[warpdriver]

ER6i is still my recommendation for under $100 IEM's.
Though they are a bit hard to remove quickly since they go into my ear pretty deeply (but the seal is excellent)

 

[warpdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oistrakh Get the Ec2. They have the best sound I've ever heard.

Have you actually heard the others mentioned?

 

[jagorev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaBreaHead Sounds well reasoned, based on the input you received. Even if you use them only on airplanes a few times a year, you'll get good use out of them. You might like them a lot, and then start the upgrade cycle for IEMs.

I bought mine just so I would have something for long trips on plane, train, or bus. Now I find that I use it much more than the HD 600 - it's perfect for work or studying at the library.

 

[bmwuk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oistrakh Get the Ec2. They have the best sound I've ever heard.

The first IEM's I owned was the Ec2's and as much as they were a drastic improvement over the standard ear bud headphones, that is still a bold statement. Sure they have a good sound and definitely better once I added a portable amp.

I haven't heard the Etymotics at all so I have nothing to add but I decided to skip the $200 - $400 IEM options and go with custom IEM's since I knew I wouldn't be too terribly happy until I had the most comfortable fit.

I believe the Apple stores carry Etymotics and Shures and i believe they allow you to return them if not satisfied. That may be a good route to try them out unless you know someone that owns them. Good luck.

 

[Oistrakh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by warpdriver Have you actually heard the others mentioned?

no, I don't know any stores that let you "test out" IEMS on a counter.

Plus, on another forum I go to (not related to technology), someone said the triports have the best sound they ever heard...

 

[fruit_bearer]

i'd toss in another vote for the um-1s. the comply tips that they come with give you great isolation and comfort.

i didn't think the e2c's were all that comfortable.

i haven't tried the others, but the um-1s were so comfortable, that if the other two you mentioned were MORE comfortable, i don't think i could tell the difference.

 

[jSatch]

I believe the Shure E2cs utilize 'dynamic' drivers (like room speakers or over the ear cans), whereas most others mentioned here utilize balanced armature drivers. The latter offer a fast transient response giving better apparent detail and articulation. This may come at the expense of full, balanced bottom end. However, no single speaker can cover the entire range with aplomb. Multi drivers can cover a wider range more effectively, but can suffer from crossover problems, attenuated transient response, and phase anomalies. There are many choices, covering a wide price range and an equally wide range of compromises. Have comfort in the fact that none are perfect.

 

[TheSloth]

What about the new Sennheiser pseudo-IEM's? They are cheap by the standards of the others and are so far gaining glowing praise here all round. It seems a good place to go for a headphone that you aren't afraid to throw around and aren't going to start looking to add an amp to.

 

[Brent Hutto]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSloth What about the new Sennheiser pseudo-IEM's? They are cheap by the standards of the others and are so far gaining glowing praise here all round. It seems a good place to go for a headphone that you aren't afraid to throw around and aren't going to start looking to add an amp to.

That thought had actually just occurred to me today. The Ety 6i won't break the bank but for less than half the price those Senn cheapies are approaching disposable. Well, not really but I'd be a lot less bummed if I accidentally yanked the wire out of a $50 IEM than if I damaged a nice new ER-6i.

The Senns look soft of halfway between and earbud and an IEM. My one concern is whether they'll block out as much jet noise at the deeper-fitting Etymotics, etc.

 

[LaBreaHead]

Any canal phones (such as the new Sennheisers) wouldn't seal/isolate the way true IEMs would. No knock on the Sennheisers (I hope to get a pair) -- but based on the Sony and Panasonic canal phones I've owned, it seems that the whole concept of canal phones is one of just partial isolation -- more "noise overriding" than actually isolating. Whereas the Etymotics could also serve as earplugs to reduce airplane cabin noise, even if you weren't listening to music or audio at the time.

Having said that, I like canal phones for everyday, taking-them-out-and-putting-them-back-in-repeatedly use. But for airplane performance, you'd probably want to go with IEMs.

Edit: And regarding the Etymotics wires -- as often as I've mentioned that they seem fragile, I haven't read a real complaint about them, that I can recall. I'm just very careful with them, easy enough in an airplane seat.

