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ER6i vs. Skullcandy

mcarb said:
There is a little screen at the end of the hole where the noise comes out. You should replace the screen every now and then.
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When you bought them they came with a little metal tool with a screw like end, and a couple of tiny plastic inserts. Find 'em or buy a few more from Etymotic.

Screw the tool into the screen on the earbud and pull then pop in a new one.
 
Hooli said:
:cool

RockinEarPlugs.JPG
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Who made these? Work ok?
 
psychocandy said:
christ people! how hi-fi do you need if you're listening to 'em on yr bike? keep with the skull candy headphones. they're not the best headphones out there, but their customer service is pretty awesome. they're cheap and they have a ridiculous lifetime guarantee. unfortunately, i lost mine, but you can send them back if they break/you destroy them and they'll replace 'em for free.

seriously, you're on a motorcycle, wearing a helmet, and there's LOTS of noise interference, there is NO reason you need $100 headphones. unless you just wanna show off what a "big baller" you are.
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You obviously have no idea what you are talking about.
 
FickleBiker said:
After a few years of frequent use, my $99 ER6i's finally gave up the ghost..... I'm not getting anything from one of the buds; I LOVED these!!!

Skull Candy buds are one heck of a deal!!! But they didn't fit comfortably under my helmet. If I remember correctly, they did a pretty good job of blocking out wind noise.

I bought a few other inexpensive buds, but the ER6's will easily the BEST at fidelity AND blocking out wind-noise..... It's nice not having to turn the volume up to the point of damaging my ears.
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Did you try replacing the filters?

I was getting severely reduced volume in one ear. I was going to send them in for repair, but support said I should replace the filters first. Usually I'd expect the high end to drop out when filters were needed, but I tried it anyway and it solved the problem. Sounded like new.

BTW, If you search around, you can find ER6Is for $70...
 
JPK said:
I tried the er6i's, but their noise suppression didn't impress me (nowhere near as good as good foam earplugs) and they hurt my ears after a few hours.
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mcarb said:
I totally disagree.

Maybe it's just the way my ears are shaped. But whenever I use any kind of earbud, all it does it hurt the shit out of my ears after about five minutes.
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I wrote this already, but seriously, buy the foam tips for them. With the foam tips, they are just as comfortable as straight foam plugs, are more comfortable and secure than the rubber tips, and block wind noise better than the rubber tips. They do NOT block as much noise as a true ear plug, but they block enough and with a little music the noise basically disappears. And you can still hear traffic/horns/sirens.

With the rubber tips, I can wear earbuds for 20-30min. With the foam tips, I can wear them for a coast to coast flight.
 
ohio said:
I wrote this already, but seriously, buy the foam tips for them. With the foam tips, they are just as comfortable as straight foam plugs, are more comfortable and secure than the rubber tips, and block wind noise better than the rubber tips. They do NOT block as much noise as a true ear plug, but they block enough and with a little music the noise basically disappears. And you can still hear traffic/horns/sirens.

With the rubber tips, I can wear earbuds for 20-30min. With the foam tips, I can wear them for a coast to coast flight.
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For me, the discomfort is a combination of a couple of things. First, the rubber insert isn't very comfortable (I guess I have small ear canals). The foam tips could possibly help here. Second, the part of the earbud that protrudes from the ear hits against the inside of my helmet. After a few hours this gets very annoying. The er6i's seem like some of the lowest-profile earbuds I've seen that still have any sort of decent noise suppression.

The custom IEM's like Hooli showed fix both of the comfort problems, plus provide better noise suppression than any generic-fit earbud could provide.
 
wsmc831 said:
You obviously have no idea what you are talking about.
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the ONLY thing I use headphones for is listening to music in transit. on my bike sometimes, on an airplane, on BART, maybe on a hike. in any other situation, that's what speakers are for. I personally think headphones in general are the least pleasant way to listen to music. I can't imagine paying more than $20 for any headphones. if I so desperately need to disassociate from the world, I'll stay at home and blast PiL Metal Box. if I'm in public, well, I chose to be there so I'll interact with the world.

it's just not worth it to me. on a bike? you're never gonna get your money's worth out of a pair of high end "In Ear Monitors." Jesus, even typing that phrase makes me feel like a prick! on a plane? is it so hard to read a book or take a pill? besides, consider the source. 99% of the time, these headphones are gonna be used to listen to MP3s, right? you've already compromised the sound quality right there!

sure, if you're also using these headphones for some serious work or listening in a good environment, go crazy. but the OP's query was in regards to on-bike listening. spending good money to listen to crap music on a crap format in a crap environment just seems like a waste to me.

you sir, do not know wha you're talking about.
 
NoGall said:
Jeff, I have a custom pair, but one ear or another usually ends up breaking seal with the mould somehow in mid-ride... and let every road sound in. Lived with it until I tried ER6i.

About Skullcandy's rubber buds falling off easily... Who else has this problem?
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^^^ i have

i've tried both brands. skull candy just wouldnt stay in my ear, either rubber would lose its seal, or rubber and speaker would seperate.

the Er6i's are GREAT.....but after 1 season, 1 side started not working. otherwise i loved them, except for the fact they are white, so more easy to spot by LEOs
 
Motorcycle RN said:
Who made these? Work ok?
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Hooli said:
:cool

RockinEarPlugs.JPG
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I had a set of (something like) these made by E.A.R. They were pretty good but cost about $175. After 1.5 years one of the monitors stopped working and they "fixed" them for $75. After the "fix" neither ear sounded as good, and then they failed again after 5 months. I figured I was better off buying the ER6i several times, which I have not done- The first pair has lasted about 4 years now.
 
just so you guys know skullcandy does have lifetime warranty. and there are a ton of different models
 
boney said:
See comments posted earlier about changing the filters.
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yea i was having same problem. 1 side was fine, other was super soft.


ah HA!

the filters are these silly little super small circular thingies, then YES that was the problem! i removed them with a needle (they are just baaairly glued onto the headphone), and now both sides work like new! now i gotta order some more filters..





teh BARFz saves the day !
 
