Big Picture Big Sound

Now Ear This!

In the interest of full disclosure I have to be honest about one thing at the very start: I've never been crazy about in-ear style earphones. I recognize that this is largely due to an irrational fear of someone coming up behind me while I have them in and slapping me in both ears. An act which, I assume, would cause my head to explode. I've also heard one or two horror stories about discomfort caused by removing the earphones too quickly. But I'm willing to suffer for my art, so I'm diving headfirst (or earfirst) into the world of in-ear-canal 'phones with the ety8 in-the-ear Bluetooth Earphones from Etymotic Research. So you understand, if the ety8s are good enough to convert an in-ear-phobe like myself, they must be pretty damn good. I'm happy to report, they are.

Call 'em "tech sexy"

Straight out of the box the ety8s look futuristically cool. In fact, they're an odd combination of sexy and geeky. The left and right earphones are a mere 2 x 3 inches and are connected by a cord which you keep around the back of your neck while you're wearing them (like "croakies"). The right earphone has a slot for a USB cable (for charging) and controls for play/pause, next/previous and volume.



The ety8s are made specifically for the iPod (though they can be "paired" with other Bluetooth devices) and come with a small Bluetooth transmitter/adapter called an "8-mate." The "8-mate" attaches to the bottom of any dock-capable iPod. For this review I used the "Big Picture Big Sound" 80GB video iPod. See this list of supported iPods on the Etymotic site.

After a quick 2-3 hour charge, I was ready to rock'n'roll - wirelessly, that is.

'Phoning it in

I lined up three different types of ear/headphones for comparison with the ety8s: a pair of Sony MDR-V150 headphones, those omnipresent iPod earbuds, and Etymotic's own ER4P Micropro earphones.

I lined up an assortment of audio to try. Funk, Jazz, Hip Hop, Classical, Rock, even a little Sinatra. For completeness sake, I also loaded episodes of "The Office" and "Battlestar Galactica" onto the iPod to get an idea of how the ety8s would work for TV viewing. As a side note, I didn't play with the EQ settings on the iPod. I wanted to hear how all the 'phones performed with a base reference sound.

For fun, I started the test with the iPod earbuds. I didn't expect much from these much-maligned little fellas, and in that way they didn't disappoint. Tinny, light and decidedly hard-to-keep-in, the earbuds come free with the iPod for a reason. And they sound as cheap as they are. Even some of the more bass-heavy music I tried couldn't improve the experience.

OK, on to the Sonys. In general, while the MDR headphones don't provide any kind of immersive experience, and the highs and lows aren't the best, I find them to be a fine, cheap alternative - good for throwing on and throwing off at work or on the road. Little did I know that both these options were about to be blown out of the water by Etymotic's contenders.

Getting in touch with my inner…ear

When comparing the ER4Ps with the ety8s, I tried to use the same kind of tips - however, note that the ER4Ps use ER4 tips while the ety8s use ER88s. Still, both products include a variety of foam and flanged choices, so it was easy to find analogous tips for comparison.

I experimented with both the foam and flanged tips while testing the ER4Ps and the ety8s. As a general rule, the plastic tips provide a better seal and therefore better sound quality than the foam. However, I was more than happy with the quality of the foam tips, and I also found them far more comfortable to insert, remove and wear for long periods.

The Art of Noise-isolation

The ER4Ps are nothing short of fantastic. With both flanged and foam eartips, listening to music of all genres was a completely immersive experience. Since I live in New York City, it's easy to test the noise-isolating qualities of the ER4Ps and the ety8s. All I have to do is walk outside. However, please note noise-isolating earphones shouldn't be worn out in the street without extreme caution. Their isolation is so good it may prevent you from hearing things that could actually put your life in danger. For my tests, I used them on a roof overlooking Second Avenue. I also tried them while vacuuming and while on an airplane (not at the same time). In all cases, the noise-isolation was first-rate. So much so that I was convinced a colleague was only pretending to shout at me until I stopped the music and realized it was no joke.

But this isn't a review of the ER4Ps, let's move onto the ety8s...

I started by plugging the 8-mate into the docking port of the iPod. I was happy to see that the 8-mate makes the connection even with a protective leather case around the iPod.

In order to activate the ety8s, you hold down the power button for 1-2 seconds, press play/pause on the iPod (the LED on both the right earphone and the 8-mate turns green) and you're good to go. Since the 8-mate attaches to the iPod's docking port, you can control the volume, next/prev and play/pause from the controls on the right earphone.

Each earphone weighs less than 14 grams, so the weight on your ear is negligible. However, when you're walking around with the ety8s in your ear, you can feel a definite vibration. Keep in mind, of course, the same could be said for wired inner-earphones if you let the cord swing. With each earphone inserted, I felt a bit like Lobot from "Empire Strikes Back", only cooler. Though you might say watching "Battlestar Galactica" on an iPod with the ety8s make me a candidate for nerd of the year. To which I say, "…and loving it!"

I'll tell ya, there's something undeniably cool about walking away from your iPod and selecting songs via the earphone in your right ear. Using the buttons on the side of the earphone causes an interesting sensation, however. Since the tip is already basically touching your brain, it's disconcerting to push even further. The controls don't require much force to activate, so it's not much of a problem. Still, it takes some getting used to.

