[Chaz1952]

I answered that literally a page back... and no, normal mmcx cable tends to either don't fit at all or fit very loosely.

Thank you. Missed the embedded link to the cable. Order placed!

 

[gazzington]

My er3 xr arrived today and they are my first etymotics. I love them and have no problem with fit. I've been using the foam that came with them and for once iems actually stay in my ear. I've been told I have narrow ear canals and these just fit so well. Such clarity and just the right amount of bass

 

[VShaft]

I'm also a proud owner of the ER3XR as of a few days ago. Even with the sky-high import fees and taxes to EU, I still find them well worth the price.

I've had them on my mind for a long time, mainly due to Etymotic's reputation. No chance to demo them in my country. What pushed me over the edge was a video on the clavinetjunkie Youtube channel comparing the ER3/ER4 and calling them "unrivaled IEM kings". The reviewer has a simple EARS system, and plays an original audio file and then the same song through the IEMs/headphones for comparison. First, I couldn't believe by how much ear/headphones change the sound, and then I also couldn't believe how true to the original the Etymotics sounded!

I was coming from a TinAudio T2, which I loved (and still do!). It's touted as having a fairly neutral albeit bright-ish tuning in the $50 category, and it was a signature I instantly loved. TinAudio T3 had been just released, and I was close to buying it, when the above-mentioned video pushed me towards the ER3XR. I always said to myself I wanted to hear the music as it was recorded (as many of us do). And well, it seemed like the Etymotics are it! Despite me preferring the ER4, I couldn't justify the price difference between it and the E3 when weighing the sound differences - so I grabbed the latter instead.

Anyway, when I first got it and put it in my ears, it was a moment of epiphany of sorts.

For starters, the fit. This was my main concern, with all the horror stories floating out there: ear-rape, ear-dildo, ear-probe, ear-dick, etc. I achieved perfect seal on my first try. A few days later and I don't find much difference in putting them in/taking them off compared to regular-fit IEMs. More care is surely needed, true, since you can't just yank them out due to a very tight seal. Comfort itself is not an issue at all, even after hours of wearing them. No pain, no soreness - and my ears are still new to this kind of fit, so I guess it can only get better from here.

The sound: I expected them to be brighter. Don't know why, probably because of the common fallacy that bright = details, and Etymotics are renowned for their detailed sound so that's what made me falsely assume bright would be the flavor here. Still, when I switch to the brighter T2 my first thought is how "detailed" they sound, due to their signature... I guess it'll take some time to knock old habits out.

Next, I was very pleasantly surprised by the bass. I really feared it would be anemic as so many reported. I'm no basshead by any stretch, the stock T2 had enough bass for me. But I didn't want complete absence of it. Maybe I haven't heard the right 'phones, but I can't figure how anyone who professes a liking to the neutral sound signature could find the Etymotic bass lacking. My experience is limited, but these seem to have all I want in the bass department.

Soundstage appears to me narrower than usual, but this was always a much elusive quality for me. The only headphone where I could really feel the vastness of the soundstage was Stax. All the others that I've tried in my life are just degrees of the same in this regard. So, purely from a subjective point, I don't mind the narrow(er) soundstage.

Finally, it took my awhile to figure just how natural everything sounded! This is the biggest revelation of all: just how much sound coloration other 'phones bring to the table - and how much people actually like it (myself included), which is also why there are lots of "Etymotics are dull and lifeless" opinions out there. I had a friend who is a composer and trained musician listen to my T2. He immediately pinpointed some "irregularities" with the frequency response I just couldn't agree with. I simply couldn't hear it, no matter what. It's only now, when switching from the Etymotics, that I've finally been able to discern what he was talking about then.

I've thrown all sorts of music at it, and - discounting poorly mastered recordings - every note just sounds like it should. With other 'phones, despite their many qualities, there was always something that made me go "Oh, if only this were different...", some note that sounded... not right. With the ER3 I've yet to find that note. If I were to truly nitpick, I would like them a tiny bit brighter. But for now I've left them un-EQed, I figure ym craving for brightness is only because of being used to them.

tl;dr: I'm really loving these little things!

 

[gazzington]

I'm also a proud owner of the ER3XR as of a few days ago. Even with the sky-high import fees and taxes to EU, I still find them well worth the price.

I've had them on my mind for a long time, mainly due to Etymotic's reputation. No chance to demo them in my country. What pushed me over the edge was a video on the clavinetjunkie Youtube channel comparing the ER3/ER4 and calling them "unrivaled IEM kings". The reviewer has a simple EARS system, and plays an original audio file and then the same song through the IEMs/headphones for comparison. First, I couldn't believe by how much ear/headphones change the sound, and then I also couldn't believe how true to the original the Etymotics sounded!

