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63 About this deal
IEMs generally have better isolation and sound in general because they are transmitting directly into your ear canal, rather than diffusing. This means that the bass response will be tighter with less sibilance. The soundstage can be better with some earbuds, but they also have worse imaging. Comfort is subjective, some people prefer IEMs, others prefer earbuds. Are Headphones better than IEMs?
With a better bass than the original, the Tin T2 Plus is a bit more broadly appealing and controlled. Easy to drive and a good set, with their pleasant tone they offer an outstanding value for the money. Super comfortable, with clear treble and strong but controlled bass. Highlights: A while ago, I wrote a post comparing the ER2XR to my makeshift "ER4XR". What I mean by that is if you add a 20-30 ohm impedance adapter to the ER3XR, you get the sound of the ER4XR, as detailed in this post. With an impedance of 15 ohms and a sensitivity of 96dBm these buds are reasonably easy to drive, and you should get more than plenty of volume from even your mobile device. In fact, Etymotic now sells an iPhone compatible version. Since the model I’m testing has the regular 3.5mm termination, and I forgot my damn iPhone dongle, I’ve paired the ER2XR with my trusty Astell&Kern SA700 DAP. The ER2XR offers Etymotic’s renowned passive isolation, providing 35-42 dB attenuation. You will hear all the details in the music with lower volume levels that are safer for your hearing. The flat mids and highs, along with the emphasized bass of the ER2XR, will appeal to consumers and audiophiles who like a little more presence of bass.The ER2XR is easily the best value of the three, being more lively than the warmer ER3XR, but more neutral and fun than the thinner ER4XR. Is there a small loss of clarity or detail in the treble when comparing the dynamic driver to the BA versions? I think so, but their exact treble response is not necessarily identical, so some of it may just be FR-related. In any case, I still think the ER2XR is quite detailed for its price. It does not sound grainy, congested or smoothed over, easily out-resolving cheaper IEMs like the Tin T2 and MH755 (I never use these since getting the ER2XR). As another point of reference, none of these IEMs is in the same tier as Stax SR-L500 in terms of detail.
Timbre: The dynamic drivers retain the natural and organic character of the percussion instruments. The timbre is on point and perfect. It’s a pleasure to listen to them. In this aspect, i think they sound a bit more natural than the ER4XR. Violins and guitars sound clean and have the perfect amount of bite and brightness to them. They are also very cohesive, and have a certain fluidity in them which makes them lean toward musical than monitoresque. This is a very special earphone tuned in the right signature. There are some improvements to be noted, for instance the in-your-head congested feeling of the ER4s now sound like average IEM imaging instead (it’s an improvement, but it’s not amazing either) and the bass response is a little better as well. Though if you’re looking for proper bass, the ER2 would run circles around the EVO in terms of realism and actual weight.
Sound Quality
ER2XR is favored by those who enjoy the extra bass presence and body when listening to their music. The extra bass is done tastefully without turning the ER2XR into a bass heavy IEM. The bigger question for every Etymotic owner is the fit. They need to seal deep and some people just hate the feeling. I can't get a seal with the double flange and I think they're annoying with the triple-flanged silicone, but (after a session or two) they are comfortable with the gray foam tips. If you hate the fit, you're not going to want to listen to them anyway.
Close to ruler flat impedance (15 ohms) ensures consistent tonality with various audio equipment regardless of the headphone output impedance. If you enjoyed BLON but disliked the fit, or just want a step up, then HBB Mele might be an excellent choice for you. This is a great set that plays many genres well, especially drums and guitars, and is perfect for those looking for a warm-sounding set with a great timbre. IEMs listed below are among the best, yet affordable. I’ve tried to show the best value to each IEM individually, so you’ll know what is best for you personally. The ER2XR shells are made of anodized aluminum, CNC machined with extremely tight tolerances. Using a single dynamic driver allows for a very accurate IEM without the added complexity of crossovers, and helps keep the aluminum body small and slim. Included is a user-replaceable cable.
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With respect to comfort, don’t expect a particularly forgiving experience. You’ll always feel them in there. And for folks who are not used to this kind of fit, it can feel rather intrusive. But if you have an itch deep in your canal that you just can’t scratch, these buds should provide you with some relief. I’m not kidding. Earwax accumulation is such a serious concern that Etymotic even provides an extra pair of replacement stem filters for if and when the original ones become clogged. Custom IEMs (CIEMS) and universals are a night and day difference when it comes to comfort. If they fit right, once they’re warmed up they disappear and you can wear them 8+ hours a day without problems. With better seal and isolation, you’ll perceive a greater sound stage as well, but comfort is really where it’s at. Are expensive IEMs worth it? Designed to further improve the OH1, the OH10 comes with a dynamically superior driver from higher quality materials, with better performance overall. With a polished and slightly more accurate presentation, the OH10 brings a pleasantly warm sound, better defined, and impeccable sound quality overall.
In a direct A/B comparison, the ER4 (XR, because it’s closer to the EVO in terms of tonality) actually comes off as slightly cleaner with better clarity around the notes. In terms of resolving ability I’d be splitting hairs, but considering that the EVO is nearly double the current street price of an ER4 it’s not exactly a good look. Arguably the brand when it comes to neutral tunings, Etymotic had always been characterised by their insistence on the single-driver formula. For the longest time, every single model from Etymotic had a singular driver unit, the ER series, the MC series, the HF series, every single one. Having one of the best prices to performance ratios, these DQ6 are a great experience overall, especially compared to EDX. With superb technicalities, great design, and good fit, DQ6 is highly recommended as one of the best budget IEMs you can get.
Engineering Quality
Unforgiving and will slap you with the reality that a soundstage in an iem is all made up inside your head. The target curve that Etymotic is using for tuning our IEMs differs slightly from the Harmon preference curve. It was developed in-house more than 20 years ago, leveraging on our human hearing expertise and acoustics research. With an excellent price to performance ratio, BLON BL03 is a balanced all-rounder, musically coherent IEM, and very fun to listen to. A great entry level IEM, though it may take a few things to really make it good, such as new tips, cable, or a portable amp, which makes a big difference.
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