Short answer: the Sivga Lyrebird. It ranks #988 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.0/5, at $149; the Etymotic ER3XR ranks #1032, rated 2.8/5, and costs $149.99, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the Sivga Lyrebird does well: Upper treble lifts about 3.1 dB for extra air and sparkle. Watch for: A 5.1 dB peak near 8.2 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance sound sharp.
What the Etymotic ER3XR does well: At 22 ohms and 102 dB/mW it runs fine from a phone, and its single balanced armature design keeps things simple. The catch: In oratory1990’s measurement treble falls about 8.5 dB below target from 6 to 16 kHz, with a 13.1 dB dip near 11.9 kHz, so cymbals sound dull and fine detail fades.
Buy the Sivga Lyrebird. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Etymotic ER3XR and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
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Upper treble lifts about 3.1 dB for extra air and sparkle.
Amazon $149.00 eBay
At 22 ohms and 102 dB/mW it runs fine from a phone, and its single balanced armature design keeps things simple.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Sivga Lyrebird | Etymotic ER3XR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.00 | $149.99 |
| Ranked | #988 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #1032 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 1 x balanced armature + 1 x micro planar + 1 x piezoelectric | 1 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 14 ohms | 22 ohms |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz | 20Hz - 16kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 62 (median of 10 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 59 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 3.04 dB standard deviation | 3.48 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.58 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.22 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-5.5 dB at 30 Hz) | Falls 6 dB below target at 30 Hz (-6.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Sensitivity | - | 102 dB/mW |
| Built-in Microphone | - | No |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the Sivga Lyrebird from atechreviews, audioamigo, eplv, faxepremium, jaytiss, joycesreview, musicafe, silicagel, soundcheck39 and tonedeafmonk; the Etymotic ER3XR from ankramutt, dchpgall, fahryst, loomynarty, recode, therollo9 and zerostresslevel, all via squig.link.
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