Once I was used to the feel of the earphones, I could sit back and concentrate on the sound. It was a beautiful thing. The ety8s are almost entirely as crystal clear as the ER4Ps. I found a slight lack of highs and lows during some Jazz (Miles Davis, "Sketches of Spain") and Classical (Mozart, Verdi, Puccini) - in other words, music with more subtle variation to it. But the Hip Hop, Rock and Funk were right on. And Mr. Sinatra sounded milky smooth.

I started with Jurassic 5's "What's Golden" with its gut-rumbling bass. There was astonishing clarity to it - the sound was almost tactile. After a few more selections, I moved on to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "If You Have to Ask" from "Blood Sugar Sex Magik". This one blew me away. Each instrument jumped out - the scratchy rhythm guitar, the staccato drumbeat, the fluid bass line. There was sound coming from all around me. I heard lyrics I had never heard before. It was so good, I had to listen to more of the album before moving on.

Free Range Turkey

Obviously, you could keep the iPod on your hip while you walk around enjoying wireless comfort. But staying near the iPod is for suckers. I wanted real freedom. So now that I was comfortable with having the earphones inside my head and controlling music, I decided to take a walk - around the apartment, that is. So I left the iPod on a table in the middle of the room and went for a little stroll. And what better music than "Walk This Way" (what can I say? I'm a nerd).

The ety8s are advertised as having a 10 meter range. This length is pretty typical of Bluetooth devices. Bluetooth emits a fairly weak signal (about 1 milliwatt compared to the 3 watts from a cell phone), so when you read that a Bluetooth device has a 10 meter range, that typically means in "free" or unobstructed space. Since Bluetooth uses radio waves, it doesn't require line-of-sight to the base (in this case the 8-mate) and it is able to travel through objects (including the human body). However, as you start to block the Bluetooth signal, that 10 meter range tends to get shorter and shorter. I've noticed this with many Bluetooth devices (like my JABRA headset) and the ety8 is no different.

This shortcoming of Bluetooth's weak signal is slightly exacerbated by the ety8s because, unlike a cell phone headset (which can tolerate occasional signal hiccups), the ety8s require a continuous signal or else you immediately notice drop-outs in the sound. Bluetooth's weak signal is most likely the cause of the slightly deficient highs and lows as well.

I found that the ety8s worked perfectly with direct line-of-site to the iPod/8-mate - or at least minimal obstruction (i.e., me) - but as I started to push the limit (i.e., going into another room about 20 feet away), the sound would cut-out a bit too often for comfort. There were also a few times when I experienced random sound drops which I couldn't explain. In theory, Bluetooth shouldn't be interfered with by other wireless signals in a room, but considering that I had a cell phone, Blackberry, wireless router and wireless laptop all in the same location, it's a miracle it worked as well as it did.

Four ears are better than two

As a quick side note: since the ety8s connect via the iPod's docking port, that frees up the headphone jack for a set of wired headphones. So, if you have a significant other (with good musical taste) who you trust not to jack up the volume without warning, he or she can listen to the iPod via the headphone jack while you groove-out wirelessly.

Warning: don't blame me for any battles over volume or musical selection.

Final Thoughts

I want nothing more than to give the ety8s four stars. However, there are a few undeniable drawbacks: the random dropouts, the slight weight on your ears, the lack of subtle highs and lows (when compared to the ER4Ps), and pressure from using the buttons - all conspire to knock the 8s down a notch. Also, $300 is a lot to pay for a pair of headphones, even for ones as advanced as the ety8s. But it's so much fun to put in the ety8s and cruise around the house, leaving the iPod behind, and to enjoy music on the move without any wires, that I'm only willing to knock off a half star.

The ety8s are great for anyone who's comfortable with in-ear-canal earphones, and who's willing to make small sacrifices in sound quality in exchange for freedom from cumbersome wires. Run, don't walk, to your nearest store. And then walk, don't run, away from your iPod. Thanks to the ety8s, your music will follow you.

Where to Buy:

Etymotic ety8 in-ear earphones on Amazon.com

Product Specs (from the Manufacturer):

• MRSP: $299 with iPod 8-mate BT adapter ($199 without iPod adapter)
• Transducer Type: Balanced armature
  
• Frequency Response Accuracy: 50 Hz -6 kHz ± 3 dB, 20 Hz -15 kHz ± 6 dB
  
• Noise Isolation: 35 dB with flanged eartip, deeply inserted, 40 dB with foam eartip, deeply inserted
  
• Max Output: 110 dB SPL
  
• Weight: < 1/2 oz each earphone
  
• Battery Life: 7 to 10 hours depending on the connected BT device
  
• Charging Time: 1 hour to 80% charge. 2-3 hours from empty battery to full charge
  
• Range: >10 meters in free space
  
• Volume Control Range: 40 dB
  
• Total Harmonic Distortion: < 4% at 1 kHz at a nominal output of 100 dB SPL
  
• Antenna: Internal
  
• Supported iPods

What's in the box:

• ety8™ earphones
  
• 8•Mate™ adapter
  
• Assorted eartips
  
• Filter changing tool and filters
  
• USB charging cable
  
• Leather case

Manufacturer's Contact Information:
Etymotic Research, Inc.
61 Martin Lane
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 USA

Customer Service & Information:
1-888-Etymotic (1.800.389.6684)
847.228.0006 (outside North America)
847.228.6836 (fax)
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST, Monday - Friday

Web site: www.Etymotic.com
Email: customer-service@etymotic.com