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| Date Reviewed: 11/10/2005 |
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Strengths: 1. VERY good sound isolation
2. Clean and crisp sound, does not sound muffled or drowned out.
3. Bass is very tight. Not snappy like the ipod earphones, and deeper than other earphones.
Weaknesses: This isn't a one time investment. Need to buy filters every year to have good sound. They run about 3 for $15, so in 5 years time it's like buying a new set of er6i's. Not cool.
Summary: I will try to make this review as in depth and concise as possible. some background on me: I am a University student and most of my "tests" were done in the crowded university setting.
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There are many good characteristics with noise cancelling and isolating headphones and Etymotic really raises the bar with their er6i for the $50-150 price range earphones. As a side note, I've read many reviews on multiple sites and they compare the er6i's with Shure e4c's or Super.fi5's. Those are $180-$200+ and i don't find it reasonable to compare $90 headphones with those. I will however compare them to the Shure e3c and Sony Fontopia MDR-NC11 which I have personal experience using.
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The sound quality from these headphones are fantastic. They are "bright" sounding and you will hear details in music(e.g. harmonies) that you wouldn't have noticed with other earphones. The bass also isn't that bad as some claim. Sony nc11's have better bass but the treble sounds muffled and overall can't even compete because the er6i's quality is that good. I think the er6i's also has superior sounding bass than the Shure e3c's because it is tighter. I tried using the er6i, then the shures, then the ipod earphones and the er6i's sound is the richest sounding hands down. When you hear these you know it is money well spent.
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Testing this in the outdoor setting, the noise isolation was unbelievable. While walking through a crowd on the quad I was completely engulfed in music and could not hear those around me, people yelling, or motorcycles on a nearby street. When wearing the Shure's and Sony's earphones I could vaguely hear my surroundings through the music, but the isolation from the er6i's are really amazing. Also there was very little effect from wind. My major gripe with sony was that I could hear the wind whistling by the bass port when I wore their earphones. This also occurs with the Shure e3c's. Etymotic er6i's had the most minimal effect from wind that I've ever heard, and that alone shows the quality of the earphones.
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Another thing that I really am impressed with is that these actually stay in your ear. Etymotic will send you various "pillows" or plugs if requested to personally fit your ear. I prefer the orangish pillow than the white plugs because over time you forget anything is there. For some reason my Shure e3c's fall out when something snags the cord and the Sony's fall out when jogging due to their crap design (excessively heavy chord, plastic on the earphone that adds weight, and the heavy active sound processing unit). The er6i's however do NOT fall out even if the chord is slightly snagged if you have a good fit. They stayed in while joggind and were very comfortable to jog with. When looking at the construction of the earphone, Etymotic did a very good job reducing weight so the earphones don't fall out. I am very impressed when comparing this aspect to the sony's and shure's earphones.
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There are some nuances however that I have noticed. Since the sound isolation is so good, you can hear many things such as your steps. I tried rollerblading with these and that was a mistake. It sounds like an airplane taking off because you can hear the sound through your body. This is a side effect from excellent noise isolation, but is well worth it in my opinion. Depending on the shoes, you can hear your steps through your body as you jog. It's kind of a cool experience at first but can get rather annoying over time.
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Also, as many complained already, the cord is really something Etymotic can improve. Because of the thin chord after you take them out of the case the cord looks "crumpled." Also it snags on things easier such as your backpack, and it really feels like you can rip the cord out of the earphone. Etymotic does supply you with a clip which is a necessity if you are going to jog. I think Etymotic used a thinner cord so you can forget you're wearing these when jogging (cord bouncing) but the trade off in my opinion isn't worth the trade off. Also, a cord straightener like what Apple implemented into their earphones would be very nice to have.
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Along with the cord, the carrying case can use improvement. the only way to really get the earphones into the bag, which is the same width as the 4g ipod, you really need to stuff your earphones in the bag. But, then when you take them out, the cord looks crumpled and many friends complained it looks "messy." When the ipod is about sleekness and coolness, if you wear earphones with a crumpled cord... it just doesn't look right.
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In conclusion on the basis of sound quality and noise isolation alone these are probably the best earphones you can buy for the price range. Etymotic does have some room to improve with the cord and carrying case.
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| Date Reviewed: 01/29/2005 |
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Strengths: Color matches with ipod. Great sound. Noise-isolating.
Weaknesses: In-ear phones can be hard to position properly. Not much bass.
Summary: These earphones provide excellent sound. I can hear each instrument clearly. Great for acoustic music, but might not be that great for pop/rap for those who like bass. It does have more bass than the ER-6 however. The color is also a great match with the ipod. When first using the earphones, the triple flange can be uncomfortable. However, after some time you will not notice them. Positioning with these earphones is very important. You will need to place them deep into your ears to get a good seal for sound-isolation and good sound.
100% of People (14/14) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 12/20/2005 |
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Strengths: Comfortable, allow lower volumes on my iPod, sound is really, really good for the price. Can double as earplugs in a pinch.
