Drop + Etymotic - ER2SE

I have the ER2SE. Extremely uncomfortable for me, way too deep with insertion. I have IER-Z1Rs and I find them a million times more comfortable.

I am lucky that I have no problem with the fit.  I actually wear them with the cable over ear like with normal iems to cut down on the cable noise. I have the ER2SE and the ER4XR.  Both are fantastic. ER2 has some of the best timbre I've heard in an iem. ER4 has amazing details and is lightening quick. Both are very cohesive due to only being single driver. My only negative would be the soundstage but that is to be expected when you are shoving a driver so close to your eardrum and completely bypassing the rest of your ear. 

I can't stand the fit and there are better options now for ER2 ($140) or ER4 ($300) at full MSRP. The ER2 if you get it at a sale price (Adorama had it at $49 for a long time, gone now) is very competitive if you are OK with the fit though. Either SE/SR if you hate bass and want very neutral or XR for a decent bass shelf (more on the ER2XR than the ER4XR). I still have the ER2XR. I sold the ER4XR and ER4SR as I just wasn't using them with the fit, it's too much.

if you really want neutral, my experience is you can forget about most chifi or more specific any haman tuned iem. most neutral haman like hexa etc ist not really neutral. after testing any recommended iem out there i got stuck with etymotics. best noise isolation and fit, really neutral tuned and damn impressive performance. i kept the etymotic ER4SR's ,ER2SE are really impressive too but sound more warm due to the DD driver. if i want to do fun listening or electro etc i just eq them to crins IEF Neutral Bass Boost Target and for me they sound 10x better then any other iem.

I own an ER2SE. I can make them fit me okay, but it's such a HUGE hassle. I do not believe they sound as game changing as many people say. They are somewhat mid focused and are relatively natural sounding, but nothing special. They have, in my opinion, a somewhat weak bass and they sound a bit claustrophobic. Maybe the ER2XR have better bass, but I don't believe the rest of the IEM is that good. Many new options appeared in the last few years that better the Etymotic formula.

If you haven’t tried the er2, then you might want to test run them. Sound will be good, but fit in the ears… not for everyone. The se215 are just ok. Safe bet in general, with a comfortable fit. I think better as a daily beater.

Etymotics perhaps? If you can stand the deep fit, I believe they are about the most isolating IEMs you're going to find as they are designed for stage use. The ER2SE is very flat neutral. Just make sure you get them from somewhere that allows returns, like Amazon. I found them painful.

Most of the ones you've listed are good for music, with certain colourations, but probably aren't ideal for monitoring purposes. You want a mostly flat frequency response with possibly a bit of emphasis around the frequencies you care about the most, i.e., your own vocals. I would go with the Thieaudio Legacy 2. It's got a pretty neutral frequency response with a sub-bass focused bass boost, and a slight forwardness in the vocal range, which should be perfect for monitoring yourself. It's also a very comfortable IEM. The Truthear Hexa is also pretty neutral and has better treble extension than the Legacy 2, but I don't think it's as balanced sounding overall. That said as you'll probably be monitoring in mono, it might be a touch better at instrument separation, but probably not enough to swing it. The L2 is much better at stereo imaging, so if you're able to include panning in your mix then the L2 will definitely do a better job at spacing everything out. The Hexa also has slightly above average sized nozzles, which could be uncomfortable. One thing I'm not sure about is how they compare to others in terms of isolation, but I don't think there's a huge difference between different IEMs anyway. The tips almost certainly play a bigger role than anything. If you want to check isolation, I know the rtings website publishes measurements, if you can find the IEM listed on there. If you care a lot about isolation then my guess is that something like the Etymotic ER2SE is going to be better than most other IEMs. The only reason I'm hesitant to recommend it is the really deep fit. But they are designed for stage monitoring, so may be worth a try if you can get from e.g., Amazon and return them if they are uncomfortable. That one (ER2SE) has the sort of vocal-centric, neutral frequency response you want. Speaking of tips, you'll likely want to upgrade the tips if you get the Legacy 2. The stock ones are very soft which isn't the best for maintaining a good seal and avoiding them falling out. I'd recommend something grippy like Azla Xelastec, although those are pretty expensive and unfortunately do not come in any sort of variety pack, so you'll need to guess the right size based on the stock tips. Keep in mind that all tips are a different shape, as are all ears, so the even if you know the measurements they won't translate 100%, but you should be able to estimate it pretty closely. A slightly cheaper alternative to the Azla tips is [Feaulle H570 latex tips](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004883219232.html). Again you need to guess the correct size. These are slightly less grippy than the Azla ones but about 80% the same. Also slightly softer, so may be more comfortable. Cheaper again and still slightly grippy, but a lot less so are [TRN T-Tips](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001304899571.html). Again, annoyingly no variety pack, but cheap enough that you can buy the 2 closest sizes and you'll also get a bunch of spares. The colour of these makes no difference btw. I buy both and put red on the right IEM so it's easier to see which is which quickly, but they aren't always especially visible, so it's not really worth the bother. Someone already mentioned customs, which is an option but quite expensive, so I think you are right to just try something cheaper first. There is one company I know of that makes semi-custom moulds that go onto normal IEMs, so that might be worth considering for a future upgrade without the full cost of a CIEM, although it's still not super cheap. I haven't tried them myself so can't recommend them, just something I've heard about: https://snugs.com/collections/pro

