[JasonR]

I got a pair of Etymotic ER-6 headphones today from Headroom and spent some time with them this evening. So far I'm really enjoying them, and they seem well worth the price.

As a background, my usual headphone setup is Sennheiser 600s with an older Headroom Supreme (~ '95 - with the AA battery tubes). I also have a pair of Grado 60s that I use a lot while away from home - generally powered directly from an Aiwa CD player (forget the model off hand - the one that Headroom recommended in '95 which really sounds quite good.)

I didn't have too much trouble getting a pretty good comfortable fit. I own professional hearing protection, so I'm pretty used to inserting these kinds of things. Still, I was surprised at how well they fit - snug, comfortable, and with pretty significant attenuation. They're not as quiet as my Westone plugs with the Etymotic -15dB attenuators, but not that far off either.

The first thing I noticed when listening was how much I was reminded of my car stereo listening experiences. The bass in a car stereo is produced basically by pressurizing the listening environment since the wavelength itself can't be heard in a traditional sense from such close proximity in a closed space. The bass you hear in a car is different than that from a speaker in a large room. I started wondering about the 'cabin gain' of my outer ear (air space between ER-6 and ear drum).

Anyway, the bass response is pretty darn impressive. It sounds very tight, with really good dynamics and seems relatively accurate.

There are some frequency ranges that sounded a bit 'funny' to me - at least one of which I was able to tune out by adjusting how tightly the ER-6s were in my ears. The midbass sounded very thin and was ringing slightly... was very localized AT my ears, instead of in any reasonable soundstage. This was corrected by getting a tighter fit. When the units were a little loose, they sounded pretty darn good except for that region. There's also a slight brightness in the upper mids that I heard mainly in female vocals as a slight shrillness. It's not bad, and something I began to ignore as I had the phones on for a while. After a few hours of listening my ears didn't fatigue at all, which is a huge compliment as far as I'm concerned!

Overall I'm really digging these. For not much more than a hundred bucks, I was really looking to get Grado 60 or 80 performance in a highly portable package. I think the ER-6 phones really do more than that. They're also surprisingly easy to drive! Right out of my Aiwa CD player, or on my new NEX II MP3 player, they really sound great!

I had always liked the idea of getting a pair of ER4s for portable use, but couldn't really justify spending the money on something I might not use that often. Coupled with a highly portable MP3 player, I think I found a great use for Christmas cash.

And the ER6s leave enough room in the budget to buy a second pair for the SO. That's always a safe move.

Happy Headphonin'

- Jason

 

[redshifter]

i too noticed that slight spike in the upper mid frequencies. i'm hoping with burn in that will correct itself. it's not as bad as some phones i've heard but still.

good review!

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

Does the bass extend deeply?

 

[tracylynn]

is headphone.com the only store [either online or b&m] that sells the ety er-6.....$117 rite?

 

[JasonR]

Deep bass response is pretty good -- certainly exceeded my expectataions.

If you want to buy them elsewhere, Etymotic sells them directly on their website (etymotic.com) for $139 plus $5 for ground shipping (or $20 for overnight.)

- Jason

 

[pigmode]

Quote:

Originally posted by tracylynn is headphone.com the only store [either online or b&m] that sells the ety er-6.....$117 rite?

Yup, they said earlier that was a sale price. Plus you can return'em if they don't fit or are uncomfortable.

 

[nallyvaico]

JasonR,

Do you really think the ER6's are good PORTABLE ear (well, canal, if that matters) phones? They have the impedance really differnt from the ER4ps - 48 v 27 Ohms! Are they easy to drive?

I use the R909 MD recorder with output of 5 x 5 mW @ 16 Ohms. I wonder if my MD could drive them.

 

[JasonR]

Quote:

Originally posted by nallyvaico JasonR, Do you really think the ER6's are good PORTABLE ear (well, canal, if that matters) phones? They have the impedance really differnt from the ER4ps - 48 v 27 Ohms! Are they easy to drive? I use the R909 MD recorder with output of 5 x 5 mW @ 16 Ohms. I wonder if my MD could drive them.

I haven't had an oportunity to compare them with any of the ER4 series headphones. However, I was able to drive the ER-6 pretty easily with both my old Aiwa XP-500 portable CD player, and a NEX II MP3 player.

- Jason

 

[Peddler]

Do the ER6's suffer with the 'occlusion' effect and reproduces the sound of your footsteps, breathing, etc when used in 'Walkman' mode?

This is what effectively stopped me from using my 4's when walking around - besides which they are just too damned expensive to get trapped in car doors etc.

 

[JasonR]

Quote:

Originally posted by Peddler Do the ER6's suffer with the 'occlusion' effect and reproduces the sound of your footsteps, breathing, etc when used in 'Walkman' mode? ...

Yeah, they do. The microphonics on the cable aren't too bad (surprisingly) but you will likely hear those footsteps, breathing, etc if you're listening to music at a quiet level. Once it's turned up, this is much less obvious.

I suspect the effect is very similar for both models. Maybe someone who has tried both can respond with more information.

- Jason

 

[dgs]

To quickly address a couple of questions I noticed above:

"Do the ER6's suffer with the 'occlusion' effect and reproduces the sound of your footsteps, breathing, etc when used in 'Walkman' mode?"

Not quite as much as the 4s, but definitely with quiet music. Better but still noticable at times with rubber soled shoes.

"Do you really think the ER6's are good PORTABLE ear (well, canal, if that matters) phones?"

Yes, they are very good for the price.

"Are they easy to drive?"

Pretty easy. With my mzr700 they sometimes need ALL the volume with quiet music. But with most music, they are easy enough to drive. They sound slightly laid back at times without an amp (CHA47), but overall, they sound really well-balanced and pretty musical. They are harder to drive than the 4p, and they are easier to drive than the 4s. Both of the 4s/p sound much better in my opinion (and I'll post a comparison on this soon), but the er6 is a really nice little phone for commuting. I have been using mine almost everyday, and it lets me keep my 4p/s safe and sound at home.

 

[nallyvaico]

Quote:

Originally posted by JasonR I haven't had an oportunity to compare them with any of the ER4 series headphones. However, I was able to drive the ER-6 pretty easily with both my old Aiwa XP-500 portable CD player, and a NEX II MP3 player. - Jason

Not familiar with either... Can you pls give the output specs for both?