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Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones (Black) | 
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| Brand: Etymotic Research
Category: CE
List Price: $99.99
Buy New: $80.48
You Save: $19.51 (20%)
New (57)
Avg. Customer Rating:  254 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 10 x 1 x 6
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
Warranty: 90 days warranty
MPN: ER6I-BLK-C
Model: ER6I-BLK-C
UPC: 898234000671
EAN: 0898234000671
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Balanced armature transducer for full-range sound | | • | Frequency range of 50 Hz - 16 kHz | | • | Up to 36dB noise isolation | | • | Choose between included flanges and foam eartips for best fit | | • | Replacement filters, changing tool, shirt clip and pouch included |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The 6i Isolator Earphones are designed specifically for use with the Apple iPod and other small portable players, providing greater sound output and enhanced bass. The 6i Isolator Earphones feature in-the-ear secure fit for optimal performance, highly accurate music reproduction with greater sound output and enhanced bass and exceptional noise isolation.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 249 more reviews...
 Very Good Audio Engineering, Pathetic Human Factors Engineering and an interesting stopgap measure. November 16, 2006
131 out of 154 found this review helpful
This review is based on my owning my second set of Etymotic ER6-series IEMs (in-ear-monitors). The first set was the etymotic ER6B (headphones with worse base response than the ER6-i), different internal configuration and provided with a different set of earpieces. I got them on sale from a retailer and the experience was disastrous. The second set of ER6-iB ('B' for 'black') is very adequate, with great sensitivity (wonderful for the human voice), very good accuracy and a surprisingly roomy sound for such tiny drivers. Be that as it may, the things that you get with the sound when you buy either headphone are a pain in the neck and then some.
Like all noise-blocking in-ear-monitors, the ER6-series, requires insertion deep into the ear canal to block outside sound and to deliver base-notes effectively and getting the ER6s into the ear is no problem: getting them out is a killer. Without tips, the length of each ER6-i driver-housing is a little less than the width of my thumbnail and while adjusting my first pair for optimal base, I ended up pushing them so deep into my ears that I couldn't get them out again without pulling on the very thin, very delicate cord attached them which Etymotic's manual specifically tells you *not* to do and with good reason. My brand-new, ninety-dollar headphones ended up dead on the right side within a day of my buying them.
As it turns out, the damage to them was a lucky thing because in-ear-monitors aren't accepted for discretionary returns by retailers; because having gone into one a body-orifice as part of their function, they can't be resold and my retailer accepted mine only because the phones were 'defective.' I was embarrassed to get my money back on that basis, but it was better than eating a ninety-dollar loss to find out that Etymotic's dream headphones should come with the recommendation that you carry a needle-nosed pliers around with you so you can pull them out of your ears without destroying them.
This brings us to my second pair, why I bought them, and what I did with them when I got them.
I liked the sound of the ER6Bs I'd owned--that is, before I'd had to take them out of my ears--and I'd heard/read that the ER6-i's were better headphones than the ER6s--with enhanced base response to improve the awful sound that comes out of ipods. This meant that where the ER6 had good sound, the ER6-i's sound was better. I wanted to know how much better so I gave them a chance again, only this time, I knew about the extraction problem and I soon got an idea of what to do about it.
The ER6-series monitors have a small, rectangular knob at the end, set atop a tiny flange of flexible plastic and not long after buying the second set and really liking the sound, it occurred to me that I could tie a one-way slip-knot in a piece of fishing line and then tie that to base of the knob on each headphone and then cutting off the end of the line about an inch from the body of each driver-housing after tying a small knot in it to provide a grip.
The result is that using this simple idea borrowed from high-end, 'all-in-the-ear' hearing aids-lets me yank the ER6-i's out of my ears with no problem and with no strain on the ultra-delicate cords that hold the 'phones together and I'm very happy with their sound as 'walking around' headphones. I would certainly have given the 'phones an extra star or two if Etymotic had thought of and implimented this or some other simple solution. Shure E3s offer sound that is not that much worse than that provided by the ER6-is and they are better designed and far more robust.
I hope you find this review and suggestion useful.
 Blocks the noise, lets the music sing through February 9, 2006
64 out of 68 found this review helpful
This is the black version of the popular Etymotic er-6i headphones, previously available only in white. Etymotic Research introduced this color to complement the iPod Nano and other new iPod models which are available in colors other than white. The ER6i's increased sensitivity over the standard ER6 makes them an excellent choice for an iPod or any other portable MP3 or portable media player.
The er-6i is Etymotic's entry-level noise-isolating earphone. Unlike "noise-cancelling" headphones, which use electronic circuitry to cancel noise (and which can interfere with music and movie playback sound quality), "noise-isolating" earphones like the ER-6i work like earplugs. They are inserted all the way into the ear, forming a tight seal which blocks out external noise but lets pure sound come through the integrated ear-speakers.
