Noise isolating earphones may seem like a simple idea; the combination of noise-blocking earplugs with earphones seems natural. However only recently has this idea been brought to the market by market leaders, Etymotic Research. Altec Lansing has collaborated with Etymotic to produce its own flavor of noise isolating earphones. Here’s how they stack up against Etymotic’s own offerings.

The accuracy score is an analysis method Etymotic derived from a Consumer Reports study, and is a comparison between the original and reproduced frequency responses. Though pricey, the IM 716 lands right between the ER-6 and ER-4, both in terms of specifications and price.