Etymotic ER2XR Review: Budget Reference King

Etymotic offer a competitive neutral earphone at a very affordable price. With Etymotic's tried-and-tested reference response paired to a conventional dynamic (rather than balanced armature) driver, the ER2XR sounds great but doesn't cost a fortune.
Check out the ER2XR here: amzn.to/35fx5Rx
0:00 - Introduction
1:18 - Design
4:13 - Sound
10:17 - Tin T4 Comparison
11:18 - Conclusion
I would appreciate any feedback or queries in the comments below.
If you found this helpful or entertaining, please consider liking and subscribing! :)
Background music kindly provided by Bensound.
www.bensound.com

[@FrankVila]

Great detailed review. Even the Moondrop Kato which costs double, has the exact same rating as the ER2XR in Crinacle's list, and its even listed below them.

[@LL-qb2sy]

Very nice review.. keep going

[@j_moonchild]

Thank you for very informative review! It is hard to find this kind of truthfulness from any reviewer, because everybody thinks, their hearing is like industry standard. I like highly accurate sound so studio monitors are mostly my preference. I also like grados, even they are very coloured, they are highly revealing and they don't have that bloated bass what 99,9% headphones and speakers have nowadays.

[@cibaochua6355]

Cool video! Keep it up .. just subbed :)

[@winnytp]

Thank uuu

[@iliketohideincloset]

@Winston Zhang Thank you very much for this great review. Well done. You just helped me decide between the ER2SE and ER2XR.

[@winnytp]

Thanks Jan, glad it was helpful!

[@arthurcrosby5755]

Thanks for a good review. Pity about the guy on the piano trying to drown out your commentary 😀. I’m about to buy the ER2XR on Amazon AU. They have a good price on the 2XR with a lightning to 3.5 mm adapter and a pack of 2 flange tips. The price is cheaper than the 2XR without these extras; and they are supplied from AU rather than US. I believe the cable is not brilliant. I was wondering if the Linsoul Tripowin C8 MMCX cable fits the MMCX connector on the Etymotic E2XR. Do you know if it is compatible?

[@winnytp]

Thanks for the comments Arthur! I'll tone down the music next time. I've had a look at that cable. Don't think it will fit. The MMCX connector on the ER series is recessed and also needs a 45-degree angle, otherwise it'll stick out like alien ears 😂 Try AliExpress, I think they would have third party cables.

[@Sharur1]

Actually a pretty good subjective review. Pretty much everything you said is visible in the frequency response.

[@winnytp]

Thanks, appreciate it. Most audio reviews are subjective - even the objectivists can't deny that. Hope it was helpful.

[@paulosilva8200]

Found a way to encrease the bass. Yeeeee

[@BojanBojovic]

Do you have the measurements? How they compare with some studio reference headphones, for example ATH R70X, or AKG 612 Pro?

[@winnytp]

I know Crinacle has measured the ER2XR on his blog: crinacle.com/2019/12/03/cliffnotes-etymotic-er2-market-disruptor/ I've also just reviewed the K712 Pro, if you're interested you can watch it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lX2Qc6OifJ2tick

[@jopar3292]

One of the few IEMs i can master with and get the results I was expecting...although you doneed to be a little careful with the low end

[@TKA905]

I just got a pair of ER2XR's and also have a pair of Tin T4's! What size tips work well for you on each? I use medium's on the T4, and it kinda seems like for ER2XR both sizes of the tri flanges work for me... PS. I enjoyed the bit of slow background music

[@winnytp]

Hey there, thanks for your comments and feedback :) For the Tin T4, I just use the stock foams which came with them (not sure if they're M or L sized). I find that the stock Tin tips (even for the T2) don't really work for me. With the ER2XR I have a similar experience to you in the sense that both tri-flanges fit my ear ok. That said, I find that the large tri-flange feels slightly more secure and provides better isolation (and hence seal), so that's what I use.

