Etymotic Research is a company established in 1983 by audiologist Dr. Mead Killion. Today, they focus on making high quality products for audiophiles (Etymotic makes earphones) and the hearing-impared (and Etymotic makes hearing aids). Right now we will take a look at their 6i Isolator Earphones.

The 6i Isolator Earphones are made to be a noise canceling earphone but at the same time offer unbelievable sound reproduction for your listening pleasure off of your portable device (Ipod, MP3 Player, etc.). The main points that Etymotic gives for the 6i Isolator are:

• Lightweight and Portable
• High accuracy
• High noise isolation
• Higher Sound Output
• Enhanced Bass Response

Going off the points they give, the Etymotic 6i Earphones are extremely light and portable. They weigh in at under 1oz. and are about the size of the end of an average pinky finger. The 6i have a white cord that is approximately 5ft long and also has a clip on it. High accuracy is something that should strike anyone right away. These earphones are expensive, but the reason is for their unbelievable accuracy. You really have to hear them to believe them. They offer response that really no other similar earphones can offer for portable devices, and they give a super clear sound.

Now onto the use of the earphones. Unlike normal earbuds, the 6i is a in ear earphone. This means that they slide in like earplugs to plug your ear from outside noises. This is how they can be noise canceling and yet not have electronic noise canceling that tries to mask the sound by use of opposite frequencies (this is what most noise canceling headphones like Bose do). Considering they slide in your ears like earplugs, the 6i Earphones can take a bit of getting used to. Etymotic has put a great guide for tips and instructions on how to insert and use the Earphones on their site HERE. I have tested their tips and instructions and also some ways of my own, and it seems their way works the best and is the easiest way to use the earphones. It is EXTREMELY important to get a good seal in your ear since without a good seal the sound quality will not be very good. They also have different ear tips available depending on what the shape of your ear is.

In use, the 6i Isolator earphones have very good audio response. Unlike the ER-6 that lack in the bass, the 6i are much better and work well with Ipods and other MP3 players. The 6i still do not offer unbelievably low bass, but they offer a good reproduction of the bass response and work well. I used the 6i earphones on my Yamaha stereo going through a separate EQ and I was able to receive unbelievable audio quality. The 6i do obstruct the clearness of the ER-6 and ER4 series on the stereo though as they are focused to be used on a portable device, and thus are tweaked to be used on a portable device

One last point I like to mention is that the 6i earphones are very discrete. They do not look like you are wearing a 149$ pair of earphones and this can decrease the risk of being robbed on the bus or train to work which can be an issue in big cities if you are wearing a huge headphone setup.

Pros:

• Great Quality + good bass response
• White Color Matches your Ipod
• Portable
• Discrete
• Different Tips Available

Cons:

• Can take some getting used to
• I would like to see a sample of tips included so that people can see what one fits them best

Thanks to Etymotic for the Review Sample!