Etymotic Research ER89-2 etyBLU2 Wireless Bluetooth Headset

This unit is well designed for what it does, though what it does may not be what you want it to do.It does not play back non-telephone audio (iPod / MP3, "radio" applications, etc).It does not let sound in through the ear you have it inserted in.It does not host any voice-activated computer functions, or speak into your ear about its status in its own voice, though it DOES call up Siri with a button push, and let use that service with out problems or extra maneuvers needed.What this unit does do is to provide very clear sound to you and the person you're talking to, and block outside sound from the ear you have it in.It blocks noise very well, and with the included foam "sock" over the mic, people can't tell I'm driving in a convertible when I talk to them.It also pairs instantly without extra steps, and turns on and connects quickly.[edit: I have used it on my motorcycle, and it does block noise extremely well on a bike, too (person on the other end can't tell I'm on a bike). On the bad side, IF you use this with an open-face helmet on a bike, it is only attached to you by sticking in your ear, so if you accelerate, the wind can catch the foam "sock" that covers the microphone and flip the entire unit around 180° in your ear, so that the microphone is pointing to the back of your head. Needless to say, this can be distracting, which is to say, dangerous, not to mention the possibility that it could fly out of your ear, so I don't recommend it.It might work fine in the right full-face helmet, though.]Things to beware of: It sticks in your ear. Way in it. If you don't like things way in your ears, you won't like it.It also takes two hands and a few seconds to insert, so you can't just grab it and stuff it in when the phone rings.I did not find a great fit with any of their included ear tips (everyone's ears are different), so I bought some from a company called ComplyFoam, which work great (they don't list this unit in their guide, but anything that will fit the ety8 will fit the etyBLU2).Finally, I use this with an iPhone5 [edit: now an iPhone10X], and all functions work as designed - I have had no problems.ADDENDUM:I just realized that I forgot to mention that I use this headset regularly in a convertible, with the top and windows down, and it works extremely well.On the highway, at 70 or 80mph, if the windows are up, and the top down, most people are surprised that I'm even in a car; if the windows are down, they can hear something in the background but can usually still hear me clearly.FURTHER ADDENDUM:After about a year of use (well past what I ASSumed was the warranty cutoff), two "bad things" happened:First, the little metal strip that covers the function button came unglued on one edge. It took about a day to progress from "unglued on one edge" to "fell off."Beneath the metal strip is a tiny rubber-covered button, which is well recessed, and therefore unreachable by an adult fingertip; the metal strip has a small plastic block glued to it to reach into this recess.Needless to say, I put the little metal strip in a "safe place" after it fell off, and I never saw it again.Being the constructive type, and not realizing that the headset was still under warranty, I carved a very small rectangle of wood to fit into the recess, and wrapped it into position with several turns of black electrical tape at *just* the right tension so as not to hold the button down.I actually found that the button was much easier to operate with this arrangement, and I liked the all-black color better, so I didn't worry about it any further.Second, the tube that holds the ear cushion and goes into your ear broke off. In my ear. On my way to work.Fortunately, I'm a doctor, and I remove odd things from people's ears all the time, so when I got to work, I grabbed the right pair of forceps and pulled it out myself with no problem, but I would imagine that some people would have found this experience upsetting, especially if they had to pay a guy like me to pull the piece out, so I removed one star from my previous 5-star score.Within the first month that I had owned it, Etymotic had been more than fair and sent me a new unit free of charge when I had broken the old one through my own negligence (which I had freely admitted to them, expecting to send the unit back and pay for a repair), so I did not feel a strong urge to contact them again with another damaged unit, whose damage *could* also have been caused by negligence (though in this case, it was not). Also, my ASSumption that the warranty was expired was incorrect - it has a **2-Year** warranty, so, had I been paying attention, I could have sent it back for a (second) replacement. That being said, I really didn't deserve the first replacement they gave me (without me requesting it), so I feel fine about not having sent it in the second time.I'm finally getting tired of using my iPhone earphones to talk on the phone, and I think I'm ready to pry another hundred dollars from my wallet, so I'll be buying another Etyblu2. If it breaks in my ear, I'll be sure to report back.FURTHER ADDENDUM (Jan 2023): I've now bought at least seven of these things.That could mean that I'm insane, and an unreliable reviewer.The defects above (metal button cover fell off and ear stalk broken off) never happened to any other units.The main problem with these, for me, has not been inherent in the EtyMotic design, but rather in its size, which is a characteristic they share with many other products on the market, such as AirPods.The darned thing is so small that I keep losing them. Or running them through the washing machine.Or stepping on them. I've bought at least 7 of them, and every single one of them I've bought because I've destroyed the last one.The one problem that they do develop is decreased battery capacity, leading to shorter talk times, or a self-draining internal leak, leading to the need to charge every day, or have a dead earpiece. No matter: I tend to destroy them before it becomes a problem. AirPods cost more, and I'm confident I'd destroy at least as many of those, if given a chance.I still recommend these, though I believe they are now out of production.

