Etymotic ER6i earbuds discontinued: now what??

[Texcollect]

Originally Posted by soyanarchisto

To be clear, are you saying that you use the westone earbuds with a helmet liner and they work fine?

I wore these with a helmet liner. I believe that they are a similar design to the Westones. The liner lets the helmet sllip over the ears without disturbing the earphones.

[Nut Clutch]

Fawk. I lost my er6i 10 days ago... Bought some cheapies at a drugstore, but I need something better. How I wish I could just buy another set of new er6i headphones.

[Cataract2]

Well, just want to chime in. I got a set of the hf5 and will say that they fit comfortably under the helmet and the sound is extremely good.

[sonic578]

Has anyone tried these for riding?

http://www.etymotic.com/hp/hd15.html

[Mr. Canoehead]

Originally Posted by sonic578

Has anyone tried these for riding?

http://www.etymotic.com/hp/hd15.html

Those don't sound like a good fit for motorcycles - from what I read, they are for construction workers, etc where they are exposed to short burst of loud noises - kind of like automatic welder's goggles for your ears. I that situation, regular plugs are never in when you need them, so I think the idea is to leave these in all the time and they will protect your ears if and when required.

I guess they might be useful for riding around town where you want to hear at low speeds but get the noise cut at higher speeds. They are also $$$$$ - almost as much as Shure 535's!

[sonic578]

Originally Posted by Mr. Canoehead

Those don't sound like a good fit for motorcycles - from what I read, they are for construction workers, etc where they are exposed to short burst of loud noises - kind of like automatic welder's goggles for your ears. I that situation, regular plugs are never in when you need them, so I think the idea is to leave these in all the time and they will protect your ears if and when required.

I guess they might be useful for riding around town where you want to hear at low speeds but get the noise cut at higher speeds. They are also $$$$$ - almost as much as Shure 535's!

Actually they seem like they'd be a very good match for us riders given that, like construction workers, we too see a mix of high noise and the need to communicate, or at least be aware of our surroundings, when noise subsides. But, effectiveness probably depends on the activation threshold noise level. Their data indicates max attenuation kicks in when peaks reach around 120 dB. For those wind noise pops, i'd bet that happens quite often. What I like about the idea is being able to chat when stopped, or communicate at a toll booth or a gas stop, all without having to remove both helmet and plugs! Now combine that feature with a bluetooth connection for music, and you've got a winner!

What I don't like of course is the high price... but I'd really like to try out a pair, or hear from someone who has. The crew at Etymotic have always had their act together.

[baroquenride]

Bumping an old thread. I believed in all the hype of ER6i's until yesterday when I bought a pair of cheap earbuds that have much better bass response. I loved the foam surrounds that I bought for the ER6i and they kept out lots of noise but for my needs my new earbuds work and sound much better and are about $100 cheaper! Once I get pics, I'll be throwing them up for sale.

[EJ_92606]

Originally Posted by baroquenride

Bumping an old thread. I believed in all the hype of ER6i's until yesterday when I bought a pair of cheap earbuds that have much better bass response. I loved the foam surrounds that I bought for the ER6i and they kept out lots of noise but for my needs my new earbuds work and sound much better and are about $100 cheaper! Once I get pics, I'll be throwing them up for sale.

What brand did you get?

[Xeraux]

Originally Posted by baroquenride

Bumping an old thread. I believed in all the hype of ER6i's until yesterday when I bought a pair of cheap earbuds that have much better bass response. I loved the foam surrounds that I bought for the ER6i and they kept out lots of noise but for my needs my new earbuds work and sound much better and are about $100 cheaper! Once I get pics, I'll be throwing them up for sale.

The only thing you're giving up is hearing protection.

[Bob]

Originally Posted by Xeraux

The only thing you're giving up is hearing protection.

WHAT.

[FlowBee]

I switched to HF5s last March. Mixed bag: the sound isn't as "dynamic" as the ER6is and sounds a bit more flat. I'm sure it's much more accurate, but my ears are used to loudness compensation of music, especially when moving. Even mowing the lawn I prefer a little more high and low end. The ER6is sounded better to my ears because of this. The cords on the HF5s is much thicker than on the ER6is (which was their Achilles heel - BTDT), but works OK on a bike. They also stock out of my ears about a mm more than the ER6is, but again work OK in my helmets.

I also have a pair of $35 Sonys I bought around the same time. They are somewhat brighter, but not as smooth. They also block almost as much sound and the cords are thinner. Much cheaper so they are a decent option.

I miss my ER6is. My wife won't let me have hers.

[levain]

I got some Dream Earz. These are AMAZING! I've been waiting a little to do a full review, but wow. They block about as much wind noise as my etymotics did (I could only use those with the pink foam tips), and sound incredible. I got the dual driver version and they are well worth what I paid. These are a massive upgrade from the Big Ears that I also own and have misplaced.

Mitch, the owner, is a drummer. I think he does this as a day job, so response times can take a couple days, but he's a straight up guy that was very patient with me. After having Big Ears, I wanted something that was going to sound great. The Big Ears were pretty good, and fit perfect. I just always felt like if I was going to go to the trouble of customs again, I wanted better sound. These do not disappoint. You have the option of one, two, three or four(!) drivers and can upgrade down the line if you like. These are the real deal.

I love these things. In depth review soon.

[Wlfman]

Originally Posted by levain

I got some Dream Earz. These are AMAZING! I've been waiting a little to do a full review, but wow. They block about as much wind noise as my etymotics did (I could only use those with the pink foam tips), and sound incredible. I got the dual driver version and they are well worth what I paid. These are a massive upgrade from the Big Ears that I also own and have misplaced.

Mitch, the owner, is a drummer. I think he does this as a day job, so response times can take a couple days, but he's a straight up guy that was very patient with me. After having Big Ears, I wanted something that was going to sound great. The Big Ears were pretty good, and fit perfect. I just always felt like if I was going to go to the trouble of customs again, I wanted better sound. These do not disappoint. You have the option of one, two, three or four(!) drivers and can upgrade down the line if you like. These are the real deal.

I love these things. In depth review soon.

Looks like they'd be awesome, but damn that price is up there...

[GI_JO_NATHAN]

Originally Posted by Wlfman

Looks like they'd be awesome, but damn that price is up there...

Ok so I've decided some people just have way too much money.

[levain]

Originally Posted by Wlfman

Looks like they'd be awesome, but damn that price is up there...

Yep. They're not cheap for sure. I wore Etymotics for years. Then, I wasn't able to find the only tips that worked for me. Now, they're discontinued. I tried Shure, Westone, cheapies from Best Buy, Etymotic HF5 (that supposedly replaced the ER6i) and a few others. Fit is most important for me under a helmet. Then, comes sound quality. None of the above worked for me under the helmet. If I would've bought the Dream Earz from the beginning I would've saved money. Now, I have a drawer of buds to choose from if I ever decide to make good on the fat tax we pay monthly (YMCA)