Do you consider yourself an audiophile? If you do, then you are familiar with Etymotic. If you’re not that interested in sound quality over musical content, then Etymotic will probably mean nothing, even though they’ve been around for over 30 years. In fact, Etymotic invented in-ear earphones for hearing testing, only later to be used for music listening. Although there have been periodic upgrades, the basic technology of their ER4 XR earphones has remained unchanged over all these years. The question is: Do they hold up in the ever-changing world of headphones/earphones?

What is it?

The Etymotic ER4 XR is a small (and I mean small) single-armature earphone designed to be extremely accurate, even if that might be off-putting for many. However, it’s this accuracy that audiophiles crave. I will explain what I mean in the Design and features section. 

Specs

• Frequency response: 20 Hz-16 kHz
• High performance, balanced armature micro-drivers
• Noise isolation: 35-42 dB
• Impedance: 45 Ohms
• Maximum output: 122 dB
• 5 ft detachable cable
• User Replaceable Filters
• Custom-fit option available

What’s in the box 

• ER4 XR earphones
• Ear tips: 2 pairs standard 3-flange (1 set installed on the earphones), 2 pairs large 3-flange, and 2 pairs large black foam ear tips.
• Filter removal tool and replacement filters
• Shirt clip
• ¼” stereo phone adaptor
• Performance certificate
• Deluxe zippered storage case.

Design and features

According to Etymotic, the ER4 XR earphones were the first high-fidelity, noise isolating in-ear earphones to use armature technology. So what is an armature? Picture a normal speaker that you see everywhere. It’s round and it’s placed in a box of some kind. It vibrates when an electrical current is sent to it and that’s what you hear. That’s not an armature speaker, but a dynamic design. An armature looks nothing like a dynamic speaker. It’s a tiny, metal box-shaped element that uses magnets and such to make vibrations to make sound. Because it’s so small, it’s used in many hearing aids. The advantage (besides size) of armature is that this design is quite accurate at sound reproduction—usually better than dynamic. The disadvantage of armature is bass—or perceived lack of it. When I say perceived, I mean that bass is present, but it’s a more accurate bass that’s not overly enhanced. Here’s a tidbit: Most people like boosted bass in their music, even if they don’t know it or refuse to admit it. Heck, even I appreciate bass that’s been boosted just a bit. Armatures don’t boost bass—unless they are tuned to do just that. Music sounds closer to what the artist and engineers heard in the studio as opposed to what you might hear in your car. Note that this explanation is way oversimplified. Even though there are exceptions, for this review, I’m sticking to generalities.

Up until recently, Etymotic earphones didn’t boost bass. That changed with the ER4 XR earphones. XR stands for Extended Response—extended bass.

The ER4 XR earphones Etymotic’s top-of-the-line. Because they are so small and weigh almost nothing, you might think that that they simply can’t be worth what they cost. You would be wrong to think that. Etymotic goes a long way to ensure that what you hear with the ER4 XR earphones is what the artist intended—and that ain’t an easy thing to do. Armature speakers are difficult to design and manufacture, but Etymotic goes a few steps further. Each ER4 XR earphone is individually tweaked and matched to the other so that the left and right earphone are as identical as humanly possible. As a comparison, the ER4 XR’s less expensive cousin, the ER3 XR earphones don’t get this labor-intensive treatment. Can you hear the difference and is that difference worth the EX4 XR’s extra cost? That’s a tricky question. I will answer it at the end of this review.

The ER4 XR earphones come with more accessories than other Etymotic earphones. Included are more ear tip choices. Along with different-sized silicone “tree-shaped” ear tips are old-style foam tips that need to be squeezed before being placed inside the ear canal where they then expand, almost totally blocking any outside noise. It’s eerie how quiet it is with foam tips. Keep in mind that this is passive noise canceling, not active—which requires batteries, circuitry and all kinds of audio tech. Passive noise canceling also does not change audio quality at all—unlike active.

Also included is a large-ish hard case that will hold everything with room to spare. Inside the case are small zippered pockets that hold the ear tips, a shirt clip, a 1/8 in. to 1/4 in stereo adapter and a filter remover with 4 extra green filters. These filters are almost microscopic. Its purpose is to smooth out the frequencies and keep ear wax out of the earphone. There’s also a smaller soft case included for travel if the hard case is too big. You just won’t have room for anything other than the earphones.

One newer innovation that Etymotic has incorporated in the ER4 XR is removable cords. They use the standard MMCX connector. If that formerly beloved pet chews up your cord, it’s cheaper to replace a cord than the entire earphone!

