 Brilliant Sound - Even better than the ER-4 |
| Review Date: October 16, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Eric Monse, New York City |
I've been using the Etymotic ER-4 for years and recently just bought the HF5. When I first got the ER-4's years ago, my friends first thought I was crazy for paying $275. But I listen to all my music while commuting on the train. If you loved music as much as I do, would you spend that much on a pair of speakers for your home stereo, or skimp and spend $50?
The ER-4 delivered like no other earphones, with not only the sound quality, but the noise reduction. As someone once said "It's the closest thing there is to injecting the music right into your brain." I completely agree. It took some getting used to 'listening' to the bass as opposed to feeling it, but now these are irreplaceable.
I have bought several pair of the ER-4's due to damage, losing them, etc. And it was time to replace my current pair. I decided to get Etymotics newest model, the HF5. I didn't expect a huge improvement over the ER-4's, but I was wrong.
At first I felt like the earphones didn't fit as well as the ER-4's. But then I realized that these actually go DEEPER into your ears than the ER-4's. And once I got them in there... WOW! The sound was actually so much bigger and brighter than the ER-4's. The ER-4's were great, but the HF5's is like watching High Definition Television compared to regular TV. The highs are brighter and the bass is bigger.
The only thing I wasn't happy with, at first, is the cord. They seem to have switched back to the more grabby rubbery style cord as opposed to the smoother plastic. While the rubbery feels nicer, I was worried it would grab onto my clothes too much. That hasn't been a problem so far.
They could have also included a few extra filters. The filters need to be changed every few months when they get gunked up with earwax. This model only includes one spare, and it would have been great to include more.
Other than that I would say these earphones are superb and worth every penny.
Eric Monse
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Great for Exercise
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| Review Date: September 22, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Condor, North Kingstown, RI USA |
| I will brief. I have used them for 9 months with no complaints. No bulky earphones, no bendy wires behind your ears, no looking for left and right, no drama. Just pop these puppies in and exercise. They weigh nothing, block out all the outside sound and no cord noise. Last, but not least, they sound great. |
Nice Earphones
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| Review Date: May 1, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Steve W., Northern CA |
I love listening to all types of music and have been a musician for 30 years. I really enjoy the hf5's and find them to to be the best of the various earphones I've owned, including ety er6i and altec upgrader 336's. They're very comfortable and the sound is very easy on the ears. The bass is accurate and not overdone, the seperation is wonderful,and so is the sound placement. I hear things that I don't hear in other earphones.
These have the same drivers as the ety 4's. I've never listened to ety 4's so I can't comment on how close they are in sound, but these are noticeably better than the 6i's. |
Extreme Noise Isolation (Plus There's Music Inside)
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| Review Date: November 23, 2009 |
| Reviewer: I. Nikhamin, |
After losing my noise canceling Audio Technica ATH-ANC7 headphones on a trip, I was miserable. I was forced to turn my music up to turn the outside world down. After 3 months, I just couldn't take it. Did a few days worth of research and decided on the HF5s finally.
WOW!!!
These earphones are exactly what I've always wanted, just never knew existed--excellent music inside my earplugs. I'm bad at handling noise that is out of place (neighbors stomping upstairs, blasting TV downstairs, extremely loud individuals on the subway (+ the subway noise itself), car alarms...). These guys completely block all of it out. I can sit and study in the middle of a cafeteria and not hear a soul. I'm no longer that grumpy old guy (24 is the new 75) that asks everyone to "pipe down you noisy kids." The noise isolation is so good that my wife constantly surprises me even if she's trying to get my attention--I just don't hear her calling me--as she comes up to me.
As far as the sound quality goes, these are far superior to the AT (just like in the noise dept). There's no hiss of the noise cancellation and the music is just much more clear. So many little sounds are heard hat I just didn't know were part of the music or the show. I'm periodically turning around when I think someone's behind me--nope it's just the 3D sound that these things give off.
PROS:
*Sound Isolation. 10/10. I use extreme ear plugs and these are better (plus there's music inside).
*Small Package. 10/10. Completely fit inside pinna (outer ear), so there's nothing protruding. Can sleep in these comfortably if so inclined.
*Sound Quality. 9/10. I'm not at all an audiophile. I just hear much more detail in a lot of the music I have and the shows I watch. May seem a bit 'tinny' for some, but that's 'cause they're not dull and bassy.
CONS (small issues):
*3-flange earpieces. Will scrape ALL of your wax out if you don't really clean your ears. Get gunked up quick. Keep cleaning those ears.
*3-flange earpieces. May be a bit uncomfortable if put in dry or slightly off. Have to make sure to push in all the way (stop BEFORE it hurts).
*Rubbery cord. Kind of annoying. Grips tables, so it won't slide when you lean on it or try to push it over a bit with a textbook or something. Harder to untangle (not slippery).
*Cord transmits movement sounds unless wrapped around ears. Should be preshaped or stiffer at the ears to make wrapping easier. Not perfect as is.
*L/R designation written in least visible place on earphone--underneath, in thin white lettering. This is a pet peeve, the chords or phones can easily be marked by a tiny something to distinguish between them.
Conclusion:
These headphones provide me with complete noise isolation and excellent sound quality. They have been tested in cafes, NYC Subway, home, office. If you're looking for quiet, stop looking!!! Plus there's music inside! |
great earbuds*
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| Review Date: June 13, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Jonathan Rooskandar, |
| just wanted to say these are awesome buds. the clarity is by far some of the best i've heard in a set. superb. i think that's what really defines these buds. great clarity and presence. replaced shure 210s with these. the isolation of these earbuds are amazing as well...using both the foam tips or the three tiered tips. they do sit in a bit deep in the canal so that might bother some. for me, as soon as i put them in, they're a bit uncomfortable but after about a minute or so i dont feel them anymore. they stay put very well too. i've had them in for a 10+ hr flight and they didn't bother me. out of the box, depending on what you use to play music, i'd say they were a bit quiet and lacked low end punch. it was a big step from the shures regarding low end punch. clarity much better than shures. plus, i would have to have the volume usually maxed out on my mp3 player and because of that, the signal would distort a bit, effecting the sound coming out of the buds. to rectify this, i bought a headphone amp (total airhead) and it really brought these things to a new level. now mp3 player volume sits very low and everything really came to life. low end punch is very good now. what a big difference dynamic headroom makes! i know the airhead has some spatial equalization or something like that which does effect the sound so purists may be turned away from that but it didn't bother me in the slightest. |
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