Etymotic er2se/er3se.
this post was submitted on 06 Apr 2026
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Technology
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I own the er3se and they are my favorite. They have great passive noise isolation and don't get uncomfortable really quickly like most earbuds/IEMs.
I’m also going to suggest going down an IEM research rabbit hole, but I’ve got some specific reasons why. I think a big misconception is that this style earbud goes IN your ear. They do not. IEMs go in the opening of your ear canal. This means a few things. The wires over your ear should be doing the primary lifting. Take some time to mold the wires to sit snugly over and behind your ear. Next is the rubber/foam ear tips. These should probably be bigger than you’d expect since the goal isn’t to shove them into your ear, it’s to make a seal against the opening of your ear canal.
Someone else mentioned Crinacle and his channel is a great resource. I have two pairs of IEMs from Truthear, one that was a recommendation of his for the price point and another that is his collab with Truthear. I like them both, but I use the first one, the Hexa, a lot more purely because they live plugged into my desk and the other, the zero blue 2, is for my hi-fi portable audio player.
Not saying these are the end-all-be-all, best choice, just that they were my introduction to IEMs and I’ll never go back to other wired headphones.
Audio Technica make some really small and comfortable ones that sound good.
I use cheap 10 dollar Pioneer buds. They sit in my ear better than more expensive models.
KZ ZST
I was really, really unhappy with my KZ ZST. They did sound good for the price, but they did not hold up at all and I found them uncomfortable for extended use.
That's interesting. I've had the opposite experience. Been wearing them for like 7 years. They're the only buds I can wear literally all day long and even forget they're there. I did replace the tips with comply foam ones though.
In my case, It was the shape of the enclosure that caused me discomfort, not the tips. I have tried pretty much all of the meme IEMs, most of them didn't work well for me, but I can still say that they sounded quite good for the price. Comfort is king when it comes any sort of headphone for me though. I usually prefer larger over ear headphones except when I am traveling. Right not my Etymotics are my go to IEMs.
What is a "meme IEM"?
There was a string of IEMs, almost all of them Chinese brands like KZT, that were all lauded as "sounds better than $500 IEMs, only cost $10!!!" that were way over hyped for a while. And I bought many/most of them because they were so cheap and then usually gave them away because they were not the magic thing the hype insisted.
I mean I'm not an "audiophile" and I found these to be a good combination of inexpensive, comfortable, and decent sound.
But I also haven't owned 1000 pairs of headphones so maybe I'm missing out.
As I said, they sounded decent, very decent for the price, I just found them uncomfortable. Headphones don't need to be expensive to be good.
that form factor doesn't look that comfortable. Do they stay in your ears..?
I didn't find them comfortable at all, but some people clearly do.
I have the KZ ZS10 Pros, and they stay in my ear great. The KZ earplugs come with different connectors, and I got the standard 2-pin ones so I could choose the wires I want (I like braided cables).
That form factor is standard in the IEM / hi-res audio sector, I never got used to them.
those never stay in my ear, that's why i love these bose so much but bose has totally moved to wireless and their quality is bad.
I absolutely love the Apple 3.5mm wired earpods. I have several spare for when apple decides it's bored of them and stops supply.
That’s what I’m using currently! Don’t stay in the ear as nice as sounds port but definitely decent :)
Is this what you have?
What is your source? DAP, phone?
You can take a peak on here: https://crinacle.com/rankings/iems/ just to have an idea of brands and prices.
I would also recommend checking out Crinacle's reviews
I've seen JBL Endurance wired earphones at my local big box store
Yes that's it. Phone or PC, not individual dap. I like the white part that fits into my ear. That's the only part I like honestly. Desperately want something similar.
Thanks for the link!
What’s your budget?
hmmm, if the form factor is right I'd say 100-300$
Kiwi Ears Astral
IEMs are great imo. I have moondrop starfield and bc of the detach I can have both cable and BT adapter depending on my need. They sound amazing and come with filter replacement and different cushions. I've had them for abt 5 years and they still rock. There's a website where you can check the sound profile of different ones and I love the clear neutral style of moondrop. MDrop Blessing looks good and that's probably my goal if I have to eventually replace them.
I've been using and quite enjoy the Letshuoer S12 Pro. IEMs though...
But they sound great!