Etymotic ER4SR vs EarSonics ES2

Short answer: the Etymotic ER4SR, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #440 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 1.7/5, at $299.99. The EarSonics ES2 ranks #448, rated 1.0/5, at $289.99, $10 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 450 in-ear headphones, so if sound quality matters, consider the Truthear Nova instead, ranked #2 at $169.99.

The Etymotic ER4SR is the better-sounding choice. For listeners who prefer a flat, studio style sound, the midrange from 200 Hz to 3 kHz stays within about 1 dB of target and its largest upper range peak is only 1.6 dB, so vocals come through clear without any glare. The tradeoff: Sub-bass sits about 11 dB below target and falls 6 dB short at 75 Hz, so bass heavy music sounds lean and lacks impact.

The case for the EarSonics ES2: Two balanced armature drivers and a very high 119 dB/mW sensitivity mean it reaches loud levels from any phone or dongle with little effort. The tradeoff: Crinacle’s measurement gives it a preference score of only 29, one of the furthest from the Harman target among in-ears, so its tonal balance will sound off to most listeners without EQ.

Buy the Etymotic ER4SR. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $10 saving on the EarSonics ES2 is not enough to make up the difference.

Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

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• Etymotic ER4SR vs Mackie MP-360
• Etymotic ER4SR vs Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
• EarSonics ES2 vs Westone W20

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The Two Headphones In Full

Etymotic ER4SR: $299.99 B&H Photo Video eBay

Pros: For listeners who prefer a flat, studio style sound, the midrange from 200 Hz to 3 kHz stays within about 1 dB of target and its largest upper range peak is only 1.6 dB, so vocals come through clear without any glare. It is rated level with the Audio-Technica ATH-E70 and Mackie MP-360, which cost more.

Cons: Sub-bass sits about 11 dB below target and falls 6 dB short at 75 Hz, so bass heavy music sounds lean and lacks impact. Treble about 6 dB low from 6 to 10 kHz and a 9 dB dip near 11.7 kHz take away air and shimmer. Its 98 dB/mW sensitivity is on the low side for an in ear, so it needs more volume than most.

Full Etymotic ER4SR review and specifications →

Released	2016 (10 years ago)
Back	Closed
Built-in Microphone	No
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	4.26 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Balanced armature
Drivers	1 x balanced armature
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	20Hz - 16kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	45 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	45 ohms
Sensitivity	98 dB/mW
Sub-bass Extension	Falls 6 dB below target at 75 Hz (-10.6 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	+1.38 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+6.0 dB	0.70
Peak	2,470 Hz	-3.7 dB	0.94
Peak	7,389 Hz	+6.4 dB	1.15
Peak	77 Hz	+1.2 dB	2.20
Peak	1,450 Hz	-1.8 dB	2.27
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+2.5 dB	0.70
Peak	269 Hz	-0.5 dB	1.17
Peak	745 Hz	+0.5 dB	2.09
Peak	7,552 Hz	-0.8 dB	4.20
Peak	9,634 Hz	-1.0 dB	5.99

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Etymotic ER4SR (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Etymotic ER4SR vs Mackie MP-360
  • Etymotic ER4SR vs Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
  • Etymotic ER4SR vs Audio-Technica ATH-E70
  • Etymotic ER4SR vs Shure SE425

EarSonics ES2: $289.99 Amazon eBay

Pros: Two balanced armature drivers and a very high 119 dB/mW sensitivity mean it reaches loud levels from any phone or dongle with little effort. The closed in-ear design isolates well from outside noise.

Cons: Crinacle’s measurement gives it a preference score of only 29, one of the furthest from the Harman target among in-ears, so its tonal balance will sound off to most listeners without EQ. The Oriolus Finschi Hifi rates higher and costs less, and the Westone W20 matches its rating for less money.

Full EarSonics ES2 review and specifications →

Released	2016 (10 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	6.14 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Balanced armature
Drivers	2 x balanced armature
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	10Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	29 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	26.5 ohms
Sensitivity	119 dB/mW
Tonal Tilt	-0.01 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+6.9 dB	0.70
Peak	231 Hz	-6.1 dB	0.40
Peak	4,946 Hz	+6.9 dB	0.22
Peak	1,862 Hz	-9.7 dB	1.06
Peak	2,685 Hz	+5.9 dB	2.30
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+2.5 dB	0.70
Peak	49 Hz	+0.7 dB	3.05
Peak	1,238 Hz	-0.5 dB	4.83
Peak	940 Hz	+0.3 dB	3.33
Peak	81 Hz	-0.4 dB	4.68

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the EarSonics ES2 (crinacle measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • EarSonics ES2 vs Westone W20
  • EarSonics ES2 vs Final Audio F3100
  • EarSonics ES2 vs Westone Pro X50
  • EarSonics ES2 vs Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2