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Accessories

Combat zone tested!
I purchased these while I was deployed to Iraq. The sound isolation is superb. So much so, that I was not allowed to wear them in the clinic I worked in, because I was unable to hear emergencies come in the door! They drowned out all sounds, with the exception of the vibration of explosions, and made for a wonderful listening experience. Now, several years later, I still use them on a daily basis. The design on the earphones is such that I can comfortably wear them while working out and they don't move around or fall out. I also like the unusually long cord with the clip because i can attach it to my shirt while it is sitting on the treadmill and not worry about it falling off. These are very durable and have lasted me many years of extremely regular use. I would never consider another kind. I'm completely spoiled!

High functioning but high maintenance
These headphones work great on the noise-canceling front - I should know as a rider of one of the loudest of NYC's subway lines! I've even used them as earplugs when I didn't have my earplugs on me. The sound is good and they are comfortable enough. The problem? If you lead a relatively rough-and-tumble existence like I do, normal wear and tear causes the squiggly little piece of rubber that covers where the wire meets the jack to come off. This then partially exposes the wires and one will short out shortly thereafter. I've tried to be as careful as possible and usually stored them in the pouch when not in use, but this has happened to me with 3 or 4 separate pairs. I finally wised up and bought the Audio-Technica ones which have a much more protected jack. I'd go with those if you lead an active lifestyle. If ER just corrected this one problem, these would be great...

Watch for extra costs, long cord
I've gone through a few of the er6i's. I accidentally snapped the cord completely in half going through a turnstile leaving work one day. Thankfully Etymotic was able to offer me a 'discounted' replacement, which i think was about $10-15 less than full price.

Over the four or so years I've owned them, I've had to send them back a few times for the right channel failing; most of the time they sent me back a completely new unit, only to have the same thing happen again and again.

Most recently the long cord (I'm 5'11") was caught on an armrest while getting off the train, and again the right channel broke. Additionally, these phones contain 'filters' that you must replace every so often, I've had them last days, weeks, or months, with no understanding why. Replacements are about $15 for 6. If you happen to lose the three-coned earpiece, they aren't cheap, either.

On the plus side, they do sound good, though as others have mentioned, there's very little bass. They also do a fantastic job of eliminating noise on the train.

Great sound but they didn't last long
Purchased the headphones in December 2009. Used on weekdays during commutes to/from work. By June 2010, the connection between the wire and the ear bud was split / fraying. There is a 90 day warranty, but unfortunately the damage was not noticeable until after the warranty expired. Too expensive for six months of use.

Not exactly disappointing, but...
I've been using Sennheiser PX100 headphones for the past few years and I like the sound of them very much, so I expected the Etymotics to be at least as good in terms of providing a full range musical notes. I think the ER 6i's are good phones and create a nice seal to keep the noise out, but they just don't have the bass provided by the PX100s. It may not be fair to compare the two given their physical configurations, but if you look at the retail value of both, the Etymotics should be blowing the Sens out of the water, and they just don't come close to doing that. Maybe you need to spend $250 to get earphones that can rival over the ear headphones, and that might be the major issue here. But for the price I got the 6i's for, I'm not completely unhappy...