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Author Topic: Etymotic MK5 Isolator  (Read 3857 times)

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tomscy2000

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Etymotic MK5 Isolator
« on: December 14, 2014, 02:08:17 PM »
The MC5 is believed by most to be a bit of a bust; too boring, not revealing enough, with housings too thick for small ears.

The new MK5, priced identically to the MC5, is supposed to be the spiritual successor to the ER6/ER6i, but uses the EtyKids' housing, with resonance peaks more similar to the EK5.

I overlaid the MK5 FR against the HF5 FR, which should be near identical to the ER4P FR. The scale has been standardized to Ety's target curve.


If we compare the MK5 to the target curve, and shift the FR above 3 kHz to slope in line with the target curve, it looks like the MK5 will have relatively even treble, but it'll be lacking bass and lower midrange presence.
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MuppetFace

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Re: Etymotic MK5 Isolator
« Reply #1 on: December 14, 2014, 02:19:01 PM »
Nice visuals, thanks.

BTW, not entirely related, but have you listened to the Ortofon e-Q8? If so, how would you say it compares to the Rty ER-4? FitEar F111?
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tomscy2000

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Re: Etymotic MK5 Isolator
« Reply #2 on: December 14, 2014, 05:21:55 PM »
Quote from: MuppetFace on December 14, 2014, 02:19:01 PM
Nice visuals, thanks.

BTW, not entirely related, but have you listened to the Ortofon e-Q8? If so, how would you say it compares to the Rty ER-4? FitEar F111?

Sorry, no, have not heard the e-Q8. Everyone who has seems to believe it's an improvement on the old models, though.
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OJneg

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Re: Etymotic MK5 Isolator
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2014, 06:50:03 PM »
So is the MK5 meant to replace the MC5? They seem to be identical from a marketing POV.
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tomscy2000

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Re: Etymotic MK5 Isolator
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2014, 07:19:13 PM »
I asked Etymotic that question, and they say that the issue is unresolved, but I assume that the MC5 will eventually be phased out. There's no reason for it to stick around.
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OJneg

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Re: Etymotic MK5 Isolator
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2014, 07:21:55 PM »
Actually it seems from the Q&A:
Quote (selected)
The MK5 and MC5 earphones use a different sized dynamic drives: the mc5 is an 8mm driver and the mk5 is a 6mm driver. The mk5 has a smaller diameter housing due to the 6mm driver, which may be easier for some listeners to obtain a deep seal in the ear canal. Both models provide the same isolation (35-42dB depending on the eartips uses).

http://www.etymotic.com/consumer/earphones/mk5.html
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tomscy2000

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Re: Etymotic MK5 Isolator
« Reply #6 on: December 14, 2014, 08:18:04 PM »
Yeah, the MK5 really is more of an EtyKids with a low impedance coil. Otherwise, the dimensions are the same, and the driver size is the same. I've heard that there were some minor QC issues with the EtyKids, probably due to low cost, but the MK5 costs a third more, so perhaps it'll have better QC.

The MC5 is just too thick barreled for its own good, especially when Etymotic products are designed to be deep-fitting.

Looks like the MK5 are on holiday discount for $49. Should be a nice pickup.
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hoshiyomi

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Re: Etymotic MK5 Isolator
« Reply #7 on: December 21, 2014, 06:38:05 PM »
I've always suspected Ety Kids are no more than low impedance drivers with an in-line resistor.
These looks like surprisingly excellent high frequency extension, and considering the common issue with Etys lies in that it's so difficult to insert them to the reference plane, having a smaller diameter and also good bandwidth to begin with (perhaps also low acoustic output impedance? I doubt it though seeing how Ety tends to tweak response with dampers. So the last piece to this puzzle is how well they behave in the time domain, and perhaps how low of distortion they tend to clock at.
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tomscy2000

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Re: Etymotic MK5 Isolator
« Reply #8 on: December 21, 2014, 06:44:24 PM »
I've been listening to the MK5 for a few days; my initial instinct is that they sound a little better than the MC5 to my ears, but I'd have to do a direct comparison to be sure. Comfort, for sure, lies with the MK5.

The EtyKids might not just have a resistor. It might actually have a high number of coil winds, with a heavy diaphragm. No one has actually taken apart an EK5 to see what's inside (or at least hasn't taken pictures of the insides).
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tomscy2000

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Re: Etymotic MK5 Isolator
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2014, 06:56:32 AM »
GoldenEars' measurements correlate with those of Ety's below 8 kHz (which is about the limit of repeatable results on 711 couplers)...

http://ko.goldenears.net/board/5384109

After having listened to these earphones for just over a week, I think they're more enjoyable than the MC5. It sounds a little less overdamped in the bass. Like the FR shows, there's not enough lower midrange and too much upper midrange, making some tracks sound a bit shouty, but overall, I like them a lot. Bass extension is pretty darn good.

Ety silicone tips still annoy the f*ck out of me. I've been using Klipsch biflange tips and an over-ear fit.
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