Review: Etymotic ety8 Bluetooth Stereo Earphones

Posted by: danc on Jun 28 2008

For the sake of full disclosure let me begin this review by noting that I am a huge fan of Etymotic’s headsets. I purchased the E6i headphones shortly after getting my iPhone last August and really liked them. When the opportunity to review some of Etymotic’s other products came up I was more than happy to do so and I have been consistently impressed by their products. I am so much a fan of Etymotic’s products that I use a pair of ER 6is or hF2s daily, and the etyBLU is my iPhone headset choice whenever I drive.

So how did the ety8s stack up? Read on to find out.

About 2-1/2 months ago I was in the midst of reviewing the etyBLU and hF2 headsets for JAiB and, while looking over the Etymotic catalogue, was struck by the rather odd-looking ety8s. They looked more than a bit cumbersome. I asked Gail Gudmundsen, Etymotic’s Director of Sales and Marketing if the company would be coming out with something smaller and lighter than the squared-off ety8s since the ety8s looked more than a bit bulky and cumbersome. In retrospect it probably wasn’t the most politic of things to ask the company’s Director of Sales and Marketing(!) but at least I didn’t refer to them as “rather odd-looking”. Gail was kind enough to ignore my rudeness and wrote back,

The one thing people say repeatedly once they have tried the ety8s is how small and lightweight they are compared to what they were expecting.

A few days later a review pair arrived (Thanks Gail!) and I can honestly say that Gail can now quote me as saying that they are not only much smaller and lighter than what I was expecting, but they also sound awesome!

(Still, as much as I like the ety8s I continue to find them “rather odd-looking”, although not enough to keep me from using them– did I mention they sound AWESOME!?!?!?

Ety8s come nicely packaged. Inside the box are the earphones, a variety of eartips, a usb charging cable, a filter changing tool and filters and a nice leather case. (There is one other component that came with my ety8s but I will get to that later.)

The earphones themselves are small, connected to one another by a thick cord and fit easily in a pocket for easy carrying. They are light, too, weighing less than half an ounce each. This is an especially good thing since the earphones are supported by the same in-ear tip that fills the ear canal and isolates outside noise. As usual, Etymotic includes a large selection of eartips, assuring a comfortable fit.

As I mentioned earlier, the earphones have an awkward, square shape that is the result of one ear being almost entirely composed of the battery (which, by the way, provides 7-10 hours of continuous music). The other earpiece has simple, easy to use controls. A small round power/play/pause button at the top corner, four buttons (two for volume and two for track forward and back) arranged in a circle, and a small power indicator. I have used multiple bluetooth stereo headsets and this is by far the easiest set to control while wearing and therefore, out of sight.

Like the company’s other headphones and earpieces, this headset is of the "in the ear canal” style. That means that the proper fit is important not only for comfort and headset’s stability, but for the quality of the sound as well. When the headphone is seated properly the sound is magnificent and external noise is isolated. When the headphone isn’t seated properly, however, it loses much of the bass and sounds tinny.

Some people, such as my wife, find the in-ear style of the headphones uncomfortable. I should note that when I first tried Etymotic’s ER 6i headphones it took a bit of time for me to become comfortable with the unusual feel of the headphones. Now, however, I prefer them over pretty much everything else. Because the ear-tips are exceptionally effective at noise isolation, it easy to become totally oblivious to the outside world. That is reason enough to only use these earphones when stationary.

I should note that the ety8 earphones are just that- earphones. They do not provide voice support for calling. They do one thing (stereo music) and they do it superbly.

I mentioned earlier that there was an additional accessory that came with my ety8s- a$50 iPod adapter. Why did I/do I need one? Simple- Apple has yet to see fit to do what EVERY OTHER COMPANY HAS DONE and add A2DP support for bluetooth stereo to their products. (Thanks a lot Apple!) As a result, in order to use the ety8s with any iPod, one needs to pay the upcharge for the adapter. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that Etymotic made pairing and using the adapter as easy as could be. The adapter fits securely into the dock connector of my iPhone Touch, pairs immediately and allows the user to control most aspects of the iPod directly from the headset. The bluetooth connection is excellent and clear. It is so clear, in fact, that it is easy to forget that you are using a set of wireless earphones. I have experienced none of the (all-too common with others bluetooth headsets) crackle and signal degridation that plagues other bluetooth headsets. Bluetooth “crackle” is non-existent and signal strength is excellent (although I have not put a tremendous amount of distance between them).

There is a longstanding joke in my family that when headphone implants become available I will be first in line. I’m not sure about that, but I do know that these headphones come as close to fulfilling that prediction as I have ever seen. They are terrific bluetooth earphones. No, scratch that- they are terrific earphones that also happen to offer bluetooth wireless connectivity. If you’re willing to spend the money on some of the best headphones available I highly recommend them. I was listening to them last night in bed, and forgot that I even had them on. Moreover, along the way, I enjoyed some of the best sounding music that I’ve ever heard.

Pros:
Sound GREAT!
7-10 hours battery life
Light and Comfortable
Noise isolating

Cons:
Funky looking
Cord connecting the to ear pieces can be annoying (but not as annoying as a cord connected to the iPod!)
In ear-style may be uncomfortable for some
Requires adapter for use with iPods (Apple’s fault not Etymotic’s)
On the expensive side

Available from Etymotic, ($249 with iPod adapter, $199 without), Amazon and other retailers.

Tags: Etymotic, iPod, iPod Touch, iPhone, ety8, iPhone headphones

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