 

[Brent Hutto]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaBreaHead ...the Etymotics could also serve as earplugs to reduce airplane cabin noise, even if you weren't listening to music or audio at the time.

As a matter of fact, I noticed on Ety's web page that they sell plain earplugs that look a lot like the ER-6. I thought about having a pair of those just as backup. I've always worn foam earplugs the whole time I'm on a plane which makes an amazing difference in how tired I am when I get to the other end.

Regarding the ER-6i...

Is it considered a no-brainer that I want the ER-6i and not the regular ER-6 for use with an unamped iPod Mini? I noticed that the ER-6 has a right-angle mini plug which is nice but other than that it would seem the more sensitive ER-6i is perfect.

 

[ns6490]

ER6i have served me well on many flights.

 

[afbug]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Hutto Regarding the ER-6i... Is it considered a no-brainer that I want the ER-6i and not the regular ER-6 for use with an unamped iPod Mini? I noticed that the ER-6 has a right-angle mini plug which is nice but other than that it would seem the more sensitive ER-6i is perfect.

My black ER6i has a right angle plug.

You can email Ety to confirm.

 

[jagorev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Hutto As a matter of fact, I noticed on Ety's web page that they sell plain earplugs that look a lot like the ER-6. I thought about having a pair of those just as backup. I've always worn foam earplugs the whole time I'm on a plane which makes an amazing difference in how tired I am when I get to the other end. Regarding the ER-6i... Is it considered a no-brainer that I want the ER-6i and not the regular ER-6 for use with an unamped iPod Mini? I noticed that the ER-6 has a right-angle mini plug which is nice but other than that it would seem the more sensitive ER-6i is perfect.

Yes, the er-6i pretty much is a no-brainer for unamped iPod use.

 

[Brent Hutto]

My thanks to those of you who recommended the ER-6i for my application. I got it yesterday and spent a couple hours trying it out as well as comparing it to my great HD-595 for home listening. Short answer, it sounds good on the kinds of music I listen to, it's decently comfortable with the 3-flange tips and it's going to work great on the airplane with my iPod Mini. I do have a few more detailed review comments...

First off, with the unamped iPod Mini the ER-6i has a fairly similar sound to the HD-595. There are two exceptions: 1) the Etymotic has a more "polite" sound that eliminates any harshness or trace of sibilance in the recording and 2) the attack and decay of bass notes are slightly better controlled with the ER-6i. Now by "fairly similar" I don't mean that the two sound signatures are difficult to tell apart. There is certainly a rounder, fuller character to the IEM sound which comes across as being more inside your head which is not a sensation I particularly enjoy. But for extended listening (such as on an eight hour plane trip) I suspect it will be very pleasant.

Plugging the ER-6i into my home-listening setup (Adcom CD player, Portaphile headphone amp) revealed the "polite" sound for what it truly is...the top end is rolled off. Now admittedly it's a gentle roll-off and on some material it even makes for easier listening at high volume but there are details revealed by the HD-595 that are either subdued or missing altogether with the ER-6i. I think with 192kpbs AAC (and even 320kpbs AAC tracks) on the iPod those details aren't there to be revealed with any headphone but my Adcom/Portaphile setup is very detailed and perhaps even accentuates the high end which is a better match to the Senn than the Ety. For my home listening, not that there would be any reason to use an IEM anyway, I like the sound of the HD-595 far better.

There's one other thing that is slightly noticable with the iPod and much moreso with the Adcom/Portaphile playing a Redbook CD. The one characteristic on which I'm the harshest judge of music reproduction equipment is upper-bass boominess, the kind that can get real annoying on acoustic guitar music (especially if the guitar accompanies female vocals). My HD-595 is as nearly perfect in that regard as anything I've heard, the upper bass will be clean as long as the recording is decent. I'd give the ER-6i a rating of "Acceptable but not Great". There is certainly a hump in that frequency range but it's a wide and gradual one and really comes just distort the timbre and balance of the music slightly rather than getting boomy covering up the other voices and pitch ranges. In other words what I find "Acceptable" is, by the standards of reasonably affordable head-fi gear, really good.