Etymotic ER-6 Isolator (black)

• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 127 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 9 stars

  Phenomenal sound & isolation

  by permionix on April 20, 2005

  Pros: The Sound. Required for airline travel, no wind noise when skiing

  Cons: cords could be shorter.

  Summary: After your first plane trip using these, you will kill before you give them back. During airplane flights i can hear more nuances in songs than i can hear on ...

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  Summary: After your first plane trip using these, you will kill before you give them back. During airplane flights i can hear more nuances in songs than i can hear on my home theater setup!
  
  My first plane trip using them, i remember taking them off finally, when i stood up to ask someone to hand me my jacket in the bin across the aisle, and boy was i shocked by how loud the ambient noise in the plane was (and this was with the engines off & half the plane already gone!)
  
  It's weird the first time you use these, as once you get them inserted, you can't hear yourself talking except as vibrations in your head.
  
  Ah, getting them inserted! I first tried them on(or should i say in) at a computer conference on the exhibit showfloor, and couldn't understand why others were raving about them. After a couple minutes trying to get them in my ear, I wasn't getting any bass, Nada, nothing - And they were in further than anything has a right to be stuck in my ear. The guy said i didn't have them in far enough. Stick your left arm over your head and pull back on your right ear while twisting the right earplug in with your right hand (while rubbing your stomach with your right foot & patting your head with your left). OK now it sounds better - about the same as my $40 Sony earbuds (i had them with me & doing A-B tests on my iPod). The guy asked me if i could still hear him, i said sorta, and he said "they still weren't in far enough - Some people have small, weirdly shaped or convoluted ear canals" Another five minutes of huffing and puffing and suddenly i could only hear him in my left ear. OK time to go to work on REALLY getting the left earpiece in place.
  
  It took about 15-20 minutes to get them fully in the first time, BUT THE SOUND! It doesn't take nearly as long to get them in with practice, but some days are more difficult than others.
  
  You can spend more money to get a custom ear mold made & i'll probably break down and do that.
  
  The guys reviewing thsese that complain of no bass probably didn't have them in far enough. (The instructions should read insert earplugs until they touch one another, then back off 1/4 turn!
  
  Unless you're one of those who can make their car jump up and down by turning up the bass, these headphones have enuf bass, IF INSERTED FAR ENOUGH.
  
  I don't think i would wear these while bicycling as the isolation probably makes them unsafe (can't hear the traffic noise - ie skidding, horns or sirens). I run with them but take extra precaution at intersections and run agains traffic. They're great skiing as there's absolutely no wind noise, but i find myself looking over my shoulder a lot for safety reasons.
  
  I have two iPods a full size one, and one of the new $99 shuffles. Well i went skiing and didn't want the weight of the full sized iPod, so i spent 5 minutes intertwining the headphone cord with the shuffle lanyard. (did i say the headphone cord could be shorter? Five feet! what were they thinking? who's ever five feet away from their player?). Now that it's intertwined, i've barely used my expensive iPod!
  
  Does it make sense i spent more on the headphones than the iPod? Dunno. But i think that anyone who spends more than $150 on a player without buying these is wasting their money on the player! (or at least the 20% they're spending for music they can't hear!)

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  27 out of 28 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  GREAT (use the alternate foam plugs)

  by byrdjr on March 6, 2005

  Pros: clear, wide spectrum of sound. excellent sound isolation.

  Cons: default ear pieces are VERY uncomfortable. bass is sacrificed for clarity and range

  Summary: Tough one to review... so many asterisks. I got these to replace the iPod earbuds. They were OK, but I got tired of replacing them and I got tired of ...

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  Summary: Tough one to review... so many asterisks. I got these to replace the iPod earbuds. They were OK, but I got tired of replacing them and I got tired of seeing every person everywhere with the white earbuds dangling from their ears. Apple has pretty successfully diluted the brand with all the new iPds so I bet the new hotness will be iPods WITHOUT the white chords... just wait. I kid you not.
  
  Anyways, I wanted a pair that cut out the background noise of Manhattan... I read a lot of reviews of these, the Sony in-ear and the SHURE brand (BOSE was out of the question... I tried them and the active canceling stuff just creates a lot of dead noise... and they?re too expensive). I went to J&R to check out the selection of in ear. I brought my iPod so I could test them out with my favorite music.
  
  It took a while. I had a hard time figuring out the most affective way to jam them into my ear. The ER-6?s were uncomfortable and I couldn?t get a decent sound. The SHURE 3c and 4c?s were slightly more comfortable. The Sony?s were so hard to work with I almost gave up... then I tried the Shures again. Once I got them in right, the sound was so nice that I almost got them. Instead, I went back through the options with the same method. The ER-6 won. Less work to get them in and out, and more range of sound.
  