The trick to wearing earphones like the ER4 XR is to push them as deep into the ear as is comfortable. If you do not like anything inside your ear, the ER4 XR (or any other earphone) is not for you. Once inserted, the earphone does its magic with terrific sound reproduction that’s limited only by the music source and the quality of your player. In other words, the better your equipment, the better the sound. It’s that simple. Having said that, I’ve mostly been connecting the ER4 XR to my iPhone with its silly lightning dongle. Lately, I’ve been trying out the new Qubuz hi-res player app and it’s impressive with its built-in hi-res streaming. 

Even though the ER4 XR earphones are sized and built for commuting or portable use, they can easily be used for serious, at-home listening because they are that good. In fact, I encourage doing just that to get the full benefit from them.

The ER4 XR earphones are all black and quite narrow, which allows for deeper insertion. The cords coming from the left and right earphone are twisted, but the main cord is not. This is puzzling because the ER4 XR earphones exhibit quite a bit of microphonics— that loud, distracting noise you hear when the cord scrapes against clothing or is tapped. Twisted cables can diminish this. I also wrap the cord up and behind my ears which helps quite a bit. I admit microphonics doesn’t bother me all that much, but it does irritate some people. 

As I’ve said, the ER4 XR earphones are made for accuracy, but until now, I neglected to say they as far as Etymotic is concerned, these are their boosted bass models. I’m not kidding. Etymotic makes an ER4 SR model (same price) with even less bass! I figure that the SR version is made for strictly hard-core audiophiles, which is why I went for the XR version. 

It’s impossible to talk about audio quality without this caveat: If you consider yourself a bass head, look elsewhere. You will be incredibly disappointed with the ER4 XR earphones—or any other Etymotic earphones for that matter. But if you’re curious about how accurate an earphone can be and are willing to keep an open mind (and ears), you may be surprised by the ER4 XRs. Here’s an interesting trick: Use the ER4 XRs for a couple of weeks and then go back to your previous earphones. You may find that they are now muffled and a bit sloppy sounding. The audio quality of the Etymotics can sneak up on you, meaning you my not notice how good they are until you return to your original earphones.

Another benefit to listening with the ER4 XR earphones is how they tame many modern recordings with their ridiculous amount of bass. Maybe it’s my age, but I have issues with some modern songs pushing the bass so far into the front that the song will either be unlistenable or induce a headache. The ER4 XR earphones are a perfect antidote for this. 

Whether it’s classic rock or someone like Massive Attack, the ER4 XR earphones bring out things in a particular song that you’ve either missed or just can’t hear with other earphones. Understand, however, if your music collection consists of lower resolution MP3 songs, the armature speakers inside the ER4 XR earphones won’t improve them. That’s not their job. They can only accurately expose what’s there, both good—and bad.

I spoke earlier about the audio difference between the ER4 XR and the less expensive—but identical looking—ER3 XR earphones. The ER4 XR earphones come with a certificate of Performance. This frequency testing chart makes sure that both the left and right earphone match as close as possible. Each certificate is signed and dated by an Etymotic audio expert. Yes, the ER4 XRs sound a bit more detailed, but I really had to concentrate to notice the difference. The question is: Are the differences between the ER4 XR and ER3 XR earphones worth over $150? Here’s what I recommend. Buy the ER3 XR earphones and use them for a few months. If you’re happy with them, great! If you feel there might be a bit more to what you’re hearing, then spring for the ER4 XR model knowing the difference will be subtle, but noticeable. It’s a win no matter what.     

What I like

• Size—how small they are
• Audio quality
• Isolation
• Build quality

What needs to be improved

• Expensive
• Even a touch more bass would be welcome
• The necessity for deep insertion is not for everyone

Final Thoughts

Etymotic first designed the ER4 series of earphones almost 30 years ago and they are still going strong with relatively few adjustments and improvements. That says a lot. 

Price: $349 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by Etymotic.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Earphones

Etymotic ER4 XR earphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 9, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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REVIEW – Join me as I take a look at the Rx8s from RevoNext. Great specs, braided cable and a price that likely forces a double take. You’ll want to keep reading.

What is it?

RevoNext’s Rx8s are a pair of dual-driver earphones with detachable cable and solid performance at a very attractive price.

Hardware specs

• Type: In-Ear
• Connectivity: Wired
• Cable Length: 125cm±2cm
• Sensitivity: 105dB
• Impedance: 25Ω
• Frequency Range: 7Hz-40KHz
• Plug Type: 3.5mm L Plug
• Pin Type: 0.78mm
• Weight: 20g

What’s in the box?

• Dual Driver In-Ear Headphones
• Silicone Ear Tips (3 Pairs)
• 3.5mm input, 2 pin Detachable Hifi Audio Cable
• User Manual

Design and features

The Rx8s are designed with an ergonomic fit to sit relatively flush into your ear. Three different sizes of silicone ear tips are included to customize the fit. Two different drivers are used in the Rx8s; a Dynamic driver which offers a wider spectrum of response, and a Balanced armature which is tuned for a sweet spot. In theory, this provides great coverage and should reduce the risk of the earphones not being perfect for a certain type of music. They’re available in 4 colors: Solid Black, and then transparent versions of Blue, Red, and Grey which are shown in this review.

