Etymotic mc3

Etymotic mc3

In an industry that has recently learned how to reproduce booming bass at budget prices, Etymotic Research can be seen as a guardian of the old school, audiophile ideal: flat-response earphones. Until recently, though, Etymotic earphones could not be described as low cost. Enter the Etytomic mc3, a (nearly) flat response earphone pair that, at $99 (direct), is as well-made as it is affordable. Fans of deep bass or those looking for the ideal gym earphones can stop reading now - the mc3 is for the audiophile on a budget. Minor issues including cable thump are made up for with excellent audio performance, a versatile array of in-ear fitting options, and built-in iPhone controls. (If you don't need the phone controls, the mc5 is otherwise identical but costs $20 less.) Like many Etymotic earphones, the mc3 is fairly nondescript. Its narrow, rounded earpieces come in a metallic red, blue, green, or, like our test pair, black. The 48-inch cable is thin and Kevlar-reinforced. The earpieces are fit with flange eartips - an option that has never really worked for me. The good news is that the mc3 comes with not only three different types of ear flange (in various sizes and materials), but also two foam-earplug-style options.