  It sucks that you have to work so hard to get a good sound, but when you do, it?s worth it.
  
  Best part about the ER-6: They?re actually earplugs so they actually BLOCK out everything (funny that they try and make it all fancy by calling it ?sound isolation?). No noise canceling backwash noise.
  
  Worst part about the ER-6: They come with these rubber ear pieces attached. They hurt after a while. If you buy these, take them off and use the foam earpieces (included). They?re the same material as earplugs and mold to the inner ear. (you also get more bass with these).
  
  Recommendation: I was patient enough to figure out how to wear the ER-6. If you are, too, get them. If you aren?t, use the iPod earbuds. No real justification to buy the BOSE... my own Sony studio ear phones are just as good.

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  25 out of 26 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Tried against Bose & Shure

  by on September 4, 2004

  Pros: Sound accuracy and richness! Portability. Price compared to others in same level. Tried against Bose ?QuietComfort2? and Shure E3. Carefully listened to same tracks with all three: from punk and bassy techno, to classical and country. The Bose phones w

  Cons: Not as efficient as Shure units. Of the same MP3 players (RIO portable & IBM notebook) the Shures are louder. This is what made me keep the Shures for a few more weeks. After all, the fussy-but-real deficiencies in sound quality compared to the Etymo

  21 out of 22 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  These things are awesome!

  by JudgmentDay on August 16, 2005

  Pros: Excellent sound, fit, noise isolation, small size and cost

  Cons: Cord is long and tends to be microphonic

  Summary: First off, let me just say that these things are wonderful! They are pefect for any situation, and here's why:
  
  Build Quality:
  These things are very well made. You
  
  
  ...

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  Summary: First off, let me just say that these things are wonderful! They are pefect for any situation, and here's why:
  
  Build Quality:
  These things are very well made. You can tell that etymotic really put a great product out there that will last for a long time to come. These earphones also look great. The only little problem I have run into has been the cord. It is quite long at 5 feet, but it has never gotten in my way. I can see how this would be a problem if you use an in line remote, but again, I haven't experienced any real negatives about this. The only other thing about it is the microphonics. Yes, it does pick up sounds, but is has an included shirt clip to keep this down to a minimum. Simply put, if you use any type of IEM or in ear earphone, you are going to have microphonics, though some will be better than others.
  
  Isolation:
  The isolation on these things are really great, provided you can get a good fit. For me, I had absolutley no trouble fitting these things in my ear. I followed the instructions and instantly I couldn't hear anything! I know that some people have trouble with the fit, so to give you some reference, I use the medium tips on all of the earphones that I have tried. They fit me perfectly and are the most pleasing and comfortable fit that I have tried out of every other earphone product. When it's in my ear, I can't hear anything around me, which is great with my roomate when I am trying to do homework in the dorm or when I am studying at the library; I can finally study in peace!
  
  Size:
  Oh ya, did I mention these things are small? It's perfect for anyone, especially those that don't want earphones sticking out of their ears. When you get a proper fit the entire thing lies in the entire ear, with just the very very little end of it sticking out. Don't worry though, it isn't noticeable at all. People don't even know I'm wearing these things until they notice I'm not responding when they talk to me or they see the wires dangling out of my ears.
  
  Comfort:
  I know I already said how great these things feel, but I'll just mention it one more time. These are AWESOME! I don't even notice them in my ears once I have put them in. For reference, I have owned the Sony MDR-ex71, the ex81lp, shure e4c, ultimate ears super.fi 5 pro, and the etymotic er-6i. These are by far the most comfortable, but again I can see how this depends on your ear size. The earphones next to these in comfort would be the sony line, but again, nothing touches these in terms of comfort.
  
  Sound Quality:
  Now onto the most important thing, the sound quality. These things are AMAZING. I can't believe what I'm hearing out of them. The detail is incredible and the sound is very, very accurate. Just go to the etymotic website and look at the earphone comparison. The only thing that surpasses the accuracy are the er-4's. It even surpasses the er-4p's, although I have heard that they do offer a little more clarity and detail. I listen to these using an unamped mp3 player and everything encoded at 192 - 320 kbps, so don't be afraid of the other reviews saying that you need an amp to use these things, although if you did use one you would even get better results. Next is the bass, which some people have complained of. The reason why is because the people do not get a proper seal. The bass is perfect, very accurate and tight. Not a huge thump like the sony's, but much cleaner and appropriate. If you have used the sony's and are used to the bass, just give yourself some time with these. I promise you will get used to be bass and will be very happy that you did, as the sony's bass is enhanced and over represented, making the rest of the music muddy. Simply put, the entire sound range is represented perfectly. Never bright or shrill, these things are the real deal.
  