The audio cord is designed to wrap up and over the back of your ear. It’s removable from the earbuds which is a great feature as cords tend to take the most abuse on headphones with inadvertent tugs and constant winding and unwinding for storage. The connectors use a pair of male pins on the cord side and a mated female connector on the earbud side.

The cord itself is twisted pairs from the earbud to the yoke and then braided below that which creates a very sturdy cable. There’s a small, clear heat-shrink sleeve over the cable where it wraps over your ear. This smooths the texture and provides a bit of a formed shape to make the fit consistent. The audio plug is a 3.5mm stereo jack w/ a 90º connector with built in strain relief.

Setup

This part is pretty easy. Try each of the ear tip sizes to see which one fits best for you. It can be tempting to go for the largest one as they seem pretty soft, but it may add too much pressure over time and become uncomfortable. Too small and you may not get a good seal in your ear canal, resulting in less bass response and external sound seeping in.

From there it’s really just getting them properly seated in your ears and running the cord up and over the top behind your ears.

Performance

When the RevoNext R8s came up for review there were three things that jumped out at me in the product description and images. Dual-driver, behind the ear design and the price.

I’m a big fan of cords that wrap up over the ear. The earbuds stay put better during cord tugs and the yoke stays against your chest better due to the cords draping closer to your shoulders.

The braiding on the cord does mean that it has a pretty bumpy texture which can translate into some noise migration up to your ears (think cable rubbing against a zipper). I was concerned that there’s no moldable wire in the ear shape, but the cord stayed put really well. It took a solid week for this thicker cable to forget the tightly folded wrap from the packaging. It did go away after I hung them upside down for a couple days to let them unkink. There’s no storage bag/case of any kind provided but I usually seek out my own storage solution anyway. In this case, I had a Blue Lounge Cableyoyo laying around and it worked really well for these if I nestled an earbud in from each side. It keeps the cable wound in a smooth circle while the earbuds are held in the center magnetically.

As for dual-drivers, I like listening to music and any technology that allows my music to sound better to me… well, that’s a good thing. I like a broad selection of music and would prefer not to swap headphones and audio settings as I switch between them. The match of dynamic and balanced armatures in the Rx8s really seems to suit my tastes well. I can get the bass response I’m looking for in my heavier music selections as well as the clarity when I’m listening to something jazzier. I didn’t want to crack these open to get at the insides, but the translucent shell lets you see a bit into all that’s going on in there.

If you’ve spent any time looking at high end earbuds you’ll know that detachable cables and multiple drivers are common. It’s not common to find those features at this price. They’re listed at $36 on RevoNext’s website but currently only $26 on Amazon.

At either of those prices, these are a steal. As I write this review I have three small things to point out which I cannot fault them for at this price point.

1. The connectors are friction fit and seem to hold well, but they are not directional. This means you could install them +/- reversed per side, or swap L/R, or even both. It’s not a deal breaker as they’ve clearly marked L & R on the connector and the bend of the cable won’t wrap over your ear correctly without a big twist if you connect them wrong.
2. The ear tips may not be a perfect fit for you. Luckily the tip-post has a very common shape so you’d be able to pick up some other options or Comply tips if needed.
3. This is an audio only cable with no microphone. Almost all my music is through my phone, so I do get interrupted with phone calls and it would be much easier if the cable had a mic. Luckily, it looks like RevoNext has one and it’s only $12 on Amazon with 3 button control. No-brainer purchase.

What I like

• Price!
• Sound quality
• Replaceable cable
• Solid in-ear fit

What needs to be improved

• No storage bag/case
• See above for additional notes

Final thoughts

I can’t find a reason that you shouldn’t pick a pair of these up right now. These sound as good as some earphones costing $100 or more. If… you like good sound, are afraid of losing expensive earbuds, break earbuds often, etc.

I’ll be picking up the mic cable and using these for a while and am now thoroughly intrigued by what their triple and quad driver earphones must sound like.

Price: $36
Where to buy: RevoNext and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by RevoNext

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Earphones

RevoNext RX8 dual-driver earphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 21, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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REVIEW – Etymotic is not an audio company the public knows much about. However, they’ve been around for a while and are famous among hard-core earphone fans. Part of the reason is that Etymotic has a sound signature they strive for and nothing will cause them to deviate from it. Each of their models—from the early ER4 line of earphones to the latest—have supported their mission of replicating music as realistically as possible, even if that alienates some people. You see, many feel Etymotic earphones are light on bass, but it’s more accurate to say that most people like and want artificially enhanced bass—and that’s not what Etymotic does. Heck, even I’m guilty of wanting that extra bass kick—even if it is fake. So with the new ER3XR earphone, Etymotic has attempted to please some bass fans while still adhering to their core goal of accuracy. Did they succeed?

