[tommyboytp]

I just my Er6's yesterday. I am having a terrible time getting these things to seal properly. If I lie down, and don't move they are great. If I try to walk around, the seal is lost, and of course that means no bass. Has anybody else had problems?

 

[dlow]

Some things to try, (note: I have ER4S)

1) Any luck with moistening the flanges before inerting?

2) Are they inserted far enough? For me, the second row of flanges have to be in with just a little bit of the third row sticking out.

3) How about looping the cord up, behind and down the back of your ears? Should reduce microphonic effects and take the load off the plugs.

4) Is there / Are you using the shirt clip?

5) Seems like Etymotic has started shipping different sized tips for the ER4's. Any chance that the extra tips would provide a better fit?

Good luck.

 

[pedxing]

Most people use the ety's while they are stationary. I can use mine while running or walking, but the wind nose on the cable is annoying.

Do they lose seal if you are only sitting upright?

 

[redshifter]

tommy,
here is a simple mod that will keep your er6 in place no matter what you're doing (even running):
earhugger mod

keep practicing getting a seal. with my er6 i found a shallow insertion with some wiggling back and forth to seal it works great. if there's air pressure against your eardrum pull the flange aside to relase the pressure. also, the sound improves with burn in.

 

[tommyboytp]

Hi guys:
I have already tried most of the suggestion put forward. My MDR Ex70's work great with a light insertion, but these seem to require the same depth as a proctology exam. Both seem to cause me discomfort. The ER6's are being burned in as we speak.
Much thanks, Tom

 

[redshifter]

Quote:

these seem to require the same depth as a proctology exam

tommy, they go in your ears, man.

 

[Mallow005]

the ety's don't go in that far at all. If you feel pressure you didn't put them in right or you can just pinch your nose and blow to equalize the pressure slightly. Don't worry, after a few weeks and after you continue to discover new ways to put them in you'll be glad you stuck with the ER6s. And if you think the ER6s are uncomfortable, try the ER4s!

 

[d_wilson]

The eartip on the ER-6 will not fit everyone. Three of the people tested in our offices could not obtain a seal with them.

I am shooting for a March 1st introduction for foam eartips for the ER-6.


Mallow005
The small and large (jumbo?) foam eartips for the ER-4 are now available. They can be ordered online at our site, and will soon be in stock at our suppliers. Picture of small eatip coming soon.

Don Wilson
Etymotic Research

 

[AdamP88]

Thanks a lot for keeping us all updated, Don. I just joined the Ety world today - I received my ER6 from Headroom, and thankfully I was able to obtain a good seal the first time I tried (I was worried I might not since I have big ears). I do think that I'd like to try foam earpads, though, as I've found that the seal isn't extremely tight (have to remain fairly still to keep it).

A preliminary report on first listening - I really like them!

They're just a tiny bit bright, but I'm not bothered by it and I expect they'll smooth out a little bit with burn in. Instrument separation is excellent - orchestral and choral music is extremely enjoyable through these phones. The highs are very clean - cymbal crashes and hi-hat work in drums actually sound like they're supposed to. It seems to be very neutral - no noticeable peaks or humps anywhere - the the midrange is very clean as well - both female and male voices come across very well. Again, very neutral. I don't find myself itching to alter the midrange at all (when listening through the computer), which I admit to doing for the HD565 and AHD950. I'm listening to choral music right now, and the rendering of voices is very convincing. Perhaps what I'm most impressed with is bass response. It manages to go very low but is also very tight (my favorite song to test bass response is Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo by The Flecktones - you can learn a lot about a headphones bass by seeing how it handles Vic Wooten's lines in that song) - the ER6 is much tighter than the Denon AHD950 and the Senn HD565 (although to be fair I have yet to hear the HD565 through a headphone amplifier), and it brings out much more detail in the bass than both of these. The AHD950 might pack a little more heft, but can also sound a bit loose at times and is overly warm in the upper bass/lower mid range.

