The Etymotic Research Ety8 Earphones do not look like other earphones, not even those from Etymotic Research itself. Most consist of rounded ear inserts, whether in-ear or ear buds, with a cable dangling from them that is connected either to a cell phone or a music device. The Ety8 is simply different.
In place of the cable, each of the ear inserts is part of a small and lightweight rectangular casing. These weigh a mere 14 grams each. One of these houses a battery while the other contains a set of control buttons. With these you can power up the Ety8, play and pause your music, and adjust its volume. The buttons are designed in a way that they are easy to manipulate even when the earphones are out of sight and in your ear.
Bluetooth connects the Ety8 Earphones to your portable media player as long as they have Bluetooth connectivity. They support A2DP as well as AVRCP profiles, and Bluetooth 2.0. For iPods without Bluetooth, Etymotic Research offers an 8•mate™ adapter. By simply plugging this adapter into your iPod, you can begin to enjoy listening to you favorite music without the hassle of cables from your ears. You don’t even have to carry your media player with if you stay within 10 meters of it. You can expect to continue listening from 7 to 10 hours without need to recharge the battery.
Ety8 Earphones are in-ear earphones which allow them to isolate noise by as much as 35 to 40 dB. Because of this capability, you need not increase the volume of the Ety8 thus protecting your ear from any lasting damage. Along with the unit is a choice of 3- or 2-flange-eatips, and foam eartips.