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RoyalBadger3665 t1_j98ojxn wrote

I just tested mine vs my Salnotes zero and I can see what you mean. I’d agree with others commenting that they’re neutral and the zeros have a warmer tuning that enhances treble. The XR version is also supposed to have more bass, in comparison to the ER2SEs (have not tested those).

Personally, my Etymotics are a special use case where I need best noise cancellation possible. I would rather have neutral sounding and hear no noise than have warmer sounding but be distracted!

If you find a good way to EQ them I would love to try, so please update!

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smalg2 OP t1_j98t9a2 wrote

Yeah it's really weird, I keep going back and forth between different sets, and everytime I put the Etymotics on, it feels like I'm listening through a tube... Not a tube amp mind you, but an actual tube 😅 Like some part of the upper frequencies were chopped off. Listening to some rock songs earlier, there was almost no treble at all... I can't believe I'm writing this given the praise they receive, but for now they're my worst sounding set, noticeably worse than the 7Hz Zeros, at least tuning-wise... Not giving up just yet though.

I haven't tried to EQ them yet, but oratory1990 made EQ profiles for them, and they do seem to boost the treble a good amount (look for "ER-2", he added an extra dash in the name). His EQ profiles were always a good starting point for me!

Edit: just tried his "oratory1990 target" preset and yes, it does help a bit. Still a bit "soft" though, despite +5dB at 8K. Oh well... Nevermind, it was a song issue. It's much better now.

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----_________------ t1_j98viwa wrote

hmm, while they are dark, it shouldn't be by that much. try different tips, because sometimes, your ear canal can sort of bend and close off the tips

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smalg2 OP t1_j99r3v7 wrote

> hmm, while they are dark, it shouldn't be by that much.

This is what I've been thinking since I've got them... Etymotics are usually described as very natural-sounding, but there's nothing natural with the sound I'm getting, unless you're listening to someone talk with a pillow over their face. I'm barely exaggerating...

I don't get it. I've tried all the included tips, and also gave CP100+ with inserts a try, but as long as they fit and seal, they all sound pretty much the same. Bass and lower midrange are fine, but at some point the upper frequencies just took a vacation and never came back. It sucks the life out of every song I listen to. EQ helps somewhat, but they still sound... "muffled"? Even my old Yamaha EPH-100 which have a big dip in the upper mid-range sound much clearer than that.

I'm honestly starting to think I got a dud...

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thatcarolguy t1_j9b14ea wrote

They are not natural sounding. They are very dark, especially if you insert them as deep as they are supposed to be which not all people who measured them and made graphs for us have done.

When I had an ER2SE it required a 10 dB boost of both bass and treble. Luckily it has very low distortion and can take EQ like a champ.

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smalg2 OP t1_j9biucu wrote

Thank you so much!! I was kind of losing my mind over this haha... The XR's bass isn't that bad, but the treble still sounds soft even when using oratory1990's preset with a 5dB boost at 8k. Even stronger EQ it is, then! For real, thank you 🙏

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thatcarolguy t1_j9b0uyx wrote

With properly deep insertion my ER2SE was even darker than Oratory's and required a 10 dB treble hump.

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