I was coming from a TinAudio T2, which I loved (and still do!). It's touted as having a fairly neutral albeit bright-ish tuning in the $50 category, and it was a signature I instantly loved. TinAudio T3 had been just released, and I was close to buying it, when the above-mentioned video pushed me towards the ER3XR. I always said to myself I wanted to hear the music as it was recorded (as many of us do). And well, it seemed like the Etymotics are it! Despite me preferring the ER4, I couldn't justify the price difference between it and the E3 when weighing the sound differences - so I grabbed the latter instead.

Anyway, when I first got it and put it in my ears, it was a moment of epiphany of sorts.

For starters, the fit. This was my main concern, with all the horror stories floating out there: ear-rape, ear-dildo, ear-probe, ear-dick, etc. I achieved perfect seal on my first try. A few days later and I don't find much difference in putting them in/taking them off compared to regular-fit IEMs. More care is surely needed, true, since you can't just yank them out due to a very tight seal. Comfort itself is not an issue at all, even after hours of wearing them. No pain, no soreness - and my ears are still new to this kind of fit, so I guess it can only get better from here.

The sound: I expected them to be brighter. Don't know why, probably because of the common fallacy that bright = details, and Etymotics are renowned for their detailed sound so that's what made me falsely assume bright would be the flavor here. Still, when I switch to the brighter T2 my first thought is how "detailed" they sound, due to their signature... I guess it'll take some time to knock old habits out.

Next, I was very pleasantly surprised by the bass. I really feared it would be anemic as so many reported. I'm no basshead by any stretch, the stock T2 had enough bass for me. But I didn't want complete absence of it. Maybe I haven't heard the right 'phones, but I can't figure how anyone who professes a liking to the neutral sound signature could find the Etymotic bass lacking. My experience is limited, but these seem to have all I want in the bass department.

Soundstage appears to me narrower than usual, but this was always a much elusive quality for me. The only headphone where I could really feel the vastness of the soundstage was Stax. All the others that I've tried in my life are just degrees of the same in this regard. So, purely from a subjective point, I don't mind the narrow(er) soundstage.

Finally, it took my awhile to figure just how natural everything sounded! This is the biggest revelation of all: just how much sound coloration other 'phones bring to the table - and how much people actually like it (myself included), which is also why there are lots of "Etymotics are dull and lifeless" opinions out there. I had a friend who is a composer and trained musician listen to my T2. He immediately pinpointed some "irregularities" with the frequency response I just couldn't agree with. I simply couldn't hear it, no matter what. It's only now, when switching from the Etymotics, that I've finally been able to discern what he was talking about then.

I've thrown all sorts of music at it, and - discounting poorly mastered recordings - every note just sounds like it should. With other 'phones, despite their many qualities, there was always something that made me go "Oh, if only this were different...", some note that sounded... not right. With the ER3 I've yet to find that note. If I were to truly nitpick, I would like them a tiny bit brighter. But for now I've left them un-EQed, I figure ym craving for brightness is only because of being used to them.

tl;dr: I'm really loving these little things!

Your findings sound like mine. No problems with fit. Enough bass. Natural sound. I love them. I may buy er4 sr in the future to see what they are like.

 

[betula]

Your findings sound like mine. No problems with fit. Enough bass. Natural sound. I love them. I may buy er4 sr in the future to see what they are like.

Same here.

 

[chinmie]

I'm also a proud owner of the ER3XR as of a few days ago. Even with the sky-high import fees and taxes to EU, I still find them well worth the price.

I've had them on my mind for a long time, mainly due to Etymotic's reputation. No chance to demo them in my country. What pushed me over the edge was a video on the clavinetjunkie Youtube channel comparing the ER3/ER4 and calling them "unrivaled IEM kings". The reviewer has a simple EARS system, and plays an original audio file and then the same song through the IEMs/headphones for comparison. First, I couldn't believe by how much ear/headphones change the sound, and then I also couldn't believe how true to the original the Etymotics sounded!

I was coming from a TinAudio T2, which I loved (and still do!). It's touted as having a fairly neutral albeit bright-ish tuning in the $50 category, and it was a signature I instantly loved. TinAudio T3 had been just released, and I was close to buying it, when the above-mentioned video pushed me towards the ER3XR. I always said to myself I wanted to hear the music as it was recorded (as many of us do). And well, it seemed like the Etymotics are it! Despite me preferring the ER4, I couldn't justify the price difference between it and the E3 when weighing the sound differences - so I grabbed the latter instead.

Anyway, when I first got it and put it in my ears, it was a moment of epiphany of sorts.

