[h00ligan]

I couldn't ignore all the praise these phones are getting for portable use. $104 shipped overnight seemed an ok price as well.

I previously had the $50 white sony buds (71's?) which sounded pretty good to my ears but were muddy at times and frail.. not even fragile, straight up frail. I went through 3 sets in 7 months - the cord kept stripping. Bought them at rat shack and they replaced them 2x with the 5 $ warranty plan, but the third time I got a guy that said they won't warranty anything on the outside that goes wrong.

So now a few questions.

A hundred bucks.. i mean at the same time it's a lot for earphones and not a lot, you know what i mean. To most of the readers here that's cheap as hell

How much better than the Sony's are these going to be. I am really hoping they are a lot cleaner and shut out more of the outside world.

I was really tempted to get the er4p's but given I am using an iPod and on the go when i listen - the er6i actually seemed the more logical choice (after pouring over these forums).

I got them from Amazon - so I am not sure what the return policy is if i just flat out don't think they are worth it.

I assume the foamies are going to be the money choice for me - I have tiny earholes (in other venues that confession *may* be a jailable offense for crudity).

At any rate - thanks for providing such a knowledgable forum and I really hope these phones live up to the hype. I'm looking forward to some clear music I don't have to crank up (the sony's were ok but not too sensitive)

Cheers

 

[Spiritboxer]

I honestly can't answer any of your questions but if you're going to use the 6i's out of an iPod (depends on which iPod) you might want to amp them. I use mine with a PA2V2 and they sound great! Welcome to Head-Fi, sorry about your wallet.

 

[jagorev]

I own both these and the Sonys: the etys are a vast, vast improvement. They are good enough to rank with the best full-size headphones. The sound can be a little thin and weak in the bass at first if you're used to the Sony sound. Incredible isolation and wonderful clear music. A hundred bucks is a good price.

However: if you have a small earhole, I'm sorry to say you may find it very uncomfortable at first - prepare for the worst. The Shures and super.fis are supposedly much better because they don't go as deep in your ear. See if you can get used to it in a few days. As long as you bought it from Amazon (and not one of their affiliated sellers like J&R), you should be able to return it pretty easily. Follow the instructions on the site, print out a shipping label, send it back in original packaging. I've returned in-ear phones before to Amazon, and it hasn't been a problem as long as it's not damaged or obviously used.

EDIT: I don't actually think an amp is necessary; they are incredibly sensitive and efficient, and well-matched with the iPod.

 

[h00ligan]

Thanks for the responses. I have the first 20 gig ipod and a nano - however the nano will likely go the ebay route as the limited size is killing me. I'm looking at a 60 gig 5g iPod.

The small canal entry - put it this way, i can't even come close to getting the ipod buds to stay - but the sony mediums were comfortable. So maybe it's not the hole that's small but rather the cart area preceeding it.

Funny joke about the wallet. I can already tell this is step one into a long dark path of a money pit

 

[Lushan]

I'm going to agree with jagorev on this. I was in the same situation as you with my EX-71s falling apart, and I ultimately upgraded to the Er-6i. It was a huge improvement. I use them mostly unamped and they're fantastic at what they do for the price. You'll probably hear things you've never heard in your music before. The isolation is almost too good; I've had several occassions where a bus came out of nowhere because I couldn't hear it.

As for fit, it's a toss-up. I got lucky and the tri-flanges fit perfectly. I used a medium with the sonys like you, but these go much deeper, so I can't say for sure that they will fit. Besides, if they don't fit, Etymotic offers several different sizes you can order directly from them. There will probably be a period of adjustment with these unless you use earplugs often.

Regarding amps, I don't think amping is necessary. 95% of the time mine are connected directly to my Carbon, and they sound just fine. However, on the few times I have hooked them up to an amp, there was a very noticeable improvement in bass response, as well as better overall clarity.

Overall, I think you'll be very happy with your purchase.

