Etymotic In-ear-monitors

[f1fan]

I am looking for quite a while at buying some good ear monitors that are comfortable and don't put pressure on my ears with the helmet (Shoei X-11) on. I've tried a few low budget of-the-shelf ear phones that just don't cut it.

The problem is that they start hurting my ears after a while and rip out when I stop and take the helmet of.

I saw those Etymotic ER-6 monitors and they look rather small. These might work and I wanted to check if anybody here has a pair and would like to share impressions on the level of comfort over several hours of riding, quality and the stay-in-your-ear factor when taking the helmet of.

 

[FJRocket]

Lots of riders using those. I'm sure you will hear from them.

I am using a pair of Radio Shack in the ear plugs. Nothing fancy, but I did have to mod them. Threw out the factory foam and cut my own E.A.R. foam plugs to fit. I also cut back the tube that runs down the center because my ears (and the rest of me?) are shallow. They work very nice and block out a LOT of noise. $20.

I've tried buds. They suck.

 

[TXFJR]

I bought some Sony in-ear plugs that are very similar to these, but about 1/3 the price. I got them at Best Buy about a year ago, but I haven't seen them there since. They're noise canceling (but, only a bit) and VERY comfortable.

Here they are: https://www.audiocubes.com/product/Sony_MDR...a_Earphone.html

 

[gasman]

Over the years I've tried many different types and have found these to have no equal. JB

https://69.36.163.112/index.html

 

[f1fan]

Thanks for the replies thus far. I will evaluate all option before I make a decision. As suggested, I did think about custom ear plugs also.

As I said, I have tried already several option but the tight fitting helmet makes it somewhat hard to use any sort of ear plug that is not flush with the ear.

I will wait a few more days and see if other people have good experience with either the ER-6 or other products.

 

[NodakFJR]

I've had the ER-6i's for about a month now.

I use them with an iPod and squeeze my pumpkin into a Shoei TZR with no problem. I tried the silicon plugs for awhile and they bothered my ears after an hour or two. The foam plugs are more comfortable and do a better job keeping out the noise for me. The longest I've had the foamers in was a trip from Omaha to Fargo (~600 miles). I'd remove them at the gas stops for break, but at the end of the trip they were still comfy. The foamers have gotten pretty scuzzy finally, so I need to modify some basic foam plugs for replacements.

They work a heck of a lot better than the buds. I can keep the iPod volume at about 50% and some tracks are too loud. With the buds I had to have the volume at 100% and all I really heard was noise. I can now pick out subtle stuff on the tracks that I couldn't didn't even hear on the home stereo.

My only remaining problem is keeping the iPod from locking up. I bought a RAM holder for it but evidently the frequency of buzz in the handlebars isn't attenuated enough. I have to keep it in my jacket pocket which eliminates the locking up but also elimanates song skipping, volume adjustment, stopping it altogether, etc.

Go over to the St.n site. There's some extensive threads on the ER-6's.

John

 

[skyway]

Someone pointed me to these the other day. This is what I will probably go for when the time comes. Kieth on fjrowners.ws is the man to contact for a good price. k:

Challenger M earphones

 

[falcon]

Huge fan of the ER-6 here. The silicone plugs work fine for me - took some getting used to. Custom molds are the way to go if you dont like the silicone rubber plugs. The foamy ones didnt hold up to the abuse I put them through. The headphones themselves have stood up very well to my poor care of them. Its time to change the filters though...now where did I put those replacement filters.... You'll know when its time to change because the sound cuts out - at first i thought the headphones had an electrical break, but it was just the filter getting totally saturated with ear oils/wax :bad:

I used them for 7 hours a day 4 days straight on a trip. I am a music addict and having good tunes while exploring the Ozarks was a real treat.

I also won't step on an airplane without them.

 

[Rogue]

I've got the ER-6's. I've had them for 1 1/2 years and they work great. I've used them on bikes and to listen to music in areas where I need ear plugs. I've got helmet speakers on the FJR now which are more convinent. The only thing with the ER-6's is you have to make sure to push them way down in your ear.

 

[Bounce]

Hard to beat custom molded ear monitors.

11 days with then in for at least 18 hours each day. Great against wind noise and excellent sound quality.

Ear Monitors

 

[Ghost_Rider]

Do a search on sport-touring.net and you'll find a thread with a ton of info about these.

I use the E4's and LOVE them. They are the only earphones I can get my helmet on and off with, and be comfy all day. Plus the sound is amazing!

 

[valetz]

ER-6's are the way to go if on a budget... get 'em here

https://www.mixitproducts.com/

They are what I have....

But if you've got the $$ get the custom molded ones.... Those are what I am going to get next...

-bvw.

 

[f1fan]

Wow, you guys are great. Thanks for all the info. :clap:

I will certainly check out the other forum to get more info on the ER-6 monitors.