It's very difficult, a struggle perhaps, trying to convince people that you cannot whisper something to someone who is sitting across the room from you. Perhaps people forget that the further you are away from the source, the less likely you are to hear the message the way it was presented.So why on earth do people flock to glitzy pieces of plastic that don't even make it to your jawbone[sic], let alone close to your mouth? Just because everyone calls it a duck, doesn't mean it's a duck.My livelihood depends on my ability to solve problems for people, over the phone. The better the phone call, the better the chance of resolving the issue.This is probably only my fifth bluetooth headset, since bluetooth headsets were invented. I need them to work, so my clients' experience is not compromised.GN Netcom/Jabra, and Plantronics, were the only companies I trusted. Price is nothing without function. I don't need something discrete where I have to make rude body gestures to people standing around me, to know I'm occupied on the phone. I don't need something that uses the majority of the power from the battery for the purpose of amplifying what it thinks is my voice from 8" away, around a sphere.I stumbled on this unit by accident. The marketing budget from this company either doesn't exist or is mandated not to exceed the budget of the research and development department. There is not a lot of WEB discussions about this unit, relative to all the other fashionable options out there.It's seen on some TV cop shows, where the squad has them plugged into their ears, cause it looks "tactical" perhaps, and iridescent gold bars would clash with their riot gear.It works. It's built well. You may not see it in the pictures, but the finish is a piano black gloss, with a brushed aluminium element where the branding is tastefully screened onto. That is also your multi-function button.The boom for the mic is strong, flexible, and elegant. It's a helical metal boom, much like those found on bore scopes or Manfrotto flex arms, just smaller. The end piece for the mic is not cheap feeling either, a matching fine black finish.It comes with everything you see in the product page; several ear inserts, an ear loop, and a couple foam wind socks for the mic.My clients can hear me well, while driving, and while walking around in building. Outdoors, if there is no wind/breeze, no one can tell I'm on a headset. If there is a breeze, the electronics do a fairly good job at suppressing it. If there is wind, if I am driving with the windows open, and the earpiece is on my left, people will know I am "outside". The experience is not much different than if I were to hold my phone while talking, without a headset... with the exception of one very important aspect... I can hear them, crystal clear. I could be walking around a county fair, children screaming around me, and I would be able to hear the other person. If the other party can hear me, as if I were to be talking through my phone without a headset, that's all anyone can expect.The wind socks/foam work, they help with wind noise, quite well. My clients have commented on a few occasions it sounds like my voice is muffled slightly. For the most part, I try not to use them because in my mind, I feel like I should be on a motorcycle or something... they cancel out any level of elegance of this unit.I use the silicon ear inserts, and the ear hook. This combination allows me to work without worrying that it will fall out, shift, or get in the way of anything. They are comfortable, but after 4-5 hours, I will swap ears.Battery life is excellent. I have had my unit for nearly half a year now, and use it whenever I am not around a desk phone or have others in the vehicle with me. A charge will last weeks if you don't have it ON. Standby, the charge lasts longer than I can realistically keep track of. For use, handling a full day's worth of calls while on the road, calls lasting about 40 minutes each... I find myself worrying about it losing power, more than I should. Probably from past experiences with Jabra units.I was considering for months, a Plantronics Voyager Pro, but was not really impressed with the gestural-boom length. The only other headset I've used which I will continue to support and recommend as an alternative, is the Plantronics Voyager 855 stereo unit.Why 4 stars? This unit poses 2 problems. Maintenance of the ear inserts, and storage.It doesn't come with a case, and since the inserts go so deep into your ear canal, keeping it clean is important. I found a hard sunglass case a good solution. Cleaning the inserts is also a constant challenge, as I want to find balance between "a good cleaning", and premature wear.The multifunction button has been criticized by others as to not being sensitive enough. I disagree, my feeling is that within the firmware, it adheres to a timer for determining what "function" you want to perform.If they came up with an elegant case design to complement the unit, this would be perfect.My head is more oval than round, and I require a large size cycling helmet. When worn, the mic extends down to just touch the corner of my mouth, without coming into contact with my face, even with a large grin. It is not in the way while eating, or drinking from a soda can.

