Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones (White)

by Etymotic Research

Product Details

Data Sheet [384kb PDF]

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Product Manual [327kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 5.3 x 1.4 inches ; 3.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002ZW5W4
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: ER6I
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (974 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Etymotic Research ER-6i Isolator is a compact, earbud-style set of earphones that are ideal for travel and personal listening. If you've ever been a skeptic of earbud sound quality, the ER-6i will shatter the headphone myth that bigger is better.

The ER-6i features a noise isolation of 34-36 dB that far surpasses that of active noise-canceling earphones. This makes the ER-6i a perfect choice for travelers, because these earphones will actively cancel the white noise caused by traffic, trains, or airplanes. These tiny earbuds are perfect for CD, DVD, and MP3 players, as well as laptop computers. Plus, the ER-6i is designed to plug directly into most airline audio systems, so you'll never have to pay for those cheap, airline headphones again.

ER-6 series earphones come with everything you need for a perfect audio experience

The quality of these earphones is outstanding. They deliver such rich sound quality that even the most finicky audiophile will be impressed. The ER-6i earphones have a flat, real-ear response for reproducing CD and MP3 recordings. The sound accuracy is comparable to professional earphones, and provides surprising performance considering that the ER-6i is so compact and weighs less than an ounce.

Etymotic Research delivers outstanding comfort with the ER-6i. The flanged eartips fit snugly into most ear canals, but Etymotic goes one step further by providing disposable foam eartips. The foam eartips provide extra comfort and may offer a better seal in the ear canal. The ER-6i is designed to deliver excellent sound reproduction and big, rich bass tones. A good seal in your ear canal will ensure that you hear every detail of your favorite tunes. The ER-6i flanged eartips are easy to remove and should be cleaned regularly for the best listening experience. Etymotic Research provides you with the tools you need to keep your ER-6i clean and working properly.

The ER-6i earphones have 8 dB higher sound output and increased bass compared to the ER-6 for a slightly "beefier" response

Etymotic Design Means 100% Sonic Accuracy

A perfect recording of a live performance played through earphones with 100% accuracy would produce the same sound at the eardrum as a live performance. A complicating factor is that the acoustic resonance and "horn effects" of the ear can distort a flat signal entering the open ear from a headphone. A perfect earphone will create that same frequency characteristic (called the "target curve") at the eardrum.

Target curves on Etymotic Research graphs indicate 100% accuracy. Commercial recordings often have a high-frequency boost that compensates for the high frequency roll-off in studio monitor loudspeakers and high-quality stereo loudspeakers and earphones. The ER-6i earphones compensate for the high frequency boost added to high-quality recordings. This modification (approximately 5 dB at 10 kHz) is necessary to avoid earphones sounding too bright on commercial recordings. In addition, the ER-6i adds 8dB sound output and increased bass for a slightly "beefier" response for those who like strong bass but still want 100% accuracy on the high end.

Other in-the-ear earphone manufacturers do not report accuracy scores, but Etymotic Research has tested all competitive products. The accuracy scores of Etymotic Research earphones are higher than those of most loudspeakers, and well above all competitive earphones, except electrostatic headphones that cost thousands of dollars.

What's in the Box

ER-6i earphones, cord with stereo plug, one pair two-flange eartips, one pair foam eartips, two replacement filters, filter changing tool, shirt clip, and pouch.

Which Etymotic Earphone is Right for You?

	MC-5	ER-6i	HF-5	ER-4, ER-4PT
Design	Best in Class under $100	Best in Class under $100	Best in Class under $200	World leader in reference response accuracy
ACCU Technology	Neodymium moving coil driver with ACCU-Chamber Technology	High-performance balanced armature ACCU-Driver	High-performance balanced armature ACCU-Driver	Custom-tuned, balanced armature ACCU-Driver
Style	Polished aluminum finish in 4 chromatic colors: Black, Red, Blue, and Green	Available in White or Black	3 Soft-Touch colors: Black, Ruby, Cobalt	In-ear monitor of choice of musicians, monitor engineers and technicians
Accuracy Score	85%	81%	85%	86%

Product Description

Etymotic Research ER6I-B Isolator Earphone ER6I-B Headphones & Earphones

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

795 of 811 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Isolation Therapy, June 28, 2005

By 

Nathaniel C. Moffat "Nat" (Bethesda, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones (White) (Electronics)

The white wires suggest Etymotic Research wants a bigger piece of the iPod upgrade market. But rather than simply giving the black-wired ER-6 a cosmetic makeover, they designed the ER-6i from the ground up to work around portables' puny output. Thus, they offer higher sensitivity (more sound for a given volume setting) and boosted bass response.

