[AmericanSpirit]

Well as good as the deal on the W80s are your rankings are leading me to drop trying them as noise isolation is important to me. Would you say the Variations with foam tips came close to the ER4SR with foam tips or was it a wide seperation?

It looks like I'm going to keep the ER3SR's to fill the gap and give a pair of the Moondrop Variations a try. (unless you have any others to recommend?) If I'm happy with them I'll stop there but otherwise I'll hunt down some ER4SRs.

Thank you for sharing your experience and spending the time to test your collection!

In terms of noise isolation, yes there is clearly noticeable difference between ER4 and Moondrop’s.

I can Imagine working in yards with this level of hearing protection is a must. Yes, You’d better off going with Ety’s

 

[Baenwort]

I don't know if it's a Cyber Monday deal or one of Adorama's longer-running discounts, but the Westone W80 are $399 at this link, at least for now.
I've never heard 'em, just passing it along.

https://www.adorama.com/we80v3bt.html?sdtid=16228426&emailprice=t

Yes, that was the one shared with me via PM. However, the isolation comparison above plus a bit of fear about how big a change they could be has led me to cancel that order and go with trying the Moondrop Variations as I do want to try something new since several of the things that kept me with Etymotic aren't true anymore.

 

[earmonger]

For what it's worth, my recent ER3XR suggest Ety's quality has not declined despite the ownership change. They feel solid; they sound clear. And with the Adorama deal on the ER3SE, you can keep those around just as beaters, especially since the isolation is unmatched.

Ety tuning is just a different taste; if you have it, you can maintain it.

Jerry Garcia once compared the Grateful Dead to licorice. Not everyone likes licorice. But people who like licorice, he said, really like licorice. Etys are similar.

I have not tried the Ety EVO, an entirely different approach after all these years. Curious but not moved to pull the trigger...

 

[Raketen]

Personally am more of a 4P fan, but I find EVO to be modestly different from ER4S - a sort of 4S + bass boost (+ soundstage slightly more spread out + slightly improved treble). I think the bass does change the character a little, but it's quite low down so mostly just makes for a tad more tactilty.

Probably a fairly safe bet if you are an avowed Ety fan, and at sale prices not a bad value proposition IMO- but maybe someone who is more picky about a particular signature would not feel the same. I wouldn't sleep on ER2 either, street prices are 1/4 an ER4 but they're quite close in sound quality .

 

[AmericanSpirit]

https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/drop-etymotic-erx-in-ear-monitors.30389/

I saw this that may git your needs Ety x Deep insertion x IEM shape so that won’t fall off easily

 

[Baenwort]

https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/drop-etymotic-erx-in-ear-monitors.30389/

I saw this that may git your needs Ety x Deep insertion x IEM shape so that won’t fall off easily

Are there any technical reviews?

The shape wasn't a problem with me on the ER4S but rather the plastic was a fatigue point that eventually would fail where it was narrow. I started this thread as with the death of my last pair, the end of the ER4S line, and Etymotic no longer being a Elk Grove Village, IL company I didn't have a tie down to Ety and I figured that in 20+ years something better may have come out. Three out of my last five headphone purchases have involved stopping at Ety's building and picking it up from their front desk.

I am interested in the ERX but I'd like to see some answers to questions like @carmatic about matching and some data to show if they are closer to the ER4S/SR or the P/XR side?

I've got a pair of Moondrop Variations coming this weekend (thanks to a member here for quick shipping and a good price) and the ER3SE OTW from Adorama. If the Moondrops disappoint (the sound is described in a way that I think it will be fit if anything that disappoints) The ERX may be a better match and I will have the ER3SE to help me last until non-promotional reviews and tests come out after the release date.

 

[earmonger]

Not in any way connected with the seller but just noticed:

https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/etymotic-er4xr-like-new-in-box.31562/

If my ER3XR are comparable -- and graphs suggest they are -- the bass boost is by no means overwhelming or intrusive. It's a good price.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Are there any technical reviews?

The shape wasn't a problem with me on the ER4S but rather the plastic was a fatigue point that eventually would fail where it was narrow. I started this thread as with the death of my last pair, the end of the ER4S line, and Etymotic no longer being a Elk Grove Village, IL company I didn't have a tie down to Ety and I figured that in 20+ years something better may have come out. Three out of my last five headphone purchases have involved stopping at Ety's building and picking it up from their front desk.

I am interested in the ERX but I'd like to see some answers to questions like @carmatic about matching and some data to show if they are closer to the ER4S/SR or the P/XR side?

I've got a pair of Moondrop Variations coming this weekend (thanks to a member here for quick shipping and a good price) and the ER3SE OTW from Adorama. If the Moondrops disappoint (the sound is described in a way that I think it will be fit if anything that disappoints) The ERX may be a better match and I will have the ER3SE to help me last until non-promotional reviews and tests come out after the release date.

I’m not too expert about the ERX, your guess is good as mine here. And glad to see you’ve got your hands on Variations! It a maturity of IEM world. Hope you like it!