[ After over 3 weeks, I'm in love with these phones. I've gotten used to wearing them, I forget they are there. I'm now sensitized to the nuances of its quality, I can clearly hear the effects of lesser quality phones quickly. I now value them so highly, I treat them like glass, so its been very durable]
I am in the market for alternatives to my current no name brand Diva MP3 player earbuds used for travel, and another for audiophile use at home. In my prior review of these cheap earbuds, I was surprised by how good they sound, and my attempts to find a substitute for it in the low cost price range [$20-30] has been unsuccessful. So, I've decided to give the audiophile market a look.
The ER-6i was my first test of the Etymotic line as I found coupons at Buy.com to give me a final cost of $77, s/h included.
I opted to try these in-ear potentially uncomfortable phones because of many good reviews across Etymotics product line.
I was not disappointed and they are a tad uncomfortable.
I listen to classical music mostly, and for this test gauged quality against my old Beyerdynamic DT880 headphone, a $25 travel headphone SONY MDR-31, and some no-name brand Diva MP3 player earbud phones that sound marvelous!
http://www.epinions.com/content_166744985220
iPod Version for non-Poddies
The ER-6i’s 16 ohm impedance matches most MP3 players so it produces a more ideal transfer of musical energy. However, the less costly ER-6 is a fine phone, based on many reviews, such as the many at epinions.com. The more homogenous praise for the 6i maybe initially because there are fewer reviews of the 6i than of the 6. I chose the 6i only because I got a great deal on it, and I do not use an iPod.
http://etymotic.com/ephp/er6i-ts.aspx
The sensitivity of the 6i allows it to deliver music ideal for low powered devices compare to the 6.
In Etymotics write up, the slight coloration of the 6i is 'less faithful' to the original signal and is suggestively less desirable, yet it costs more retail! The boost coloration of phones is not necessary a minus, particularly in real world conditions with ambient noise as an issue. It’s easier to lower than boost volume while remaining faithful to music reproduction.
http://etymotic.com/ephp/epcomp.aspx
Cord Length
Much is lamented about too much cord length. For flexible routing options, longer cords are best. Wearing just a shirt, I find an ideal way to route cords are: from your player, up front from either left or right sides, then BEHIND the neck, cross over to the FRONT toward each ear while dropping a short length of cord as a loop on the opposite chest, and the excess cord length down one’s back. The advantages are: it keeps the cord flatter against your chest and avoids snags with arm movements, -- you can adjust for length by putting excess cord down your back; as you rotate your head the loop around your neck buffers movements against pulling. When a jacket is worn atop the shirt or sitting on a chair, all one need do is tug and add more chest loop as the cord down the back is held tight by the jacket or chair.
Comfort
The in-ear silicone eartip takes some getting used too. As Etymotics heritage is hearing aids, I presume they know how to manufacture items for extended in-ear wear periods. If you survive the break in period, you could wear the phones for many hours. However, each time I removed and replaced the phone, there was a period of readjustment. Sometimes moving your jaw can be annoying. User has to find the right depth to insert the phones or use included foam plugs.
The foam plugs can be molded then inserted into the ear, it later expands a touch to create a seal.
Both plugs work as designed, your choice is purely preferential and comfort. I ended up using the enclosed silicon plugs.
Sonic Quality
Against the Diva el-cheapo phones, a Sony MDR-31 or the audiophile DT880, the 6i excels on the ends of the spectrum: compared to first two phones, it had the cleanest bass and treble, free of coloration. Its performance was so startlingly clear and it easily pulled away from all but the DT880. Without a chamber to resonate against, there isn’t a trace of boominess. Boominess tends to fatigue my listening after 3-4 hours, not so with the 6i. In the mid-range they all held their own, each exhibiting its own nuances.
The surprise of the group was the el-cheapo Diva earbuds, which though clearly inferior held their own. When played near loud volumes, it would sometimes distort at musical peaks, and the low lows were boomy.
The MDR-31 was always bright, and while it carried the highs well, it continues to lack depth in the lower registers, making violins or pianos seem thin, and bass, “empty.”
The DT880 faired well by comparison but electronically it required more driving energy (250 ohms input impedance) and I cannot get it to run on portable MP3 players, it also costs over $280. Against a reference CD with extreme dynamic range [1980 Telarc: Lorin Maazel, Cleveland Orchestra, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, last 3 movements have loud tympani strikes] the ER-6i distorted in low bass while the DT880 did not.
http://www.telarc.com/gscripts/title.asp?gsku=0563
Ambient sound isolation
Isolation plays a large role in the 6i's sonic performance. I use the silicon ear pieces. Without music on, most ambient noise is reduced to a muffle. With music playing on the 6i, most ambient sound is essentially non-existent. I cannot hear a phone ring, door knocks, or a TV at my usual volume. Impressive performance for a passive seal. Sounds transmitted via solid contact such as scratching my head, face, chewing, or the shaking of the 6i cord is much louder.
Earpiece Insertion and Care
Unlike the wear and forget headphones and ear buds, one has to consider periodic cleaning of the silicon earpieces and potentially the tiny earwax filters. There is a minor amount of overhead maintenance. When the ear pieces are coated with thin film of wax, it tends to pick up dust.
The manual describes the ideal technique for inserting the phones and its worth reading the manual cover to cover for the unusual care and maintenance issues of these phones.
Included Accessories and Miscellaneous items
The phones are very light and small; it weighs in the ounces and is inconsequential. In its stylish soft carry case, it easily can fit a hip pocket without bulging, and the carry case keeps the phones nicely together. Included in the package are also 2 spare ear filters and a filter removal tool. I found I can pry the filters without destroying them with tweezers, and potentially could clean them with a ultrasonic eyeglass cleaner I have handy.
