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etymotic mc5

Etymotic's $79 in-ear headphones sound sweet

Etymotic invented the in-ear earphone in 1984 for use in diagnostic testing and auditory research. The first consumer model, the ER-4, debuted in 1991. I remember that when I heard it the resolution of fine detail was far ahead of any dynamic headphone I'd heard at that time. The ER-4 earphones are still in the line. I still use my ER-4P and love it.

The MC5 is a new model, and priced at $79, it is the most affordable in-ear design ever offered by Etymotic. The company claims its headphones produce superior isolation from external noise, and I agree. The MC5 did a better-than-average job blocking out the sounds of the NYC subway. Etymotic headphones tend to sound more accurate (or less hyped) than most under-$100 in-ear headphones. I didn't have any budget in-ears on hand to compare them against, but the MC5's sound was more naturally balanced than Monster's standard Turbine in-ear ($150). That was especially obvious with acoustic music like the Avett Brothers "Emotionalism" album. The brothers' soaring harmonies and chiming guitars really shined over the MC5; the Turbine sounded more immediate and brighter, but lacked the MC5's warmth.

Gil Scott-Heron's "I'm New Here" album's sound mix, with its buzzy keyboards and rumbling basslines sounded fabulous over the MC5, though the Turbines had deeper bass that made more of an impact, but its more upfront balance added an edge that detracted from the music. They are very different-sounding headphones, and, as always, selecting a winner is very much a matter of personal taste. Etymotic's MC3 ($99) headset model offers the same sound as the MC5, but adds a microphone and volume controls for iPods. … Read more

Etymotic announces iPod control mod, new earphone line

Walking into the North Hall at CES this year might make you wonder if someone had picked up MacWorld and deposited it into the Las Vegas desert. The space was packed end to end with various iPod accessories, complete with iLounge Pavilion. As you might imagine, headphones made up no small part of the audio offerings on display. Among the many companies on display was Etymotic, which was demonstrating its new mc-series headphones.

The sleek new earphones come in a variety of shimmery colors, including a forest green version not shown here. They also include Etymotic's excellent noise-isolating capabilities … Read more