For starters, the fit. This was my main concern, with all the horror stories floating out there: ear-rape, ear-dildo, ear-probe, ear-dick, etc. I achieved perfect seal on my first try. A few days later and I don't find much difference in putting them in/taking them off compared to regular-fit IEMs. More care is surely needed, true, since you can't just yank them out due to a very tight seal. Comfort itself is not an issue at all, even after hours of wearing them. No pain, no soreness - and my ears are still new to this kind of fit, so I guess it can only get better from here.

The sound: I expected them to be brighter. Don't know why, probably because of the common fallacy that bright = details, and Etymotics are renowned for their detailed sound so that's what made me falsely assume bright would be the flavor here. Still, when I switch to the brighter T2 my first thought is how "detailed" they sound, due to their signature... I guess it'll take some time to knock old habits out.

Next, I was very pleasantly surprised by the bass. I really feared it would be anemic as so many reported. I'm no basshead by any stretch, the stock T2 had enough bass for me. But I didn't want complete absence of it. Maybe I haven't heard the right 'phones, but I can't figure how anyone who professes a liking to the neutral sound signature could find the Etymotic bass lacking. My experience is limited, but these seem to have all I want in the bass department.

Soundstage appears to me narrower than usual, but this was always a much elusive quality for me. The only headphone where I could really feel the vastness of the soundstage was Stax. All the others that I've tried in my life are just degrees of the same in this regard. So, purely from a subjective point, I don't mind the narrow(er) soundstage.

Finally, it took my awhile to figure just how natural everything sounded! This is the biggest revelation of all: just how much sound coloration other 'phones bring to the table - and how much people actually like it (myself included), which is also why there are lots of "Etymotics are dull and lifeless" opinions out there. I had a friend who is a composer and trained musician listen to my T2. He immediately pinpointed some "irregularities" with the frequency response I just couldn't agree with. I simply couldn't hear it, no matter what. It's only now, when switching from the Etymotics, that I've finally been able to discern what he was talking about then.

I've thrown all sorts of music at it, and - discounting poorly mastered recordings - every note just sounds like it should. With other 'phones, despite their many qualities, there was always something that made me go "Oh, if only this were different...", some note that sounded... not right. With the ER3 I've yet to find that note. If I were to truly nitpick, I would like them a tiny bit brighter. But for now I've left them un-EQed, I figure ym craving for brightness is only because of being used to them.

tl;dr: I'm really loving these little things!

there's some analogies for the ety insertion in your post that just made me laughed hard

i too really loved the T2, but i have sold it because as much as i loved the sound, the treble is a bit harsh and needs a bit more polish. also they are not exactly natural sounding. they're good, but it was "with extra seasoning" kind of good.

does it mean the Etymotic sound is natural? well not in the sense like standing in front of guitar amplifier for instance, but it is what the sound that the mixing engineers usually hear after it was recorded

the Ety is more like drinking black coffee. those who are used to drink sugared coffee or cappuccino/latte might find them bland, but those that do enjoy them will be able to appreciate cappuccino/latte more, and they can gauge how much sugar/milk was added to the original black one (i hope this makes sense)

i used to own small recording studio and love recording and mixing a lot. so as much as i enjoy thumping car stereo speakers, i still have most of my heart and ears to that "small studio monitor" type of sound

i might buy the T3 someday when it comes out, but i won't part from my ER4XR and ER4PT in the near future (or maybe never)

 

[emklap]

Hi ,here is a a new ER3XR owner . I love them except for the standard cable. The 3.5mm connector broke after 1 hrs of use, but that was quickly repaired by replacing the connector. The mail issue I have with the cable is the amount of microphonics when wearing them cable down. Wearing them with the cable looping over the ear is helping a lot, but inserting is so much more difficult.

I do have another quality cable that I want to use but these have the standard MMCX connectors that don't fit onto the the ety-specific connectors. Page 803 of this thread refers to a japanese page ( http://e4ua.jp/?p=2827 ) where several mmcx-to-mmcx adapters are shown. Does anyone know where to I can buy such adapters?

http://e4ua.jp/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/P1170012.jpg
http://e4ua.jp/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/P1180928-300x300.jpg
http://e4ua.jp/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/P1190669-300x300.jpg

 

[Pro-Jules]

@ClieOS is the master of sourcing Ety compatible parts. And making cool custom cables.

I wonder if other iems have so many sound engineers as fans? (I'm one too)

 

[ClieOS]

Very nice adapter those Japanese made, though certainly not cheap.

 

[emklap]

@ClieOS is the master of sourcing Ety compatible parts. And making cool custom cables.