 

[seeberg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by h00ligan I assume the foamies are going to be the money choice for me - I have tiny earholes (in other venues that confession *may* be a jailable offense for crudity).

"Them thangs got earholes in em?" Hehe

My opinion on ER6i's has been great, but as of late I haven't listened to them much at all(blame the HD580's), and get the feeling its time for a filter change, but there's no visible junk being built up on the filters that came stock. In any case, I'm still happy with my pair, despite paying more for them than I should have(I paid $106 when a month later I could have gotten them for $80). I would give them more use, but I need more surrounding noise to make them necessary and my neighborhood's been quiet lately.

,
Abe

 

[warpdriver]

I used my ER6i's unamped. Amping does bring out more bass in them. They are linear in the bass, and thus they may sound weak in the bass compared to the Sony's, but I think their bass level is more accurate and neutral.

You should fine the highs less scratchy than the Sony's, and definitely you will not get the boom that the Sony's put out, but I think you should be able to hear added details and clarity that the Sony's drowned out.

 

[Mize]

I use mine unamped with an iPod and really like them. If you call Etymotic, their customer service will send you additional eartips to try with them. Just call and tell them the included tips are too big and they will send you several alternatives.

 

[xcryonicx]

can someone explain to me what kind of "junk" gets in the filter? Is it like bodily secretions from your ear or something sick like that??

haha, I'm looking to buy these cans

 

[Kameleon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jagorev I own both these and the Sonys: the etys are a vast, vast improvement. They are good enough to rank with the best full-size headphones

I dunno about that, but they'll be a load better than the EX71s.

 

[jagorev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kameleon I dunno about that, but they'll be a load better than the EX71s.

LOL, that was a little overstatement

. When it comes to resolution and detail, they do rank that high, IMHO. In their overall impact and musicality, not to mention soundstage, they're nowhere near my HD600s. But if you value detail and resolution highly, I still think that you're not going to get much better than these - though the ER-4 would probably be somewhat better.

 

[Kameleon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jagorev LOL, that was a little overstatement . When it comes to resolution and detail, they do rank that high, IMHO. In their overall impact and musicality, not to mention soundstage, they're nowhere near my HD600s. But if you value detail and resolution highly, I still think that you're not going to get much better than these - though the ER-4 would probably be somewhat better.

And the high-end Sony phones, SA5000 and Qualia in particular, not to mention any electrostatic worth its salt, AKG K1000s, and probably some others I've forgotten.

 

[applebook]

I think that you're going to love the ER-6i with the Nano, which definitely has more bass than the 4G iPod. The EQ settings do distort, though, so refrain from using bass boost for a few days, and you'll get used to them.

For those who think that Etys lack bass, please listen to bass-heavy tracks from Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers before passing that judgment. More often than not, people who complain about the supposed lack of lows on Etys are coming from cans/ buds that artificially enhance bass and drown out detail (cheap Sonys definitely do this).

 

[McCol]

I've had my er6i's for just over a month now and loving them!

Use them with the nano and the new 5g ipod, they sound great.
Bass sounds great, i had shure e2c's before and found the bass on them overpowering but on the er6i's it sounds more natural.
The level of detail on your music is nice and crisp.

I thought they sounded good with the nano but they sound even better with the new ipod, a really good match.

 

[h00ligan]

They are here - gave them aquick listen, although I shall refrain from making a judgement. You were all right on the money - coming from teh sony's they def do sound a LOT less bassy.

The ONE thing that killed me upon first listen was a very tinny sound coming out of a powerbook playing KORN. The type of shound that infinity car audio gives out as opposed to Boston Accoustics Pro series. For any of you who are car audo freaks - you may catch the meaning on that.

I am REALLY hoping that was either the book or track. If i hear that sound much - they will be returned quickly.


At any rate - I'll check back in as a bit of time passes and post my impressions. I will likley also buy another pair of canal phones in tandem to find the one I enjoy.