Etymotic Research etyBLU Dual-Mode Noise-Isolating Bluetooth Headset

by Etymotic Research

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0012Q3OFO
• Item model number: etyBLU
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,512 in Cell Phones & Accessories (See Top 100 in Cell Phones & Accessories)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

From the Manufacturer The etyBlu headset provides unparalleled call and voice quality for cell phone users. Itcontains two microphones. One is located internally at the end of the earpiece; the other, a noise-canceling mic, is located in the BLUmaxx™ boom. The combination of an in-ear noise- isolating earphone and a boom mic provides exceptional sound quality and clear communication at both ends of the conversation. The etyBLU headset was developed by Etymotic Research for use in high levels of background noise.

Earphone response is measured on a KEMAR® mannequin with the same acoustic properties as the average head and ear.

The etyBLU headset features three different earpeices for a comfortable fit

The etyBLU headset features a quick-connect boom microphone that can be attached or detached within seconds for added noise-cancelling and voice and call clarity.

Internal and BLUmaxx external mic modes
The earpiece is designed to be self-supporting in the ear canal, and features both an internal mic mode as well as the BLUmaxx mic mode. The BLUmaxx Mic Mode provides exceptional clarity in noisy environments giving up to 25 dB more noise cancellation of the talkers voice compared to the internal mic.

The etyBLU headset complies with the Bluetooth 2.1+EDR specification and implements the HSP profile 1.1, HFP profile 1.5 protocols. Featuring a long battery life of up to 7 hours of talk time and 100 hours of standby, the etyBLU also sports easy shortcuts built in the for following features: redial, voice dialing, call transfer, call waiting, and 3-way calling (features dependent on phone service plan).

How Etymotic Research Measures Response Accuracy
The accuracy score is perhaps the single most important tool for earphone design. A perfect recording of a live performance played through earphones with 100% accuracy would produce the same sound at the eardrum as the live performance. A complicating factor is that the acoustic resonance and horn effects of the ear change a flat signal entering the open ear to an eardrum signal with the approximate frequency characteristic of the target curve. A perfect earphone will create that same frequency characteristic at the eardrum.

Target Curve
Target curves on Etymotic Research graphs indicate 100% accuracy: The open ear diffuse-field response of the KEMAR® manikin modified to 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. Commercial recordings have a high-frequency boost that compensates for the high frequency roll-off in studio monitor loudspeakers and high-quality stereo loudspeakers and earphones.

Earphone response is measured on a KEMAR® manikin that has the same acoustic properties as the average head and ear. 25-band accuracy scores are calculated by summing the difference between the earphone response and the target response in each 1.3 -octave band from 50 Hz to 12.5 kHz.

In the 1970s, Consumers Union used an "Accuracy Score" to rate loudspeakers. Consumer Reports reported that it was possible to predict listeners' loudspeaker ratings within 8% from a calculation based on one-third-octave frequency response measurements converted to loudness in sones. The average error in loudness from a perfect system, subtracted from 100%, gives the accuracy score. Etymotic Research extended this 21-band calculation to a 25-band calculation and routinely uses the 25-band accuracy score in all earphone designs.

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
The etyBLU headset comes with the following items in the box: dual-mode noise-isolating headset, BLUmaxx Quick-Connect Mic, earloop, assorted eartips, windscreen, filter changing tool with replacement filter, storage case, USB charging cable.

Product Description

The etyBlu headset contains two microphones. One is located internally at the end of the earpiece; the other, a noise-canceling mic, is located in the BLUmaxx™ boom. The combination of an in-ear noise-isolating earphone and a boom mic provides exceptional sound quality and clear communication at both ends of the conversation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding bluetooth headset, May 10, 2008

By 

S. Crawford (Aurora, Il United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Etymotic Research etyBLU Dual-Mode Noise-Isolating Bluetooth Headset (Wireless Phone Accessory)

I have been trying unsuccessfully to find a bluetooth head set that worked well for 3 years. My problem during this time is that most of my phone calls are long i.e. 10-20 minutes and some longer. I have found a few headsets including three Plantronics units that work great but either drop the call or the connection with the phone after being on a call for over 5-10 minutes. To date, I have tried 7 headsets from three manufacturers with no success. None of them will last longer than 20 continuous minutes and most don't sound very good.

I saw the etyBLU unit was coming out and was eager to try it since I love my ER4p's that I have owned for 5 years now. They were finally available and I purchased one hoping that someone got it right. Boy, did Etymotic get this right. This headset is GREAT! My second call using them lasted 40 minutes and the headset worked just fine. Also, I used the extended boom with the noise canceling and the other conference call participants thought I sounded much better than when I used my other headsets. I was also driving at the time which I usually wasn't when I used the other headsets. My hats off to the engineers at Etymotic for this headset.

I have tried the unit with and without the boom and found that it works best with the boom. I also had to swap out the blue ear flange for the larger grey since it fit my ear better. I haven't needed to use ear hook so I obviously have no experience to relate. Battery life is good to great. I have been able to be on several calls lasting over 2 hours without the battery giving out. This is not something I could say about the Motorola or the Plantronics devices. All of the units state that they have many hours of talk time but usually it translates to 2-3 hours at best. The Plantronics was the weakest at under 2 hours. I haven't run the Etymotic until its battery is dead so I can't provide total talk time but it is at least 3 hours.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally a Bluetooth earpiece for convertible owners!, July 11, 2008

By 

N. Caruso "gibsonjunkie" (Bloomfield, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Etymotic Research etyBLU Dual-Mode Noise-Isolating Bluetooth Headset (Wireless Phone Accessory)

I love driving ragtops - the wind in your hair, the sun on your face - but if you use a cell phone and need a headset - you are pretty much out of luck. I got a great response out of the Shure Quietspot earpiece - but it was wired and had no control button on the earpiece itself - all calls had to be generated through the phone. It was a decent compromise. I tried a variety of Bluetooth earpieces but they either were too quiet on my end to hear through the wind noise, or the person on the other end of the call couldn't hear me. The Etyblu fixed that! The boom mic is clear as a bell and people don't realize I'm calling from a convertible. The sound quality on my end is great. I did have some problems getting it to fit right. Frankly I had to use the soft rubber insert with the earclip to get it to stay in right - the flanged in-ear adapters just didn't cut it for me. However, it is easy enough to put on and it is worth the extra second to use it. There is occasionally a slight bit of static noise, but not much. Battery life seems really good so far. I am really pleased with this device! If it wasn't for the fit issues I'd give it a solid "5" but it's really better than a Four in my book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not great., July 9, 2009

By 

Tomas Rodriguez (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Etymotic Research etyBLU Dual-Mode Noise-Isolating Bluetooth Headset (Wireless Phone Accessory)

My primary goal in getting this headset was to find a convertible-friendly headset which I could hear clearly and talk on with reasonable clarity. The etyBLU, as an isolating, in-ear headset with a variety of flanged and foamed ear-pieces, worked beautifully for hearing, and using the boom mic with the wind-screen foam allowed callers to hear me, even when driving my rumbly-mufflered Miata with the roof down.

But it's not all perfect. The device is horribly expensive, the in-ear flange makes it a very large and odd shape (the ear-hook makes it even more huge and awkward), there is no noise cancellation without the boom mic, there is no wind negation without that rather bulky foam mic-guard, the Bluetooth range is a pathetic 4 feet, and the charging interface uses the same interface as the boom mic. It's very hard to transport it, unless you have a multitude of pockets or a purse/satchel of some kind, due to the shape, and the foam mic-guard constantly pops right off. Alas, due to the odd shape, I lost the device after only a month of use. I will not be purchasing another.