Etymotic Research, Inc. is an engineering-driven research, development and manufacturing company. Mead Killion, Ph.D. founded Etymotic Research in 1983 to design products that accurately assess hearing, improve the lives of the hearing impaired, protect hearing and enhance the listening experience for musicians and music lovers around the world.
By 1984, Etymotic had deep roots in acoustic research and the precision hearing aid space. The first earphone versions were used for diagnostic testing and precision hearing research (ER-1, 2, 3). Etymotic then produced the world's first noise-canceling, high-quality earphones, the ER-4 (1991), which became the basis for all subsequent (insert phone) Etymotic earphones and earphones developed by other manufacturers worldwide, creating a whole category of consumer electronics. After countless fine-tuning and manufacturing precision improvements, the ER-4 earphones are still manufactured and continue to be produced in small numbers in Etymotic's US-based laboratories. Each pair of earphones is selected and the deviation between the left and right channels is always within 1 dB (!) across the entire frequency spectrum, ensuring the accuracy of the order of magnitude of the meter.
Innovation, education, and hearing protection are at the heart of Etymotic's mission. Etymotic's products are used by scientists, researchers, hearing-impaired consumers, professional and amateur musicians, and all those consumers who demand exceptional sound fidelity and insist on sound quality with unparalleled precision. Throughout Etymotic's history, audio engineers, audiologists, and musicians have worked together, resulting in more than 100 world patents issued and incorporated into their products.
Etymotic continues to employ a large number of musicians. In 2019, it merged with Lucid Audio to develop its work and hearing protection products to an even higher level. The US-based group is a leader in the development and manufacture of precision earphones. Headquartered in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. U.S.A.