Real owners lean toward the Waner S.G: 84% of 31 owners recommend it, vs 48% of 77 for the Etymotic ER2XR.
Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score
Owners overwhelmingly praise the ER2XR's isolation, calling it competitive with or better than ANC headphones for flights, commutes, and blocking out households, paired with an accurate, detailed, reference-grade tuning that many use as their benchmark for other IEMs and standout value for the price. A meaningful minority pushes back on the deep-insertion fit, describing it as uncomfortable or painful, and there's a recurring, more alarming complaint that the stock silicone flange tips can pop off and lodge in the ear canal, driving many owners to switch to foam tips instead. Others flag that the earpieces protrude too much to sleep in comfortably and that regular deep-seal wear can contribute to impacted earwax. A smaller group also finds the neutral tuning too nasal, thin, or bass-light for their taste, preferring warmer alternatives.
Most owners see the Tangzu Wan'er S.G as a standout budget pick, praising its fun, warm, bass-forward tuning for pop, hip-hop, and EDM, its light comfortable fit, and an eye-opening price-to-performance ratio that repeatedly earns 'no brainer' verdicts at $15-25. Many also recommend it as a first IEM, and some find the newer S.G/SG2 revisions tighter and more detailed than the original. A meaningful minority push back, though: durability complaints are common, with cables, connectors, or drivers failing anywhere from 6 to 17 months in, and a handful of owners find the bass boomy or muddy and the treble or vocals too forward for comfort. A smaller group also shrugs it off as overhyped, arguing it doesn't really stand out in the now-crowded sub-$20 IEM market.
“Every penny, just first thing to do is to swap the oem cable with a balanced one and you'll be blown by the amount of bass and clarity.”— lnt976 on Reddit
“I consider them to have a balanced neutral response. It has been my gold standard where I compare every other IEM to. Well worth the cost in 2026.”— Gransmithy on Reddit
“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
“Anyways both are great in sound ... Nothing can beat them in this price”— @badkid1501 on YouTube
“Go for the Tangzu Wan'er without hesitation. Its perfect.”— @ishanbasu8955 on YouTube
“my wan'er connectors just broke 2 days ago after 1 year usage and contemplating to buy tin-hifi c3 mark ii or this one”— @nopale2 on YouTube
Real owners lean toward the Waner S.G: 84% of 31 owners recommend it, vs 48% of 77 for the Etymotic ER2XR.
Owners point the Etymotic ER2XR at frequent flyers and commuters who want passive isolation rivaling ANC headphones, and studio/analytical listeners who want a flat, accurate reference-tuning IEM.
Owners point the Waner S.G at budget beginners wanting a first IEM under $20 with warm, fun sound, and bass-leaning listeners into pop, EDM, and hip-hop.
The most-cited downside of the Etymotic ER2XR is deep-insertion fit is uncomfortable for many, with complaints about painful, tugging, or fiddly insertion and removal. For the Waner S.G, it's durability problems - connectors, cables, or drivers failing or breaking within 6-17 months.