Etymotic Research ER2XR

It fits well and is fairly comfortable, however, I hate its sound. The mids are recessed and strings sound very artificial (this really bothers me since I play violin). So now I'm looking for the most realistic/natural sounding IEMs (or earbuds) under $100. I'm currently looking at the Fiio FA1 and the Etymotic ER2XR.

Coming from the BLON BL-03 these were a really nice upgrade for SQ. Cleaner sound overall, bass hits hard but is more harmonious with the whole frequency range. To get that bass level you have to really insert these all the way in there. The large tips gave me the seal I wanted, the small did not. O...

Quite possibly too loud. Especially if you're going to be using them during quiet hours while your roommate is asleep. It's not like having speakers at full volume firing away from your ears, but it's definitely audible in a quiet room depending on how loud you're listening. To be honest, I think you'd be better served with some decent closed backs (AKG K361/K371, Shure SRH-440, Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, etc) or IEMs (Moondrop Aria, KATO, Etymotic ER2XR or ER2SE, etc).

I feel like these headphones are advertised to be the 'true to production' IEM with zero coloring or tuning - but it almost feels like it takes it way too far. There isn't much life in these, cold mids with bright highs, and ZERO bass. I have to EQ sub 150 to even hear the basslines in pretty much e...

I also have the Etymotic ER2XR and I find myself reading for the T4's over them, even after EQing; they give a more "fun" experience over the Etymotic. I also have the Blon BL-03 and I prefer the fuller bass on these, but they don't fit so well and the cable is crappy so I don't use them as much.

I purchased a used pair listed as being in "Very Good" condition, expecting a few scuffs or scratches, but in perfect working order. As far as I can tell, the drivers themselves sound excellent as I expected. However, I had to use tips from another pair of earbuds because the ones packed with my ord...

Etymotic ER2XR when you catch them on sale. I got mine new for ~75 after tax and shipping from an authorized retailer.

Top-tier noise isolation, and a fairly balanced sound.

Great noise canceling and sound quality was a solid B+. The build quality on the wires is complete garbage. Super thin and have already caused intermittent connection issues on the right bud. Hopefully I can get an exchange.

From these factors we can conclude that ANC is bad at cancelling random high pitched sounds like the sound of a baby crying. While ANC headphones could help a bit, a better solution would be to use a tight sealing IEM (earphones/in-ear monitor) such as the ones made by Etymotic Research. The ER2XR is a relatively affordable IEM that can block a lot of sound when using the triple flange tips (the only issue is that some people find it uncomfortable due to the IEM going deeper into the ear than most others), they also sound good.

A good pair of IEMs. Sadly, the right ear piece decided to die today after only a little more than a year of use.