  Cost:
  The last thing I am going to talk about is the cost. I got mine from buy.com for $89.99. They have a great 30-day no hassle return policy on these, as well as most of the products in their store. Needless to say, I am not going to send them back, so I won't need to worry about that anyway. But in case you do, they are very helpful with returns. The cost is great with this item, and very cheap compared to many similiar audiophile earphone products. And, the cheapest place I could find the 4p's were around $199, so they are less than half the cost of them. A great bargain, especially considering the low cost for such a high quality product.
  
  In summary, I would like to say you should give these a shot if you are considering them. You will not be sorry as long as you get a good seal. Again, like I said, go to buy.com to try them out if you're not sure. As a quick side not, I didn't bother with the etymotic er-4p because of the price and also the comfort/build. I hated the er-6i's triple flange tips. They were so uncomfortable to me and that's what the e4's use, so I didn't even bother. But, if there is a way to use the 2 flange tips with them then they would be a lot better. Also, the earphones stick out of your ears and are not the best looking things in the world. Anway, if you do decide on these things, give a few days to break in and I promise they will deliver on all fronts. I highly recommend these little earbuds. They do exactly what they are supposed to do at an affordable price. A perfect 10.

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  8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 4 stars

  Grab a sony or shure over these

  by on November 30, 2004

  Pros: Blocks out noise well

  Cons: After trying these for a few weeks, I went back to my Sony MDR-EX71SL ($32 @ pricewatch.com). My sony sounds better (not to mention it has a fit kit so that ears of any size can get quality and it has a useful plastic piece to reduce tangles). Although

  9 out of 13 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Far superior to any OEM earphones

  by onotodamax on September 21, 2005

  Pros: Great highs, good bass

  Cons: Have to figure out how far in the buds go into the ear to achieve comfort and great sound

  Summary: I am using the ER-6s with my laptop and iPod nano, and when it comes to external noise isolation and clarity, these are a significant improvement from the 'phones that ...

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  Summary: I am using the ER-6s with my laptop and iPod nano, and when it comes to external noise isolation and clarity, these are a significant improvement from the 'phones that come with the nano or iPod. Bass response is good, but it is not chest thumping, glass rattling bass from a car or home stereo. Right out of the box I could fit the 'plugs into my ear comfortably; the only question was how far in did they need to go before it either hurt or didn't significantly improve the sound quality. There are 2 flanges on the silicone covers, my ears were comfortable and the sound reduction was very significant at the first flange from the tip.
  I listened to hip-hop, Kansas, Bell Biv Devoe, Mercy Me, the Eagles, classical music, and acoustic, and the way the ER6 responded was to make the music very enjoyable, being able to hear individual instruments with clarity, but within the limitations of a portable music device in less than ideal conditions.
  Let's face it, if I want the total music experience, it's not coming from an iPod while at a Starbucks, at a cafe, or in a mall. I'm sitting at home with the 5.1 system and visualizing where each musician sits or stands. But if I want to be able to tune out extraneous sound and hear music I want to hear in an isolated condition, any time I want, the ER-6 is well worth the money. After wearing the ER-6 and returning back to the iPod earphones, what I thought was a pretty good set of earphones was trashed by the ER-6. "Fidelity under the circumstances" is the key to good earphones with a portable music system and accepting what any set can offer. The ER-6 is a serious upgrade from OEM.

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  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 4 stars

  Quite disappointing

  by rdturner127 on March 30, 2005

  Pros: Noise-isolating qualities are great. Sound is quite clear.

  Cons: They cancel out all the low tones, the base while boosting the high tones.

  Summary: I can't belive this site gave them such a high rating. These earphones are a big disappointment, particularly after all the high praise. They don't capture any of ...

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  Summary: I can't belive this site gave them such a high rating. These earphones are a big disappointment, particularly after all the high praise. They don't capture any of the fine, low tones. The bass response is horrible. The sound is hollow, incomplete. I did better with the headphones that came with my MP3 player. I'm sending them back.

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  13 out of 28 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Great headphones, but the Shure E-3C are better

  by on November 16, 2004

  Pros: I purchased both the Etymotic ER-6 and the Shure E-3Cs. Both have amazing definition for their size and nice tight base, but the Etymotics have the edge.

  Cons: The cord is too thin and transmits vibrations very easily - the Shures have a thicker cord. While you can exercise in the Etymotics, the Shures have a better ergonomic setup with softer (gray) ear buds and a great over the ear cord placement. Some peopl

  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 6 stars

  Good sound isolation, poor sound.

  by on February 18, 2005

  Pros: There's no question that these headphones can isolate sound, better than my over-the-ear noise cancelling headphones. I can sit with the TV on at normal volume and with the music on not notice it (why you ask). Extremely comfortable as well.

