So I received, finally, some earphones to replace the stock phones I got with my N10 MD player back like 3 years ago or something (it's the anniversary edition recorder from Sony).
Anyway, I haven't really tried them with my MD, or outside. Currently, I've only used them with my PC. And let me tell you...as of now they seem overrated.
I'm not saying these are bad, not by any means. But all the reviews I read claimed that they were worth the price. To be honest, I'm not impressed, but I'm satisfied by my stock earphones, the only problem being they never quite fit in my ear properly, and sound isolation wasn't the greatest.
Of course, these are the two things the ER6i's are known for - sound quality and isolation (note the ER-4Ps are the cream of the crop, well, apparently). I'll start off with what I was underwhelmed with - sound quality.
After adjusting my EQ a bit in Winamp, I noticed the biggest difference was in the treble - much much clearer. When listening to live recordings of high quality (I tested out some Smashing Pumpkins songs) the difference was quite obvious. Sounds way better. After a while once you get accustomed to the fit of the cans, the sound almost feels as if it's in your head, sorta hard to explain but if you've heard higher end phones you'll know what I mean.
However with urban music, the differences aren't so significant. Considering I paid $100USD for these, I was expecting a huge difference over the shitty headphones I normally use with my PC (not even a gold plated plug; note I'm not referring to my stock MD cans). I find that there's less bass, though clarity is improved. What I'm saying is, the bass is.....well, let's say adequate with the volume at normal levels. However, it doesn't really overshadow the rest of the music - it all plays out quite nicely, in that you can hear all frequencies quite equally, which is really awesome. So it's just a different kind of sound - generally less bass, but much more balanced.
The $100 USD I paid doesn't just go towards sound quality - it also goes towards isolation. And holy shit, these are incredible. I'll probably just plug them in when I'm studying if people are talking in a library (though isolation is increased when you play music, for obvious reasons). My prime example is that my dad was on the treadmill behind me, which is quite loud, and on top of that he had the TV turned up quite a bit so he could hear it over the treadmill. Anyway here I was listening to music about 4 feet away - I couldn't hear the treadmill, the TV, anything, just the music. I can't hear myself typing at all right now.
Of course, there are several disadvantages to such isolation. Try plugging your ears and talking - the sound sorta reverberates within your head. Also, if you move the cords around of the headphone, you can hear the movement as it is transmitted through the cord to the cans. The worst part is - these things aren't the most comfortable. They really stretch out your ears. At first I had this near-burning sensation but became accustomed to it after after about an hour.
Regardless of the above, I mainly wanted to buy these for listening to music on the fly - on the bus to school, walking around campus, etc.. And with such isolation, they should work *perfect*, especially on the bus when there's nothing to hear anyway :lol
Can't wait to try them out, out of the house.
For the price.......I'd give these an 8/10. A fair price for these would be about $80USD. Still, I don't feel ripped off paying $100. However, I would at the MSRP of $150.
Anyway, I haven't really tried them with my MD, or outside. Currently, I've only used them with my PC. And let me tell you...as of now they seem overrated.
I'm not saying these are bad, not by any means. But all the reviews I read claimed that they were worth the price. To be honest, I'm not impressed, but I'm satisfied by my stock earphones, the only problem being they never quite fit in my ear properly, and sound isolation wasn't the greatest.
Of course, these are the two things the ER6i's are known for - sound quality and isolation (note the ER-4Ps are the cream of the crop, well, apparently). I'll start off with what I was underwhelmed with - sound quality.
After adjusting my EQ a bit in Winamp, I noticed the biggest difference was in the treble - much much clearer. When listening to live recordings of high quality (I tested out some Smashing Pumpkins songs) the difference was quite obvious. Sounds way better. After a while once you get accustomed to the fit of the cans, the sound almost feels as if it's in your head, sorta hard to explain but if you've heard higher end phones you'll know what I mean.
However with urban music, the differences aren't so significant. Considering I paid $100USD for these, I was expecting a huge difference over the shitty headphones I normally use with my PC (not even a gold plated plug; note I'm not referring to my stock MD cans). I find that there's less bass, though clarity is improved. What I'm saying is, the bass is.....well, let's say adequate with the volume at normal levels. However, it doesn't really overshadow the rest of the music - it all plays out quite nicely, in that you can hear all frequencies quite equally, which is really awesome. So it's just a different kind of sound - generally less bass, but much more balanced.
The $100 USD I paid doesn't just go towards sound quality - it also goes towards isolation. And holy shit, these are incredible. I'll probably just plug them in when I'm studying if people are talking in a library (though isolation is increased when you play music, for obvious reasons). My prime example is that my dad was on the treadmill behind me, which is quite loud, and on top of that he had the TV turned up quite a bit so he could hear it over the treadmill. Anyway here I was listening to music about 4 feet away - I couldn't hear the treadmill, the TV, anything, just the music. I can't hear myself typing at all right now.
Of course, there are several disadvantages to such isolation. Try plugging your ears and talking - the sound sorta reverberates within your head. Also, if you move the cords around of the headphone, you can hear the movement as it is transmitted through the cord to the cans. The worst part is - these things aren't the most comfortable. They really stretch out your ears. At first I had this near-burning sensation but became accustomed to it after after about an hour.
Regardless of the above, I mainly wanted to buy these for listening to music on the fly - on the bus to school, walking around campus, etc.. And with such isolation, they should work *perfect*, especially on the bus when there's nothing to hear anyway :lol
Can't wait to try them out, out of the house.
For the price.......I'd give these an 8/10. A fair price for these would be about $80USD. Still, I don't feel ripped off paying $100. However, I would at the MSRP of $150.