What is it?

The Etymotic ER3XR earphones are an earphone that has been enhanced with what Etymotic calls an extended bass response. This intrigued me because it almost sounded sacrilegious what Etymotic was selling. To get to the chase, my worry was premature. Etymotic has managed to retain their uber-accuracy while slightly warming up the sound … and I do mean slightly. 

Specs

• Frequency response: 20Hz-16kHz
• Driver: Balanced armature micro driver
• Noise isolation: 35-42 dB
• Impedance: 22 Ohms
• Max. Output: 120 dB
• Cable: 4 ft. detachable
• Warranty: 2 years
• Custom-fit option: Yes

Design and features

A few things immediately become apparent regarding the ER3XR earphones that make them seem like a throwback to earlier times (like, two years ago):

• They are not wireless
• There is no microphone or remote control
• They have a mini plug meaning that if you have a smartphone without a jack, you’ll need a dongle

Having said that, there is nothing “retro” about the sound. As I said earlier, the ER3XR earphones retain that Etymotic sound signature—but slightly different.

The ER3XR earphones come with a minimum ear tip selection. There are two sizes of triple-flanged silicone tips and one pair of squeezable foam tips that are great at isolation. Also included are extremely tiny filters that protect the interior of the earphone shell and a tool made for swapping them out. There is an included zippered carrying case for keeping the earphones clean. The cable is detachable—a nice change for Etymotic at this price level. 

The ER3XR earphones are an armature-based speaker design. What does this mean? Armature speakers come from the hearing aid industry. The drivers are tiny and operate in a different way than the more common dynamic speaker drivers. Dynamic speakers look just like tiny versions of familiar speakers. Dynamic speakers are usually less expensive, a bit smoother and more bass friendly, but this comes at the expense of audio clarity. Armature speakers cost more to produce and have a lot of detail, but can be weak in bass. Keep in mind that these explanations are a gross generality—I’ve heard dynamic speakers with much detail and armatures that had decent bass, but you get the idea. 

Even though the ER3XR earphones are tuned for enhanced bass, it’s relative. If you are used to the Beats-type bass-heavy sound, then these are not for you. Etymotic earphones are famous for accuracy over boosted bass. However, if you’ve been previously put off by other Etymotic earphones too-bright sound, you will be pleasantly surprised by these. 

Note that Etymotic makes a visual twin to the ER3XR; the ER3SE. It features a higher level of sensitivity without the bass boost. Both cost the same but I chose the ER3XR specifically because of that bass boost. I’m glad I did, too. On certain songs, even the ER3XR earphones are too bright for comfort—but that’s rare.

How much enjoyment I get from the ER3XR earphones is dependent on what I’m listening to. For instance, early Beach Boys did not have prominent bass in their surf songs. As a result, the songs are not that great sounding. But a later song like “Kokomo” sounds terrific. Here’s why: the armature speakers in the ER3XR earphones do not smooth out any rough edges in a song. If it’s there, the earphones will reproduce it—good and bad. That’s the downside to portraying detail in music, which the ER3XR‘s do. Be careful what you wish for.

Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate how much the ER3XR earphones reveal, I just have to be more selective when I hit the play button. With these earphones, I stick to higher resolution files that I’ve ripped as opposed to lower resolution streaming.

I’ve said it before but it bears repeating: 90% (a made up number) of how a recording sounds comes from the mastering and mixing of the song/album. So if a song sounds too bright or bass heavy, it sounded that way before the public ever heard it. Music can later be tweaked with an equalizer, but only so much. For me, I usually either turn off EQ or set it to flat. It’s the most realistic way to hear music as it was intended. Plus it’s a pain to constantly adjust so I leave it. 

Another plus for the ER3XR earphones are audiobooks or spoken content. If you (like me) spend time with audiobooks, the ER3XRs don’t “bass up” the vocals, which makes the narrator sound much more natural and easier to understand. 

What I like

Even though some music may sound too bright, I like the detail and musicality of the ER3XR earphones. Given the right music, they are a pleasure to listen to and have reminded me that Etymotic is still in the game—big time. 

What needs to be improved

At times, I would have preferred a smoother approach to music, but in this price range, you can’t have an overall smoothness and the kind of detail the ER3XR earphones provide. It’s a minor issue for my ears.

Final Thoughts

The Etymotic ER3XR earphones are not cheap, but they are priced well for what you get. Plus, the cables are now detachable—always a welcome addition. These earphones are made for that choosy listener who cares as much about a music file’s resolution as how the recording was made. 

Price: $179.00
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Etymotic. Visit etymotic.com for more information.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Earphones

Etymotic ER3XR earphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 13, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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