Review on 🎧 Etymotion Wireless Bluetooth Cable with AKM Velvet Sound DAC and Amplifier by Etymotic, ERETYMOTION-BT, Black by Kirk Womack

Let me start by saying that I really LOVE my ER4XRs and have had them for about 2 or 3 years but have owned a pair of ER4Ps for over 15 years years. But my experience with Etymotions was just terrible. The biggest problem is that the 2 batteries I had don't last long and are not user replaceable. The first one I got either the battery or the battery controller in the headphones died after a few months of use, when I then connected it to the charger it looked like it was charging, the indicator light started red then switched to green , but when I turned them off and tried more than 90% of the time they were on, as a couple, after a second or two I heard a voice say, turn off the power again, and then they turn off. I was then able to put it back on the charger and the light was red for a long time and then turned green, making me wonder if it was actually charging or if the battery was bad. And then I could try them and there was over a 90% chance that the save would happen again and then a less than 10% chance that they would work. And each time they worked, they worked from a few minutes to an hour or two, never coming close to the original duration. I got them replaced under warranty with no issues or issues with the return process. I only had to pay them for shipping but they ended up sending me brand new Etymotions in a shrink-wrapped retail box just like the first pair I bought. with all new accessories (they told me not to send accessories back with the first pair) which I took as a good sign but shouldn't have. I have used this second pair 3 times with no problems. The first two were only at home for about 15 to 30 minutes each and the third lasted about 5.5 hours in a chair at my oncologist's office getting chemotherapy. After the meeting I put them on the charger and when I used them again a few hours later and after the green light came on I tried to use them and I heard a voice and they immediately turned off. There are a few other annoyances with them as well, as the range of the 2 paid ones I tried was pretty poor. They don't turn off completely, just switch the encoding and bitrate to very significantly lower sound quality settings. but it won't. I never put them back on unless I've cycled the headphones or cycled bluetooth on the source (phone, computer, tablet, etc.). They are also a big problem when turning on audio sources. On some devices they don't unpair easily, for example when paired with my Samsung Note 20 Ultra, when I put Etymotions in pairing mode they immediately reconnect to my phone, so I have to turn off bluetooth on my phone, if I want to combine them with something else. They also often fail to pair, and this has happened with some devices (Samsung Note, Dell G7, MacBook Pro, iPad, 2 Chromebooks and a desktop), more so than most other Bluetooth devices (the only other device that I have). What makes it like this is my machine, but it works with multiple devices so you only need to pair when you buy a new phone or device, so not too bad). At the moment I regret not having bought them and just keep using the adapters. i change devices/sources often enough that a cable with a small usb-c adapter is much more convenient and without considering breaks and exchanges, especially since the warranty is only valid from the date of purchase for the first pair and if this continues I'm likely to stay with a defective unit shortly after the warranty expires and have only been able to use it partially before that if it kept breaking. I'll try to come back and update this if I have to keep replacing it if I get one that works or something else happens.