Adorama has Etymotic Research ER3SE Studio Edition Earphones on sale for $49. Shipping is free.
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I used to always want Etymotic but couldn't afford it due to pricing. Now, I'm not sure if they're worth their price given how popular and good chi-fi scene is. Any thoughts on these vs popular chi-fi sets?
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I bought this ER3SE last time it was on sale. It is way too flat and lack of bass for a regular listener. Avoid if you can. ER3XR is the right one for most of the people.
Lots of the same takes as the ER2SE here. The Ety SE sound needs EQ for most casual listeners, but even as is, music with clear separation and delicate details sounds unbelievable, I will say, Etta are not the only headphone to have…but they will show you bits in your music you never knew.
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I feel the bass is sufficient. This is supposed to be a neutral tuning not a v tuning. If the earbuds are properly sealed in your ears bass response should be rock solid. If you like extra punch you'll have to EQ or buy the XR, and even then you'll want to EQ.
Fit is a BIG deal with Etys. If you struggle for good isolation with the silicone buy some comply T100 or TX100 (vocalists get the TX, you build lots of earwax in a band). Comply will also help make a natural EQ that increases bass presence as well.
If you are ok with chi-fi and want killer overall sound, great stage, great bass, decent mids, and ok-good treble response go check out the Monoprice MP80. No joke they are amazing. Side by side testing they were almost as warm and detailed as my K371s.
Edit: They also make tuning filter for the ER series, they go from more detailed trebles, to neutral to warmer/bassier. I'm going to try them all this weekend and get a hands on feel for the sound difference.
Last edited by kane9287 December 6, 2022 at 05:03 PM.
I used to always want Etymotic but couldn't afford it due to pricing. Now, I'm not sure if they're worth their price given how popular and good chi-fi scene is. Any thoughts on these vs popular chi-fi sets?
They're still great but they aren't quite the budget go-to IEM's that they used to be, there's tons of competition now. The tuning and ear-plug fit I think will be the biggest differences which comes down to personal preference. Some people will never like this style Etymotics due to the fit. Personally I think even the XR (the bassier model) is light on bass but others may disagree. I haven't used the Hexa yet but it's not much more in price ($80) and supposed to be ridiculously good for the price, but it has a neutral-like tuning that may not appeal to everyone. The ChiFi IEM market moves incredibly fast so there might be a new IEM to top the Hexa next month.
Last edited by KRT09 December 8, 2022 at 07:11 AM.
"Only if you're willing to stick it deep into your ear canal."
They seem to be shipping with the 2-flange tips now. These 2-flange don't go deep into your ear like the old 3-flange, nor do the foam tips. They will probably ship with all 4 sizes of 2-flange tips, so good chance to find a good fit. Once you determine best size of 2-flange tips, you can buy more in 3 packs. They go for about $20 at Amazon and you only get the 1 size. So best to know what size you need before spending up to $80 to try all 4 sizes. Bottom line is no need to stay away from Etymotic due to worry about deep penetration discomfort.
Lots of the same takes as the ER2SE here. The Ety SE sound needs EQ for most casual listeners, but even as is, music with clear separation and delicate details sounds unbelievable, I will say, Etta are not the only headphone to have…but they will show you bits in your music you never knew.
"will show you bits in your music you never knew."
Seen that type of comment multiple times about this model and from my experience, it's true. The clarity on this model is unreal. I did a comparison with ER2SE (which Oluv recommends over the other 5 modesl in the ER4/3/2 line).
A difference between ER3 and ER2 and ER4 is that you don't need hardly any volume on ER3. You might need so little that it might be hard to get volume just right.
On paper, there is not much difference over most of the frequency response between the 6 models, but I found the ER3SE to sound very different than ER2SE. They're so cheap when on sale, you might try multiple models to see which you like.
"will show you bits in your music you never knew."
Seen that type of comment multiple times about this model and from my experience, it's true. The clarity on this model is unreal. I did a comparison with ER2SE (which Oluv recommends over the other 5 modesl in the ER4/3/2 line).
