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First good headphone purchase - help? hf5, re-262, etc

post #1 of 12
2/9/12 at 9:22pm
Thread Starter 

I'm not sure what exactly I like as to sound. I do generally like "full" sound, not something that sounds small and distant.

 

I'm not set on anything atm, but I have been looking at both the etymotic hf5 or the HiFiMan re-262.

 

Any suggestions? I know it's not much to go on. Also, only a ~$50 difference on amazon between the two.


Edited by temetvince - 2/9/12 at 9:33pm
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post #2 of 12
2/10/12 at 1:55am

I have been on a bit of a headphone quest to start off 2012 and have been through several pairs of both IEM's and full-size headphones.  I bought and immediately sold the B&W C5's.  I have also had the Klipsch X10 and Triple.fi 10 over the past year but neither really did it for me.  Last week I got the re-262 and so far am very satisfied.  The biggest praise I can give them is that they sound incredibly natural, everything just sounds as it should.  I like them almost as much as my Grado 325is.

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post #3 of 12
2/10/12 at 9:12am
Thread Starter 

Thanks. Have you ever tried the hf5s or any other etymotics?

 

I"m ready to buy today... except I'm completely caught between the two :(

 

I'm not wanting to use an amp though. Does that limit me to the hf5?


Edited by temetvince - 2/10/12 at 9:16am
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post #4 of 12
2/10/12 at 10:37am
I will recommend the Sony EX600 for fuller sound expereince with good bass presence and wide soundstage. The HF5 are amazingly detailed in mids and offers extended highs with good bass response and sound not as wide as EX600 but still fuller with great imaging.
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post #5 of 12
2/10/12 at 10:49am

I have both the etymotic hf5 and the older er6i. Always had great experiences with them, very detailed sound, can't go wrong IMO.

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post #6 of 12
2/10/12 at 10:53am

what about the Gr07? I'd rate it above the Re262 and the same price too. It has all around impressive sound. Read about it on Jokers Forum :D

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post #7 of 12
2/10/12 at 10:57am

Between the Sony EX600 and the Ety HF5, the Sony will have a fuller (in the bass) sound, but the HF5 will have a more detailed sound that CAN be EQ'd to add some bass body.  You can't EQ in more detail for the Sony!  HF5 is amazing for $100 (if you don't mind a dark blue casing -- it is very dark blue and a flat finish, so it doesn't look very blue -- had that color myself).

 

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post #8 of 12
2/10/12 at 11:11am

I own the RE262, and I've owned the HF5. If you want a nice natural full and warm sounding IEM, go  with the 262. If you like very detailed but sort of sterile (and not much bass) IEM, go with the HF5. My preference is the former - currently one of my favorite earphones period. The HF5 is a decent IEM too, don't get me wrong, but the two are nothing alike.

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post #9 of 12
2/10/12 at 11:42am
Thread Starter 

Longest post yet. Sorry.

 

AHH! Things are getting worse instead of better lol. I wasn't particularly impressed with Joker's assessment of the ex-600. But now I'm not sure which I want more, the re-262 or the gr07. And perhaps I should give the ex-600 more of a chance. Is one better than the other? There is a slight price difference, but higher price doesn't always mean better.

 

And I'm still wondering about the hf5. I really love the sound isolation for one. And I want the most detail possible. No mushy sounding anything... just impeccable. But if it sounds boring, is it worth it? 

 

Let's take Journey's "Love Will Find You," for example. It has a lot of bass. Will the hf5 let it down? Will it be shallow and boring? Or will the re-262 or gr07 give a great full experience but sound more muddied?

 

It's such a loss that I can't listen to these before buying. I will also be using these for computer gaming, if it matters. But that is less important to me than my losslessly recorded music. And fyi, I don't plan on using an amp if that affects anything.

 

Thank you all!

 

(Edit: kmhaynes, how much can the hf5 be eq'd?)

 

My other problem is that I tend to love my music in a pyramid style sound: Bass is the largest (more dominating) at the bottom, mid is smaller in the middle, and treble is the least prominent at the top. But I'm not an audiophile and thus don't know much about how music is "supposed" to sound, and I don't mind retraining my ears to listen to music differently.


Edited by temetvince - 2/10/12 at 11:50am
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post #10 of 12
2/10/12 at 12:51pm

The bass on the HF5 is not very full, and definitely not boomy in any way (ala Senn CX300).  It is detailed and has good extension (gets down to deep notes), just not alot of bass body and impact.  The HF5 can be EQ'd up in the 100-350 Hz range to add some bass body and warmth -- it doesn't distort if your source is clean.

 

If you mean the Journey song "Separate Worlds", which contains the lyric "True love will find you," yes, the bass on that song will come thru on the HF5 -- that's technically some high bass / low mids that can sound very muddy on bassy headphones.  The HF5 will sound clean, and the bass will be there, but it just won't pound your head.

 

I haven't heard the RE262, and want to, but one thing to know about it is that the impedence is 150 ohms, which means that it needs a good bit power (usually or portable or desktop amp) to sound its best.  Even Eric's sig line states that the RE262 is best sounding when amped.  Not amped, you will probably have to crank your source up quite a bit to get some volume out if it.  But a decent portable amp can be bought for $100.


Edited by kmhaynes - 2/10/12 at 1:16pm
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post #11 of 12
2/10/12 at 1:42pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks. 

 

Okay everyone. I went ahead and got the hf5. I hope it wasn't a bad decision. It was very difficult because I couldn't simply listen to the headphones. 

 

I splurged and for the first time in my life I went ahead and got 1 day shipping. So, hopefully, they will be in tomorrow. But if not, then I have to wait till Monday... Yuck.

 

I'll let everyone know when they come in! Thanks everyone.

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post #12 of 12
2/11/12 at 10:35am
Thread Starter 

Um... Wow. Just wow.

 

Amazing. And there is a ton of bass. More so that with any other headphone I've ever used. I couldn't hear it at all until I used the foam earplugs... and now it's stronger than I usually prefer. 

 

And where's the warning label: will ruin 128 kbps music? ;)

 

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