One I tend to recommend to musicians is the Tin Hifi C2, but I put Spinfit CP-100 tips on mine because the stock tuning has a bit too much upper treble. The CP-100 tips make it pretty neutral (with slightly boosted bass, but not enough to cause muddiness). It's well extended both low and high, so everything is very clear and no frequencies are missing. I find it handles guitar timbre very well. This is a budget set btw, only about $30 and less on sale. It's a good way to get started if you aren't 100% sure what you do or don't want in an IEM. Don't be put off by the low price either, it's really good and very solidly built. Another good option is the Truthear Hexa, which I think is around $80 but probably sells for less now. It's very neutral and well-extended into the treble and very flat bass (although the bass quality is just OK IMO). The only issue is that the nozzles are a bit bigger than average so they aren't the best for comfort, but they aren't the worst either. Another one that I like is the Thieaudio Legacy 2, which is slightly more expensive than the Hexa. It's pretty neutral, with a bass boost mainly in the sub-bass. It has a bit of midrange forwardness around 2kHz which tends to bring vocals forward. Upper treble rolls off more than the Hexa and IMO it sounds better overall, but not quite as analytical in the air region. I'd probably put this as 3rd choice for guitar after the C2 then the Hexa. For vocal monitoring or general music listening I'd rank this first, then the C2, then the Hexa. This is also the most comfortable of the 3, but you'll almost certainly need to upgrade the tips. Here's a [good review by a musician](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz1oSafKlh8), which includes both the C2 and the Hexa. He happens to have an especially good ear for subtle issues with IEMs (watch the blind listening test on Super Review's channel if you want to know more). He actually rates the C2 extremely highly, though he's especially sensitive to BA timbre. Many people aren't, and may prefer the Hexa. I personally tend to notice some small issues in the tuning of the Hexa, but the Hexa probably has the flatter frequency response. Edit: I should add that I'm not a stage musician myself and I haven't considered isolation here. For the best isolation you ideally want an unvented IEM. I think Etymotics such as ER2SE are the way to go in your price range. There's an SE and XR version, the SE is the "studio edition" with flat bass, the XR is bass boosted. Just be aware that these have extremely deep insertion. I found them too painful to wear and had to return them. With that said, all IEMs will give you some degree of isolation anyway, the difference between the best and the average isn't going to be huge.