Because they reduce external noise levels, they make an excellent choice for frequent fliers. No longer must you crank up the volume to drown out the aircraft engine noise. Now you can simply insert the etymotics into your ears and listen to your music or movies at a comfortable level. They're also much smaller than bulky around-the-ear headphones and come with a compact travelling case for greater portability.
All-in-all, an excellent value and a good choice for those who don't want to sacrifice quality for the sake of portability. For more details, check out the complete review on BigPictureBigSound.com.
Big sound, very pleased. April 4, 2006
47 out of 49 found this review helpful
These headphones will not dissapoint unless you like your deep bass in classical or similar types of music. They don't really have the ability to reproduce sound under 45Hz all that well, but all in all, it's an excellent set of headphones for listening to an ipod or such at the gym.
I have no problem hearing clear bass from Bob Marley reggae tracks, popular music like Black Eyed Peas, etc that are usually bass-heavy in the 50-80Hz range. Pop and dance music with bass in the 80-120Hz range is more then adequete.
In order to get the bass to sound well, you will have to experiment a bit with the various headphone plugs that come with it. I find the best bass to be from the foam earplugs. The other earplugs in the picture are more comfortable but do not isolate the sound as much, but still do a very good job overall.
The vocals and general clarity of these headphones are fantastic, they are by far the best headphones I've ever owned. I'd like to try the models with the dual and triple drivers (bass/high or bass/mid/high) but they are in the $300+ price range so that's not in my budget.
Overall I'm extremely pleased with these headphones and I'm looking forward to hitting the gym again.... (one less excuse now!) :)
Great for the Gym February 14, 2007
22 out of 22 found this review helpful
After trying many portable headphones for the last ten years, I've finally settled two: the Sennheiser PX100 (with the Koss Porta Pro a close runner up) and these Etymotic phones. The Sennheiser's are great for where you need a little sound to infiltrate the headphones, such as bike riding (not something I'd recomend to inexperienced bicyclists). But at the gym, where the machines are noisy, the spin cyclist class plays god-awful music at top volume and people talk (more on that later), these are the best. With the Sennheiser I had to turn the volume up so high that the batteries were quickly drained, not to mention the damage to my already fragile hearing.
A few pointers. I almost returned them after the first listen. But then I remembered that headphones need to be "broken in" by playing them for awhile. I hooked them up to my stereo and played CD's all night. Big difference the next day. Also, try the different ear plugs. The plastic ones were absolutely horrible for my ears. The grey foam pads worked better. On the Etymotic website they have white ones that are smaller than the grey ones. These worked best for me (narrow ear canals I guess). Order extra filters. I had one plug up on me fairly quickly. Finally, don't wear these where you need to speak with people. You can't hear people talk with these in your ears and music playing. You can barely hear people with the music off. Pulling them in and out is a pain (and people probably don't want to see your ear wax).
Oh, almost forgot. The sound. Great. With no outside noise, the sound comes through wonderfully. They may lack a bit on the bass, but compared to regular headphones at the gym, the improvement is astounding.
Addendum: I originally wrote the review above two years ago. Still using the earphones three times a week. The rubbery coating on the outside has come off, but they still work just fine. The foam plugs get smooshed down and covered with earwax after a few weeks. Just takes the plugs off and put them in a covered jar with hot water, shake around for a minute, then take out and dry. The ear wax should be gone and they'll plump up. Don't use too hot of water or the glue that holds the plastic tube to the foam may dissolve over time. Finally, the noise from the cords rubbing against your shirt can be annoying during quieter music and more energetic work out. This can be avoided by wrapping the cords around the back of your ears. Enjoy!
The Search Is Over...Maybe December 29, 2006
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
I haven't had these for very long, so I should probably reserve judgment. However, I am notoriously picky about my earbuds. Being a daily commuter who doesn't go anywhere without my iPod, and a stickler for good sound, I've been through countless earbuds.
After reading about possible hearing loss from iPod use, I switched to noise reducing earbuds. I tried Sony's model, and they worked alright, but eventually one of the buds went silent. So I switched to Phillips' slightly cheaper brand. The sound quality wasn't as good. If I used sound check on the iPod, I'd have to turn the volume all the way up to avoid hearing a lot of external noise.
I finally got these, based on recommendations from a co-worker, and they're great. The flanged tips that came already on the earbuds were a perfect fit. When I followed the directions for inserting them, I got a perfect seal the first time.
When a co-worker came in and spoke to me while I was using them, I couldn't hear her, even when I paused the music. I had to take them out to hear her. And I had no trouble getting them out by twisting them according to the directions. The true test was wearing them on the subway, and they passed with flying colors. I heard very little external noise.
What's more, I have sound check on again, and I find I now actually have to lower the volume on the iPod where I had to turn it all the way up before. Now I'm getting great sound and I feel like I'm saving my hearing too. Plus I'm hearing details in my music that I hadn't heard before!
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