[Colors]

The number makes it seem like a lower grade Ety, but is it really? ER2 are the dynamic driver based iems, but the way they priced it makes it seems like it's lower valued or inferior. I will be getting ER2SE to demo, but I know I prefer the bass of the XR versions.

I notice that ER3XR is half the price of ER4XR. Is it true the ER4XR is essentially ER3XR with a simple resister added? If this is true, I'm shocked they charged double for something they added only a resistor. Is their pricing merely an illusion to make ER4XR seem the best?

I think they make the ER4 in the US or something. And you get more accessories. The ER3 are made in China? Not sure about ER2 as well.

 

[JohnYang1997]

The number makes it seem like a lower grade Ety, but is it really? ER2 are the dynamic driver based iems, but the way they priced it makes it seems like it's lower valued or inferior. I will be getting ER2SE to demo, but I know I prefer the bass of the XR versions. Too bad I don't have a BA Ety to compare with.

I notice that ER3XR is half the price of ER4XR. Is it true the ER4XR is essentially ER3XR with a simple resister added? If this is true, I'm shocked they charged double for something they added only a resistor. Is their pricing merely an illusion to make ER4XR seem the best?

It's a bit different than you think.
1, yes er2 is not inferior just cheaper.
2, yes er3 is er4 with less resistor value. It's not even that er4 has extra resistor that er3 doesn't have. But it's also because er4 is hand matched. And has better accessories.
3, you need to think that any etymotic product is miles ahead most competitors. I would say all competitors a few years back. And the fact that er4 is still top tier, 300 dollars make it a steal. If it's out of your price range just choose cheaper models. Simple as that. If you are like me believe etymotic is ****ing great, you just buy all models from mc5 mk5 to er4sr er4xr including er2 er4b etc and even multiples of them. Just to support them.

 

[SilverEars]

yes er3 is er4 with less resistor value. It's not even that er4 has extra resistor that er3 doesn't have. But it's also because er4 is hand matched. And has better accessories.

I recall back in the days you can turn the ER4P into ER4S with a simple resistance adapter. Is that what the ER3 is? What the ER4P was formerly? I just looked at the thread here and the measurement is pretty clear that ER3XR + 23 ohm resistor is ER4XR. Identical FR and THD. Pretty clear to me the numbers are marketing along with the pricing.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/if-...-thread-for-you.538615/page-757#post-13938835

ER4 being miles ahead is your opinion, even less so at the price. There's plenty of flavors out there, and ER4 is just one many.

 

[JohnYang1997]

I recall back in the days you can turn the ER4P into ER4S with a simple resistance adapter. Is that what the ER3 is? What the ER4P was formerly? I just looked at the thread here and the measurement is pretty clear that ER3XR + 23 ohm resistor is ER4XR. Identical FR and identical THD.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/if-...-thread-for-you.538615/page-757#post-13938835

ER4 being miles ahead is your opinion, even less so at the price. There's plenty of flavors out there, and ER4 is just one.

Objective is objective. People who like crap don't make crap any better. And er2 again made distortion a lot lower. It's almost untouchable. Only companies like moondrop who pursue the similar outcome of etymotic can be close. But the fact that shallow insertion just wouldn't do it. That's why they made reference ciem which is essentially modified er4b, different driver and circuit tho.

 

[chinmie]

you need to think that any etymotic product is miles ahead most competitors.

even i who really love my Etys and would not part with them won't think or even say they're miles ahead of others. they are a great company with a well established product. they're unique and just different than the competitors. that's it. in my humble opinion, of course

 

[Raketen]

The number makes it seem like a lower grade Ety, but is it really? ER2 are the dynamic driver based iems, but the way they priced it makes it seems like it's lower valued or inferior. I will be getting ER2SE to demo, but I know I prefer the bass of the XR versions. Too bad I don't have a BA Ety to compare with.

I notice that ER3XR is half the price of ER4XR. Is it true the ER4XR is essentially ER3XR with a simple resister added? If this is true, I'm shocked they charged double for something they added only a resistor. Is their pricing merely an illusion to make ER4XR seem the best?

IMO ER2SE is a bit of a step down compared to ER4S at least with certain instruments/recordings where I haven't really had issue w/ on ER4S. I don't think it's a bad IEM, but er4s street price isn't that much more. Switching to the grey tips from my ER4 seems to have improved it slightly- perhaps my complaints are at least partially insertion depth related.

However I still haven't heard XR/SR, maybe these new-style Ety FR are closer matched?