Weaknesses: You can't sing along with your music because all the sound is trapped in your head. Its kinda odd.
Summary: I put these in and they were so comfortable that I forgot I was wearing them right away. I know some people say they take getting used to, but I worked in factories that required earplugs for years so they didn't bother me in the least. In fact they work as well or better than some factory earplugs.
I've invested a lot in maintaining my hearing, I even wear earplugs to rock concerts like the geek I am. I love the fact that I can hear them fine in a quiet room when my iPod volume is just barely on. In the car I have to turn it up, but not a whole heck of a lot. I've heard things I never did on music I've had for 10 years with these and I don't feel like I'm damaging my ears. Love 'em!
100% of People (4/4) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 07/31/2005 |
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Strengths: The best isolation of any I've used, great sound quality and bass when positioned right, easy to maintain, forces you to keep those ears clean!
Weaknesses: Forces you to keep those ears clean, don't come in black like their ER6 brother, gotta fit them just right to get the full sound quality and isolation.
Summary: I've been on the hunt for a while for good sounding headphones that isolate well. "Active" noise-canceling cans just don't cut it for me, since they don't block the upper sound ranges and sometimes distort their sound quality while the circuitry is active. These babies, however, deliver both great sound and TRUE isolation across all ranges, as long as they fit right. Think of them as really good earplugs with really good speakers. They go deep in the ear canal for best isolation/sound, but no deeper than standard earplugs that industrial workers wear on the job. At first they can be a little uncomfortable, like earplugs, but you quickly get used to them. If they don't fit properly, Etymotic can provide smaller or larger flanges/tips. All-in-all, definitely worth the money, especially now that they are dropping below the hundred dollar mark.
100% of People (4/4) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/03/2005 |
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Strengths: Great sound from such tiny devices, does great job of sealing out outside noises, very good value for the sound it provides
Weaknesses: Flimsy wires, can hear movement and clothes rubbing when seal formed, have to regularly replace tips, which can get expensive
Summary: Have had these headphones for over a month now. I had to call the manufacturer and have them send me a sample pair of small rubber flanges since the supplied medium sized ones were too large for my ears. Unlike other earphones one typically buys, you have to regularly have to replace the tips since they get dirty with earwax and such. Since they go deep in to the ear canal, you have no choice but to replace them regularly or risk an ear infection. But for the money, they provide excellent sound and very good isolation, even better then those sound canceling contraptions, without any electronic sound circuitry disrpting the musical experience. Overall, very good phones - you just have to get used to sticking them deep into your years and replacing the dirty tips on a regular basis.
100% of People (3/3) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 08/16/2005 |
- ikumar2000
from MO
- Member Since:
Jan 2004
View Member's:
Reviews
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Strengths: sleek look, lightweight, natural music
Weaknesses: low in bass, ear plug not for all, sometimes sharp n shrill
Summary: 2005-08-16 22:23:51 I did a lot of research before buying it. Earlier, I had sony ex71SL. Its a nice one but I wanted to try this out. I luv its color and sleek looks. sound is very natural and amazing. However, its little low in bass even if u push it inside as per suggested. It wont suit everyone's ear. Sometimes, it creates vacuum inside the ear and becomes difficult to pull out. I am still playing with it and I hope I can make it much better after some mod.
recommended with little reservations.
100% of People (3/3) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 05/08/2005 |
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Strengths: Very good noise isolation, Cristal clear sound. Good bass than ER 6
Weaknesses: bad looking wire.
Summary: This is a real good earphone that much better than my original ipod headphone. Superb noise isolation, perfect response with enhanced bass especially designed for ipod. The wire is little bit ugly, especially with clip on it. But you will not care about it if you are serious listener.
100% of People (3/3) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 06/13/2006 |
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Strengths: blocks all ambient noise, compact size, comfortable
Weaknesses: NA
Summary: These ear phones achieve a comparable level of ambient noise reduction to larger head phones, but are compact, stylish and extremely comfortable. I do not have to listen to the volume as high as I used to. They have transformed the way I listen to my iPod! I definitely recommend them- well worth the price.
100% of People (2/2) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/19/2005 |
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Strengths: Blocks the noise on airplanes and crying babies. Good sound quality, does not heat your ears as the Bose does.
Weaknesses: Fragile construction.This is the second pair that I purchased.
Summary: It is a good quality earphones, yesterday I flew from MIA to Sao Paulo, Brazil and I used the phones the entire night. Could sleep 5 hours out of 7:40 minutes. The Bose that they give you on the plane heats your ears and you cannot sleep on the side, with those you can, the cancellation level is better on this one, but the Bose sounds better overall.
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| Date Reviewed: 10/10/2005 |
- liefam
- Member Since:
Aug 2004
View Member's:
Reviews
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Strengths: Superior sound. Competitive price.