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psychocandy said:
the ONLY thing I use headphones for is listening to music in transit. on my bike sometimes, on an airplane, on BART, maybe on a hike. in any other situation, that's what speakers are for. I personally think headphones in general are the least pleasant way to listen to music. I can't imagine paying more than $20 for any headphones. if I so desperately need to disassociate from the world, I'll stay at home and blast PiL Metal Box. if I'm in public, well, I chose to be there so I'll interact with the world.

it's just not worth it to me. on a bike? you're never gonna get your money's worth out of a pair of high end "In Ear Monitors." Jesus, even typing that phrase makes me feel like a prick! on a plane? is it so hard to read a book or take a pill? besides, consider the source. 99% of the time, these headphones are gonna be used to listen to MP3s, right? you've already compromised the sound quality right there!

sure, if you're also using these headphones for some serious work or listening in a good environment, go crazy. but the OP's query was in regards to on-bike listening. spending good money to listen to crap music on a crap format in a crap environment just seems like a waste to me.

you sir, do not know wha you're talking about.
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Again, unless you've actually tried various kinds, you are just stating your uneducated opinion. You obviously have very little experience with various kinds of headphones in multiple environments.

I travel, and have various headphones, both over and in ear. Why don't you go try some Er6i's, some skull candy's, and some custom molded silicone and come back with some opinion that is based on real world experience. I've tried helmet speakers, ipod headphones, skull candy, 2 pair of er6i, and custom molded, and can tell you I noticed a huge difference in them all, including while riding, which is what the OP asked. What difference did YOU notice with them all?

Or, maybe you just assume you know what they will sound like?
The customs I'm currently using only cost 250, and are serviceable by the manufacturer as I've had the cords replaced once in 3 years. Go get yourself a pair, they're great.

You are shockingly unconvincing in your uninformed opinion.
 
"only cost $250." :wow

there's your ignorance right there. I'll be sure to get a pair and skip eating this month! I exaggerate, but the point still stands. you are just shockingly ignorant.

--------
ok. I can't stop thinking about this. really? REALLY? did you at least get a BJ with those headphones? I'm pretty sure even my wife would be pissed at me if I didn't at least get that if I spent $250 on a pair of headphones. even the sound engineers I know don't own anything like that! (except maybe for studio use only)

OP, I apologize. I'm being a dick in this thread. will a pair of awesome custom headphones for $250 that may or may not come with a BJ sound better than your sh*tty Skullcandys? yes. will a pair if Skullcandy buds sound better than a crap pair of Panasonics or Sonys from Walgreen's? yes. is the difference worth it? between the crap pair and the Skullcandys, yes. because the crap pair isn't that much cheaper than the Skullcandys. are the custom BJ headphones that much better than the Skullcandys? harder to say. but considering that you're listening to MP3s in a helmet on a motorcycle at speed, I'd be willing to wager that most people would NOT think that it was worth paying 10 times more.

but every pair of expensive headphones I've tried on, noise canceling, over ear, studio "quality," etc may have sounded "better," but HARDLY worth more than my weekly food budget. ymmv, as they say.
 
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So that's your whole problem, how much money someone spends? Do you realize some people just have more money than you? It's really not all that big a deal, but getting pissed off because you think someone is wasting money is just juvenile, and calling them ignorant ...well...you may want to look up the definition of the word. Just because you don't think they are worth the price doesn't mean plenty of people do. Do you call everyone with a motorcycle worth over 4k dollars ignorant?

I'll be enjoying them immensely on a 9 day ride through Costa Rica next month, glad I'm not forced to wear $20 headphones.
 
$250 is pretty excessive IMO for sure; but its not totally completely out of the picture kind of excessive. the ER6i are 70 or 100$, which i think is WELL worth the $ over the skullcandy brand. so really, the BJ earphones are only double or triple that of the ER6i. if i was making $100k/yr, i could see plunking down $250 on a set of super well made, custom fit to my ear, BJ earplugs.








..............aaaaaaaaas long as i got the BJ upon purchase, of course.

:teeth
 
The Skull Candy Ink'd sound like crap (very hollow), the Titan's cost a few bucks more but sound way better. They fit nice under my helmet and don't protrude much (of course any earbud needs to go deep in the ear canal to get proper bass)
 
SpeedyCorky said:
$250 is pretty excessive IMO for sure; but its not totally completely out of the picture kind of excessive. the ER6i are 70 or 100$, which i think is WELL worth the $ over the skullcandy brand. so really, the BJ earphones are only double or triple that of the ER6i. if i was making $100k/yr, i could see plunking down $250 on a set of super well made, custom fit to my ear, BJ earplugs.








..............aaaaaaaaas long as i got the BJ upon purchase, of course.

:teeth
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The er6i's are great, and probably the best value of any I have tried. I would say I got about 10% more isolation, and 20% more low end because of that isolation. Not to mention how secure they stay in. Totally worth it to ME. I'm sure people are riding around with very high end customs, which can cost upwards of 1000 dollars...or more.
 
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