Spoiler: Thoguht these went pretty well with 2SE

Spoiler: Not so well compared to 4S

 

[Joe Bloggs]

I recall back in the days you can turn the ER4P into ER4S with a simple resistance adapter. Is that what the ER3 is? What the ER4P was formerly? I just looked at the thread here and the measurement is pretty clear that ER3XR + 23 ohm resistor is ER4XR. Identical FR and THD. Pretty clear to me the numbers are marketing along with the pricing.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/if-you-still-love-etymotic-er4-this-is-the-threapcolormeshd-for-you.538615/page-757#post-13938835

ER4 being miles ahead is your opinion, even less so at the price. There's plenty of flavors out there, and ER4 is just one many.

And if you do precision EQing, an ER4 performs just the same as a pair of $10 name brand IEMs (base models from Sony, Philips and Panasonic come to mind) except with better EQ and smoother response that you can just shape up yourself in the $10 IEMs. Oh and better isolation.

A lot of $1000 IEMs don't even get the "better EQ" part down.

But that's just me. *Shrug*

 

[antdroid]

my review of the ER2 series: https://www.antdroid.net/2019/07/etymotics-research-is-well-established.html

This is a really nice series as is the ER3/ER4. I really like the dynamic driver usage here. Very good natural sound. A real steal at the price they are selling for!

 

[WhatToChoose]

And if you do precision EQing, an ER4 performs just the same as a pair of $10 name brand IEMs (base models from Sony, Philips and Panasonic come to mind) except with better EQ and smoother response that you can just shape up yourself in the $10 IEMs. Oh and better isolation.

A lot of $1000 IEMs don't even get the "better EQ" part down.

But that's just me. *Shrug*

So...you're saying the only difference between ER4 and $10 IEMs are....FR and THD? Or did the sarcasm go way over my head?

 

[Colors]

Currently own the ER4SR and ER2XR is arriving tomorrow...

Time for Etymotic to design a multi-driver IEM.

 

[Makahl]

From: EtyDave's interview

What are the distinctive ‘hallmarks’ or
signature elements of your earphone and/
or headphone designs? What distinguishes
your products from those of your
competitors?

From the beginning, we’ve always targeted
an accurate, uncolored reproduction of the
source as the primary goal of our earphones.
We’ve challenged the trends and industry
wide belief that more drivers always equate
to better sound. From a pure fidelity
standpoint, we’re able to deliver the flattest
most accurate response with a single driver
without any of the phase compromises that
are often found with multiple drivers.

 

[csglinux]

Currently own the ER4SR and ER2XR is arriving tomorrow...

I'll be interested to hear your thoughts. ER2XR is a bit of a change coming from the ER4SR. You're going to be a bit shocked the first time you hear sub-bass from an Ety

Time for Etymotic to design a multi-driver IEM.

@Makahl beat me to it. But I'd also add that beyond phase issues, there's the size. That silly race to see how many BAs you can cram into one shell has made it almost standard these days for all $2000-$3000-$4000 (and higher) multi-driver IEMs to be absolutely huge, making a good, comfortable fit a total crapshoot and clobbering any chance you had of getting good isolation. Etymotic have the size right, IMHO. I hope they don't change that.

FWIW, most of my favorite headphones, based on SQ alone, are single driver

 

[Colors]

Out of phase with multidrivers is pretty real. Results in coherency issues.

Only brand I know that really do it right is maybe JH Audio. They have some patented tech or something.

 

[Colors]

Ugh...I think I’m just a lover of the diffuse field sound signature. EX1000, MDR7550, ER4SR, ER2XR, used to own a Massdrop Plus and listened to a KSE1200. Campfire Orion is kind of DF...

Something nice about hearing music from everywhere.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

So...you're saying the only difference between ER4 and $10 IEMs are....FR and THD? Or did the sarcasm go way over my head?

I said FR and isolation. THD?
https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/EtymoticER4SR.pdf
https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/PhilipsSHE3590.pdf

The $10 Philips had lower THD almost across the board (at 100dB. It doesn't make sense for THD at 90dB to be higher than at 100dB--points to noise issues with their measurement at their time, i.e. either outside noise intruded on the measurement or the Philips' performance was challenging the noise floor of the measurement system itself at the time)

That said, I own and have owned the ER3SE, the original ER4P and the MC3. The etys are worth it for the isolation alone--the FR I get from any earphones using Viper4Android on Android or Electri-Q on PC.