Etymotic

Etymotic (“true to the ear”) is an American engineering-driven research and manufacturing company founded in 1983 to build instruments for detecting and assessing hearing loss. It invented insert earphones in 1984 and, in 1991, introduced the first noise-isolating high-fidelity in-ear earphones using balanced-armature drivers — the ER-4 — effectively creating the modern in-ear monitor. It was acquired by Lucid Audio in 2018 and, in May 2026, by Fidelity Collective alongside Westone Audio.

Founded

1983