Electronics : Etymotic ER-6i Earphones - Black

Rating: - Great for noisy environments, not so good for normal listening
I've had a pair of these for about 3 or 4 years now. I use them whenever I go on long train journeys, where they're perfect for blotting out background noise and inane chatter from the people around you. You can absolutely block out 100% of that noise (even listening to something like a quiet, classical piano sonata) and the whole journey becomes so much less stressful. The sound quality seems excellent on a train and (IMHO) much better than you get with standard iPod headphones. Another less-obvious benefit is that sound won't leak out of your phones and disturb other people around you.

Use them in a normal, quiet, home environment, and it's a different story. Here, the drawbacks of the headphones become a nuisance. As others have mentioned, the suction-fit earphones feel uncomfortable after a short while and the noise of the cables brushing against your clothes can become irritating. The sound also feels a bit like it's "deep inside" your head -- like listening to music in a cave and the bass response may leave you disappointed. These disadvantages are well worth putting up with on a train, where you can reap the benefit of 100% noise cancelling, but why suffer them in a quiet home where there's no real noise to cancel?

Another drawback mentioned by one or two reviewers is the build quality. The earphones themselves are fine, but the connection between the cable and the end of each earphone is stupidly delicate and you have to be careful when you pull the phones from your ears not to damage the wire. I feel this is just plain bad design. Why not make the connections a bit more robust?

My advice is definitely buy these if you do a lot of train or plane travel. You won't believe how much difference it makes to the quality of your journey. Unlike active noise cancelling headphones, which need battery power and cost money to run, these are cost-free (unless you use the disposable foam earpieces). If you're looking for high-quality phones to use at home, your money would probably be better spent on a pair of high-end, big cup headphones (I'm currently "saving up" for a pair of Sennheiser HD485 Open Headphone for home use!). For the same or less money, you should get much better sound, definitely much better bass, and more comfortable headphones for lengthy listening.

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Rating: - The most expensive headphones ever
The phones sound great. Superb. They work really well with my iPod touch and I enjoyed them very much.

For a little while.

My first pair packed up after a few months use. I'd heard they could be flimsy, so I bought a second pair and treated them with kid gloves, but now they have failed also. I cannot afford £70 every few months - this would make them the most expensive headphones I have ever owned - and so, reluctantly, I will have to look elsewhere for a new set of phones. Too bad.

Etymotic Research: you really need to worry more about your products' durability.

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Rating: - Superb
I've tried lots of noise cancelling and isolation earphones but always found that either the noise reduction wasn't satisfactory or I got problems with my ear (in one case requiring me to get the doctor to syringe wax from my ears).

I was thus stunned by the quality of these earphones, they are miles above the competition even though many of the competitors even though those competetitors products can be far more expensive.

I've also ridiculously impressed with their customer service, after 18months of very active use the headphones had some issues. No surprise, happens to all headphones. However the company replaced/fixed them free of charge, how many companies would do that?

So I have absolutely no problem recommending them, buy a pair now.

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Rating: - ER6I
After a couple of hours on the net looking at ear phones (it's difficult when you can't try them out),
I purchased the ER6I's. This was based on all the good reviews they were getting and I can completely go with that. Sound quality is fantastic - the bass can lack a little some times but that problem is easily overcome by adjusting the EQ setting on my pod. Cable noise can transmit into the ears as I use them in the gym quite a bit. Easily solved as the cable has a securing clip to stop it moving about. Quite a strange sensation when using as the sound seems to emit from within your head creating a very clever stereo effect. Buy some, you will not be disappointed - they are a quality product.

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Rating: - Etymotic - Expensive, but good.
I purchased these earphones for use with my Cowon D2 mp3 player. I'd previously been using a pair of "Sparkplugs" by Koss, but one of the earbuds stopped working so decided to try these instead.

I cannot use normal ear "plugs" as my right ear canal is larger than my left, and I have terrible trouble getting the normal style ear plugs to stay in. With these, (and the Sparkplugs) it's not an issue. I only use the 3 flange tips, but with my large ear canals I find the fit perfect.

The cable length is slightly long, but it's better to have a cable with a bit too much length than not enough.

The bass isn't astounding, and for the price of the ER-6i's I must say I was expecting slightly more. However, a quick alteration of the D2's graphic equaliser, specifically the "Mach3 Bass" setting, solved this issue. If there was one criticism I could level at the Sparkplugs from Koss, it's that they are *very* bass heavy. The ER-6i's are at the opposite end of the spectrum.

Noise Isolation is excellent, and they do not fall out. You can also wear them in bed, without any pain in your earlobe from the actual plugs themselves.

I have to purchase another pair, because I lost the last pair somewhere, but despite the slightly below par bass, these are well worth the money. I plan on getting a set of Koss "The Plug" earphones too, which I will use for work, and keep these for at home so I don't lose another pair. ;)

I've removed 1 star because I think they are slightly expensive for what they are, and because for this price i'd expect some form of in-line volume control. Also, the slightly below par bass means some manipulation of your player if your coming from headphones, or plugs that have a fuller bass response. However, A solid performer, and a superior alternative to bundled headphones / earplugs.