Sound –
Testing Methodology: Measured using Arta via IEC 711 coupler to Startech external sound card. 7-9KHz peaks may be artefacts/emphasised due to my measurement setup, less so with deep fit. Measurements besides channel balance are volume matched at 1KHz. Fit depth normalised to my best abilities to reduce coupler resonance. Still, due to these factors, my measurements may not accurately reflect the earphone or measurements taken by others.
Tonality –
Though no longer the gold-standard, I am still a big fan of the diffuse-field neutral sound signature that Etymotic has always had a strict adherence to throughout their line-up. Like many others, I did find this tuning a bit lean and analytical for general listening but found their bass enhanced XR models to be a tasteful adjustment. The EVO takes this premise one step further, adding just a few dB to the low-end. The bass boost is reminiscent in execution to the XR models, with emphasis increasing linearly towards the sub-bass, retaining a clean tone and emphasis on separation and miming overall tonal colouration.
The midrange tuning is very similar as is the treble; there’s a hint less 3kHz presence shifted towards the 4kHz region and the middle-treble is a touch more present but not especially so in the grand scheme of things. Altogether, the EVO is surprisingly robust in the bass for an Etymotic earphone but is still very much an Etymotic earphone being defined by wicked cleanliness throughout. The new driver setup provides a slight bump in end-to-end extension though it also doesn’t excel in this regard relative to competitors. Despite this, I did find myself greatly enjoying the voicing and fidelity on display signature to the company, that are difficult to find from IEMs of other brands.
Bass –
It is important to note that my mention of bass boost here is relative to a DF neutral earphone, a standard considered to be especially lean in the modern day. This means, the EVO is in no way a bass heavy or forward earphone, I would say lows sit just behind the midrange but are never overwhelmed. The tuning is also atypical but voiced incredibly well. The tone is immaculately clean, and notes have an appropriate size, being just a hint bolder than dead neutral. As expected, bloat and congestion are absent in entirety, separation operates at the highest level without sounding lean or diminished either. The new driver setup does indeed provide a slightly deeper reaching sub-bass and more defined rumble. However, this still isn’t an especially well extended or powerful sounding earphone so don’t expect pressure or an assertive slam. It has a nicely balanced bass with emphasis towards superb cleanliness over huge dynamics.
And when listening to a complex or bass heavy track, you can see the upsides. The EVO provides some of the best separation in the bass I’ve heard with special mention going to its highly articulate mid-bass. No doubt, this is aided by its very high note definition throughout. However, in addition, as sub-bass isn’t pressurised and doesn’t sit especially forward due to the roll-off, it doesn’t detract as much from mid-bass separation as on many competitors. Of course, dynamics aren’t especially impressive in turn, the EVO has a rapid, tight attack and is equally fast in decay. The fuller tuning gives it a bit more texture than past Etymotic IEMs, but it doesn’t have those lingering, textured notes as you’d find on a dynamic driver or even some BA competitors. Combined with the still modest quantity, this IEM is clearly geared towards those wanting the best bass quality and responsiveness, not including extension, with which it is hard to beat regardless of price.
Mids –
The same qualities extend to the midrange which is appropriately separated from the bass and experiences zero tonal colouration in turn. In addition, the midrange tuning itself leaves little to be desired, being exceptionally linear and even-handed. Accordingly, vocals and instruments achieve perfect harmony and both male and female vocals are flattered. While relative to many competitors, the EVO is on the leaner side, it isn’t dry or cool, it simply sounds clean and clear. I don’t find the 4kHz region to affect the timbre too heavily either, as it isn’t especially forward and the 3kHz region isn’t over-forward either. In turn, the midrange on a whole does sit further forward than the bass and treble but suffers from zero strain and minimal intensity. It is voiced almost perfectly in terms of tonal transparency and upholds an accurate and natural timbre on a variety of mastering styles.
Perhaps we can attribute this to the lower-treble tuning which is a touch smooth and takes the edge off articulation. As the upper midrange has plenty of presence, this isn’t to the detriment of clarity nor openness, sounding well-extended. Midrange resolution well exceeds almost all competitors, which surely contributes to this impression; small details have a great sense of immediacy and clarity, note definition is excellent as is layering. This has always been a strength for Etymotic and their mastery is showcased here to an even greater degree. With such a strong technical foundation, the company hasn’t needed to compensate with boosted brightness or clarity which can introduce odd timbral properties. The EVO, in turn, is one of the best choices for vocal lovers on the market.