Weaknesses: As with all in-ear designs, telegraphs outside sounds through wires. Difficult to achieve a good ear canal seal. Makes bad recordings and cheap equipment sound even worse.
Summary: These headphones really reward a high quality source, but the flip side is that they expose the shortcomings in a bad source. This applies equally to the quality of a lossy digital music file and the quality of the hardware driving the headphones. After a little listening to my music collection, I was able to discern real differences between music ripped at lower bitrates and high-quality compressed or lossless tracks. Since so much of the joy of listening to these headphones (for me, at least) is in the discovery of new sound in old music, I found myself digging out old CDs and re-ripping much of my collection.
As I mentioned above, these headphones are also merciless to bad hardware. I've listened so far through a cheap mp3 player, a pda, an ipod nano, and a receiver with a high quality headphone circuit. I haven't done back-to-back comparisons of the same songs, but I've formed initial general impressions.
--The mp3 player (cheap flash-based) sounds obnoxious through these headphones...The same player is very passable with a pair of sony fontopia earbuds.
--I had mixed results with the PDA (an Ipaq): Lower bit-rate (128k - 192K) tracks were nothing to write home about, While WMA files ripped at around 400-500kb/s started to really exhibit some of the additional detail I heard on the original CD (AAC files -- played through a 3rd party AAC player for Pocket PC -- at 320k sounded similar to the WMA -- uncompressed WAVs and AIFFs were quite good as well).
--When driven by the ipod and receiver, these headphones blew me away. There was an additional level of detail and responsiveness that I can only attibute to the better hardware. This improvment was especially evident in high quality recordings of more complex music.
If you're looking for a good entry-level canal phone, these are a great choice.
91% of People (10/11) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 04/02/2005 |
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Strengths: Awesome sound quality
Blocks out external sounds
Weaknesses: Require repositioning in the ear canals every so often.
Summary: The quality of the audio heard through these headphones is phenomenal! I hear aspects of songs that I've never noticed before. I used these on a recent plane trip and they were very effective in blocking virtually all the noise of a baby wailing away near me. For this purpose, these are far more effective than noise-canceling headphones I've tried before. I'll never board a plane without these headphones and my iPod again.
90% of People (9/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 03/09/2005 |
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Strengths: Decent sound, Great upgrade from iPod's stock earbuds, Bass department is considered to be a lot better than ER-6's
Weaknesses: Earplugs won't 100% fit in every ears'sizes (package ships with 1-size earbuds and foam tips), a bit pricey compared with ER-6 (now below $100), Cord is messy and attached with cheap plastic clipper
Summary: This ER-6i works just great. I couldn't be more happy to listen to my iPod using this earplugs. Highly Recommended!!! for all iPod users (if price is not an issue)
90% of People (9/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 09/11/2005 |
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Strengths: Incredibly accurate and transparent sound. Far superior to anything else in this price range. Massive sound isolation. Very secure seating... they never fall out.
Weaknesses: Putting in and wearing these phones will take a little getting used to. But it's well worth the little learning curve.
Summary: I'm discovering new details and nuances in songs I have been listening to for years. It took me a while to figure out the best way to place them in my ears. But it's well worth it to go through the little learning curve. Now, I wouldn't trade them for anything!
86% of People (6/7) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 01/08/2005 |
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 These earphones are great. You can use them in you ... Strengths: Great quality and great noise reduction. No batteries required.
Weaknesses: Not much difference between the ER-6 and the ER-6i except the ER-6i is more expensive. I would rather buy the ER-6.
Summary: These earphones are great. You can use them in your DVD, CD, MP3 players, and much more. Perfect for your iPods because they are designed to provide higher sound output.
50% of People (8/16) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 12/27/2005 |
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 Disappointingly thin sound Strengths: * Sturdy pouch
* Ultra-compact design
Weaknesses: See below
Summary: I am not an audio equipment aficionado. On the other hand, when I pay close to a hundred dollars for a pair of headphones, I expect them to deliver a reference-quality sound. According to the package label, these headphones are supposed to provide (a) superior sound isolation and (b) “higher sound output and increased bass compared to the original ER-6 earphones.” Well, I can only imagine how bad the ER-6 must be, given the disappointingly thin sound that my Isolator 6i model produces. To test the manufacturer’s claims and verify my findings, I compared these headphones with Sony MDR-EX71, Sennheiser EH-350, and Sennheiser MX300 earbuds. In my humble opinion, the Sony earbuds (sold for about $30) fared as well, if not better, as the Isolator 6i pair in the “ultimate sound isolation test,” which I conducted during the morning rush hour on multiple New York City subway trains. In addition, the bass level of the Isolator 6i headphones was significantly lower than that of all three other headphones I used for comparison. An earlier reviewer has mentioned that adding an amplifier might help. Perhaps, but I would rather not pay hundreds of dollars for all this high-tech micro-gadgetry to achieve an output comparable with that of the $8 Sennheiser MX300 earbuds.
25% of People (2/8) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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