[CQ-Contest] Etymotic versus Bose Headphones

[Eric Scace K3NA]

   My experience with in-ear headphones is:

#1:  No significant isolation from room noise.  If you have anything else going on in the room (fan or blower noise from amplifier
or computer, other operators in a multi-op), your brain is going to have to work harder to overcome both room QRM and radio QRM.

   Noise processors in the headphones will help reduce fan or blower noise but do nothing to quiet down the operator next to you.

#2:  Ear buds get very uncomfortable after a few hours of continuous use.  The ear canal gets very irritated.

   Personally, I am reluctant to introduce additional audio processing after the radio before the ear.

-- Eric K3NA


-----Original Message-----
From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com]On Behalf Of Bill Tippett
Sent: 2003 August 5 Tuesday 09:56
To: cq-contest at contesting.com
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Etymotic versus Bose Headphones


	Has anyone compared the Etymotic ER-4
or ER-6 to Bose QuietComfort headphones?  The
ER-4 claims 20-25 dB isolation and ER-6 15-20 dB
versus ~10 dB for the Bose (if my memory is correct).
http://www.etymotic.com/

	How about the comfort factor of using in-ear
earphones versus the Bose headphones for extended
periods of time?

	Bose QC can be had for ~$150 used on eBay
(probably because they dropped the list price to $249
when the QC2 was introduced).  I've seen the Etymotic
ER-6 for $115 new and the ER-4 for $220 new.  Seems
like the ER-6 is the better value with similar audio
response curves at frequencies <3 kHz, and only
slightly less isolation (~5 dB).

	Just curious if anyone has actually used either
Etymotic for extended periods of time and what you
think of them?

			73,  Bill  W4ZV

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