If you can handle the insertion depth, try Etymotics (ER2SE for flat neutral or ER2XR for added bass). If you get them from Amazon you can easily return if they are too painful to use, it seems to be about 50/50 on these, depending on your ear canal shape. Some people find the double flange tips more comfortable than the triple flange as well. Etymotics are one of the best for noise isolation as well. If you already have an IEM that *nearly* fits properly, try foam tips (Comply) or a grippy silicone tip like Penon Liqueur Orange - these are also larger than average tips and go up to an XL size that is massive, if you have larger ear canals. Foam will give you the best isolation, but some people find it scratchy, plus you need to replace the tips every few months.

The ER2SE landed me a lovely trip to the emergency room when I blew out an eardrum trying to take out an earphone. I was using the triple-flange silicone; since then, I've been back to 100% foam. Most foam tips dampen the treble a lot for me, but the longer Westone foam tips work *much* better than others, as long as you roll the foam back around the plastic nozzle. I didn't like the Westone Star tips, because they tended to create dangerous amounts of pressure around my eardrum when I tried to pull them out, since they can roll in so much before sliding. With the right tips, sound quality is amazing. Timbre is super clean, giving a tactile sort of resolution. Soundstage is nothing interesting, but I wasn't expecting it to be. I do wish I had gotten the ER2XR instead sometimes. Isolation is, of course, second to none, but comfort is pretty terrible. I still can't go back to anything else, though.

Both are the same shape and size, only difference is the tuning. Er2xr has more bass while er2se is flat. Both sit quite flush, you can see how they sit in these reviews https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/etymotic-research-er2xr.23811/reviews If this isn't enough then there are sennheiser ie200, they sit flush but do not offer the same sound isolation as the etymotics.

I love the tonality of my ER2SE but I wish the triple flange tips fit well for me. I use comply tips. Just bought a pair of IE 200s as well :)

Fit sucks. Sound is unrivaled. Love my ER2SE. There's not better IEM in my collection for vocals. If you get the XR, which I will eventually do as well, you even get good bass response.

What does Linear IEM mean? You want a Neutral sounding one? If thats what you meant then there's the Etymotics ER2SE, still one of the best for neutral reference and often used by Musicians, though Bass is not one of its strongest points and the fit might need getting used to since Triple Flanged Tips are scary. Thought if what you want is just something thats more Musical with excellent separation, fantastic Mids, Bass rumble that you can feel, and decent highs then i can recommend the 300$ BGVP DMA, Its a Tribrid of 1 DD + 2 BA and 2 Bone Conduction Drivers a setup you wont find in other IEMs in its price range. Though its very source sensitive, so if the recording is bad you will hear and feel all the flaws of the track not in a good way.

I'd easily recommend the Etymotic ER2SE then. It's still one of the best neutral tuned IEM currently on the market even with all the competition. And with 11.11 soon you can easily grab one for under 100 bucks. There is one elephant in the room though. The Triple Flanges Tips. Those will need getting used to.

You can try something from Etymotics they're pretty common among musicians. like the ER2SE, they sound neutral but not boring so I'm assuming might be great for a Vocalist? They also double as a decent earplug thanks to their terrifying looking triple flanges ear tips. The main cons is that wearing it might need getting used to since you'll need to insert them quite deep as intended.

I've owned the ER2SE for a few years now and my opinion's kinda mixed on them. I listen in the ballpark of 65-75dB most of the time these days to preserve my hearing because I spent way too much time listening at volumes over 90dB when I was a teen, and at my more moderate listening levels I find the ER2SE sounds kind of dull for some of the genres I listen to, so I deem EQ to be a necessity for them unless I want to go back to cranking the volume to unhealthy levels again. In their stock tuning with the stock triple flange tips (they sound the best with them imo) at my 70dB average listening level, I find the bass and treble (particularly the mid-treble due to deep insertion depth pushing resonance peaks higher in frequency) are lacking, and I feel that there's excess energy in the rise toward the ear gain region that contributes to them sounding congested both in terms of spatial qualities and in certain vocal timbres. This isn't to say I think they sound *bad* in their stock form—they still sound very clean and aren't offensive or grating in any way which can't be said of a lot of other IEMs that were around at the time of the ER2's release—just that they aren't very suited to my music library at the volume levels I prefer. After applying EQ to lift the bass and treble a bit and pull down the excess between 1-3kHz I think they sound pretty amazing for any kind of music or content I throw at them.

