I have a pair of these and frankly, taking phone calls on in ear canal buds is sorta weird and disconcerting. I stopped using mine and put them up for sale. YMMV.

What's still needed is some kind of wired remote for the iPod that allows you plug your phones and the remote in at the same time (think: a splitter jack). The remote can then be on it's own cord which you can clip to your headphone wires to keep the remote handy.

okeanos

You mean like this:

http://www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=4571
I have it and use it with some cheap earbuds and it works great. It also has little clips along the cable to connect to the headphone cord. And yes, talking on the phone with canal buds is kinda weird. It's $15-$20.

I purchased the custom ER-6i buds about a month ago. I sent in my stock iphone earbuds and received a customized set about a week later. I didn't get the same cable back so they must just send out a pre-made pair (my old buds had a permanent ink stain on the cord).

UB tells you to give the buds some time to mellow and develop more bass notes. But after a month of fairly steady use, my buds still pretty much sound like a tinny transistor radio. The earbuds cone with 2 types of earpieces: silicone and foam. I've tried both types and I'm sure I've achieved a complete seal (you essentially give yourself a wet-willie to seal the silicone ear pieces). Nothing I've tried has produced an acceptable level of bass. If you set EQ to bass boost and crank the volume at all, the phones distort terribly.

Using the phone with the earbuds is no weirder than using any headphone that covers both ears. Yes, the caller sounds like they are inside your head, but you can understand them very well, even in a noisy environment. When I drive, I leave out the left earbud so I can talk and drive handsfree and still hear what's going on around me. The microphone and answering/hanging-up functionality remain as Steve intended and works very well.

In all I'd give phone function 7/10 and music function 4/10.

Philip

Philip, a few comments:

The ER-6i are known for being fairly accurate overall, but not having much bass impact. (Canalphones in general lack the visceral bass response of headphones with larger drivers, but the ER-6i especially so.) If you want more bass, I recommend contacting Ultimate Buds to see if they might let you swap the UB7 for the UB7EB.

> If you set EQ to bass boost and crank the volume at all,
> the phones distort terribly."

This is a known problem with the iPhone's/iPod's EQ; the Bass Boost setting can distort noticeably.

> Using the phone with the earbuds is no weirder than using
> any headphone that covers both ears. Yes, the caller sounds
> like they are inside your head, but you can understand them
> very well, even in a noisy environment.

The issue I was referring to the in review relates to how you sound to yourself, not how well you can hear other people. When it comes to how you sound to yourself, there's quite a bit of difference between standard "closed" headphones and in-ear-canal models. Standard closed headphones give you a different sensation than open headphones, but they don't suffer from the occlusion effect, which is a specific phenomenon that occurs when canalphones seal tightly against your ear canal.

I took a razor blade to an old pair of $9.99 headphones just where the bulge of plastic prevents it from fitting into the recessed jack. Scoring a line all the way around, I then just pulled off the extra plastic. It was really easy, and took all of 30 seconds. Apparently that extra plastic is only cosmetic. If you do a nice even cut, it looks like that's how it came from the factory. I dunno if it works on all headphones, but it was a simple cheap way to make my own headphones work.

Phillip,

We would be happy to exchange your buds for the UB7EB if you'd like to try those - please just give us a call or email.

The Etymotics should NOT sound like a transistor radio. These are $150 earbuds that use some of the best and highly researched in-ear speakers available! The only way they will not sound full is if they aren't inserted properly or if your ear anatomy just doesn't allow them to seal up. We find that about 3-5% of people just can't get a good seal, and we gladly offer those people a refund or let them exchange.

Happy Listening,
Brad, Ultimate Buds

Thanks Brad,
That is a very generous offer. I will email you. The problem may be anatomical. The reason I bought Canal phones is because I can't find a set of ear buds that work in my ears. I had the same problem with my stethoscope.

Dan, Re: When it comes to how you sound to yourself, there's quite a bit of difference between standard "closed" headphones and in-ear-canal models.

I understood what you meant. Hearing myself is a nonissue for me. Of course you only hear the resonant tones that are transmitted directly through your body from the vocal cords to the eardrum. As I tried to indicate, if that bothers you, you can just pull out the left earbud. Personally, I find that the ambient noise screening I get during a conversation allows me to hear myself and the caller better that any standard phone earpiece ever could. I understand however that this sensation might be disconcerting to those unused to having their ears covered while they talk (In my case, by a stethoscope.)

Philip