I depend on a good Bluetooth headset for my work. I am often in a noisy environment, so I require a headset that blocks out background noise, both for myself and for the.person on the other end of the call.In the past I've used the Blue Parrot B250-XT (excellent noise cancelling for the other party, poor sound quality on my end), and the Blue Tiger Pro (excellent noise cancelling, good sound quality on my end, but internal mic wiring very fragile -- wires broke iirreparably after less than one year's use). Both of these use the over-the-ear speaker style which does a fair, but far from outstanding job of blocking out ambient noise for the user.For several years I have been listening to music using a pair of Klipsch Image X10 earphones, which employ flexible silicone ear-tips designed to fit into the ear canal. With the correct size tips, they do a superb job of sealing out ambient noise, and are amazingly comfortable to boot. It occurred to me that there may be a Bluetooth headset on the market that incorporates the in-ear style speaker. My search led me to the Etymotic etyBLU2, which I promptly ordered through Amazon.ca.First impressions upon receiving the headset were quite positive: Build quality seems fairly high, and numerous accessories come as part of the package, including five different ear-tips, an optional ear-hook, two foam wind mufflers for the microphone, a short USB charging cord, and even a tool to change earphone filters. But all these positives would be meaningless should I not be able to acheive a good, secure fit in my ear, so testing the fit was the first order of business.Try as I might, only one of the five ear tips gave me a halfway acceptable seal, and none gave me a secure fit, even when I employed the optional ear-hook. The earphone is aligned at right angles to the body of the headset, so for somone whose ear canal is also aligned at right angles to the side of his/her head, this design might work quite well. However, my ear canals are angled forward (toward my nose) such that when I insert the ear-tip into my ear canal, the body of the unit sticks out at approximately 45 degrees away from my cheekbone. This not only looks ridiculous, it also positions the microphone a good 6 inches from the corner of my mouth -- totally unacceptable in a noisy environment -- and causes the whole unit to flop about precariously whenever I move my head, quickly dislodging it from my ear.Given the lack of proper fit, there was no point charging the battery and testing connectivity, call quality, or battery life, so I cannot comment on any of these. While there are probably many people whose experience with this headset has been decidedly positive, I am very disappointed with the poor fit of the etyBLU2 in my ears, and for this reason cannot rate the headset higher than two stars. I intend to return it to Amazon forthwith.

I did my homework on the EtyBLU2, even to the point of watching a demonstration of it on You Tube!Maybe it's is me, i don't remember one report commenting on the length of the actual earpiece, it is made for someone with an ear canal the size of an elephant!Absolutely way to long, too long in fact even after trying all the different 'Eartip' options.Even with the Earloop fitted, the etyBLU2 flaps about the side of your face like a bird's wing!! Crazy, no way did the earpiece need to be this long, it could have been half the length and would comfortably fit in your ear and be close to your face. Instead it fits about 1.5 - 2cms away from your face and every time you move your head, it flaps about all over the place.I am in different vehicles all the time and needed a good fitting quality bluetooth with an impressive reception that is wind protected. The etyBLU2 has all that but the poor fitment and flapping about due to the elongated ear piece is ridiculous!For a £100.00 it is very poor. I will probably send it back.

Really good sound quality, microphone precise and earphone good audio. But you must insert earpiece firmly into your ear. I'm used to such earphones but others will find this uncomfortable.

This headset feels a little strange at first and it doesn't have a lot of extra features but boy does it work! Noise isolation at the earbud is excellent - can easily hear the other party even in noisy environments. Noise cancellation at the microphone is phenomenal - I regularly have people saying things like 'Great, I caught you somewhere quiet' or 'Aren't you supposed to be at work?' when they can't hear any background noise - even while I'm noisy environments.

Works as noted. My wife said my voice was clear in my convertible with the music playing fairly loud.