Etymotic ER4 XR & SR

[Frederik S]

Etymotic's ER4 in-ears set the benchmark when they were first launched over 25 years ago. Recently, Etymotic decided to bring out two new versions of their ER4 design - namely, the XR (Extended Response) and SR (Studio Reference). These new versions feature all-metal housings and a brand new cable design. On the acoustic side of things, you now get the choice between elevated bass and something that should be close to neutral in terms of the Studio Reference.

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Honest question: can an in-ear speaker really do 20Hz? Because I know many floor speakers that can't.

 

[Frederik S]

Honest question: can an in-ear speaker really do 20Hz? Because I know many floor speakers that can't.

If the tips seal well then it is relatively easy. The volume in your ear canals is very small so if the fit is good all of the acoustic energy from the driver will hit the ear drum with very little loss. Most in-ears today are capable of hitting 20 Hz but some are tuned for more or less bass, this is easily spotted in the frequency response graphs.