Approximately 2 years ago, I purchased a pair of er-6 earphones, and about 9 months later, the left earphone became very hard to hear. I attributed it to a partially broken wire since I mainly use them for riding, and those conditions can be pretty tough sometime. I cleaned the inside of the speaker the best I could, but to no avail.
I simply upgraded to a new pair of er-6i earphones, and have been using them ever since. They've been great.
However, I decided last week I would call Etymotic, and see if my original er-6 earphones could be repaired. I called their toll free customer service number, and spoke to a very helpful woman. She simply asked me how long ago I purchased them, and I told her somewhere around a year ago.
She told me to send them back in a small box, and gave me a RMA (Return Authorization Number). She informed me that they might be fixed for free, but if they were too badly damaged, then I would have the option of buying a brand new set for only $60.00. (1/2 price of their MSRP)
I just recieved a brand new pair (they appear brand new anyway) of er-6 earphones in the mail. I couldn't have been happier with this outcome obviously.
The moral of the story - Don't throw away those old sets of etymotics!
Jay