so. The result is a treble texture that is softer overall. The highs are still very energetic as a whole though; it’s just dialed back a touch.
I’ve never really felt that sound stage was a strength of the Etymotic IEMs I’ve owned. To be honest, the EVO is about the same. The instrumental separation and layering seems to be improved a tad bit over what I’m used to with my ER-series IEMs. The overall sizing isn’t much bigger. I really don’t get the sense of space with the EVO.
Note that my main testing was done through various DACs and amps: Apple Lightning-3.5mm adapter, DD HiFi TC35i, Oppo HA-2SE, V-Moda Vamp Vera and found the technicalities mostly unchanged (some were slightly warmer than others). The above is based on that testing (mainly Apple, DD HiFi, and Oppo). I also tested on two BT DAC/amps, the UE BT adapter and the Null Audio BT adapter. The UE BT adapter gave a very warm tilt to the EVO helping out much with the bass presence. The Null Audio BT adapter on the other hand added a ton of bass texturing and improved the presence; with this set up it’s one of the best headphones I have to render bass with.
Build
Etymotic’s build quality has never really been an issue; with the EVO, I feel this remains unchanged. The housings are metal tanks that are quite hefty and dense. The finish on them is very top notch. The included T2/IPX cable is ridiculously thin but doesn’t feel brittle or weak by any means. The gauge, look, and consistency of the cable reminds me of fishing line or maybe a thinner nylon guitar string. That said, for listeners that prefer a thicker cable, it is removable and thicker options do exist.
Etymotic includes both a hard-case as well as a soft carrying pouch with their EVO. The pouch is on the larger side of things made up of two materials, the front being a soft, tightly woven fabric and the back being a microfiber cloth. Both sides are stitched together with a draw string on top. The pouch is kind of interesting to be honest as it seems a bit large for the IEMs and any sort of portable use for that matter. The hard case on the other hand is like a hockey puck (maybe a bit thicker) and better suited for portable use. There is an insert that can be used to store the IEMs and wind up the cable. It’s removable if one doesn’t want to use it.
Overall, I don’t really have any real gripes with the Etymotic EVO. The housings feel very strong, sturdy, and dense. While the cable is super thin, it still feels strong as well. The provided cases seem more than adequate for portable use.
Comfort
Etymotic’s comfort has always been an area of debate as the deep fit isn’t for everyone. I’ve personally never really had an issue with it, it’s not comfortable, but also not uncomfortable to me. Though in the past, after an hour or so of listening, touch the housing of the IEM will be painful since the cable kind of just tries to yank the housing downward putting a constant strain on the ear canal. This problem is mostly resolved by moving to the over-ear cable guiding and having the IEM’s housing seat in your outer ear. It definitely improves upon their older cylindrical housing designs.
However, the EVO now requires a deep insertion to really work at all. While the older Etymotic IEMs could work with a shallow insertion (different tips required), the EVO won’t allow it as the housings just can’t be held by the tip alone.
Overall, for those that are able to use the older Etymotic IEMs normally, the new EVO is an improvement. It’s still not the most comfortable IEM around but it’s definitely more than adequate for me. I will say that the housings seat in the outer ear quite comfortably, so Etymotic has done their homework there.
Value
The EVO come in at a 500 dollar price point. This price point is very densely populated with many IEMs, both old and new, that offer fierce competition. Although I don’t feel like the new Ety punches well above its price point, it’s definitely on par with where it needs to be price-wise when it comes to sound quality. Build quality is absolutely top notch and definitely top of the line when compared to the competition. If you can get the proper fit, this is definitely an IEM that can hold its own in its price range.
Conclusion
There was lots of speculation and unknowns with this new Etymotic. It was the first non-cylindrical IEM from Etymotic and also the first multi-driver setup from them too. The latter is something a lot of people have been wanting from Ety for a long time. That time has finally come and the result is a very well-build IEM that sounds great and is more than adequate for the fierce competition in its price range.
