Etymotic Research 6isolator Headphones Review
By Mark Brezinski
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
Published on April 08, 2008
The 6isolators are a pair of in-ear headphones by Etymotic Research. The 6isolators are small, even compared to other in-ears; when worn, the buds are barely visible outside your ears. The cord is also very thin, which makes the 6isolators even more inconspicuous. Unfortunately, the cord is also hard to keep from wrinkling or tangling on itself, and it feels like it could be easily snapped or torn.
Cord aside, these headphones are comfortable. Even after six hours of continuous use, they didn't burden our ear canals. Most users should be able to get a similarly comfortable wearing experience, since there are three different types of sleeves included: double-flanged, triple-flanged, and foam. There is only one pair of triple-flanged, but the others come in two different sizes. Five different pairs should allow most people to find something they like.
The 6isolator headphones had good audio quality for an in-ear set. Typically, in-ear headphones can't cram as much audio quality into their smaller frame as on-ear or over-ear sets can. That being said, the 6isolators managed to do a great job. They had a good frequency response curve, had minimal distortion, and were great at isolating their users from external noise, especially mid-range and high frequencies. The main falter point for the 6isolators was their tracking. If headphones have good tracking, it means the left and right sound elements are emphasizing frequencies the same amount. In our tracking test, we found that the 6isolators had trouble with the higher end of the frequency spectrum, where the tracking became slightly uneven. However, most users are unlikely to notice the difference this makes. The 6isolators also had great isolation; the earplug-esque design means that they are very effective at blocking outside sounds, and only a minimal amount of your music escapes from them when they are in use.
Though Etymotic Research's 6isolator headphones can't offer the audiophile-quality sound of their bigger over-ear cousins, they do offer very decent sound quality and are priced fairly at $139.00. If you're shopping around for a nice pair of in-ear headphones, the 6isolators should definitely be a pair you consider.For a more in-depth review, visit the Etymotic Research ER6i Review at our partner HeadphoneInfo.com
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