Etymotic Research was founded in 1983 by Mead Killion, Ph.D., an acoustic engineer with a background in hearing aid and audiology research. The company's name comes from a Greek root meaning "true to the ear," reflecting a design philosophy centered on accurate sound reproduction and hearing preservation. Etymotic invented the insert earphone in 1984 and introduced the ER-4 in 1991, widely credited as the first noise-isolating high-fidelity in-ear earphone and the template for the in-ear monitor category that followed.

The brand is best known for its ER-series earphones, including the ER4SR and ER4XR reference monitors, the ER3SE and ER3XR, and the more accessible ER2SE and ER2XR. Etymotic has stuck with a single balanced-armature driver approach rather than the multi-driver designs common elsewhere in the IEM market. Alongside its consumer earphones, the company produces Musicians Earplugs (the ER-series filtered plugs), the MusicPro electronic earplug line, and the Music Pro Elite rechargeable active hearing protector aimed at live performers who need to hear clearly while limiting stage volume.

Etymotic also develops professional audiology equipment, including insert earphones used for audiometry and auditory brainstem response testing, and it holds more than 100 patents across audio and hearing technology. The company was acquired by Lucid Audio in 2018 and continues to operate under the Etymotic name.

Etymotic has 13 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Headphones & In-Ear Monitors and Earbuds.