Awhile ago I ordered ER-20 HI-FI earplugs from Etymotic Research. Those earplugs made such an impression on me, that I wanted to purchase their ER-4P earphones right away. Fortunately, their $300 pricetag caused me to put that purchase off indefinately.
I recently have been reading reviews of Etymotic’s new ER-6 Isolator earphones, which are the “cheap” version of the ER-4’s at $130. I just got them this morning, and they sound amazing… They do such a fantastic job of blocking eternal noise, and the fidelity of the audio is fantastic. They are some of the best sounding earphones I have ever listened to (yes, they are in the league of the Grado’s, which aren’t shabby at all, mind you). I think the key for me is the fact that they block out external noise…. I no longer hear the ominous din of the server rack 10 feet from my skull (which I am sure was causing permanent hearing damage.. :P), Instead of several conversations layered on top of each other coming from around the office, I hear a faint muttering in the far distance…. Now I only hear my music, and the quality of it is amazing…
I can only imagine how nice the ER-4s sound, but I can’t say I enjoy having the $150+ in my pocket. :)
how comfortable are they?
I find them VERY comfortable, but if they are placed wrong they can be a little irritating… I built up my skill at putting them in my ear with the earplugs I bought first… Actually, if you are concered about comfort, I would pick up a pair of the earplugs first…. They part that is inserted into the ear is virtually the same as with these…
FWIW, I am sure that the “insert into ear” aspect will bother some people….
i might just do that!
The added benefit is that the earplugs rule for live music… Very flat attenuation, which can’t be said for the generic crappy foam or “mushy goo” earplugs…