My thoughts on the DownBeats vs. Etymotics
Huge improvement over cheap foam ear plugs - if you want to hear more music, step up to the DownBeats.<br /><br />I also ordered the Etymotic Research ER20 ear plugs at the same time for comparison...so the rest of my comments is a comparison between the two...<br /><br />To my ears -- the DownBeats and Etymotic ER20s provided equal sound quality at reduced volumes.  So for me, the choice comes down to their physical traits:<br /><br />DownBeats:<br />Nice rigid hard Blue case<br />Smaller white Plugs<br />Harder to remove because they are so small<br />Less visible when inserted<br />No neck strap<br /><br />Etymotic Research ER20:<br />Soft/small semi-clear plastic case<br />Larger/colorful plugs<br />Easy to remove<br />More visible<br />Comes with a Cord to connect the plugs<br /><br />Summary:<br />Pick the Downbeats if you want to be discrete when wearing ear plugs<br />Pick the Etymotic if you want larger colorful plugs with a cord (easier to find if they drop)
Rating: 5 stars