[AnyDave]

Depends on whether you believe in burn in or not. I've had BA drivers burn in on me, most notable would be the ADDIEM from way back in the the day (was able to test this out 3x since replacing silicone ear tips meant replacing the entire unit, Apple eventually got smart with this by fixing this issue with the APP). That said, I normally always burned in my headphones for about 50 hours.

All this said, if you're more used to the HF5 and MK5, you're likely better off sending them back for the ER2SE instead. Keep in mind that the main differences between them is just the filter that is used. If you want a options (besides the two) Etymotic does have the filter kit which allows you to experiment with different filters and how it attenuates or boosts the bass.

A small point of correction: The ER2SE and ER2XR both ship with the same green damper. While you can try different dampers to shift the frequency response a bit, the fundamental difference between the 2SE and the 2XR is the driver itself and you won't really be able to change the bass itself. Now, you could take a 2XR and go to a lower value damper (say a brown), which would add to the main peak (and cause a secondary to show up) but it won't actually reduce the bass itself.

Ultimately I agree that, if the 2XR has too much bass now, it probably makes sense to swap it out for a 2SE.

 

[LIVE_EVIL]

How many hours should I burn in my Er2xr? Right out of the box, the bass seems to be too much for my tastes and it is a bit veiling the midrange (bloated/veiled) The treble also doesn't have the extention and refinement that I'm used to with my previous Etymotic Hf5 and Mk5.

Or should I send them back and order the Er2se instead? I need your opinions guys.

Dont use dual flanges. Use tripple only and put them as deep as possible.

 

[FloofyBuffalo]

@EtyDave Will there be any sort of pressure relief tech (like APEX/ATOM) in the EVO?

 

[AnyDave]

@EtyDave Will there be any sort of pressure relief tech (like APEX/ATOM) in the EVO?

No, there is not.

 

[luisdent]

Dave, Would you say the response above 1khz matches your etymotic target more closely than the er4? or is it just different?

 

[ozkan]

I like the MK5 quite a lot. ER2SR should be a good upgrade for me.

@ClieOS, do you still think ER2SE is a good upgrade from MK5 and ER2XR which I've found on the latter the bass is too much and ruins the mids and highs? I have read through pages but I couldn't find any clear comparisons between these?

I'm still debating on which I should go for between ER2SE/3SE or MK5 again? I'm after a sound close to ER4S but with a little more omph in bass? Your help would be much appreciated.. And the other members of course

 

[ledzep]

@ClieOS, do you still think ER2SE is a good upgrade from MK5 and ER2XR which I've found on the latter the bass is too much and ruins the mids and highs? I have read through pages but I couldn't find any clear comparisons between these?

I'm still debating on which I should go for between ER2SE/3SE or MK5 again? I'm after a sound close to ER4S but with a little more omph in bass? Your help would be much appreciated.. And the other members of course

Personally I'd pay the extra and get the 4SR, if your in the UK I'd have no problem in sending you a few filters for free to test out.

 

[twiceboss]

My only questions are.... How Evo can do about imaging and soundstaging. That's my main quirk on the previous etys

 

[ozkan]

Personally I'd pay the extra and get the 4SR, if your in the UK I'd have no problem in sending you a few filters for free to test out.

Thanks for your offer but I don't live in UK. Otherwise I'd be grateful. Actually I cannot stretch my budget for 4SR

I removed the green filters but I didn't like the sound and put them back. It became so shouty in the mids and highs. I may order 2SE but I'm afraid there won't be much difference

 

[SXero]

I removed the green filters but I didn't like the sound and put them back. It became so shouty in the mids and highs. I may order 2SE but I'm afraid there won't be much difference

Some people online (Crinicle, Olufsgadgets) have listened to both ER4 and ER2 and actually prefer the ER2, because the drivers always sound the same on different input and have the 'nicer dynamic timbre'. That may suggest that the 2SE is actually pretty close to the legendary ER4 and does not have the harshness.

I have not heard the ER2 myself, I am a ER4 user; I can report no harshness here. I am thinking of the ER2 SE as a gift to my retired music loving mom now she is retired.