A difference between ER3 and ER2 and ER4 is that you don't need hardly any volume on ER3. You might need so little that it might be hard to get volume just right.
"Only if you're willing to stick it deep into your ear canal."
They seem to be shipping with the 2-flange tips now. These 2-flange don't go deep into your ear like the old 3-flange, nor do the foam tips. They will probably ship with all 4 sizes of 2-flange tips, so good chance to find a good fit. Once you determine best size of 2-flange tips, you can buy more in 3 packs. They go for about $20 at Amazon and you only get the 1 size. So best to know what size you need before spending up to $80 to try all 4 sizes. Bottom line is no need to stay away from Etymotic due to worry about deep penetration discomfort.
Just open box, by default small 3-flange tip installed and one big also included. 4 pair 2-flange tips and pair of foam.
Still playing with tips/filters/EQ, but overall I like them more with jazz/vocals. Even without EQ they didn't struggle with my favorite test by playing Paul Schwartz.
Last edited by luk350 December 9, 2022 at 04:27 PM.
Just open box, by default small 3-flange tip installed and one big also included. 4 pair 2-flange tips and pair of foam.
Still playing with tips/filters/EQ, but overall I like them more with jazz/vocals. Even without EQ they didn't struggle with my favorite test by playing Paul Schwartz.
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank Zerosvn
I am so I was in for one last week.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank Monarz
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Fit is a BIG deal with Etys. If you struggle for good isolation with the silicone buy some comply T100 or TX100 (vocalists get the TX, you build lots of earwax in a band). Comply will also help make a natural EQ that increases bass presence as well.
If you are ok with chi-fi and want killer overall sound, great stage, great bass, decent mids, and ok-good treble response go check out the Monoprice MP80. No joke they are amazing. Side by side testing they were almost as warm and detailed as my K371s.
Edit: They also make tuning filter for the ER series, they go from more detailed trebles, to neutral to warmer/bassier. I'm going to try them all this weekend and get a hands on feel for the sound difference.
They seem to be shipping with the 2-flange tips now. These 2-flange don't go deep into your ear like the old 3-flange, nor do the foam tips. They will probably ship with all 4 sizes of 2-flange tips, so good chance to find a good fit. Once you determine best size of 2-flange tips, you can buy more in 3 packs. They go for about $20 at Amazon and you only get the 1 size. So best to know what size you need before spending up to $80 to try all 4 sizes. Bottom line is no need to stay away from Etymotic due to worry about deep penetration discomfort.
Seen that type of comment multiple times about this model and from my experience, it's true. The clarity on this model is unreal. I did a comparison with ER2SE (which Oluv recommends over the other 5 modesl in the ER4/3/2 line).
A difference between ER3 and ER2 and ER4 is that you don't need hardly any volume on ER3. You might need so little that it might be hard to get volume just right.
On paper, there is not much difference over most of the frequency response between the 6 models, but I found the ER3SE to sound very different than ER2SE. They're so cheap when on sale, you might try multiple models to see which you like.
Seen that type of comment multiple times about this model and from my experience, it's true. The clarity on this model is unreal. I did a comparison with ER2SE (which Oluv recommends over the other 5 modesl in the ER4/3/2 line).
A difference between ER3 and ER2 and ER4 is that you don't need hardly any volume on ER3. You might need so little that it might be hard to get volume just right.
They seem to be shipping with the 2-flange tips now. These 2-flange don't go deep into your ear like the old 3-flange, nor do the foam tips. They will probably ship with all 4 sizes of 2-flange tips, so good chance to find a good fit. Once you determine best size of 2-flange tips, you can buy more in 3 packs. They go for about $20 at Amazon and you only get the 1 size. So best to know what size you need before spending up to $80 to try all 4 sizes. Bottom line is no need to stay away from Etymotic due to worry about deep penetration discomfort.
Still playing with tips/filters/EQ, but overall I like them more with jazz/vocals. Even without EQ they didn't struggle with my favorite test by playing Paul Schwartz.
Still playing with tips/filters/EQ, but overall I like them more with jazz/vocals. Even without EQ they didn't struggle with my favorite test by playing Paul Schwartz.