I wonder if other iems have so many sound engineers as fans? (I'm one too)

I'm a handy man myself and will probably make my own cable if I can't find any adaptors. Replacing the broken 3.5mm connector was a easy job. It did show me how extremely thin the actual copper wires inside the cable are. The cable consists of 4 copper strands, 2 ground, one left channel and one right channel,allow in a 2.5 balance connector to be attached for those would like to.

 

[ClieOS]

For over-the-ear only

 

[VShaft]

i might buy the T3 someday when it comes out, but i won't part from my ER4XR and ER4PT in the near future (or maybe never)

Due to the standard of living in my country, I'm pretty much always on a budget when buying audio equipment, as the prices are mostly adjusted for the Western wallet. The exception is the whole Chi-Fi revolution, which is why the T2 was so amazing to me. After all those V-shaped phones that I liked, but nor really, the T2 was hailed as the closest thing to neutral you can get on a budget. Whether true or not, I instantly liked the signature. The announcement of the T3 has been like the second coming. Then the ER3XR swooped in at the last minute and made me default on the firm plan of buying the T3. Now, honestly, I don't think I will buy it, because I'm certain that it wouldn't get all that much use (if any at all).

This is another added benefit of the ER3, this one purely personal: it's basically the end game that I was lusting after, but secretly thought it was unreachable, cause the price of all those Campfires, Noble Audios, Ultimate Ears', etc. are always in the $1,000+ region, and just too much for me to justify. So imagine my surprise when I found out the thing I was searching for all along was pretty affordable at about $210. Except the ER4XR and maybe some future Ety flagships, I can't imagine anything better for me.

I never fully jumped into the rabbit hole of this hobby, as I have no real interest in tubes, expensive DACs, DAPs, amps, cables, etc, which are truly a black hole for the wallet. But even in my "budget region" there was always that tiny, niggling sensation that the just maybe this new (again budget) 'phone would be it. It would probably be niggling me until I actually saved up or sold a kidney for an Andromeda or something. Even then it would likely still have persisted. Who knows how long I'd be reaching for some slightly different sound coloring and sinking the $$$ by 50 or 75 or 100 at a time? Once I'd come to my senses, I'd probably be penniless (and possibly divorced, haha!).

Now that I've heard how accurate and truthful to the original recording the Etys are, I'm thinking "This is my summit-fi" and I'm really at a happy place when this hobby's concerned.

 

[emklap]

For over-the-ear only

I have ordered a FIIO LC3.5B cabe and will modify the MMCX to fit the ER3. The MMCX connectors have a angle like the original cable. If the over-ear is still combersume I will remove the ear-loops to wear them cable down. A nice small project for the weekend. Post my results after i have finished.

 

[Lulu800]

After reading about the ER4SR bass EQ's profiles, for giggles i wen't more extreme i made a 250Hz low self with Q 0.5 and gain at 8 also my Fiio bass boost on top. So 12db total with a wide 3.5db 12.5k treble boost, this is with large tri flanges.

I'm only doing listening from few metal bands.

Evoken's - Withering Indignation. On first try everythings got way more meat but without the flabby feel of a DD, everything still tight/fast.

Igorrr - Damaged Wig. Sub bass effects everywhere from breakcore elements and more meat for black metal parts, the sharpness isn't hit.

Nightwish - end of all hope. Sounds like a good bassy DD without any flab, the mids/highs sound great.

Devin Townsend Project - Fallout. More meat yet the hidden details aren't hit.

Sunn O))) - Dylan Carlson. Has very deep thick sound no any different to any DD headphone I've tried.

Also try this with the ER4PT since it works more on that.

 

[WhatToChoose]

After reading about the ER4SR bass EQ's profiles, for giggles i wen't more extreme i made a 250Hz low self with Q 0.5 and gain at 8 also my Fiio bass boost on top. So 12db total with a wide 3.5db 12.5k treble boost, this is with large tri flanges.

I'm only doing listening from few metal bands.

Evoken's - Withering Indignation. On first try everythings got way more meat but without the flabby feel of a DD, everything still tight/fast.

Igorrr - Damaged Wig. Sub bass effects everywhere from breakcore elements and more meat for black metal parts, the sharpness isn't hit.

Nightwish - end of all hope. Sounds like a good bassy DD without any flab, the mids/highs sound great.

Devin Townsend Project - Fallout. More meat yet the hidden details aren't hit.

Sunn O))) - Dylan Carlson. Has very deep thick sound no any different to any DD headphone I've tried.

Also try this with the ER4PT since it works more on that.

What other DDs have you tried in your experience? I find the claim that BA bass can match quality DD bass kinda BS. BAs will obviously be faster, but quality DDs consistently win in the timbre/tonality category