Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones (White)

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Product Details

Data Sheet [384kb PDF]

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Product Manual [327kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 10 x 1 x 6 inches ; 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002ZW5W4
• Item model number: ER6I
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (378 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank

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  #16 in	Electronics > Computers & Accessories > Computer Accessories > Headsets & Microphones
  #42 in	Electronics > Accessories & Supplies > Headphones > Earbud Headphones

• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 2, 2006

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.


Product Description
The 6i isolator earphones are designed specifically for use with the Apple iPod and other small portable players, offering 8 dB higher overall sensitivity and slightly more bass than the ER-6 isolator earphones.The ER-6i Isolator earphone system includes:5' cord with 3.5 mm stereo phone plug;1 pair white 3-flange eartips;1 pair foam eartips;2 replacement filters;Filter changing tool;Shirt clip;Pouch.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

553 of 564 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)

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.

174 of 197 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good clarity, light bass, December 18, 2004

By	herry "herry" - See all my reviews

I normally use Koss PortaPros for travel, and Sennheiser HD580 at home. I bought the ER6i primarily for its noise isolation and sound quality. Koss PortaPros are great but they're not very useful in loud environments like trains and airplanes.

The ER6i's have really good sound clarity all across the frequency range. With a range of 20hz - 16 khz, I was expecting muddled highs. Not at all. Instead though, I found the bass somewhat lacking. While Etymotic claims that the 6i version has an 8db bass improvement over the original ER6, I can't imagine what the original ER6 sounds like, because at low volume levels, the bass is virtually non-existent! At moderate listening levels, you can hear the bass but it's light and a little less than I'm used to (more like 60hz at the lowend instead of 20hz according to the specs). The manual says to insert the plug even deeper into your ear for greater bass response, but I doubt this will do much good.

I also don't like in-the-ear plugs so I was expecting some period of comfort adjustment, but I was surprised to find that these earphones are very comfortable (using the foam tips). But despite the comfort, I don't think these are good for long periods of use because the seal prevents air from going into your ear canal and after a while your ear feels somewhat clamy.

In a nutshell, if you're a bass head, then you'll be severely disappointed. I found the bass lacking, but the sound clarity and good isolation makes up for it. The price is more expensive than its worth, but decide for yourself.

*** UPDATE ***

Using a supermacro amp with opa134 opamps *signficantly* changes the sound of the ER-6i. Before, they sounded bright and shrill (even brighter than Grados!) and at low volume sounds very tiny. Using the amp, the bass is *perfect* and the highs are significantly warmer and the shrill-ness is completely gone. They sound much like the Sennheiser HD580.

By the way, these earphones do not have a flat frequency response (just look at the graph from etymotic research) so they do not sound the way the studio/artist intended to be. If you think Grados are too bright, then this is not the earphone for you.

Also, if you use the foam earplugs you will need to replace them about once a month, because after a while they lose their elasticity and fall out easily. They are not cheap!

36 of 37 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 (REAL NAME)

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