Etymotic ER3XR Sound Impressions and Comparison with Tanchjim Cora
Etymotic ER3XR
The sound of the ER3XR was what I had expected: beautifully neutral, uncoloured, with magnificent purity and naturalness. It's the kind of sound that will deliver you exactly what the music producer intended. Bass, mids and treble are perceived at the same level.
Although the Etymotics XR have a small bass boost compared to SE and SR versions, I consider them neutral. In my opinion, this small increment compensates for the physical vibration sensation provided by the Speakers/monitor's bass even when they have a flat quantity.
The PERCEIVED sound on the ER3XR is neutral. On the other hand, although the measured bass quantity of the SE and SR is flat,
I consider the PERCEIVED bass quantity to be a bit insufficient to be considered completely neutral, exactly because of this physical feel of the bass from the Speakers, which cause a small impression (perception) of more severe ones.
Many people often attribute different characteristics to Balanced Armature Drivers (BA) and Dynamic Drivers. They often attribute BAs a lighter, "faster" and drier sound. Contrary to this, I have read from more experient (
@JohnYang1997) that these different characteristics are the result of different Frequency Response and sound signatures, not of the driver type itself. IMEs with BAs are usually tuned with a Sound Signature to give this sound "faster" and drier (usually with less bass /subs and more treble). I already partially believed that, but now, after hearing The ER3XR, which has only one Balanced Armature Driver on each side, I came to believe on it more than ever.
The sound of the Etymotic has absolutely nothing of dry or thin. Although flat (neutral), it is quite full, full-bodied, musical and with quite good bass impact. That's exactly the kind of sound they would the sound they would describe from a dynamic driver. At the same time, it is extremely detailed and revealing. Also, although the bass is neutral in quantity, I found it sufficient to appreciate any musical genre, including Hip Hop or EDM.
Regarding sibilance, hashness or fatigue, these nouns are something something out of the ER3XR's universe, unless the recording has these characteristics already originally. The treble, as well as the other frequency ranges have an incredible naturalness. The sound is extremely realistic.
Comparison with the Tanchjim Cora.
Anyone who has had any contact with me knows how much I praise and admire this $ 50 USD IEM. So far, it was the best one I had ever heard, regardless of price. If you ask me, between the Tanchjim Cora and ER3XR which one has the best sound, I will answer: ER3XR. But if you ask me which one has the best cost benefit, I will answer: Tanchjim Cora. This is explained by the fact that the difference in sound quality between the two is VERY SMALL. In fact, the sound signature of the two, despite the bass, are very similar.
When compared, the only obvious difference is in the amount of bass, which is noticeably higher in Cora, on the lowest regions. But for mids and treble, the two IEMs are very similar. The differences are noticeable, but the listener has to pay close attention to realize. Cora has the mids and treble a little bit more "in your face", a little more energetic than the ones of the Etymotic. On the other hand, you realize that etymotic is a little more "correct" and natural than the Cora. In terms of detail, "speed", soundstage, imaging, etc., I noticed absolutely no difference at all. In short: Tanchjim Cora is almost like an Etymotic with stronger bass boost.
To conclude, if you want an extremely neutral sound, realistic, natural and true to what was originally recorded, I strongly recommend the Etymotic ER3XR. I found the sound of this IEM just perfect. No wonder the Etymotic are considered the most neutral headphones on the market. On the other hand, if you want a sound that is also extremely natural, realistic, but with a higher bass boost (L-shape): I still highly recommend the Tanchjim Cora. It's worth remembering that I'm talking about a 50 USD headset and a dynamic driver (T. Cora), another 180 USD, with a balanced armature (ER3XR).
PS: MEASUREMENTS DONE BY HEAVYMETAL HALLELUJAH (THE EAR-FI BLOG:
https://m.blog.naver.com/PostList.nhn?blogId=gre_nada)