On the flight home, I tested my new purchase, and the results, as already shared with me by others: this is an amazing product.
Picture of the ER-6 earbuds from Etymotic's website. In reality, the plugsare even smaller than they appear on the photos
The noise dampening of surrounding chat, babies crying and engine noise was impressive. Having read online that pushing the plugs deeper than first felt intuitive was key, I suddenly experienced surprisingly powerful bass and crystal clear music, while blocking out most (but not all) noise.
Example: while a steady (but lower volume) rumbling form the engines could still be heard, I heard nothing of what people next to me were talking about, nor did I hear anything when the flight attendants asked me about drink- and meal-options. Safety is ensured by cabin announcements being very loud (they are; maybe even louder than you notice when not wearing a product like this), so I could hear things said on the plane's speakers, but got my peace to think and listen to music otherwise..
Potential issues:
- Wires are really thin; I'm afraid this could cause them to break more easily than other (cheaper) plugs I've used in the past
- Dirt. You put these babies in deep into your ears. The silicone tips are easily cleaned in warm water, and spare filters are supplied. Still, these plugs are not something you'd want to share...
Overall rating: absolutely worth the money...
- Tonight: Moses, The Famous Last Words etc - Jun 13, 2005
- Tonight in London: Honeymoon Machine - May 19, 2005
- The Gift - AM FM - Nov 22, 2004
- Ben's Brother - Oct 02, 2004
- U-MYX - mix the music yourself - Sep 20, 2004
- See more related posts in: Gadgets , Music , Travel
Cool. I've been looking at Sony's Fontopia MDR-EX70LP, which aren't bad, but I'd rather get the best. The reviews look really good, your aggregation of comments on the previous post was very helpful.
Posted by: Michael Kruckenberg on June 12, 2003 07:29 PMActing on the advice in your previous review, I got the ER-4P's to go with my new iPod. They arrived before the iPod so I plugged them into my PC's soundcard and my digital radio and thought they sounded dreadful on both - there was absolutely no bass at all.
However, once the iPod arrived and I plugged in, all was revealed in sonic splendour. They really are very, very good - but I can't account for the variable performance. An unexpected benefit is that they stay in place - I have large ears and regular buds just fall out. With these puppies screwed into my brain I can go running and nothing will shake them.
Great find, Anders. (iPods, PC's and firewire adapters - now that is a different story).
Posted by: Richard on June 17, 2003 06:33 PMI use the sony MDR-EX70LP and they are quite nice. Similar to the ER-4Ps in that they are inside the ear canal. However, they cost $40, so they meet my needs while not being too expensive, which is nice as headphones only typically last six to twelve months for me.
Posted by: ralph on June 27, 2003 05:37 PMI currently own 2 sets of SONY EX70's .. Always thought the sound was the best untill I began realizing just how muddy they are. Treble settings must be raised to get clear highs , bass must be lowered on the eq to get decent mids and treble. Then sometimes the muddy sound hides all the mids and details in every range. Overall a great set if you listen to Techno or hardcore bass music, but no detailing on either side of the levels. I also found for every album released, the eq must be changed to match the music. Sometimes even changing the eq doesn't help in producing good sound. For the whole 40-50$ US that you'd pay for them, the sound can be crystal clear if you have the patience and dont mind playing with settings for every song/album.
I just ordered my ER-4P's which should arrive tomorrow. Once they get here, I'll leave some details on comparing the EX70's with them for whomever is interested.
take it easy.
.
Jay.
Great site - I'm heading off on a loooong intercontinental flight (Melbourne, Australia to São Paulo, Brazil via Sydney, Auckland and Santiago de Chile!)in August and have been scanning the net for a long time researching noise reduction headphones. Your site is by far the best! I've found all the information I need and all my questions have been answered!
Posted by: Catherine on June 21, 2004 09:36 AMGreat site - I'm heading off on a loooong intercontinental flight (Melbourne, Australia to São Paulo, Brazil via Sydney, Auckland and Santiago de Chile!)in August and have been scanning the net for a long time researching noise reduction headphones. Your site is by far the best! I've found all the information I need and all my questions have been answered!
Posted by: Catherine on June 21, 2004 09:36 AMI am looking for a noise reduction solution for sitting in front of my computer (coding) not listening to music at all. The sounds I wish to eliminate are computer fan sounds, keyboard typing sounds of others, people talking and walking around in adjacent rooms, etc. General noises that come with any office territory.
Would these sufficiently reduce such noise (without music)?
Feel free to click my website and email me, but please reply here, too.
Posted by: Matthew Doucette on December 30, 2005 08:18 PM"I have been using my Creative Nomad Zen for half a year now. As my article A Week With The Nomad Zen is my most read article I thought that it might be a good idea to write a follow-up story on it. So, to the case: As I am"
Anders Jacobsen's blog: A true story about noise cancelling (January 21, 2004 11:23 AM)
"It's true what they say; these babies work. Even at reasonably low volumes, all you hear is your music. Good bye temporary deafness form playing loud music in attempts to drown out ambient noise. Hello Pink Floyd!"