Etymotic ER2XR Earphone Review by dentReviews

Etymotic ER2XR Earphone Review by dentReviews

[@miltonwilliams2399]

I have a pair of them they are amazing. It's just the fit can be hard at times. I want the 3xr next to compare the two.

[@chrisstroud60]

The brown filter change is worth making a video on I think. Just an update video basically. I'm not sure how to get the filters though. It seems like something that should have been packed in with the earphones as bonus accessories.

[@jimis3167]

I agree, he should make a vid.

[@jimis3167]

Currently waiting them to arrive. Very curious how they sound...

[@jeofthevirtuoussand]

I don't like the way the vocals are done on the moondrop aria and starfield the tonality is weird to my ears. I love the hd 600. Are the er2se or xr close to the hd600 ?

[@diamondhellspawnscorpion]

Very well reviewed.. No bullshit like other reviewers.. Just ordered one from Amazon for $109 with international shipping ($11) to India.. 😊.. P.S - Adorama doesn't ship to India though it costs $99.95 there with $40 for international shipping 😮 to other countries

[@johnellison3173]

Did you try the brown filters? Or any other colours? I have noticed that Etymotic now sell a tuning kit for the ER series which has 5 different colour filters to try.

[@dentReviews]

I've tried them all with the er4s. and a few with the others. i generally prefer the red or brown. i use the brown in the er2xr exclusively. they sound amazingly neutral for my preferred target. but the red can make the er4s/sr sound more relaxed...

[@paulosilva8200]

I managed to get from ali express 50pcs DIY Tuning Papers 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 Mesh Tuning Cotton Pads Earphones DIY Adhesive Papers for 4 dollars. For the green filter sound, get the 350. For brighter tone, get the 300 and for a less treble get the 400. 50 filters and produce the same results. Remove the old filter and press the stickers into the noozle. Simple

[@Maheshutube]

Finally bit. Arriving in couple of days. What's the best eartips for em? Those provided in the box good or you need to purchase something else? Am hoping the silicone provided tip do the job as i usually find foam restrictive to Treble.

[@seanivrymusic]

i prefer silicon for sound, get them deep and sealed well without and pressurization... otherwise the ety grey foam can change treble a bit, but if you are able to squeeze them deeper (not always easy) they are pretty similar in sound. the treble changes usually come from the fact that they can't get as deep as easy, so you get a shift in the resonance peak.

[@Maheshutube]

@@seanivrymusic ah! Thanks a ton. Will try em out. No other IEM has these scary preambles, about ear-violation and yet these seem to turn people into willing masochists and cult-y!

[@GlitchyBastard]

Quick question: Moondrop Starfield or EX2XR?😆 I think you reviewed these two both pretty high, and they both sound fun?

[@dentReviews]

purely on sound, er2xr. but both are great. starfield is much easier to recommend for comfort as it isn't deep fitting. but for me, i prefer the er2xr sound. it is smoother and more revealing, even if a bit dark...

[@chrisstroud60]

I have a question about the xr that super review sent to you. Was there a brown filter or original green inside the nozzle?. I didn't get the same sound impression really. I thought it sounded too boosted in bass and treble was lacking a bit. I did ask super review on discord or maybe it was a live stream and he said he later used the tuning kit to change the sound on his er2xr.

[@dentReviews]

i honestly don't remember, but i know i tried both green (stock) and brown filters. I also find green filters to sound a bit soft in the treble with extra bass impression. The brown filter just makes it sound better to me. er4xr is a better response overall, but the er2xr with brown is very similar with better bass impact and overall texture. but it's not as impressive as something like moondrop kato for a single DD iem, even though it is superb. It sounds more congested somehow. But has the added benefit of ety isolation.

[@gigihanmandarin]

What you are desiring, Chris, from your description, is exactly what ER2SE is. I think ER2SE will be more suitable for you.

[@dentReviews]

er2xr with brown filter is almost linear perfection for me from a strictly response aspect. however, the depth and tips greatly affect treble. foam reduces some areas of the treble for me. possibly due to the not as critical depth. i need to eq 7khz or so otherwise it sounds a bit dull. with super deep fit and silicone tips it isn't really an issue. but i don't think many wear them as deep as i do. and if that still isn't enough treble you may prefer one of their BA models....

