EtymoticER3SE Studio Edition Earphone,Black

Edit: this is a review of both Etymotic ER3 SE & XR, I had two separate verified purchase reviews up when they were different listings but now they've been condensed into one listing, so I deleted the extra review. TL;DR is that the SE is great and the XR is a 'nice try' but I wouldn't recommend.SE - 5 starsXR - 3 starsWas curious about the halfway point between ER4s and the HF line, so got both the ER3 SE - Etymotic's hallmark flat sound - and the XR, with enhanced bass response. They're both in between the HF3 and ER4 in build quality. The cord's not as durable as the threaded ER4 cable, but it's a lot sturdier than the HF3's (which WILL fray within two years, the big problem with those otherwise great IEMs). Curiously, the cord on the XR was a full foot longer than the SE's, though otherwise both products are identical. Like with the ER4, the earbuds themselves can be easily detached from the cable, in case you need to replace a damaged cord.Dealing with the cord is a necessary hassle. It lacks a mic or audio controls, but there's a clip about where those controls would be, and you'll want to fix that on something high on your body to reduce cable rubbing noise, which is extremely pronounced. The cable microphonics are so bad in part because the passive noise isolation here is unsurpassed (true of just about all Etymotic IEMs), and without needing any suspicious tinnitus-flaring/ear-pressure-popping, pricetag-inflating active noise canceling tech, either. With a good seal, the outside world is closed off as effectively as with professional musician's plugs. I use Comply foam tips (just don't like the included plastic phalanges, YMMV) and can regularly wear these for hours (obviously being conscious of overall hearing exposure; one benefit of excellent noise isolation + terrific sound reproduction is that you can listen to stuff at a lower volume). Fantastic for commutes, plane trips, working in public, whatever. The earbuds stick straight out, so they're not appropriate for anything with your head sideways against a surface (like laying on your side resting or doing yoga or something).These aren't as fussy as the ER4 about wanting a preamp from many mobile devices, so you can just slap these into anything. But like other Etymotics they'll badly expose poor audio sources/low quality recordings. And if you want a really bouncy sound, or if you're playing from low-quality sources, you're in the wrong place. Etymotics deliver uninflected, unembellished, accurate sound from good sources/recordings. You probably already know if that's what you want, and if it is, the ER3SE delivers. Get it and be merry and save several bills off messing with ER4s plus amps. Find the right eartips for you and there's nothing else that does a better job of muffling everything else while delivering clarity. Giving up the headphone jack wouldn't be nearly so hard if not for the ER3/ER4.I'm confused by the XR though, and wouldn't recommend it. Etymotic's whole thing is flat, accurate sound. The XR's clear pitch is at people who want accuracy, but with more musical, punchy bass. And so much music is EDM or hip hop, so it makes sense to cater to that. But rather than sounding to me like "Etymotics but with punch" this just sounds muddier (rather than cleanly punchy), and clouds the appeal of Etymotic at large. I understand taking the shot, I just think it misses. If you want punchier, bouncier sound, just about everyone else does that, including the (slightly cheaper, lower quality, but with a mic and in-cord audio controls) HF3. If you're here because you already like Etymotic already or because you're looking for very good, accurate, inexpensive headphones, get the SE. I listen to all kinds of stuff, from classical to rock to rap; I've run a lot of hip hop with quality production through both the XR and the SE (Run the Jewels, Cannibal Ox, Aesop Rock, DJ Shadow) and I just don't think the XR does what it's claiming. I'd rather just listen to well produced hip hop on the SE anyway and appreciate other aspects of the music and accept that Etymotic isn't the place to go for the car-rattling-bass type experience, or to listen to someone like Emika. Lots of ppl like the XRs, maybe it's just subjective taste or maybe it's like the cheaper plasma TV looking inferior next to others in the store, but amazing all by itself in your home, but I wrote this for anyone curious about a direct comparison between the SE and XR.Why not the HF3? It's also very good. But if you use it regularly, it's also guaranteed to fray. The cable is noticeably lower quality and not modular. To their credit Etymotic's service is great and they have a lower-cost replacement program for damaged headphones. But probably make the jump to a much higher quality product that won't fray and is fixable if it does unless you need mic/controls on the cord. (Obviously it's nice to just answer a call if it comes in while you're listening to stuff on your phone, which is why I also have had several pairs of HF3s, which is how I know they're definitely going to fray eventually.)

After a while using these IEMs, I have to say, they are truly god tier for the price they go for. I got these at a steep discount ($69, nice), but at anything under $100 (Which they're still about under as of me writing this), you will not get remotely close to something as uncolored and pure as this.Getting it out of the way, and the Ety diehards may not like this, I threw away the triple flanges, and also disliked the double flanges. I've had good experiences with those style tips on my other IEMs, but they are horribly painful here, and not as isolating as the tips I eventually settled on, the Shure Yellow Foam tips.Let's not beat around the bush, these things NEED to go deep, or else they'll sound kinda weird and quiet, which I figured out real fast as I went through many tips. While audiophiles say they're not the best option for sound quality, I feel that the two best tips for these are the official Etymotic foam tips (Beige), and the Shure Yellows. The beiges are long, and currently don't play nice with my ears, but the Shures cut off just enough length to allow the IEMs to go in all the way, and also stay comfortable for hours, without any readjustment needed. Both are borderline the same foam, just with different stems and adhesives (Shures are better here), so it's just down to length preference.There's a huge problem with the IEMs besides the aural violation pack-in tips, and that's the cable. "Cable down and deal with it" seems to be the the way they're meant to be used, but the microphonics are horrible when they're like that, to the point they'll drown out your own voice, and not just the ones in your head. People online say "Cable up and deal with the strange looks", and that helps, but then the issue is fitting the IEMs in when there's nothing for the cable elbow to rest against. I had a solution for this, "Cable down, UNDER, AND AROUND". Doing this (Also using the chin cinch) allows me to insert the IEMs as intended, and also kill the microphonics, as well as giving the IEMs more protection from tugging. You can even lay on your side with the IEMs like this, which you can't do cable up.With all the hat tricks out of the way, the sound. I love them. Neutral, no shrill highs, no obnoxious ear murdering bass boost, not tin-can quality, not muffled, just plain and simple clarity. The isolation, somehow, is better than any earplug I've ever used. Everything is just gone, it's almost scary, to the point where I now use an app on my phone to pass through mic audio so I'm not completely deaf when using these. It's freaky when I turn off the passthrough, and everything from people walking and talking, down to the person in front of me, just completely go away.The look... they're there, then you put them in, and then they're gone, like earplugs. I like the really understated appearance of them, nothing extravagant, not filled with weights to make it feel substantial, just two light tubes that produce sound, and vanish in your ears, leaving just thin cables going into your ears as the only hint that you're not listening to what's around you.I love these, I can wear them for the whole day, and feel like I'm in a world of my own. I've had the Ety experience, and I cannot go back. I'm no audiophile, but I feel like I've cheated my way to becoming one of the elites. If you are sick of getting burned by IEMs sounding too bassy or thin, or being too colored, then buy these. You'll understand why people say they're almost too affordable for how good they sound. For me, I'm happy enough to say this is my IEM endgame.Also, buy some more filters, or clean your ears, the sound tube is thinner than the stem of a Q-tip. If the IEMs go quiet, it's likely not a defective IEM, it's the filter having fulfilled it's purpose.