etymotic
Latest
Etymotic Music•Pro 9-15 earplugs bring high-end hush to audiences, lets us enjoy speed metal safely
Premium electronic earplugs usually find their homes with musicians eager to preserve their hearing at all costs; anyone within the crowd has more often been left to either use cruder plugs or cover their ears. Etymotic wants to bridge that difference with the Music•Pro 9-15. The combination of ER-9 and ER-15 earplugs matches its namesake not just through the choice of components, but through active noise cancellation that removes 9 to 15 decibels from the sound only when the rock gets too raucous: listeners can hear fellow concert-goers and even boost their volume without skewing the sound of the band. Pricing plays its own part in reaching out to the crowd, too. As high as the new Music•Pro set's $399 price might be compared to a typical pair of ear blockers, it's low enough that a dedicated fan of virtual Tupac can afford to go to the concert protected rather than voluntarily take on some hearing damage.
Etymotic revamps its ETY-Kids3 in-ear headphones, kid-safe volume, now with iPhone controls
Got your kid an iDevice for the holidays? Now they'd like some headphones with inline controls, you say? Well, being the amazing that parent that you are, you're okay with it, but you'd also like to ensure they can't blow-out their eardrums before hitting high school. Fret not, as Etymotic has just unveiled its updated volume-limiting ETY-kids3 in-ear headphones with an iPhone-certified inline remote / mic. The intra-aurals also come with Ety's Awareness app, which mixes in louder noises like traffic, for the sake of extra safety. Ety plans to show off the 'buds during CES, and you can expect to find them on store shelves come January 30th for about 80 bucks. Full press release after the break.
$99 Etymotic mc2 earbuds claim market-beating noise isolation, full platform ambivalence
Etymotic specializes in putting inexpensive moving coil drivers inside noise-isolating buds that can, as an optional upgrade, be individually molded via the company's international "Custom-fit" program. Previous models have been iDevice only, at least in terms of their microphone function and button controls, but the new mc2 should also get along happily with Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, WebOS and Symbian smartphones and tablets. It's due for release by the end of the week for $99, which will buy you noise isolation up to a claimed market-beating 42dB, 8mm (0.3-inch) dual-magnet neodymium drivers, an all-important mic and an assortment of ear tips -- Custom-fit costs extra, and substantially so. Listen carefully and you might just hear the PR after the break squeaking for your attention.
Etymotic EB1 and EB15 earplugs hands-on
Etymotic, a company we've seen here at CES and in the past, has developed a pair of earplugs that protect your hearing against things like loud explosions and gunfire. The EB1 and EB15 Electronic Blast PLG Earplugs, retailing for $449 and $499, respectively, are aimed toward buyers such as hunters, musicians and soldiers -- folks who are exposed to loud noises and need protection. The analog earpieces are powered by a 312 hearing-aid battery and will last three weeks. There's no on/off switch -- just a high and low gain control. High gain is used for environments that require an amplification and the opposite applies for low gain. In other words, if a soldier is out on the battlefield and needs to hear an enemy inside a house, he'd switch to high gain to generate a louder sound. The difference between the plugs is simple: the EB1 is for people who are going to be around one-off noises and the EB15 are for those who are going to be exposed to prolonged noises. We got a chance to test out the plugs on the loud show floor and we gotta say, the difference between high- and low-gain modes is easily recognizable and we feel like these earplugs will make superb head-hole protectors. Plenty of complicated graphs and numbers in the gallery below. %Gallery-113772%
Etymotic moving-coil based earphones ears-on
Etymotic is holding down fort in the iLounge Pavilion at CES showcasing its new line of less expensive moving-coil based headphones. The mc-series consists of the hf2, hf3, and hf5, and employs the moving-coil sound tech instead of more expensive balanced armiture hardware. As Etymotic explained, it's the extra air chamber that makes the moving coil acoustics better than they would normally be. We're not crazy audiophiles, and we can't really make a realistic judgment in the middle of the Las Vegas Convention Center, but the sound quality was definitely passable. They've got a couple of models sporting in-line remote controls for iPhone / iPod touch, and you can score 'em in any color to match your iPod nano. Check the neon 'buds out in our gallery below. %Gallery-82486%
Etymotic hf2 Custom Fit buds bundle ACS' customized ear-mould service
Eytmotic's $180 hf2 earbuds with in-line controller for iPods and iPhones have been around for awhile. In that time, they've racked up plenty of gold statues and plaques to backup their claim of delivering "the most accurate, unaltered sound of any earphone or headset today." Now Etymotic has teamed up with ACS (Advanced Communication Solutions) to deliver silicon sleeves custom-moulded for your inner-ear to ensure a perfect, comfy fit while further isolating you from the ambient noise around you; a trick that allows you to pickup audio detail at lower volumes and thus spare your hearing. Of course, ACS' 15 minute customization service is available for other buds as well, but offering it within the hf2 Custom Fit bundle as a £90 (about $130) voucher redeemable at any of 300 approved ear impression outlets in the UK is a pretty shrewd move.[Via Tech Digest] Read [Warning: PDF]
Here come the new iPod shuffle accessories
Now that everyone is getting used to the new iPod shuffle, the accessory makers are already pumping out the third-party additions (or at least announcing them). Some of the more interesting ones I've seen so far are: the Dexim Shu-Lip (right) that basically offers a streamlined 1/8" plug to USB dongle that turns the new shuffle into a thumb drive ($10). Headphones with included button controller as well as an adapter for existing headphones that just adds just the button controller from Scosche ($49.95 - $99.99 coming in "the Spring"). Headphones with controller from Klipsch ($99.99 "this summer"). Headphones with controller from Etymotic (pdf link) (availability not announced). In any case, if you're interested in dressing up the newest tiny iPod, it looks like the third-party makers have got your back (or at least they will by this summer).[via Gizmodo, Macworld, iLounge]
The Etymotic etyBlu: a less ridiculous looking successor to the ety8?
