The Etymotic's are actually a really good price point for the quality. You're not paying for a name like Klipsch who is literally just implementing technology that Etymotic sells to them.
Ety doesn't make active noise cancelling products for audio heard. Technically their not really doing active noise cancelling for their headsets either they are doing it all mostly by virtue of using directional mics rather than omni mics and with implementation of wind screens. The ER6's also make a decent pair as well and are much cheaper. Don't go by the prices on etymotic's website as they are MSRP only and much better pricing can be had. Also keep in mind that you need to keep your ears clean and there are filters that require replacement every so often. I find that once or twice a year is about all that is really needed. I personally own ER4P's as I use them with a portable player and low power output stages and appreciate the efficiency. But I also have noticed that they sound much better when driven with a headphone amplifier that I've built on a bread board. The breadboard amp is fairly complex but has a much richer sound than that of my mp3 player direct. I've verified this double blind with a good number of people and many agreed that it is an improvement (although minor). One thing that I find helps with prolonged use is that I went to my local audiologist who had to test my hearing just by virtue of my being there. She looked at my results and thought I was nuts for even coming in to be tested. Then I explained... Westone makes molds for the ER4's that work a trick. You have to go to a Dr (or you technically can do this yourself) but you need to have proper molds taken of your ears. You then send this off to Westone and they send back molds (in one of several materials) I find the otoblast to be one of the best. These molds are the equivalent of custom hearing aids (Westone actually specializes in hearing aids) and they can be worn all day long with no fatigue and hold quite well just by virtue of how well they fit and seal. ~Brett -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Anthony Hardwick Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 8:46 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX1 headphones Another high end option you might want to look into is one of the Etymotic Research models. http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er4.aspx I have a pair of ER4S's that I have used for years with iPods for air travel. It does wonders to passively attenuate crying babies, etc., and the frequency response is outstanding. A lot of audiophiles like these earbuds. While I haven't built my KX1 yet (just purchased it at the Santa Barbara ARRL gathering last weekend from the Elecraft table), I plan on using these with my KX1 once I have completed building it. I think the ER4P's might be the way to go if purchasing specifically for the KX1, since it has a 10 db gain over the regular ER4S's. You can click on the link on the right that says "Which ER4 is Right for You?" to read more about the differences. I see the company now has various active noise canceling earbuds as well now, so that may be another option to look into. I have no affiliation with Etymotic Research other than being a very satisfied customer. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
