14 DAY TRIAL // Etymotic Research introduced the ety8 Bluetooth Earphones, the first in-the-ear wireless earphones. The new earphones are the smallest wearable stereo Bluetooth earphones, weighing less than 15 grams. One earphone contains the battery and the other the circuit, antenna and controls. The ety8 Bluetooth Earphones offer high-accuracy sound reproduction and full noise exclusion.
In addition to being the first in-the-ear Bluetooth stereo earphones, the ety8 Earphones are also the first Bluetooth earphones to provide 35 dB to 40 dB noise exclusion. This level of noise exclusion drops the typical 80 dB airplane cabin noise level down to the 40-45 dB level of a typical living room, which greatly improves users' ability to hear the sounds coming through the earphones. It is more than twice as effective as over-the-ear headphones with electronic noise canceling circuitry. The battery in the ety8 Bluetooth Earphones lasts eight to 10 hours per charge.
A unique feature of the ety8 Bluetooth Earphones is Etymotic's 8Mate iPod Adapter, which provides two-way communication with the newest iPod players. The Bluetooth adapter wirelessly connects the iPod to the earphones and lets users control the sound volume, track selection, play/pause and previous/next functions from both the earphones and the iPod. The 8Mate iPod Adapter represents an enhancement to current accessories (both docking speakers and wireless earphones) that connect to the iPod, which require the volume to be controlled at the receiving end, not at the iPod. In contrast, the Made for iPod 8Mate adapter ensures that the iPod display shows the correct volume or track setting, regardless of which control location is used.
The ety8 Bluetooth Earphones will ship in early December and will be sold through Etymotic's distribution channels, including Amazon.com, J&R Music and Etymotic.com. The retail price will be $299 for the iPod version that includes the 8Mate iPod adapter and $199 for the earphones alone. Both versions are supplied with an assortment of earphone tips, extra filters and a pocket-size leather carrying case.