  Cons: These headphones will sometimes impress you with their mids and high response, but the bass response is just pathetic, especially for having paid a solid bill for them. I try to enjoy them, but without even average bass response, with the low end eq pushe

  3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  The most amazing sound producing device I ever heard.

  by wolfgang_fener on April 18, 2008

  Pros: Exceptional sound quality.

  Cons: Feels and look somewhat fragile. A bit difficult to properly insert at first.

  Summary: I tested my ER6 with Jazz, Opera, classical orchestral works, heavy metal, techno, and thunderous industrial music on my Iaudio7 after a 12 hours burn-in. I made many comparisons with ...

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  Summary: I tested my ER6 with Jazz, Opera, classical orchestral works, heavy metal, techno, and thunderous industrial music on my Iaudio7 after a 12 hours burn-in. I made many comparisons with my genuine pair of Sony MDR-EX90lp (ordered directly from Sony, not the Chinese copy on eBay).
  
  The ER6 is a highly technical and analytical pair of canal phones. First as the name suggest, you have to completely insert those little bugs inside your ear canal to create a perfect seal. An imperfect seal will remove all the low frequencies and this is why many clueless amateur reviewers write bad reviews about the ER6 having no bass at all. This is completely false. Once properly inserted, you get the most realistic frequency response there is on the market in this price range. Only the ER4s at twice the price gets you a more accurate curve and even better isolation by a small margin. Of course many people are used to cheap earphone with highly exaggerated bass response. Etymotic offer a more popular version with more output power and bass: the ER6i. I prefer the perfect sound reproduction of the ER6.
  
  
  The cons:
  At first, the ER6 are difficult to properly insert. How far you should insert those earphones? Someone on the web put on a review (sorry can't find the link anymore) where he said you should push until both earphones touch each others and then back off a quarter turn . It is really an intrusion. It helps to lick the silicon tips first to provide lubrication and then when inserting the left canal phone, you can pull your ear with your right hand while inserting with your left... With the foam tips, it is easier to properly insert (you don't have to push it so far inside). I think the only drawback for the foam tips is you will have to replace the foam once in a while so you will have to buy replacement foam tips. In my opinion, it is really worth it because the foam tips are more comfortable and easier to insert.
  
  There is also a noticeable level of micro phonics through the wires so if you move around a lot, you will ear the noise of the wires brushing against your clothes. This is normal for earphones with high level of isolation (this and earring the noise of your footstep from the inside, reverberating through your bones, exactly like when you wear earplugs).
  
  It also looks and feels fragile. There's a carry pouch but the quality of built is not on par with the luxurious Sony's EX90.\
  
  The pros:
  Amazing purity and clarity.
  
  It provides an analytical and I would almost say a surgical coldness in its perfection. The high isolation with exterior sounds completely isolates me from the unnerving buzzing noise of fans and air conditioning plaguing my workplace. In between tracks or on a pause, I'm now able to ear the noise floor of my Iaudio7 at work, something I can't do with the Sony EX90 because of the higher noise floor coming through from the environment. My player's noise floor is very low so I can say those ER6 are truly exceptional.
  
  The bass, once the canal phone is properly inserted, which can be a tedious process, is impressive for such tiny speakers. Actually these are not really speakers. It is some kind of "micro drivers". Whatever it is, it works wonder.
  
  One should know Etymotic is first an earring aid company. They also sell outstanding musician/live show earplugs (I got a pair ready for the upcoming Iron Maiden show). These guys have an extensive understanding of the human ear and they have been the first to put a true canal phone on the market. The basic principle is to use the ear itself as a resonant cavity. They also use a special mannequin replicating skull and ears to measure real in ear frequency response.
  
  
  Conclusion:
  
  For me these are laboratory tools. Fragile but extremely precise. It also remains a perfect techno-geek gadget. Wearing Etymotic canal phones is almost a very geeky fashion statement. These are perfectionist tools. ER6 are truly exceptional. You would have to pay in the five digits to get a sound system (and the proper listening room to go with it) to get such a high quality of sound. These earphones will make you ear things you where not aware off before. The sound is quite cold so it is excellent for techno-industrial music ( Front Line Assembly ?Millenium? is nothing less than mind altering through the ER6) but classical music lovers will appreciate the clarity, extreme dynamic and instrument separation even more (exceptional to listen to Richard Strauss symphonies). It will advantageously tone down the overly warm jazz recordings of the vinyl era (Nina Simone could make a stone cry with these earphones).
  
  Even if these are expensive earphones, these remain a great value. I?m now a huge fan of Etymotic. I?m converted and I?m ordering a supply of foam tips right away?

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

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