If you want a pair of true, in-ear buds without the muss and fuss of wires, your options are limited and you need to be prepared to make some sacrifices. One such sacrifice that needs to be heavily weighed into the equation, for example, is your desire to appear as though there is a pair of black Duplo blocks hanging out of your ears. That's exactly the curse of Etymotic's ety8, a decent set of stereo Bluetooth 'phones (we've tried them, they're comfortable and sound great) that were irreparably damaged by the ugly stick somewhere during the course of their development. The high-end headphone outfit has another Bluetooth product in the works, though -- the ER-89 "etyBlu" just hit the FCC's wires, giving us hope that they heard our complaints loud and clear and have worked to make their kit just a little less embarrassing to wear in public. We couldn't find conclusive evidence in the documentation that we're looking at a stereo headset here; theoretically, it could just be a mono product for calls, but we're encouraged by a brief mention of listening to music (who wants to blast tunes into one ear?) and the fact that the ety8's model number is ER-88. Can anyone make out what's going on in this FCC label diagram here?
Ultimate Buds Apple-Etymotic ER-6i iPhone Earphones
I'm pleased to report that I am no longer the odd man out at TUAW. That's right, I finally got around to buying an iPhone. Overall my iPhone experience has been fairly good, but I've been spoiled in the earphone department. Some might recall that I sat down with iLounge's Jeremy Horwitz I asked him the question that he gets asked over, and over again: what are the best headphones for the money? He quickly replied Etymotic ER6i's (which lead me to interview the president of Etymotic later at the show). I took Jeremy's advise and fell in love with the clear sound that the ER6i's produced.What does this have to do with the iPhone? The iPhone comes with a pair of very cool headphones that have a built in remote for the iPod functionality, as well as a built in microphone so you can chat on the phone and listen to music with the same headphones. Brilliant, and one of the best features of the iPhone. Sadly, after using the ER6i's for months, the Apple headphones just aren't up to snuff. That's why I was delighted to read about the Ultimate Buds Apple-Etymotic ER-6i iPhone Earphones.Ultimate Buds has combined the best of both worlds, the remote/microphone of Apple's supplied headphones, and the stellar sound of the ER6i's (the company actually splices a pair of ER6i earbuds to the Apple headphones). This brilliant little contraption will set you back $145.99, $119.99 if you provide the Apple headphones to them, or $40 if you send them both ER6i's and Apple headphones. I'll be ordering a set for myself, until Etymotic comes out with a solution themselves, and you can expect a review as soon as I get my ears on a set.[via iLounge]
Macworld 2007 Show Floor Showoff: Etymotics
During my interview with Jeremy Horwitz, Editor of iLounge, I asked him what headphones he would recommend to replace the Apple supplied earbuds that come with an iPod. Without missing a beat he said the Er6is from Etymoic Research. I had to find out what made these headphones so good, so I headed over to the Etymotic booth on the showfloor and managed to get some time to talk with Mead Killion, Etymotic's President and founder. This man knows his sounds, and he knows how to make an awesome headphone.We chat about the Er6i and the ety8 (the Bluetooth earphones). As always, if you like to enjoy these in Quicktime point your browser here.
Etymotic's boxy ety8 Bluetooth earbuds get reviewed
There just isn't anything like throwing trendy to the wind and kickin' it box style, and Etymotic's ety8 Bluetooth earbuds not only deliver "surprisingly good" sound quality, but a comfort not often realized when wearing atypically sized cans. The folks at iLounge got their hands on a set of these perplexing headphones, and did their testing with the 8-Mate iPod adapter that comes bundled in the $299 package. Reviewers were quite pleased at the functionality presented in the track / volume controls on the right, um, sound box, and noted that the "8 to 10 hours" of battery life was more than respectable. As was expected, Etymotic clearly took its time in developing the system, as it even takes advantage of the "volume mirroring" feature on the 5G (and later) iPods. Moreover, the 'buds were (amazingly) said to be the "least fatiguing Bluetooth headphones" they had ever tested. However, the firm's "first endeavor" in the wireless realm came up a bit short in a few crucial departments; testers noticed annoying "clicking interferences" in the bass notes of some songs, and stated that the overall audio quality didn't quite live up the wired ER-4Ps. Overall, however, these digs aren't likely to bother those who aren't self-proclaimed audiophiles, but the $299 pricetag ($199 without the iPod adapter) is likely to send consumers darting for Logitech's $99 FreePulse solution nonetheless.
Etymotic's new high-larious ety8 Bluetooth headphones
Bluetooth headphones: great idea. Etymotic headphones: great idea. What resulted when the two were smooshed together by the Etymotic guys: the ety8 Bluetooth headphones, or, as we're already calling them around the office, the wireless abomination whose name shall not be spoke. The ety8s come with A2DP and AVRC Bluetooth profiles, an iPod adapter, a few eartips, and some pretty high quality 20Hz - 16kHz/ 1kHz sensitivity / 122 dB SPL output drivers, tacked on to some transceiver / controller boxes unsightly and ungainly enough to make you look like a serious fool, but not before sentencing you to two ears filled with some dowel-thick shafts of plastic, the whole of which looks more like a UN headset than an audiophile's jogging kit. The sad thing is we'll still probably buy them.
