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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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones (Black)
Customer Review: Take a little getting used to.
Summary: 5 Stars
I was a bit skeptic when purchasing these due to the number of 1 star reviews, but I quickly realized why these were given such low reviews. As soon as I took them out of the box and put them in my ears they sounded quiet with no bass, and hurt my ears a lot. After experimenting with the different buds that come with the headphones I realized the ones that came on it initially were too small, causing the pain I felt. The terrible sound came from an extremely poor seal in my ear from the wrong size tips.
If I had simply stopped at that point I would have easily given these 1 star and tried to get a refund. The best method I found for learning how to get a good seal was putting music on very quietly and adjusting the headphones in my ears until I began to understand how far to put them in.
Now that I have an understanding of how the headphones work they are amazing! I listen to music with the volume under 5% and despite outside noise I hear nothing but the music, and every bit of it. I found details in songs I've listened to for years that I had never heard before.
Some people complain about the lack of bass in these headphones, but after finally figuring out the seal that everyone kept talking about I have to disagree. I listen to mostly rock and alternative music, and even on songs with driving double bass the balance sounds great. My only complaint is that the chord going into the buds is thin, and makes these feel very fragile, but with a bit of extra care I don't see this being a problem.
Customer Review: Now we're talkin'...
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been looking for headset/earbuds/in-ear headphones to use while riding my motorcycle, partly for GPS directions audio and partly for GPS MP3 music. This is the 5th item I've tried and Bingo! this is it. I wear a half-helmet (trike with windshield) and it's probably the noisiest helmet design. This summer I've tried clipon earphones, helmet-insert earphones, two types of earbuds and a "noise-cancelling" earbud system. All worked in-town with the GPS audio level cranked up but the only ones that I could hear on the open roads were the noise-cancelling set, and that was just barely. When I put on the ER6i's, the first thing I did was turn the GPS audio level from 90%to 40%. I didn't even have to change the audio level after I started riding. The 40% setting worked just fine. OK, I can probably beat the sound quality but that wasn't the issue. Hearing the audio at road speeds was the issue. Now I can hear my tunes and GPS directions clearly. For the music I listen to (rock, reggae, folk, soul, pop, country), the quality is very good, probably as good as my car's CD system. Works for me.
I've seen a lot written about "fragile wires". That concerned me until I took a closer look at the wiring on the other setups I tried. Three-out-of-four were about the same. I usually take reasonable care of headsets (one set has been with me for about 6 years) so I'm not worried about these. Time will tell. In the meantime I'll just roll with music I can now hear.
Customer Review: Blocks the noise, lets the music sing through
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the black version of the popular Etymotic er-6i headphones, previously available only in white. Etymotic Research introduced this color to complement the iPod Nano and other new iPod models which are available in colors other than white. The ER6i's increased sensitivity over the standard ER6 makes them an excellent choice for an iPod or any other portable MP3 or portable media player.
The er-6i is Etymotic's entry-level noise-isolating earphone. Unlike "noise-cancelling" headphones, which use electronic circuitry to cancel noise (and which can interfere with music and movie playback sound quality), "noise-isolating" earphones like the ER-6i work like earplugs. They are inserted all the way into the ear, forming a tight seal which blocks out external noise but lets pure sound come through the integrated ear-speakers.
Because they reduce external noise levels, they make an excellent choice for frequent fliers. No longer must you crank up the volume to drown out the aircraft engine noise. Now you can simply insert the etymotics into your ears and listen to your music or movies at a comfortable level. They're also much smaller than bulky around-the-ear headphones and come with a compact travelling case for greater portability.
All-in-all, an excellent value and a good choice for those who don't want to sacrifice quality for the sake of portability. For more details, check out the complete review on BigPictureBigSound.com.
Customer Review: Still my favorite
Summary: 5 Stars
I just purchased my second pair to use with my iPod and Sansa e260. I finally wore out the first after two years of constant, not very careful use.
My first pair of earphones that were not pack in were Eshure ER-2s. Great sound, nice case, wouldn't stay in my ears for love nor money.
When they died, I got a pair of the ER6is in white. Now, I've replaced those with the black, in large part because the black ones have the angled plug. I believe the wire break that signaled the end of the useful life of the white ones occured just above the straight plug. To be fair, they did last about 2 years.
I use the included three flange tips and they are the most comfortable headsets I've ever used. As so many reviewers have pointed out, you MUST insert them deep into your ear or the sound will be, at best mediocore. If you're not comfortable with things stuck in your ear or are not willing to take the extra couple of minutes to seat them properly, these are not the headsets for you.
I ride the subway each way to work. I find isolating headphones essential to my continued sanity. These do the job. They allow me to keep the volume turned down to a safe level and yet still hear the music.
I listen to a wide range of genres from classical, jazz, and folk to rock, metal and house. I've been pleased with the sound quality across the range of music. I have not found them to be lacking in bass response with correct insertion.
Customer Review: Third pair and still loving them!
Summary: 5 Stars
As the title of my review indicates, this is my third pair of ER6i's. The first one my dog chewed the earbuds up - lesson learned, don't leave them in reach of Fido.
My second pair I lost in a move.
I originally purchased a more expensive pair of Etymotics (ER4P) after losing the second pair, and quickly managed to leave them on a flight from Seattle to Chicago. However, I had never been convinced that there was a difference in sound quality that was appreciable enough to warrant almost double the cost of the ER6i's, so I bit the bullet and bought a THIRD pair of ER6i's.
Needless to say, I love these earphones, especially with the amount of air travel I do. Wet the tips of them with a tiny bit of water and slide 'em in, and you have a high degree of noise reduction and perfectly clear sound. The other major benefit is that because they seal completely in the ear, you are able to listen to your music at a much lower volume, which also spares you from eardrum fatigue/abuse.
This is one of my favorite products and I've convinced several others to buy them as well, just keep in mind that they DO require you to stick them all the way in your ear, and while it takes some getting used to that sensation, once you are, you have a great and tiny pair of earphones (and will be the envy of those poor guys who have their huge BOSE noise canceling headsets on - it's already hard enough to sleep on a plane!).