Etymotic ER20XS High Fidelity Earplugs Review

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Etymotic ER20XS Pros&Cons

Etymotic ER20XS Specs

• Rated noise-reduction: 13-20dB
• Eartips: Replaceable

Packaging

The MK5 Isolator’s packaging is pretty simplistic. Thankfully the packaging is frustration free, as opposed to some blister-types that require the use of a blowtorch, chainsaw, angle grinder, and the Jaws of Life. But, at this price-point, fancy packaging is totally a bonus, not an expected necessity. On the front, the MK5 Isolators are in clear view, whilst on the back we are given some specifications about them, such as frequency response range and impedance.

What’s in the box?

• Etymotic ER20XS
• Protective pouch
• 2 pairs of triple-flange silicon eartips
• 1 pair foam eartips
• Neck cord

Accessories

The ER20XS doesn’t come with a whole lot of included bits and bobs, but at $25 this is perfectly reasonable. Two sizes of silicon triple-flange tips should cover most people, whilst an additional pair of foam tips are included which will increase noise reduction levels, as well as perhaps being a more comfortable fit for some.
The included pouch is perfectly sufficient for storing the ER20XS (along with an extra set of eartips, if needed), and also comes with a ball-chain in order to attach the pouch to a key-ring.
Etymotic also included a simple neck cord which can be used to hang the ER20XS around the neck when they aren’t needed to be worn in the ears. This can be especially useful as such relatively small items can easily be misplaced.
Unfortunately the ER20XS does not offer an interchangeable filter system to allow you to slightly change the sound signature or amount of noise isolation.

Design

The ER20XS has a relatively simple design, albeit different to regular passive noise reduction foam earplugs. One really neat feature that Etymotic had incorporated are some small plastic tabs. Seeing as the ER20XS is designed to have a low profile, these pull tabs are intended to help in removing the earplugs from the ear. Due to the triple-flange eartips, the ER20XS is indeed a low profile design, extending quite far into the ear canal. It is this deep insertion which aids in reducing the sound level of ambient sounds. On the flip side, some may find this rather obtrusive design quite uncomfortable over longer wearing-sessions, or perhaps even right from the start. Admittedly, personally I was sceptical of how comfortable they would be, but thankfully the ER20XS weren’t nearly as uncomfortable as I had anticipated.

Functionality

Whilst I was planning to test the effectiveness of the ER20XS at a local Top Fuel Drag Racing event, unfortunately the event was cancelled. That being said, the ER20XS still seems as though it would indeed be effective in noisy environments, such as Motorsports and live concerts. However, for extremely loud environments, such as Formula 1 events, you may still want to use additional protection. What is particularly great about these earplugs is just how evenly they reduce the sound. With regular foam earplugs, whilst all frequencies are reduced, they are reduced in an irregular fashion. You’ll find everything sounds a bit more boomy in the bass region; muffled to be more precise. The ER20XS, on the other hand, allows you to still hear everything, but just at a reduced volume. This is especially useful in environments where you still need to hear and talk to people, as well as in the case of being an onstage musician or sound engineer, whereby getting the sound levels right for various instruments can be critical.

Value

At an asking price of $25, the ER20XS actually seems of very reasonable value.  The fact that, because of their design, the ER20XS would have very little impact on your ability to perceive your surroundings, $25 really doesn’t seem too bad. Perhaps a more direct evaluation of the value, on the other hand, would be to ask yourself exactly how much you value your hearing. Prolonged exposure to loud sounds can cause major and even permanent damage to your hearing. As such, $25 seems like a seriously insignificant amount of money to pay in order to protect one of your most vital and irreplaceable senses.

 

Rating

The NO BULL rating system is designed to take as many aspects of the product into account as possible. As such, we have a basic rating, as well as a final rating. The basic rating rates the product purely as a high quality audio product, and is generally a good indicator of how it stacks up to its rivals in terms of standard features and specs. The final rating, however, grants bonus points for any extra features and specs that aren’t quite as common, and is a great way to judge the product as a complete package.

Packaging
Look and feel: 5 / 10

Included Accessories
More than 3 pairs of eartips included: –
Protective case: YES

Build
Quality control: 10 / 10
Seems durable: YES
Comfort: 8 / 10

Sound
Relatively balanced signature: YES

Portability
Small size: 10 / 10
Weight: 10 / 10

Value
Competitive price-point: YES
Relative value: 8 / 10

Basic Rating: 8.5

Bonus points
Pairs of eartips above 3 pairs: –
How premium the case looks and feels: 4
Metal body: –
Interchangeable filter system: –
Premium look and feel: –
Use of exotic materials: –

Final Rating: 8.1

 

Many thanks to Etymotic Research for sending us the ER20XS for review!