Etymotics: the real deal in headphones

Undertoad · 05-21-2003, 01:32 PM

I've just paid $129 for headphones. How, you ask, can one who thinks he is kinda poor, buy $129 headphones: the Etymotics ER-6.

Well because they're such a great deal compared to the $330 model.

Because they're the holy grail, and I know I won't have to buy any more headphones now: these replace six pairs that just weren't good enough.

Because they're 1000% better than all the phones that come with all the portable players -- listen up iPod userz!

Most headphones sit over your ear or on your ear or nuzzle in your ear, but there is a new class of headphones that go directly in your ear canal and fit snugly, isolating you from the outside world while producing a very accurate sound.

This new class is better, it turns out, than any of the older versions. But they're not easy to sell to the public, because they're kinda weird. You have to push these things into your ear canal and make sure you get a good seal, or the sound isn't right. And people don't expect to buy things they have to insert in their ears this way.

They take a little getting used to. On first listen, I swore up and down I was getting shortchanged on bass. Turns out you're more used to feeling bass than just hearing it. After an hour I realized I was hearing MORE bass than before. You get acclimatized to speakers in general, but in this case it's getting used to accuracy. These things are great!

Also, you can't use these anywhere you actually need to hear things in the real world. You are effectively cut off from everything. For commuters, or workers who want hearing privacy, these things are a revolution.

I got them at headphone.com, where they do a better job of explaining some of this stuff better than I can.

05-21-2003, 01:53 PM

You have to post a link, Tony, or you'll never sell me on it.

Undertoad · 05-21-2003, 02:08 PM

Etymotic Research

headphone.com

juju · 05-21-2003, 04:10 PM

Wow, that's really cool. Still, it seems like a lot of money for something so small. I'd probably either lose them or break them. But I guess you have to pay the big bucks if you want top-of-the line merchandise.

Did you just buy these off the web, or did you have a chance to listen to them in a store somewhere first?

Undertoad · 05-21-2003, 04:17 PM

I bought them from the web. I don't think you can try them out; I don't them people would like them if they tried them. You have to be convinced to stick this thing down your ear, adjust it, try the two different plug types to see which is better, and take an hour to get used to it all.

Which is why it's pretty much a cult of buyers at this point. I was convinced after reading all the raves in various online forums.

vsp · 05-21-2003, 05:30 PM

I'd swear that the local FYE had some kind of ear-canal headphones on the rack when I looked last night, though I wasn't looking closely at the time (and whatever FYE sells is generally bargain-basement quality).

If your ear canals are sealed off, what happens when your dog bumps the volume knob and your music gets cranked way up? Do your eardrums fly out your nose 173% more efficiently?

warch · 05-21-2003, 05:42 PM

My Mr. has the musicians filtering earplugs to help battle his raging tinnitus. And they have really helped. He needs new ones cause with, wear and tear, the filter piece keeps popping out. They are pricey but worth it.

smoothmoniker · 05-22-2003, 03:23 AM

UT, these sound a lot like the in-ear monitors that we tour with. Completely blocks the 120 decibal front of house fiasco, gives you a tight little mix in your own head. The earpiece is made from an actual plaster mold of your own ear, so the isolation is unreal.

At $130, they would be a steal. Ours run at about a thousand a pair, plus a hundred bucks every 6 months to get a new mold of your ear made.

... still in finals, back in a few days

-ml

Undertoad · 05-22-2003, 09:29 AM

v, it woud be a hazard to turn up these things, but only because you can't rip them off your head immediately. You can grab 'em by the cord and yank them out of your ear hole, but I woudn't.

These are about the least-sensitive headphones I've ever bought, so everything I've plugged them into can put out full volume without causing me any personal damage. The headphone.com people suggest that one buy their little mini-amp to create more headroom and even more accurate sound. I think I will, just to see what it's like.

They say the standard Etys provide 20-25db of isolation so I should think these would make for "ok" stage monitors. I can't imagine how hard it must be to get a good mix for isolated in-ear monitoring. If you have to sing do you get a louder vocal channel for your ears?

russotto · 05-22-2003, 01:15 PM

Seems to me like you are getting short-changed on bass (doesn't really matter why) but you've convinced yourself you aren't because the headphones cost so much.

Undertoad · 05-22-2003, 01:59 PM

I don't take these things lightly man! After acclimatizing, I tried different sources with different equalization settings (in Winamp) and found that adding more bass made things sound unnatural.

And I only bought these after being generally unhappy with $99 Sennheisers - not for the sound as much as the lack of comfort.

The Etys have no bass at all if not fitted into your ear canal right, so I was also a little confused by my first listen.