Highs –
By now, you’ll be seeing a consistent theme throughout this review. That being, the EVO doesn’t have a coloured nor instantly gratifying tuning but performs very well with timbre and resolving minutiae – the top-end tells a similar story. The lower treble is a touch smooth but upholds impressive linearity, never sounding blunted to my ears. It sits on par with the bass and, similarly, just behind the midrange. The transient response is sharp so, as below, note definition is excellent. Though not the crispest tuning, the EVO does have quite a lot of bite to its notes, making the smoother lower treble tuning in good taste to my ears. This means it does retain strong foreground detail presence, being clean and well-separated. Where the EVO excels is with fine foreground detail retrieval which performs near the top of its price class from what I’ve tested so far. As the tuning isn’t too sharp yet notes are well-defined, instruments are well-bodied and small textures come through with aplomb.
Simultaneously, there’s minimal brittles or glare. Getting into the more subjective qualities, I do hear a touch of grittiness, meaning it doesn’t sound quite as refined as something like the Variations or higher-end monitors despite retrieving detail almost equally well. Still, percussive instruments don’t dominate the mix and the EVO is able to discern and separate many small details in a near effortless manner even on complex passages like the intro to Missy Higgin’s “Scar”. It extends nicely above and has a decent middle-treble presence to imbue additional air. However, the background is mostly dark and sparkle and micro-details at the very top aren’t especially apparent similar to most competitors around this price. The focus is more on its resolution of fine details around the lower-treble and through the midrange rather than crafting huge atmosphere and ethereal sparkle. This remains a balanced, well-separated monitor with especially strong fine detail retrieval in the lower-treble but no outstanding characteristics above.
Soundstage –
Where past Etymotic earphones have provided an in-the-head experience, the EVO does make meaningful steps forward here. Much like its bass, this remains a weaker aspect of this earphone but offers characteristics that suit the tuning. It expands just beyond the head in width with a more intimate depth due to the slightly forward midrange. All in all, the stage remains quite intimate but not claustrophobic nor stuffy due to the neutral note size throughout. Imaging is the highlight here, with pinpoint accurate localisation and super sharp directional cues, I would attribute this to the even tuning and deep fit depth too. The EVO has exemplary layering, offering an organised lateral spread of elements.
This means it sounds composed even on complex tracks despite not having the most forgiving tuning. Separation is another strength of this earphone due to its neutral note size throughout and lack of colouration. There is a palpable air around each note making small details easy to discern for the listener as they are never overshadowed by neighbouring instruments. Altogether, a good refinement of the Etymotic formula that retains the strengths of the ER-models, no longer feels claustrophobic but also not overtly spacious either.
Driveability –
The EVO has an unconventionally high 47 Ohm impedance and a lower 99dB sensitivity. Indeed, it does require more volume than most multi-BA monitors to reach the same listening volume, though, with its full BA driver array, isn’t too demanding of the source otherwise. This has always been the case with Etymotic earphones. I would posit that, given their intended use case as reference monitors and their focus on tonality, the higher impedance stabilises the frequency response from source to source. Let’s dive in.
Output Impedance Sensitivity
With a 47-ohm impedance, you will theoretically want to keep the source output impedance below 6.5 ohms to avoid tonal colouration. To assess the impedance curve, I switched between the Shanling M2X (1-ohm) and Hiby R6 (10-ohms) which revealed that there was minimal change between the two beyond source colouration. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say the EVO has a flat impedance curve, it is less drastic than many competitors which, combined with the higher impedance, makes it fairly source agnostic. This means you get a very consistent signature from basically any source, save for those with especially high impedances.
Driving Power
As expected, the EVO does require quite a bit of volume, I am a lower volume listener and required around 14/30 steps on my Xperia 5 II. In turn, I would suggest a dedicated source of some description for most listeners simply due to the voltage requirement. This can be a dongle or BT receiver as the EVO is, otherwise, not too fussy about source power. It doesn’t pick up much source noise either. It was dead silent on volume 0 on the M2X, with no music playing and the amp circuit activated. You will want a higher resolution source that said, as the EVO scales nicely in this regard. Technicals such as layering, imaging and detail retrieval all scale appropriately with higher end sources.
Suggested Pair Ups
The EVO isn’t sensitive to output impedance up to a tested 10-ohms (potentially higher) nor will it pick up hiss on most sources. It doesn’t require much power from a dynamics and control POV with its BA setup, but does benefit from a higher output of voltage/volume due to its lower sensitivity. I preferred it most from linear/neutral sources such as those from Topping as they best brought out the clean character of this in-ear. However, as the treble is smooth and even, you can pair it with sources with a sharp note presentation like the DX200 or THX789 without issue. Similarly, it can tolerate a lot of warmth. Combined with its minimal colouration with impedance and noise resistance, it is very easy to adjust source pairings to tailor the experience to your preference.