[@TKA905]

​@@winnytp Oh, I haven't yet tried foams with the T4.. maybe I should give that a shot. Do you find you use your T4's or ER2XR's more? What's your personal preference? I've heard at some point they started including bi-flange tips with the Etymotics, have you tried those? Some people also cut off one of the tips from their tri-flange to make them bi-flange I hear.

[@winnytp]

I tend to use my ER2XR more than the T4. Neither are perfect, but I find the ER2XR sounds more natural than the leaner, brighter T4 (the T4 is definitely more exciting sounding though). I also prefer the fit of the ER2XR by far - much more secure feeling to me, and vastly improved isolation. That said, had I gone back in time, I would probably have purchased the ER2SE as I feel that I'd prefer that signature more. Unfortunately I haven't tried Ety's new bi-flange tips. I don't really have any issues with the tri-flanges at this point, so I don't have any reason to purchase the bi-flanges myself. Most of my listening these days is done on my (corrected) speakers, so I am using the Etymotics less and less at my desk.

[@Vayanovic]

hey man maybe this is a dumb question but ive never bought/spent money on/used proper earphones. im using Final's e1000s now. they're budget iems. i want to buy my first ever decent quality earphones. would buying something like this Etymotics be better than a TWS like Airpods Pro? I really want to buy a good quality pair of earphones. I listening to a lot of Hip hop but also many other genres such as R&B, house/electronic music and so on. Are there any other earphones better than these that you would recommend based on PURE sound quality and Build quality as well?

[@winnytp]

That's not a dumb question at all - in fact, it's a good question! For the genres you tend to listen to (hop-hop, RNB, electronic), I don't think the ER2XR is the best earphone for that type of music. As an upgrade to your E1000, I'd have a look into the Moondrop Starfield's or the Final E4000/5000 series. I personally own the Final E3000 and quite enjoy it. But truthfully, there is no "one" better IEM. It all really depends on your personal preferences, use cases and what you value (do you want a warm earphone, or an analytical earphone; do you prefer bass, or do you like an exciting treble-focused sound?). There are a lot of good TWS earphones too. I don't have extensive experience with them, but I'd imagine the AirPods Pro would sound quite good. The main issue with TWS is that it has to deal with wireless codecs (so potential signal degradation and loss of clarity) and that their batteries are non-replaceable. As all batteries degrade over time, you'll eventually have to replace them in 2-3 years.

[@Vayanovic]

@@winnytp thanks for the detailed response man. I appreciate that. I've decided to go with the Er2xr's. They'll be a signicant upgrade to my current headphones. I've never spent above 50 bucks for earphones so I'm looking forward to them. I do listen to a lot more than those genres so hopefully I will enjoy the sound. I've decided not to get TWS for now because I still want to experience first what true sound quality sounds like with proper earphones.

[@winnytp]

@@Vayanovic No worries man. The ER2XR still sounds great with everything and it's definitely an eye opener in terms of value. All the best :)

[@carlangasa4622]

@@winnytp how long have you had the e3000 i was looking into buying a pair but read the durability was not that good.

[@winnytp]

@@carlangasa4622 I've only had the E3000 for about a month so I can't really comment on that, sorry. The cable is quite thin though.

[@alouisschafer7212]

I might buy them just because they seem to sit deep in your ears and isolate really well without active noise cancellation. Because ANC is great but it comes at a huge cost and it has disadvantages.

[@TF2ReplayMaker]

Any updates? Did you get them?

[@alouisschafer7212]

@@TF2ReplayMaker no. Tin T3+ was on sale for 62$ would have had to pay double for the Etymotics here.

[@TF2ReplayMaker]

@@alouisschafer7212 damn it! Alright then thanks anyways man

[@zahitemremetin606]

Background music is a bit too loud.

[@winnytp]

Haha sorry. Tried not to make it too loud. I'll keep this in mind for future vids :)

[@aesric]

fast bass?