05-21-2003, 01:32 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Etymotics: the real deal in headphones I've just paid $129 for headphones. How, you ask, can one who thinks he is kinda poor, buy $129 headphones: the Etymotics ER-6. Well because they're such a great deal compared to the $330 model. Because they're the holy grail, and I know I won't have to buy any more headphones now: these replace six pairs that just weren't good enough. Because they're 1000% better than all the phones that come with all the portable players -- listen up iPod userz! Most headphones sit over your ear or on your ear or nuzzle in your ear, but there is a new class of headphones that go directly in your ear canal and fit snugly, isolating you from the outside world while producing a very accurate sound. This new class is better, it turns out, than any of the older versions. But they're not easy to sell to the public, because they're kinda weird. You have to push these things into your ear canal and make sure you get a good seal, or the sound isn't right. And people don't expect to buy things they have to insert in their ears this way. They take a little getting used to. On first listen, I swore up and down I was getting shortchanged on bass. Turns out you're more used to feeling bass than just hearing it. After an hour I realized I was hearing MORE bass than before. You get acclimatized to speakers in general, but in this case it's getting used to accuracy. These things are great! Also, you can't use these anywhere you actually need to hear things in the real world. You are effectively cut off from everything. For commuters, or workers who want hearing privacy, these things are a revolution. I got them at headphone.com, where they do a better job of explaining some of this stuff better than I can.

05-21-2003, 01:53 PM	#2
dave Guest Posts: n/a	You have to post a link, Tony, or you'll never sell me on it.

05-21-2003, 02:08 PM	#3
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Etymotic Research headphone.com

05-21-2003, 04:10 PM	#4
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	Wow, that's really cool. Still, it seems like a lot of money for something so small. I'd probably either lose them or break them. But I guess you have to pay the big bucks if you want top-of-the line merchandise. Did you just buy these off the web, or did you have a chance to listen to them in a store somewhere first?

05-21-2003, 04:17 PM	#5
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	I bought them from the web. I don't think you can try them out; I don't them people would like them if they tried them. You have to be convinced to stick this thing down your ear, adjust it, try the two different plug types to see which is better, and take an hour to get used to it all. Which is why it's pretty much a cult of buyers at this point. I was convinced after reading all the raves in various online forums.

05-21-2003, 05:30 PM	#6
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	I'd swear that the local FYE had some kind of ear-canal headphones on the rack when I looked last night, though I wasn't looking closely at the time (and whatever FYE sells is generally bargain-basement quality). If your ear canals are sealed off, what happens when your dog bumps the volume knob and your music gets cranked way up? Do your eardrums fly out your nose 173% more efficiently?

05-21-2003, 05:42 PM	#7
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	My Mr. has the musicians filtering earplugs to help battle his raging tinnitus. And they have really helped. He needs new ones cause with, wear and tear, the filter piece keeps popping out. They are pricey but worth it.

05-22-2003, 03:23 AM	#8
smoothmoniker to live and die in LA Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 2,090	UT, these sound a lot like the in-ear monitors that we tour with. Completely blocks the 120 decibal front of house fiasco, gives you a tight little mix in your own head. The earpiece is made from an actual plaster mold of your own ear, so the isolation is unreal. At $130, they would be a steal. Ours run at about a thousand a pair, plus a hundred bucks every 6 months to get a new mold of your ear made. ... still in finals, back in a few days -ml

05-22-2003, 09:29 AM	#9
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	v, it woud be a hazard to turn up these things, but only because you can't rip them off your head immediately. You can grab 'em by the cord and yank them out of your ear hole, but I woudn't. These are about the least-sensitive headphones I've ever bought, so everything I've plugged them into can put out full volume without causing me any personal damage. The headphone.com people suggest that one buy their little mini-amp to create more headroom and even more accurate sound. I think I will, just to see what it's like. They say the standard Etys provide 20-25db of isolation so I should think these would make for "ok" stage monitors. I can't imagine how hard it must be to get a good mix for isolated in-ear monitoring. If you have to sing do you get a louder vocal channel for your ears?

05-22-2003, 01:15 PM	#10
russotto Professor Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,788	Seems to me like you are getting short-changed on bass (doesn't really matter why) but you've convinced yourself you aren't because the headphones cost so much.

05-22-2003, 01:59 PM	#11
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	I don't take these things lightly man! After acclimatizing, I tried different sources with different equalization settings (in Winamp) and found that adding more bass made things sound unnatural. And I only bought these after being generally unhappy with $99 Sennheisers - not for the sound as much as the lack of comfort. The Etys have no bass at all if not fitted into your ear canal right, so I was also a little confused by my first listen.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)