Etymotic Research was founded in 1983 and has helped to pioneer headphone and earphone products that enhance and protect hearing.
Holder of 89 patents, Etymotic employs a staff of experts in audiology and plays a large role in educational efforts in their field.

Etymotic Research's original noise-isolating headphones paved the way for the wave of products now in the market, and still are viewed as the standard by which all others are judged.

Notable products include the Etymotic ER•4PT noise-isolating earphones that have a claimed 35-42 dB of noise reduction and a claimed frequency response of 20 Hz to 16 kHz. There's also the hf5, 6i, and mc5 earphones.

Read HomeTheaterReview.com's review of Etymotic Research ER-4 In-ear headphones.

Similar companies include UltimateEars, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, and NuForce.