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As an audio enthusiast myself, I have always appreciated the possibilities of achieving higher sound quality in all applications. Today, I will be having a look at a unique set of earphones called the Etymotic ER 6i Isolator earphones. As the name implies, these earphones isolate unwanted sound and are in the form of small earphones. There are two types of earphones that I'm aware of. The first kind is also known as earbuds, which are the kind which are generally placed in the ear. The other kind are ones that are placed further in the ear just like the ones being reviewed today. It is just like placing those foam tips in your ear if you are at an extremely loud rock concert or event. |
Packaging/Contents
The ER 6i earphones came in a very small and simple package. Everything was contained in a solid plastic container with labels on the front and back. The front identifies the product with a picture of the earphones. The back tells some of the more specific features such as the frequency response. After opening the plastic container, I found a small case and a user guide. Inside the small case, there were the earphones itself, two foam eartips, a filter changing tool, and two filters. I was very glad that Etymotic provided a nice case so that you will be able to carry the earphones and replacement filters wherever you go.
Usability/Performance
At first glance, you'll notice that these earphones are white. This means that these earphones match well for owners of an iPod. In fact, these earphones were specifically designed for the iPod as well as other smaller sized MP3 players.
One side of the wire has the standard connector that you find on almost all MP3 players and devices today. The other side of the wire splits into two earphones. The earphones have a clear plastic base which are clearly labelled indicating the left and right sides. The end of the earphones has a white cone-shaped tip. The "cone" is divided into three different rubber sections to help fit better in the ear.
When inserting the earphones into my ear, they felt a bit awkward in the ear. You immediately become self-conscious about keeping the product clean my keeping your ears clean of ear wax. After a very short while, I got used to the earphones in my ear and I almost forgot I was wearing them.
The sound quality that you experience will depend on how you insert the earphones in your ear. It make take a bit of trial and error to determine how it should fit best in your ear. When listening to music, I first noticed how it lacked some bass and I could hear myself in my head breathing. This was because I did not place the earphones deep enough in my ear. When pushing the earphones further in my ear, I knew that I placed the earphones correctly in my ear. I immediately noticed a great decrease in the ambient sounds around me when in the middle of a shopping mall. In fact, the reduction in noise is very comparable to the very expensive Bose QuietComfort headphones except without the need of extra batteries.
With the earphones properly inserted in the ear, the much quieter ambience noise made the music much more enjoyable. I was surprised at how much detail I could hear in the music for such small earphones. The bass response was much better than I expected for bass heavy songs.
The included foam ear tips are a welcome addition for those that would rather use them instead. I did not find any detraction from sound quality when using the foam ear tips. To help extend the length of the product, the two replacement filters will definitely extend your investment in this product. As mentioned before, a tool is included to replace the replacement filters.
Conclusion
Etymotic's ER 6i earphones gave me fresh new perspective on the sound quality that inner earphones can offer. I was very impressed with the sound reduction and sound quality performance that it had to offer. At the retail price of approximately $150, these earphones offered the sound quality that I had come to expect at the price. The only real drawback of this product is the fact that this product goes deep in the ear, this may not appeal to some people because it does require a little more maintenance in keeping the earphones clean. On the other hand, if you believe that having earphones deep in the ear may seem uncomfortable, this product will make you think otherwise.
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Etymotic ER 6i Isolator Earphones
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