in praise of etymotic HF5 - Page 4

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashinyforehead 

oh one more thing! the HF2 works on the itouch, iphone too right?

It should.  If you want to make sure for sure, email Etymotic customer support/sales.  The HF2 was originally released for the iPhone. 

For the HF2/3 does the microphone/control on the wire get in the way if you wear it around the ear?
& Does it come with a 2 year warranty if you buy it from Amazon.com?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashinyforehead 

For the HF2/3 does the microphone/control on the wire get in the way if you wear it around the ear?
& Does it come with a 2 year warranty if you buy it from Amazon.com?

I can't say anything out the first part, but Amazon (itself is an authorized retailer), but you have to buy from Amazon (not a third party in Amazon).  More information can be found here: http://www.etymotic.com/dealer/unauthorized.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinyman392 

I can't say anything out the first part, but Amazon (itself is an authorized retailer), but you have to buy from Amazon (not a third party in Amazon).  More information can be found here: http://www.etymotic.com/dealer/unauthorized.html

Oh, so if I buy them from Amazon, I get the warranty?  Sorry if this is a dumb question, but is the warranty like a paper inside the package itself?  Saying that I have 2 years of warranty on the item?  And if I were to have to use the warranty, would I contact Amazon or Etymotic?
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashinyforehead 

Oh, so if I buy them from Amazon, I get the warranty?  Sorry if this is a dumb question, but is the warranty like a paper inside the package itself?  Saying that I have 2 years of warranty on the item?  And if I were to have to use the warranty, would I contact Amazon or Etymotic?
 

 

After 30-90 days (whatever the warranty states) you contact Etymotic.  Before that, you can contact Amazon (they may send you to Etymotic).  Make sure you buy them from Amazon, not a third party retailer.  Make sure it says ships from Amazon (and not some other retailer).  When doing warranty, you may be asked by Etymotic to present a copy of the receipt (It's emailed).
 

As long as you buy from an authorized seller, you get the warranty. I know nothing about the hf2/3.

Have to chime in here ...

Picked up a pair of hf-3s for a lark and travelling.   They got me completely hooked on iems, and ended up buying a UM Miracle custom, and then a pair of HF-2s when I saw them go on their current $99 special at Etymotics.

The hfs are a great bang for the buck in my mind, with great isolation, and I use them for riding bicycles and motorcycles with very good comfort once I got used to them.  Yeah, the Miracle stomps all over them for quality, but bang for buck the HFs definitely win.   Also, I go to the HFs for workout / sweaty, and surprisingly they work better under the MC helmet as well. 

Couple of things I have noticed though:

Both my pairs of HFs had something weird with a least one of the filters after initial purchase.  I ended up with a rattly buzz sound in at least one side, which went away after changing the filter.

Also, I have confirmed that these need a lot of burn in.  I remember my first impression on the HF3s was that they were so / so and really didn't like the distortion on the bass.   After playing them for a while they grew on me, and I liked the sound better.  Couldn't tell for sure whether it was me, or the phones changing.    When I picked up the HF2s the (perennial) do iems need burn-in thread was on, so I've been using the HF2s for an experiment.  Out of the box, they sounded horrid next to the HF3s.  Very similar to the differences that I had remembered in my thoughts of the inital burn in.  (relatively) poor imaging, flat soundstage, and a bass response that was quite distorted. I used a blind test and could easily pick out which one I put in my ears each time within 3-4 seconds of listening. 

After 100 hrs of burn in (with me only listening to the new ones for 5 min sound checks every 10 hrs or so), sound signature / staging they are very similar.   Although I think the new ones are still slightly flatter in staging.   They are much more difficult to tell apart.  However, I'm still able to hear significantly more noise floor on the new ones, which makes it so that I can still pick them out 100% in a blind test.  We'll see if I can get them to match!

At any rate, for perspective owners, I think they are amazing IEMs with microphone that really works well, for $99 (current price HF2 on  ety website)    However, don't be discouraged at initial listen as they do improve quite a bit with burn in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronrad 

Have to chime in here ...

 

Picked up a pair of hf-3s for a lark and travelling.   They got me completely hooked on iems, and ended up buying a UM Miracle custom, and then a pair of HF-2s when I saw them go on their current $99 special at Etymotics.

 

The hfs are a great bang for the buck in my mind, with great isolation, and I use them for riding bicycles and motorcycles with very good comfort once I got used to them.  Yeah, the Miracle stomps all over them for quality, but bang for buck the HFs definitely win.   Also, I go to the HFs for workout / sweaty, and surprisingly they work better under the MC helmet as well. 

 

Couple of things I have noticed though:

 

Both my pairs of HFs had something weird with a least one of the filters after initial purchase.  I ended up with a rattly buzz sound in at least one side, which went away after changing the filter.