[@chrisstroud60]

@@dentReviews you're right about tips. I thought the large triple flange tips were the best for me however I recently changed to the smaller triple flange tips. The sound changed alot actually. I hade a problem with volume with er2se but now it's not an issue. I believe the large tips pinch inside my ear causing a different sound (more dull and too flat maybe). The treble got more amplified with other tips. The only problem I have with the smaller triple flange is it doesn't block as much noise as the large ones do. It kinda sucks because I wish there was a size medium triple flange.

[@dentReviews]

@@chrisstroud60 sadly tip fit is critical and difficult for some like me. have you tried the small biflange?

[@gourabasis]

If you eq the er2se bass to er2xr levels does it give a good representation of what the xr sounds like?

[@dentReviews]

depends on what you mean by "good"? :-P it will never sound as good as the er2xr, because it has a dynamic driver and is capable of much more slam, and impact and texture. you can eq the er2se to have a similar "amount" of bass, and it might approximate it, but it won't sound as good, no.

[@gourabasis]

@@dentReviews By "good representation" i mean if i eq the er2se will it give me a sense of how the er2xr sounds like. Since I'd gotten the er2se only because er2xr was out of stock. Is there that much of a difference that owning both xr and se models make sense? Or is the difference that subtle that i will be able to eq each earphone to sound like the other say upto 90% close. Also does the increased bass cause a reduced perceived soundstage?

[@Elazarko]

Is there any other IEM you recommend in the same price range $100-200 that sound similar to the ex2er that don't have that deep insurgent?

[@dentReviews]

closest things are jvc fdx01 drop edition and tanchjim oxygen. they're closer to 300. but closest to the sound. the next closest option is moondrop starfield and blessing 2. I'd save the money and get the jvc or o2 though personally...

[@Elazarko]

@@dentReviews Thank You for the help! I personally don't quite want to spend more then $200 at the moment. Do you know of any other pair that will sound great with piano Specifically? What I think matters most is imaging, resolution and detail. I can't stand when trebble/lower trebble is sharp or just unpleasant. Seriously, it's so unplessent when I play with the built-in speakers of my Yamaha Clavinova and especially with a pretty cheap yamaha headphone I sometimes use. I've been doing a little research, the er2xr I don't like for their form factor. Jvc fdx1 I hear have reliability issues. Besides I want a pair that will ship quick.! My budget is around $100-200 any suggestions for a pair that will be great with piano? I don't mind a little more warm bass but I guess mids focus and overall balenced sound is my priority..

[@dentReviews]

@@Elazarko that's a hard decision. if i absolutely couldn't spend more than $200 and couldn't use etymotic, I would probably buy the starfield. I think the JVC is a step above the starfield just a touch, and I haven't heard of reliability issues, but you'd have to wait for a drop sale or something to get close to $200 anyway. So starfield would be my personal buy. It is well worth the price, even if it isn't as reference as something like the illumination or etymotic. But you'll have to weigh the pros and cons yourself and make a decision based on what is important to you.

[@shahkhan110]

these vs blessings2 dusk????

[@dentReviews]

that's a tough question. as i don't have a dusk anymore and do have the er2xr, i'd argue they are better. but it depends. they are deep fitting and the dusk is more comfortable and arguably has a better overall technical sound. wider, more 3d. but er2xr is cheaper, possibly more linear in strictly a response type way. they are both superb. i think it would come down mostly to if you want to block more sound vs. a more comfortable fit and whether you want a more revealing treble vs a more open and 3d sound... it's a tough one!

[@oscarcheung5893]

How much is the braided cable upgrade? And would you recommend it?

[@dentReviews]

$70-$80 and i actually prefer the er2 cable personally. it's softer and more flexible at the top. they both offer the same sound so unless it broke I'd stick with the stock cable and save $$70

[@baan7782]

@@dentReviews But the stock cable has microphonics. Its so annoying when you move and it brushes against something.

[@dentReviews]

@@baan7782 most cables have some level of noise when you move. I find the etymotic average, but two things can help. first, make sure you wear the earphone deep enough. not only does it sound better, it eliminates almost all occlusion effect (noise when you move or talk in your ears caused by blockage in the ear). also, make sure you wear the cable over the ear. angle the earphone up and forward a bit and then loop the cable around your ear and use the cable cinch to snug it comfortably close to your chin. for me that eliminates the noise to the point that it is similar or better than most good cables. the depth of the fit has the biggest effect on the cable noise for me.