But despite their light weight and sporty appearance, these phones are optimized for home listening, commuting, and plane trips; applications where sound isolation is a benefit, not a hazard. Compare them, therefore, to active noise-canceling headphones, not conventional earbuds.

FIT & COMFORT
Because these phones go in your ear canal and require an airtight seal, proper fit is essential. Without it, you will get no bass at all. None. I prefer the disposable foam ear tips to the 3-flange ones (both kinds are included). Your results may vary.

Here's the trick: After you compress the foam and insert them in your ears, it takes several seconds for the foam to expand. Focus on available background noise. When the sound drops suddenly over a second or two, you know a seal has been formed. Conversely, with music playing, you should notice the sound suddenly fill out, first in one ear and then the next.

The foam ear tips may feel uncomfortable for 2-3 minutes, but you quickly get used to them. This naturally depends on ear geometry and other factors, but be aware that you wouldn't buy these phones on comfort alone.

SOUND DAMPING
Properly inserted, the foam ear tips provide 34-36 dB noise reduction (the triple flanged ear tips are a few decibels less effective). To put this in perspective, this is even better than the 29-31 dB NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) provided by better-quality shooting ear muffs. They also quiet more than active noise canceling headphones (which feature feedback circuitry that noticeably degrades the sound).

With this level of damping, you may be aware that a TV is on in the same room, but just barely. You will also save your hearing because you won't feel the need to turn up the volume to drown out environmental noise.

The downside of this isolation is that you will miss doorbells, telephones, etc. Common sense argues strongly against using these jogging, bicycling, or even walking around city streets. You're giving up a sense entirely. The "look out, you idiot" you don't hear could be the "look out, you idiot" you absolutely, positively needed to hear.

SOUND QUALITY
Putting these phones through their paces with music I'm familiar with, the first thing that stood out was their neutral-to-bright balance. These are slightly more "forward" sounding than the more "laid back" or "polite" German headphones you might think of.

The second thing I noticed was that they get the midrange right. Without the response peaks, valleys or ripples that so often mar the critical 1,000 Hz. region, you will hear singers sound more "present" than with the vast majority of headphones (and most audiophile speakers for that matter).

If you are a bass junkie, you will find the bass lean. This is difficult to say, but it's not the headphones. It's you. You are addicted to heavy one-note bass (it's an epidemic - note how rental cars always have the bass at +10). Go cold turkey and listen with these for a week, however, and you will discover that there are actually, ahem, different bass notes.

As for treble, there are conventional open headphones (usually more expensive) with more "air" at the top end, but the ER-6i's treble extension is as good as sound-isolating headphones go - certainly better than the Bose. There's a minor response notch at 7 kHz, but nothing I really noticed.

BTW, don't be alarmed by their funny-looking frequency response curve. Remember, because they're in your ear, they are voiced to compensate for the missing frequency shaping ordinarily provided by your outer ear.

The sound damping has another beneficial effect: You will hear things in familiar recordings you have never heard before, even with high quality open headphones. Not just fingers over guitar strings, but sounds way, way down in the mix.

DESIGN & BUILD
These fingernail-sized phones are white with transparent side panels that reveal wires and the metal flanks of their balanced armature transducers. There is a small port topside, presumably for audio tuning, but perhaps also to reduce negative pressure caused by yanking the phones out (not a good idea - always remove them slowly). The front-facing side has the model number with a red dot separating the ER and 6i. The backs feature an oversized L and R, just like your first pair of sneakers.

