Drop + Etymotic ER2SE

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Overall

#152 in

IEMs

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Sentiment score71% positive
20
4
4

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Last updated: May 27, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit Iconabc133769
6 months ago

the thing with chifi iems is that they don't offer nearly as much sound isolation as something meant to use on stage you'd want something like the shure se215 or entymotic er2se. er2's are the better set though imo but only if you're okay with the fit

4 months ago

for live performance iems with focus on good isolation your only real options are shure se215 or entymotics er2se in this price point. the chifi iems won't provide enough or something comparable to the two mentioned, same goes for ie200 er2se are tuned better then se215 but the fit can be polarizing

Reddit IconAnxious_Visual_990
6 months ago

There are comfortable IEMS. There are good sounding IEMS, and there are IEMS that are noise blocking. I am sure its impossible to do all three.. but two is possible. I found one IEM that sounds awesomely flat and blocks the most noise you can imagine using foam tips.. But they are not comfortable as they go super deep into your ear canals. I mean crazy deep. The sound is extremely balanced and studio monitor quality, you could mix with these. They block all sounds from the outside. so much so you can only hear what comes thru your body and skull. But they are not comfortable to wear you can feel the pressure of the expanded foam in your ears. I use these when I am playing drums. Comfortable IEMS are the Shure SE215 but they don't sound great they sound good enough but dont block too much noise as they claim. Loud noises leak thru. . Noise blocking IEM that sounds awesome if you use foam tips included is the **Etymotic Research ER2SE IEM** [**https://etymotic.com/product/er2se-earphones/**](https://etymotic.com/product/er2se-earphones/) They are usually only $80 These feel like deep foam ear plugs but sound like heaven and block out everything. If you dont push them in deep you get a bad seal and they don't have enough bass. You know when you get them deep enough as the bass fills in and they sound like heaven.,

Reddit IconBugg100
7 months ago

If you can tolerate the ~~ear dildo~~ deep insertion fit, er2se are good!

7 months ago

I went with the tanchjim fission to mix a livestream. Have been happy so far. $130 USD The tanchjim Nora are marketed as a set of “professional” IEM to mix with. No personal knowledge there. $110 USD The tanchjim bunny are said to be much like the fission while only being $20 USD. No personal knowledge there. I own etymotic er2se and find them too uncomfortable to bounce in and out of, I have to work the live room then get away from stage volume throughout my shows….. I may or may not have a predilection for single driver dynamic sets! If you need a dac amp for this use, consider a Qudelix 5k. It can be Bluetooth for convenience and also USB for critical listening.

Reddit Iconcdsolidsnake
8 months ago

ER2 series is still relevant, either the SE or XR version are good. I'm interested in getting the ER3XR, to compare the bass with the ER2XR https://preview.redd.it/9nqgbmc7votf1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=e737640c81870aee17731a7f58f4185b02671e82 .

Reddit IconC-Van-Sky
7 months ago

Etymotic ER2XR is the classic neutral IEM with a tasteful bass boost. ER2SE will be true neutral.

7 months ago

Dual flange tips were a game changer for me. Great isolation not so deep.

Reddit IconCynickers
8 months ago

I second the Etys. I’ve had mine for about 15 years. Can be uncomfortable but the sound is unreal.

Reddit Icondr_wtf
27 days ago

Don't know about the BT adaptor but you want the XR series, such as the ER2XR. The SE ones have almost no bass and are really designed specifically for singers.

4 months ago

Etymotic have the most isolation you'll find. Up to 42dB with foam tips. I think Shure get close, but not quite as much. IE200 isn't anywhere near that, but they're very comfortable. Foam tips will give more isolation than silicone, regardless. I haven't heard anything from Shure, but they don't have a good reputation for their tuning, they're mainly cruising on being "good enough" and brand recognition from being around so long (although so have Etymotic, but Etymotic have always had a tuning that's closer to the modern theory of "correct", so they aren't as outdated). The only issue with Etymotics is the fit, so I normally recommend getting them from Amazon and returning if they won't fit (I couldn't tell you much about the sound because I had to return them for that reason). Dracomies recently put out [a video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZC5g_267_s) with some tips on getting them to fit better, along with some sound impressions comparing different tips. There's also an [official Etymotic video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KwXEqe6Gq4) that shows the manoeuvre you're supposed to do where you pull part of your ear up while inserting them. You don't need to do any of that with normal IEMs, but (a) that's why they isolate better and (b) deep insertion can potentially eliminate the occlusion effect, which is important for singers. You'll probably want to choose between the ER2XR and the ER2SE, as those are the ones priced around 100-ish. And you might be tempted to go for the SE because the XR is the "increased bass" version. But bear in mind that even the XR has less bass than most would consider neutral. The SE is really designed for one thing and that is vocal monitoring, so if you need to hear any bass at all, go with the XR.

Reddit Iconfradddd
8 months ago

Totally right about a lack of true neutral these days, everything has boosted subbass. People don’t even know what neutral actually sounds like unless they’ve heard old sets or… …Etymotic ER4SR are the most neutral around your price range, $225 on Drop. Or could get the ER3SE/XR or ER2 for even less. edit: my faves that would be considered neutral are the HiFiMan RE600. Only ~$70. https://i.imgur.com/PBeCdF3.png

10 months ago

ER2 will probably be the most accurate for testing your mics if you don’t wanna get the ER4, but the ER2XR has a bass boost over the ER2SE version so keep that in mind. Between having that and the Hexa and Blessing idk how you would find anything that’s considered more neutral and still enjoyable for music. I’m not really sure what else you could want.

10 months ago

ER2 will probably be the most accurate for testing your mics if you don’t wanna get the ER4, but the ER2XR has a bass boost over the ER2SE version so keep that in mind. Between having that and the Hexa and Blessing idk how you would find anything that’s considered more neutral and still enjoyable for music. I’m not really sure what else you could want.

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