The E2 Earset redefines pure sound in a virtually invisible package that is easier to use than even a lavalier or podium microphone. Like the classic E6 Earset, the E2 rests over the ear, but has a much shorter boom. Its uni-directional element provides nearly the isolation of an E6 Omni at the mouth, but with significantly less visibility. With an equalizing circuit built into the audio connector, the frequency response is tuned so you can experience full-bodied bass and precise highs that are indiscernible from an E6 Omni at the mouth. The element, boom, and new sub-miniature connector are all easily hidden on the user’s face; the position near the ear eliminates breath pops and makes fitting easy and quick. This results in the smallest and most discreet professional-quality microphone available. In all kinds of acoustic spaces, the E2 achieves surprisingly comparable isolation (gain-before-feedback) to an E6 Omni positioned at the user’s mouth. We tested the two mics against each other in several large and small venues and confirmed that in all cases the E2 gain-before-feedback was within 3 dB of the E6 at the mouth. There are two aspects of the E2 design that allow this to be possible so far away from the mouth: strong off-axis rejection and precisely-tuned frequency response. The off-axis rejection, as shown to the right as the difference between the solid and dashed blue curves, is strong for all frequencies in the audio band—not just 1kHz as with many competitive directional mics—so the feedback-rejection is equally effective in smaller or larger venues. For on-axis interferences, the frequency response tuning in the connector of the E2 allows us to fully capitalize on the proximity boosting effect of the mic to achieve even stronger isolation in the voice band. Comparing the on-axis frequency responses at 5 in. (solid blue) and 24 in. (dashed black) shows that sources even a couple of feet away from the user’s head will be strongly attenuated compared to the desired sound. We tuned the frequency response of the E2 to be as flat as possible in use by taking into account the frequency-shaping properties of the head, and the acoustics of the mic itself. This results in full sound, and high gain-before-feedback.