The custom molded ones are probably the best fit.

Birtday is coming up so maybe I can give some hints and add it to my wish list. :lol:

Thanks again for all the help and info.

PS: Here is a site that I found posted on the St.n site. That's the cheapest I've seen them so far. Compuplus.com

You have to scroll down.

 

[JimV]

I too have the Ety ER-4P's that I bought for airline travel. I just tried them whilst riding the Feej today. As I suspected, they may have too much isolation. It was great though. Quiet as a Lexus, fast as a Ferrari. ;-) Surreal almost, whizzing down I-90 with only my tunes in my ears.

The ER-6's are more of a canal bud from what I can see. Whereas ER-4P's have the big blue and red lug that sticks out of your ear. I had no problem getting my helmet on but taking it off made me pretty nervous for a few seconds.

All in all, the experience rocked. I'm sure I'll be using them again for long haul travel. I'm not sure about city/around town driving though. I'm kind of paranoid about not hearing some cage honking at me.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[antvq]

I'm kind of paranoid about not hearing some cage honking at me.

Tell the cages to get some Magnum Blasters. Then you will hear them for sure.

:atv:

 

[Zzooomm]

I can't speak for the ER6s but I do own the ER4Ps and must say they are difficult for me to keep in position while getting into my helmet. They have a longer body than the ER6s so the ER6s may not offer the sane problem. That said, I now have the Challengers with custom earmolds and they are far superior in comfort and sound quality to the ER4Ps that cost more.

I just returned from 8 days and almost 4000 miles in Colorado and New Mexico wouldhave had sore ears had I used the 4Ps. I rode about 15K miles the the Etymotics and they were never as comfortable. The Challengers have a much greater bass response than the 4Ps and superior clarity. ScooterG had Challengers and had bad luck with comfort. I recommend going to an audiologist (see your local hearing aid store) for the mold. I paid $15 for this cute young thang to squirt the stuff in my ears and then sent them off to the lab for molding. The key to placement and comfort is to use a water based lube every time you put them in your ears. I bought a small 15 ml bottle of Otoease designed for hearing aid wearers and place a drop on my finger finger and give myself a wet Willie and the earmolds pop right in and seal perfectly. I must say that with the XM playing you are fairly isolated. With it off, I can hear all I need to. I got mine from www.earplugstore.com. They send you the mold kit with return mailer. I must say I could not be happier. They always seat and never become dislodged as long as you use the lube.

Having run out of the Otoease, I was in the local Walgreens and stopped on the "personal lubricant" isle and sampled several and decided on the KY Ultra as the closest thing to Otoase. While the Otoease had phophoric acid to prevent pH from going up and causing otitis externa (equivalent to swimmer's ear). I'm currently using the KY product but will probably go back to Otoease.

Kevin

 

[Piggy]

I have used ER-6's for a couple of years now. I have satellite radios on both my bikes and the ER-6's work beautifully. They deliver great sound and at the same time they act as a decent pair of earplugs to reduce ambiant sound. Unlike other ear-phones (Koss, Sony, etc) that I have worn on the bike, the ER-6's deliver loud enough sound -- and blocks enough of ambient sound -- that no amplifier/booster is needed for use with satellite radios.

(Note: While I find the ER-6's extremely comfortable to wear, I should tell you that a friend who tried them to listen to his music on his bike found them quite uncomfortable. It seems this must be a function of the shape of your individual ear canal.)

Piggy

 

[Ghost_Rider]

If I had it to do over again I probably would have got the E6's, mainly becuse I "think" they might sound a bit better. The E4's are much smaller, but a tad longer and I think the driver is a bit smaller too, making the bass not as good as the E6's. However the 4's have been super comfy for me.

If your having problems with your buds, try a few things.

While the bud is in your ear try twisting it so the base is in a differnet position. I used to just put the buds in and put my helmet on. but now I find that if I twist them toward the back of my head some, they find a nice little spot to tuck into and add even more comfort and stability.

If your having problems keeping the buds in your ear when putting on your helment, try this. Put the buds in, then take the cord for each bud and wrap it back around the top of your ear, like you would glasses. If thats not enough, you can wrap your ear from underneth giving you a bit more support, but it takes up more cord and might feel kinda funny. I dont have to do this why my 4's but I did with another pair of buds. It works great though!!

Good luck, and let us know how the E6's work for you. Out of the MANY people that have used them, only a small % either didnt love them, or they just didnt fit them.

 

[f1fan]

I sure will give feedback once I get them and try them out. Ghost Rider, you are right there has been an overwhelming majority of people's comments that only had good things to say about them. Every ear is different and what fits one does not necessarily fit someone else. I will give the ER-6 a try and if that doesn't work I may have to look at custom molded plugs. We'll see.

Thank you guys for all your input. :clap: