[Aloft]

Quote:

Originally posted by blessingx A: They will sell more.

Yeah yeah yeah.

But what you say is only partially true. Niche markets sometimes do not rely upon aesthetics to drive their product sales, and the added cost of increasing aesthetics to sell more would mean sacrificing something, somewhere; and when you do that, you risk neglecting your niche market. Companies with firm holdings in mass markets can take these risks more easily, because they already have inertia.

Anyway. I don't really have a vendetta against things that look good. I just don't care if they look good or bad, the only exception being what I already said. In public I would rather something didn't look outrageously expensive for safety reasons. If it looks good, that's great, as long as I don't feel as if I am spending extra money on frills. The HD600s accomplish that for me. I think they look good, with the exception of the spackle, the 650s look much better. Yet they are designed conservatively, and in such a way that I feel as if my money is going toward the sound. It certainly sounds that way anyway!

The irony in all of this talk of hearing aids is that, the way I've heard it, Etymotic is primarily a hearing aid component research and development facility.

While on that though, I would guess that most of the design that goes into hearing aids is all about making them as invisible as possible. Generally people who need them do not want it known that they need them. This is a compelling part of the design, more a necessary feature really, if you think about it. Otherwise you'd see fancy look hearing aids. *cough*Shure*cough*

Sorry, bad joke.

Runs away from the angry Team Shure.

 

[iamdone]

Quote:

Originally posted by rt297 The interesting thing is that Etymotic Research could do it. Take the ER-6. It looks better than both the E2 and the ER4 put together. They are cool looking, and I don't think the drivers in the ER4's could differ that much from the ER6's if at all. Personally I think that if anyone ever level matched the ER4's and ER6's, they may well be the same.

The ER6'S are not that good compared to the ER4S. The bass is just not there and the high are too harsh. They just do detail better than a lot of headphones. The ER4S are more than twice as good in my opinion. I think they even look better than the 6. Plus look at the name of the company, Etymotic Research. They sell hearing aids, ear plugs, and musician monitors and probably do a lot of their time researching. They are not trying to be a public consumer company except maybe the commercial line of ER6s shown in gadget and airline magazines.

 

[Edwood]

I have a pair of ER4S and the wires definitely stick straight out. Other than that I will concur with others stating that they look like a cheap pair of ear buds to the lay person.

I never have any fears of it being stolen if I leave it on my desk at work overnight.

I really don't think they look any worse than people walking around with earbuds on or hands free cell phone headsets.

Now walking around in public with a pair of Senn HD580/600/650's or AKG K1000 on your noggin? Hahahahahahaha.

<---There really should be a smilie with just two thin, black lines coming straight out.

-Ed

 

[hazmat]

Quote:

Originally posted by iamdone They are not trying to be a public consumer company except maybe the commercial line of ER6s shown in gadget and airline magazines.

The ER-6's also beat out three other earphones (all three with active noise cancellation) in this month's Mac World. I'm surprised no one in this forum has mentioned it. The three others were Sony, Koss, and Bose. All three more expensive than the ER-6's, too. And has much as they loved the ER-6's, I'd love to have seen them use the ER-4's, especially since the ER-4's are still cheaper than the Bose the tested.

 

[Aloft]

Quote:

Originally posted by Edwood <---There really should be a smilie with just two thin, black lines coming straight out.

Haha, yes! This forum is long overdue for an EtyFrankenSmiley. -Edit- I guess there is one. I never noticed it before. Doesn't quite capture the massive looping effect of the wires though.

Imagine the boombox style portable amp with six high voltage batteries you'd have to tote around for the portable K1000. HeadRoom should make a Traveller Duffle Bag. Next big hit!

- Here we go:

 

[the terabyte]

Quote:

Originally posted by lindrone Hehehe.. I have to admit, E1's are too ugly to wear.. hehehe It's a huge reason why I owned both the E2's and the E5's.. but never bothered looking at an E1...

while they are ugly, the good thing about them is that they all but disappear to those at a distance depending on your skin tone, somewhat negating the raw ugliness of them

 

[davidtoc]

This INTP doesn't have a problem with Etymotic making ugly earphones, or making a high-quality product at the expense of aesthetics. I'm really just saying that *because* of the aethetics, I'm not willing to pay what they're charging for it. And I'm clearly not the only one. I started this thread because there are really no photos out there of anyone wearing the ER-4's, including on Etymotic's own site; clearly they realize that their product's appearance could adversely affect sales. Shure, on the other hand, has a close-up of a guy's ear wearing their product. And I went with the e2c. I think you're right that Etymotic is focused more on hearing aids and research than on selling earphones to audiophiles, and that's fine. It just means it's going to cost them in profits.

 

[blessingx]

Courtesy of the expensive design group here at Team Etyp&otilde;dic.

 

[puppyslugg]

One possible reason why the Ety cable sticks out, may be an attempt to reduce microphonics. And I can't imagine having the cable rubbing constantly against my face.

Damn the looks....give me performance anyday!

 

[FrostyMMB]

The cable from each driver points straight down when I'm wearing them. I believe that they are at an angle because they are supposed to be inserted into the ear canal at an angle such that the cables hang straight down. If your canal is shaped/angled differently, or if you're just wearing them wrong, then I could see a problem.

 

[rextrade]

Some day Etymotic may change the ER-4 to look cool, and then we'll all be looking on ebay for the "retro" er-4 look.

The look of the etys have grown on me--sort of the "so cool they don't have to look cool" kind of thing. But maybe all that sonic bliss has made me a little loopy.

 

[troublemaker]

hey. i like the anonymity they give.

plus there is some perverse pleasure in them looking so unassuming - the same as when i am in my 1962 VW Type 2 panelvan and doing 45 flat out (commercial gearing) along a 70 limit looking at the queue forming behind - that when i tell people what they cost they tell me i am mad. but i dont look at fones - i hear them!

 

[hazmat]

troublemaker: I only have one thing to say to you: Rock and Roll.

 

[rt297]

Right on!

 

[pennylane]

It's all good. I don't think they look that ugly. And even if they do, you won't be able to hear other people making fun of you!