The wires are lightweight, which is a more important factor on canal phones than with ear buds that allow the outer ear to bear the weight. The cord is a bit longer than some joggers might like, but then again, you shouldn't be using these jogging. The 1/8" headphone jack termination is gold-plated for long-term corrosion-resistance.

The removable shirt clip (included) should be used when practicable to avoid the sudden pressure on your eardrums that might result from yanking them out.

CONCLUSION
The ER-6i offers exceptionally involving, neutral sound for the money, with accurate bass and a commendably smooth midrange. I am also not aware of any headphones that provide better isolation from environmental noise. Recommended.

161 of 162 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for the Gym, February 14, 2007

By 

Ross A. Seymour "rseymour10" (La Crosse, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones (Black) (Electronics)

After trying many portable headphones for the last ten years, I've finally settled two: the Sennheiser PX100 (with the Koss Porta Pro a close runner up) and these Etymotic phones. The Sennheiser's are great for where you need a little sound to infiltrate the headphones, such as bike riding (not something I'd recomend to inexperienced bicyclists). But at the gym, where the machines are noisy, the spin cyclist class plays god-awful music at top volume and people talk (more on that later), these are the best. With the Sennheiser I had to turn the volume up so high that the batteries were quickly drained, not to mention the damage to my already fragile hearing.

A few pointers. I almost returned them after the first listen. But then I remembered that headphones need to be "broken in" by playing them for awhile. I hooked them up to my stereo and played CD's all night. Big difference the next day. Also, try the different ear plugs. The plastic ones were absolutely horrible for my ears. The grey foam pads worked better. On the Etymotic website they have white ones that are smaller than the grey ones. These worked best for me (narrow ear canals I guess). Order extra filters. I had one plug up on me fairly quickly. Finally, don't wear these where you need to speak with people. You can't hear people talk with these in your ears and music playing. You can barely hear people with the music off. Pulling them in and out is a pain (and people probably don't want to see your ear wax).

Oh, almost forgot. The sound. Great. With no outside noise, the sound comes through wonderfully. They may lack a bit on the bass, but compared to regular headphones at the gym, the improvement is astounding.

Addendum: I originally wrote the review above two years ago. Still using the earphones three times a week. The rubbery coating on the outside has come off, but they still work just fine. The foam plugs get smooshed down and covered with earwax after a few weeks. Just takes the plugs off and put them in a covered jar with hot water, shake around for a minute, then take out and dry. The ear wax should be gone and they'll plump up. Don't use too hot of water or the glue that holds the plastic tube to the foam may dissolve over time. Finally, the noise from the cords rubbing against your shirt can be annoying during quieter music and more energetic work out. This can be avoided by wrapping the cords around the back of your ears. Enjoy!

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mabe not for everyone...but an audiophile's dream., December 25, 2004

By 

Fred Story (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones (White) (Electronics)

A previous reviewer noted the lack of bass response in the ER-6i's, and he's probably right that if you're someone who cranks the bass on your home stereo you're likely to be disappointed in these phones.

If like me, however, you like a clean, flat frequency response - you will LOVE the ER-6i's. I'm a composer and recording studio owner and I work all day in front of industry standard studio monitor speakers. In recording sessions I use the best professional headphones. So my standards are pretty high, even when listening to compressed MP3's and AAC's on my iPod. I WAS using the Sony Fontopias, and liked them pretty well, even though the bass was too exaggerated for my taste. (If you're an aforementioned bass lover, you'll probably prefer the Sony's.) I just received a pair of the ER-6i's for a Christmas present, and I am in earbud heaven. To me, the bass response is clean and natural (despite Etymotic's accentuation of the low frequencies vs. the ER-6's.) More importantly, the mids and highs are clean and un-hyped. When it comes to music I've composed, arranged and produced - I KNOW what it's supposed to sound like. For in-ear phones, these reflect my mixes better than anything I've heard so far.

I like ER-6i's SO much, in fact, I suspect I'll even use them for work when I want to shut out the outside world and have nothing but the music inside my head.

Bravo, Etymotic! I may even start saving up for a pair of those ER-4's!

Fred Story
Charlotte, North Carolina

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