I'm quite pleased with my impulse purchase

. Overall I'd describe them as very detailed, very clean and very neutral and natural-sounding headphones. The more I listen the more I like

. I'd love to give the ER4 a listen now (not that I could afford them) - cause if these are only a hint of the ER4 series sound, then I'd love to hear them, cause I'm very impressed with the ER6. I think for the price they're quite a bargain.

 

[BDA_ABAT]

I just got a pair of ER6's right before going away on a trip last week. Didn't have much time for burn in or practice inserting. But, I wanted to try out my new purchase ASAP so I brought them with me. Also brought along Sony 888s for comparison.

Initial reaction: Although I thought I initially had a good seal, turns out I did not. The sound was OK, but the 888s sounded, well, THERE while the Ety's were OK but not quite as present as I would have expected. The word anemic kept coming into my mind. This feeling persisted while travelling. Tried several different ways of inserting the tips, at times thinking I was there, but never really getting it.

Being sort of bummed about NOT getting the sound that I expected, I decided to stick with the Ety's because of the isolation while in flight. And an amazing thing happened. While on the way home, I finally got a good seal. Think this moment also seemed to coincide with an adequate amount of time "burning in". Suddenly, the sound emerged properly! Always cool experiencing an accoustic epiphany. Anyway, once I discovered how they should feel and sound when properly inserted, life is much GOODER.

Getting them sealed properly is now MUCH easier. And the sound is lovely. Not only was there excellent and neutral sound, I was able to hear detail with the Ety's that just wasn't there with the 888s. The folks sitting next to me were treated to quite a show as I flipped through CDs to try other music to see how it sounded, all the while with a big, silly, grin on my face (the feeling persisted while listening to Bob Marley, Pearl Jam, Keb Mo', Allman Bros, Rush, Dave Matthews, Elton John, etc. Bob Marley's, "Redemption Song" produced goosebumps!). And the truly wonderful thing was, I couldn't hear any comments from them! There was excellent isolation... the only time I heard the screaming 4 month old behind me was when I took out the phones. Makes sense to keep them in all the time.

NOTE: The Ety's have a totally different sound than the 888s. The 888 seem very colored and, sort of like the sound is being pushed while the Ety's seem much more neutral and balanced. Very, very nice!

But, after experiencing these phones, I'm definately going for the ER4P. Time to end upgraditis.

Give it some time. Might work out for ya!

Bruce

 

[flash]

One thing that has not been mentioned about the ER-6 and getting a proper seal-- "insertion angle." For me this was the key to getting the perfect seal. After trying shallow insertion, deep instertion, moistening the tips, etc. I could not get a good seal that would last. After much experimenting I finally discovered that angling the tip up while insterting was the key to success. Now I get a perfect seal everytime with a fairly shallow insertion depth.

Try it and let us know if it works for you.

 

[AdamP88]

I've found in the past couple days that I have a harder time getting a good seal in my left ear than I do in my right. I can get a good seal in my right ear nearly every time (ie - pull back and feel the suction resisting), but it seems to be hit and miss with my left ear. Push it in too deep and the sound is muffled, and pull it out a little and the seal is lost and bass suffers. There is a point where I can get a fairly good seal consistently, but it's not tight enough to stay put unless I stay very still. I'm definitely going to get the foam pads when they come out.

However - in my first post - when I thought I had a good seal - I actually didn't have the full proper seal. The way these Ety's sound with a proper seal is just incredible. Now if only my ear canals were more symmetrical!

 

[tommyboytp]

You are right about the "perfect seal" sound. When you get it right, very few things compare to the sound of these. I had a frustrating day yesterday. Nothing I did allowed me to experience the nirvana I was hoping for.

 

[pedxing]

Its getting harder for me to get a good seal with my left ear. Somehow, the ER-6 temporarily changed the shape of my ear canals. The entire metal shaft now enters my extra wide ear canals. Before, the tube was exposed.

 

[AdamP88]

I've found that inserting the Ety's at an upward angle does help a lot at getting a good seal - thanks for the tip flash

. I don't have to push in nearly as much either.

I spent last night listening to the Gladiator soundtrack with a huge grin across my face.

These phones handle thick/complex textures better than any other phones I've heard (not that I've heard that many).