16% of 77 verified Etymotic ER2XRowners don't recommend it — based on real owner comments from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
For balance: 48% recommend it. This page collects the complaints so you know what you're signing up for — read the full owner report for both sides. How we score
“Man I got scammed like you when I bought these iems some years ago haha these things only work well if the recording of the songs is absolutely perfect”— morkfjellet on Reddit
“I wish I liked mine, they sound *incredibly* lifeless to me, and so they usually stay in their pouch.”— blargh4 on Reddit
“All of you that have been scared of these were right and I’m switching back to foam tips now.”— SirNarwhal on Reddit
“I loved these headphones! Until they caused really bad impacted earwax issues in both ears.”— helikophis on Reddit
“Those little frosted tips are the worst, they come off the earphone so easily.”— RoyHehe on Reddit
“it was enough to make me switch to Comply foam tips immediately.”— TrinityEcho on Reddit
“Another reason I just don't want to ever own any Etymotics.”— Vulcanicloud on Reddit
“I always tell people that etymotic’s are for masochists”— fishie-the-fish on Reddit
“Lying on an Ety stem can be very painful.”— ganchan2019 on Reddit
“There goes my money down the drain”— hoverboardholligan on Reddit
“I don't like extremely deep fits.”— Miller_TM on Reddit
“2's are my least favourite.”— Vadim_M on Reddit
Not complaints — practical notes from owners that didn't affect the score.
“This already seems like the result of bad decisions, so why not make another! If I attempted this, I'd definitely break it, but I am hopeless. It's not like it's a $10 cable either!”— mck_motion on Reddit
“Obviously the headroom is greater with the 5K. However phone still had plenty of headroom as well. I mean 116dB SPL/V@1kHz with Impedance of 18 ohm is not exactly 'hard to drive'.”— RNKKNR on Reddit
“In what terms 'better'? Just curious. Edit: Was not precise enough. ER2XR was tuned to the exact curve Etys were aiming for + the bass shelf. Edit2: What user age we are talking about?”— shemata on Reddit
“This is the kind of info I was scrolling to find! How long are you able to wear the triple flange tips? I find with AirPods, for example, my ears hurt after an hour to an hour and half.”— gingerbatty21 on Reddit
“Yep, I think you're right. As I wrote in my other comment, switching to the foam tips made an enormous difference, so maybe I still need to figure out how to use the rubber tips properly.”— Gjht66rrhuvjutx on Reddit
“They're not lacking there at all, there are just no treble peaks. Most IEMs have peakiness in that region which can cause the er2 to sound a little recessed in comparison.”— Degru on Reddit
“Pro tip but probably not recommended is to save the cores from the foam tips, buy your own foam earplugs, cut a hole through the center and put in the core. Way cheaper than $25 for 5 pairs.”— Olderandolderagain on Reddit
“I've had the tips get stuck a few times myself, though I've always been able to get them out with some patience. Sucks that you ended up having to go to the ER to get them removed.”— MiddleEmphasis6759 on Reddit