Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator Earphones VS. Shure E2c Sound-Isolating Earphones ??? Which are better??

They're both in-ear, so they'll both be a lot better than what you're used to. The differences will probably be negligible to normal human ears.

One important thing though: if possible, I would advise you to try out in-canal earphones for a while before you buy your own pair. They're very different from headphones and they do need some/a lot of getting used to. (it's a bit like contact lenses/glasses: lenses aren't the best solution for everyone, some people can't stand them)

Another important thing to remember: because they cancel out ALL surrounding noise, you won't be able to use them while walking/cycling in traffic/sitting in the same room as someone who might want to have a word every now and then/near a phone that could start ringing (e.g. at work).

That said, I've had Etymotic ER4P's for about a year now and I couldn't be happier with them. I don't go out much and there's nobody who wants to talk to me :-) , so I can listen to them whenever I want to. Except at work. Tried having one ear in and one ear listening to the phone: doesn't work at all. Anyway. I'm hearing details I never heard before in CD's I had been listening to for years with a Sennheiser HD-570 (which is already a very good headphone), so if you can handle the feeling in your earcanal (pressure), go for either of the two.

I can recommend the E2Cs; I've had them for about two years and like them a lot. (Actually, I had one pair for about a year; it broke; Shure replaced it free.)

I will say, though, that sound-wise I am not as blown-away as I'd like to be, and I've heard that the Etys sound better. The Shures definitely don't compare to my Grado SR60s, but they are great for the gym and for listening on airplanes and in other noisy / public environments.

i hate the cords on the e2cs, love the etymotics

I have to reiterate that ear canal point above. I HATE the feeling of those little rubber things in my ears and have gone back to big old earmuff headphones.

i prefer the expanding foam that Shure has over the rubber covers

i had the etymotic's 2 years ago. they're good and clean sounding, not very much bass. if they're alot cheaper than the shure's i say get them.

i just got a pair of shure e4's and they're really, really, really, really fantabulous. nice and clean with a good amount of bass. i'm not too sure about the e2's though.

I've had the E2Cs for four months and couldn't be happier. After watching the wires of two different pairs of white Sony EX71SLs dissolve before my eyes (and a third pair crap out at the gym tonight) I'm not sure what's to "hate" about the cords of the E2Cs - too sturdy?

Perhaps I'm biased because I wanted a cord that would take the abuse of regular commuting or, I guess, frequent portable use (as opposed to the warm, safe, sound confines of home, for example).

Back when I made my decision, I chose the E2Cs over the ER6Is because of the former's superior sturdiness as well as its allegedly* better noise-cancelling/sound-isolating performance.

And as for what you're ultimately after, y'know, the sound quality? I don't know if you could do any better for the money. Once you get acclimated to listening to music at a lower volume [it does take a week or so to make the adjustment], you'll likely find that the E2Cs offer a truly full range (bass to highs) of sound.

* "Allegedly" b/c I didn't have an opportunity for a head-to-head comparison and went on reviews by others.

I've had the Etymotic ER-4P's for a couple years, and the Shure E2Cs for a year. I use the Ety's at home, the Shures when travelling. The Ety's reveal a lot more detail to my ears--that "hearing things I've never heard on records I've been listening to for years" thing applies. The E2Cs just sound really good, but not revalatory. I guess that's not a help, since the ER6s are not necessarily comparable to the ER-4Ps. But I dig Etymotic as a company. For the money, the Shure's have done just fine--I actually use them in places like the Laundry where I might not want *total* isolation.

I have the E4c set from Shure and love it. I actually much prefer the thicker cord on the Shure headphone sets, because I'm the type that would end up ripping the Etymotic's thin cords right apart by walking through a turnstile or something...just wouldn't happen with the Shures. (Both sound fantastic though.)

if you're the kind of person who's used to wearing ear plugs to shows, then you'll more than likely be totally fine with in-ears. i love my ER6s; great for the city when you wanna cut out the noise and relax. i hear all sorts of things/frequencies that i never heard before, even with other earphones.

you should check out headfi.org for loads more about these.

i owned the ER6is for six month or so before i lost them, and i thought they were great; but i looked around a lot when i came to replace them, and settled on the westone UM1s. they can be had for around $90 if you look around. anyway, for my ears they blow the ER6is away - the problem with the etys was the lack of bass, and the UM1s have no deficiency in that area, while maintaining the incredible level of detail (well, incredible to me - i've never heard the ER4Ps, for example).

thanks for all the help and suggestions guys!