 

Also, I have confirmed that these need a lot of burn in.  I remember my first impression on the HF3s was that they were so / so and really didn't like the distortion on the bass.   After playing them for a while they grew on me, and I liked the sound better.  Couldn't tell for sure whether it was me, or the phones changing.    When I picked up the HF2s the (perennial) do iems need burn-in thread was on, so I've been using the HF2s for an experiment.  Out of the box, they sounded horrid next to the HF3s.  Very similar to the differences that I had remembered in my thoughts of the inital burn in.  (relatively) poor imaging, flat soundstage, and a bass response that was quite distorted. I used a blind test and could easily pick out which one I put in my ears each time within 3-4 seconds of listening. 

 

After 100 hrs of burn in (with me only listening to the new ones for 5 min sound checks every 10 hrs or so), sound signature / staging they are very similar.   Although I think the new ones are still slightly flatter in staging.   They are much more difficult to tell apart.  However, I'm still able to hear significantly more noise floor on the new ones, which makes it so that I can still pick them out 100% in a blind test.  We'll see if I can get them to match!

 

At any rate, for perspective owners, I think they are amazing IEMs with microphone that really works well, for $99 (current price HF2 on  ety website)    However, don't be discouraged at initial listen as they do improve quite a bit with burn in.

How long is the sale going on for?  I may pick up a pair next week if they are still available for that price.  Also, is it only the HF2 or the HF3 too?

As for the burn in, that is exactly what the other guy is going through.  Same exact results, you two basically are saying the same stuff.  Confirms his findings :)
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronrad 

Sale is only for hf2 in blue or red (not black). I picked up the blue and like it quite a bit. My hf3s are black and the blue is so dark that you have look closely to tell them apart

From their website sale is on til 7/31

I use em primarily with a Nexus S although I have an iPad and iPhone 4 as well. (I develop mobile software for a living). Oddly enough the hf3 track control buttons seem to work better with the android than the hf2 ones do

Blue, red, black, it's still an HF2, it's barely noticable when they are in your ears anyway :p  Good to see the sale extend far :)  (I'll still get the cobalt ones though)

The HF2s do work on the iPad and iPhone right, I read somewhere that they were made for the iPhone specifically, then they expanded and made the HF3.  It's kinda ironic that the HF3 works better with Android than the HF2 :p

It's also good to see a fellow developer on the forums.  What apps have you developed?  BTW, I buy my apps legit, I know how hard they are too make.  I'm a young programmer that has lots to learn (that's what school is for) :p

One more thing, I'm just curious, how does the bass and treble compare to the RE0?

Bass-wise I'm looking at:

• Impact that you can feel
• Tightness/Punchiness or texture (From what I read, it's tight and not textured, which is fine :))
• Quantity comparison (From what I've read, it's less quantity, again, not a problem as long as there is impact)

Treble wise:

• I like detailed and clear highs
• RE0 was not fatiguing or too much for me (I use Sony Hybrids though)
• I like my treble to exteeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnddddddddddddd <= Just like that. :p

I'm already pretty sure the mids are what I'm looking for :p

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinyman392 

One more thing, I'm just curious, how does the bass and treble compare to the RE0?

 

Bass-wise I'm looking at:

• Impact that you can feel
• Tightness/Punchiness or texture (From what I read, it's tight and not textured, which is fine :))
• Quantity comparison (From what I've read, it's less quantity, again, not a problem as long as there is impact)

Treble wise:

• I like detailed and clear highs
• RE0 was not fatiguing or too much for me (I use Sony Hybrids though)
• I like my treble to exteeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnddddddddddddd <= Just like that. :p

 

I'm already pretty sure the mids are what I'm looking for :p

I find my HF5's to be very similar to the REO's in everything except the bass where the HF5's kill the REO's, but remain right and crisp.  The REO's may have ever so slightly better treble but they are very close.  After listening to my DBA-02's I just found the REO's very boring to listen too and found myself not listening to the REO's very often at all....I have since let me Brother "borrow" them.  I have to say that the HF5's are 98% of the DBA-02's and almost half the price.  I have just added a JDS CMOY amp to my set-up and the HF5's responded really really nicely to it and I would put above the DBA's now.....The DBA's do not seem to get along well with the CMOY.  I really do not think you can go wrong with the HF's if you like the REO's, to my ears they are quite a bit more enjoyable while retaining a lot of the reasons why I liked the REO's when I first got them.....but a word of warning, after you listen to the HF5's you may not like the REO's nearly as much as you once did.

Cheers,

Jim

OK, thanks for the info.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinyman392 

One more thing, I'm just curious, how does the bass and treble compare to the RE0?

 

Bass-wise I'm looking at:

• Impact that you can feel
• Tightness/Punchiness or texture (From what I read, it's tight and not textured, which is fine :))
• Quantity comparison (From what I've read, it's less quantity, again, not a problem as long as there is impact)

Treble wise:

• I like detailed and clear highs
• RE0 was not fatiguing or too much for me (I use Sony Hybrids though)
• I like my treble to exteeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnddddddddddddd <= Just like that. :p

 

I'm already pretty sure the mids are what I'm looking for :p

Coming from RE0, the hf5 treble was a bit less overpowering, more detailed, tiny bit less extension. hf5 bass blows the RE0s away. I found the hf5s more detailed and less fatiguing.

OK, thanks.  Can't wait to try them.  I'll order them later this week (the HF2).