 

[ClieOS]

@ClieOS, do you still think ER2SE is a good upgrade from MK5 and ER2XR which I've found on the latter the bass is too much and ruins the mids and highs? I have read through pages but I couldn't find any clear comparisons between these?

I'm still debating on which I should go for between ER2SE/3SE or MK5 again? I'm after a sound close to ER4S but with a little more omph in bass? Your help would be much appreciated.. And the other members of course

I never listened to ER2XR (or any of the ER3) before so I can't comment much on it, though I think you will not find ER2SE's bass to be intrusive at all when compared to MK5.

Between ER2SE and MK5, MK5 is more fluid in presentation, slightly brighter / harsher on treble and wider in soundstage while ER2SE is technically flatter in FR, a bit warmer in the mid and smoother in the treble. To me, ER2SE is closer to a classic Ety sound but MK5 is a little more fun to listen. Personally I like MK5 just a little more but it really is more of a personal taste rather than technical difference.

 

[ClieOS]

While I won't say I prefer ER2SE over ER4SR, I do prefer my old ER4S even slightly more over ER4SR.

 

[CK Moustache]

Depends on whether you believe in burn in or not. I've had BA drivers burn in on me, most notable would be the ADDIEM from way back in the the day (was able to test this out 3x since replacing silicone ear tips meant replacing the entire unit, Apple eventually got smart with this by fixing this issue with the APP). That said, I normally always burned in my headphones for about 50 hours.

All this said, if you're more used to the HF5 and MK5, you're likely better off sending them back for the ER2SE instead. Keep in mind that the main differences between them is just the filter that is used. If you want a options (besides the two) Etymotic does have the filter kit which allows you to experiment with different filters and how it attenuates or boosts the bass.

As Dave (who should obviously know how the tuning of the two ER2-seires IEMs is achieved) already pointed out, the same filters are used.
@tinyman392 If one is somewhat familiar with how the bass output (quantity) is tuned on dynamic drivers/dynamic driver IEMs, it is rather easy, with a bit of mental reflection, to figure out that the main difference between the ER2SE and ER2XR is that the drivers in the ER2SE are implemented with no rear cavity air space behind them whereas the ones in the ER2XR are, which results in the XRs' sub-bass boost (so the difference is in the shells' rear cavity that is used on the ER2XR but not on the ER2SE, while the drivers themselves are the same - that's what I guessed back when the IEMs were released and after I received and played around with them a bit, and it was subsequently confirmed by Etymotic upon request).

@ClieOS, do you still think ER2SE is a good upgrade from MK5 and ER2XR which I've found on the latter the bass is too much and ruins the mids and highs? I have read through pages but I couldn't find any clear comparisons between these?

I'm still debating on which I should go for between ER2SE/3SE or MK5 again? I'm after a sound close to ER4S but with a little more omph in bass? Your help would be much appreciated.. And the other members of course

The absolute bass output of the ER2SE, at least the ones I have, is very close to that of the ER4SR, only with one dB difference. The upper midrange/presence range (on the ER2SE) is very slightly more relaxed, while the super treble quantity above 10 kHz is higher.
Subjectively the bass "timbre" is somewhat different indeed, with a more "visceral" presentation in comparison; one can "feel" the low notes' rumble a bit more despite identically good seal and near-identical quantity. Could well be that the ER2SE would do it for you. Otherwise, looking at the ER3XR would be an option as they are a bit lighter in the lower bass than the ER2XR (by ca. 3 dB at 35 Hz; pretty much similar between ~ 120 Hz and 1 kHz, but a bit more relaxed than the ER4XR above that, however only really audible in concentrated direct comparison).

 

[luisdent]

While I won't say I prefer ER2SE over ER4SR, I do prefer my old ER4S even slightly more over ER4SR.

can you elaborate? I've always thought the er4s was more silky smooth, yet they graph identically to the er4sr. is it the impedance and other technicalities?

 

[ledzep]

If in doubt ..... buy em' all