Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones (Black)
by Etymotic Research
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List Price: Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones (Black)
Customer Review: Noise reduction plus clear sound equals the perfect travel ear buds
Summary: 5 Stars
As a musician in loud rock bands, I've use Etymotic's ear plugs (ER-10's) for years and love them. I'll admit that the process of inserting things deep in my ear canals and the feeling of having them there takes a little getting used to, but the results are worth it! For listening to music (or watching a movie or whatever) in a noisy environment, Etymotic's ER6i's are perfect. The design is basically a combination of an ear plug (to keep outside noise out) and an ear phone (to deliver sound to your ears). It's a wonderful combination: all but the loudest outside noises are kept out and clear, beautiful, detailed sound is delivered right where you want it. The result is that you can hear what you want to hear clearly without a lot of volume. Some reviewers have said that the ER6i's don't relay bass frequencies well, but I haven't found that at all. My experience is that they relay a very clear and balanced sound that is very true to the original sound source. Normal ear buds, by contrast, pump up bass frequencies, creating a muddy sound that results in ear fatigue pretty quickly. These are perfect for travelers! You can listen to music (or the movie) on your flight (or in a noisy airport or train or bus) without pumping the volume to sky-high levels and they fit easily in a shirt or pants pocket (I recommend the Sumajin Smartwraps Earphone Cord Manager). Also, the price can't be beat! For much less than the cost of a decent pair of noise-canceling headphones, you get a product that is much more compact, that delivers much better sound, and that radically reduces (instead of just "filtering") outside noise.Customer Review: Awesome.
Summary: 5 Stars
I was skeptical about these. I had tried a pair of Denon AH-C551 I bought at Target and took them back--enough said. The stock phones with my ipod are great if i don't care about how the music sounds or if I am sitting perfectly still and cram the phone in my ear canal for some bass--any bass please. So I bought these with some reservation, prepared to send them back. Not sure what people are talking about when they say that bass is lacking. I suggest they check their source material or insert the earphones so they act as earplugs--blocking out ambient noise--then press play. I found the ER6i to be very accurate and responsive to all types of music. I was listening to classical on the freeway doing 70mph on my motorcycle (in a full face helmet) and I could hear every nuance in the music. Plus i could feel and still sense the machine I was sitting on. Bass in music like The Roots, Aesop Rock, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Cee-lo, Autolux, Black Angels, Portishead, Aphextwin, Chopin, Lucinda Williams... ...all sound AWESOME. Holy cow. I have a pair of full size Grado Labs SR80i (great phones) and these tiny buds sound just as true. Plus they fit under my helmet with no issues. I've used the foam plugs so far--the set that look like mushrooms. I tried the medium grey ones that come installed. A little too small for my right ear but fine for my left. The foam make up for imperfect ear canals. The case is less than great. but the sound and comfort make up for the error. So one word--AWESOME.
BTW: the first thing I did when i got these was plug them in and I did 3hours of intense spring cleaning yard work. They stayed in and were so comfortable. A true test.
Customer Review: Fantastic sound -- excellent bass!
Summary: 5 Stars
These earbuds are simply phenomenal, especially for the price; they out perform most earbuds in the sub $200 price range. The ruggedness of the cord could be better, but considering the price and the sound quality, I'm willing to let that slide.
With regard to some of the complaints here about lack of bass, I would like to point out two things: first, there is a bit of a trick getting the earbuds seated properly into the ear canal. The first couple times I tried putting them in, they sounded a bit tinny; then I re-read the directions and tried again, and presto... there was a slight whosh, and suddenly the outside world was almost completely muted, and the music unfolded into a full, rich sonic experience.
The second thing I want to point out is that, over the past ten years or so especially, pop music and commercial sound equipment have put an ever-increasing emphasis on having an extremely loud bass, to the point where a distorted bass sounds "normal" for many people (and perhaps someday it will actually BE normal), but as a musician myself, who values a very clean even representation of the entire audio spectrum, the great thing about these earbuds is that they are much closer to professional monitor speakers in that they have a fairly flat response (in audio terms, 'flat' is a very good thing).
Which is probably why, when iLounge did an in-depth review of these earbuds, they gave them a straight "A" rating for their fantastic sound. So, if you like to hear thumping bass frequencies in your music, by all means, crank up the EQ, but please, don't knock the sound quality of these earbuds for not distorting the bass.
Customer Review: absolutely the best in-ear buds for the money
Summary: 5 Stars
i had a pair of these for 3 years before they simply disappeared on a flight to seoul (i fly to korea 4-5 times a year). so i figured i should try a few different options. i tried the new bose in-ears, absolutely hated the fit and sound. i tried a pair of cheaper sennheisers (i swear by their circum-aurals) but didnt like the sound. i tried a pair of shure e4c (sounded like a good deal with e amazon discount price), but didnt like the fit; the sound was great. so i went back to my stalwart er6i - this time i got black to go with the black 30GB video ipod (lost an ipod with my older er6's - there's thieves on flights - even on biz class - beware!) the comfort with the er6i is great for up to one hour. after that it starts to itch a bit, so i have to pull them out and rest. to get the best sound (particularly on a plane) you have to push this in a bit. i thought wax would be an issue, but it hasnt been - yellowing is, however, so you either replace the eartips ($14 for 5 pairs from etymotic's site) or hide the tips when you pull them out (if you're cheap)! the sound stage is absolutely realistic listening to just about anything - i listen to mostly classical. my reference cd is a remastered mahler's 1st, and i've got goosebumps just thinking about the sound reproduction. there is perfect balance between the myriad sounds - so if you're listening to something that has a lot of base, your ears wont hurt; likewise music with a lot of mid and upper ranges, such as violins or flute. the preciseness of the sound is unparalleled imho, except in the shure e2c. so these are the best in-ears for the money i nmy opinion.Customer Review: Blocks subway noise
Summary: 5 Stars
Before I got these, I had to turn the volume up to 7 or 8 on my Zune in the subway. I could not hear the lyrics when the subway went through some tunnels because of the squeal of the steel wheels. I tried a Philips SHN5500 Noise Canceling but it did not help. Boise was nice but bulky for daily use on a train. Once I got used to the "in canal" design of the ER6i-this took a few days--I found that I turned the volume down to 2 or 3 to listen to classical music most of the time. Rock I turn up the volume a little more, but since the music is now not having to compete with the outside cacophony of the subway, it always sounds nice and clear in my ear.
For me there were four keys to getting these to work.
First insert them like an earplug--no music--let them block the outside sound first. (They block about as much outside sound as foam ear plugs. Foam earplugs block about 29dB. A subway is about 95dB and a normal conversation is about 65dB. So cutting 30 dB off jet or subway noises is a big help, and that's even without the music.)
Next loop the wire over the ear. The wire movement will transmit sound into your ear. Looping it over the ear stops this.
Try the different ear tips until you find one that works for you. I use the 3-flange for daily subway use but find the foam more comfortable for longer air flights.
Finally, be aware that these earphons do put you into your own little world and you can miss your subway stop if you do not keep visually checking on where you are. (Been there done that).