[@bagajohny1673]

@@dentReviews in general does balanced cable make much of audible difference compared to single ended one in case of headphones? since you work in audio industry you should have better understanding of it than most other youtube reviewers imo. i guess for speakers it makes a difference because of the length and other interference from other cables it has to run with. but for headphones its fairly straightforward connection from the amp. what do you think?

[@dentReviews]

​@UC_VuNzz5uISWDZEjTkB25zw that is a very complex question. believe it or not, creating a balanced headphone amplifier is actually prone to possibly decreasing audio quality. the balanced aspect of the amplifier introduces a LOT of extra variables, and unless the engineer is very careful to deal with all of them, the quality can actually be worse, the same is true of high resolution amplifiers. However, assuming you have a high quality, well designed balanced amplifier, in theory the balanced connection would be better quality, but truthfully, whether or not someone can hear that difference is pretty hard to determine. you'd hear a much more significant difference changing the filter in an etymotic earphone than switching to a balanced configuration. i personally don't feel there is enough difference if any to personally go that route myself.

[@gerardcun1023]

for referencing Er2se or Er2xr?

[@MaxisGameR23]

se of course

[@johnroesch689]

y do ya need filters . eq?

[@dentReviews]

yes. they protect from debris getting in the driver and they dampen the treble which is essentially EQ.

[@ClosDeLaRoche87]

No more love for ER4SR?

[@dentReviews]

er4sr is superb. i just feel the bass of the er4xr is more of a correct level of bass to mimic a studio monitor speaker type sound. but both are great

[@jcap8391]

@@dentReviews You think Etymotic Evo is going to be any good?

[@dentReviews]

@@jcap8391 yes. the response graph is very very similar to er4xr with more low sub bass and every so slightly different treble with more extension...

[@samuelgadgets1391]

How was compare between Etymotic ER4XR vs Etymotic ER2XR?

[@dentReviews]

theyr'e fairly equivalent to me. i prefer the er2xr for the bass and overall dynamic driver quality. but the er4xr is smoother and brings out more details. tough call. for the price, er2xr is a much better value...but er4xr is nice if you like BA drivers.

[@samuelgadgets1391]

@@dentReviews Which one is reveal the detail better between Etymotic ER4XR vs Etymotic ER2XR?

[@dentReviews]

@@samuelgadgets1391 for purely detail I'd probably say er4xr

[@samuelgadgets1391]

@@dentReviews Does ER2XR is less details and more bass than ER4XR? Which one is more on soundstage between ER2XR and ER4XR?

[@seanivrymusic]

@@samuelgadgets1391 i'm not sure i'd say it is "less" details, but the BA driver of the er4xr and the slightly less bass do give a very "high definition" experience. I personally prefer the texture of a dynamic driver like the er2xr, but it's hard to describe how they are different. I recommend you try them somehow if you can. If not, go with whichever one you can afford. The er4xr is probably better for what most people call "soundstage", but that is a vague term. The er4xr sounds like it has more space and depth and precision, at the cost of sounding sort of soft compared to the dynamic driver er2xr. And the er2xr has superior bass, whether you think it's too much or not, it simply hits harder and more naturally.

[@bagajohny1673]

are er2xr hard to drive? i mean do they sound better on a powerful amp compared to your smartphone or laptop?

[@dentReviews]

if your smartphone is decent they are easy to drive. that is highly variable based on what phone you have. if it isn't you can pickup the apple dongle and it is surprisingly good and that is backed up by measurements. i think a decent amplifier can help to make sure you have good gain headroom, but otherwise probably not a major difference unless your phone suffers from a specific issue. and even then you'd really need a DAC as well to eliminate such issues (noise, hiss, frequency response issues, etc.)

[@bagajohny1673]

@@dentReviews I hava a pixel 3a and I think its fairly good. Although i dont have access to any dedicated dac or amp. I want to drive ER2XR to its full potential. I just wanted to know if I decide to buy a proper setup will there be any audible improvement in audio quality to justify the cost.

[@ilianto]

@@bagajohny1673 Any dac/amp would sound better than standard Pixel 3a. I use a BTR5 and it's night and day.

[@amanieux]

er2se or er2xr ?

[@dentReviews]

they're both etymotic sound. probably a personal decision. I prefer er2xr myself.

[@Wingedmagician]

Some bass the xrs. Vs no bass the se. is my understanding.

[@dentReviews]

@@Wingedmagician somewhat, but unlike thr other etymotic iems, the er2xr is a dynamic driver, so it has a much more natural texture