First a import thing: if your ears are ringing afterwards stop doing it/protect your hearing even if you're peer pressured! You only have one set of ears and this is a sign for permant hearing damage! Iems can give you some Isolation in these setting but I'd actually consider something like the Etymotic ER2SE which are a mix of ear plug and IEM. If you're willing to go down a rabbit hole look on squig.link This Website tells you the frequency response of many IEMs. A good baseline Target is the "Harman 2019v2" Target as it's the Target that is most likely to be prefered by the average listener (based on Harmans own studies) I'd recommend comparing all recommendations you get here with a Target. The Truthear Nova you considered are very close to the Target and easy to EQ to have some more midrage so that they are more vocal-forward.

etymotic IEMs are legendary for the sheer amount of isolation they provide, and if you can get them to fit properly their sound also punches WAY above their price tag er2xr is the more v-shaped option, whereas er2se is the flatter, more neutral one however for your use case, you won't need that level of isolation (probably) and could probably do with something cheaper like a moondrop chu 2, or a kiwi ears cadenza (which isnt really bullet style but is one of the better value for money budget sets) it's worth noting that if you ever feel that you don't have enough isolation, you can purchase a set of foam eartips, which will slightly improve the bass response and block out even more sound

Etymotic er2se it’s not 20 bucks but it’s the best flat earphone for music production under 100 bucks

I won a er2se that I EQ to my favorie target. Which is the ief netural with 5db bass boost. Actually the best iem. There is something about the sound which is so good. Compared to my olina SE and 560s.

ER2SE here. Love them. If you can tolerate the deep fit, buy them. I haven’t regretted it. Best for traveling. I used them on intercontinental flights for 10+ hours, no issues.

i love my er2se... but really tempted to try the best (er4xr) 4xr because i concluded that with BA, extra bass won't hurt.. but im afraid I'll regret getting the er4xr because i have the 2se and the BA timbre stuff! arghh.. can you help shred some more light on this? i did have a sundara before the 2se.... now i just listen to the 2se more than my sundara... having a good dac amp really makes the 2se shine..

I second the Etymotic ER2SE’s. I have the ER4XR, the vocals are very clear and the isolation is soutstanding which should be the same case. Once you figure out how to wear them properly they are very comfortable.

Out of the stuff you can buy new, Etymotics ER2 would be the best sound-wise. And if you prefer the over-ear style, I don't think I've seen something smaller than Moondrop SSR. I even sleep wearing these

Anything that would have "good vocal performance" with good upper treble performance (extended, but not harsh) should be fine. The ER2's in particular can extend pretty well if you insert them deep enough. Just look for the IEMs that people tend to say are the "best for vocals" and you should be fine. I personally also like really bassy IEMs for certain classical tracks (brings out the warmth in solo cello and piano pieces - I particularly enjoyed Liszt's piano arrangement of Winterreise on the QKZ x HBB's), but as a whole you want something with very controlled mid-bass. Some level of sub-bass is fine, and can actually bring out particularly pleasing tonalities in basses, trombones, french horns, tubas, etc. as well as baritone and bass vocalists. All that considered, I'd still personally opt for the ER2XR as my ideal IEM for listening to classical music. However, any IEM that fits that criteria in terms of tuning should suit you just fine. The original moondrop Chu's tuning, for example, is something I found particularly pleasing. Truthear Hexa should be good, as would the Moondrop Blessing 3. However, in terms of sheer price to performance I don't think the ER2's can be outdone, here.

I really like the etymotic er2 series. But, if you you don't enjoy impregnating your ears and violating your brain, maybe dont