Etymotic Mc5 vs. Etymotic Hf5   Both are are very ‘true to the ear’ as Etymotic would say... both have amazing tri-flange eartips for superb noise isolation, best in the business actually... and both led me to feel that clarity was an essential part of my music, perhaps even more so than dynamic bass and shiny treble... but in the end, well, lets just save it for the end, shall we? Mc5 Fullness of vocals, more bass quantity, slightly recessed. Better construction of the housing Memory free cable is just that... Memory free More difficult to...

Value: Not cheap; Not expensive. Does the most basic function of a DAP... it plays music... Perfectly.   Audio Quality: Once you spend over $100 on a pair of headphones, your source suddenly becomes the limiting factor in the quality of sound, a distorting Ipod would not suffice, neither would a Zune. I bought the S9 and have yet to hear a legitimate competitor. Custom settings make anything sound as bass heavy as you like, can improve the sound on cheaper headphones, and really make nice ones shine. BBE is better than SRS, better than Creative...

Overview:   Two dynamic speakers in a side firing/clip on hybrid. Aluminum earclips go over the ear like glasses, the bass element is hugged by your anti-helix, and the treble piece goes into your (hopefully large) ear canal. Hinge pivots and clips adjust the height.     Value 5/5   2 Dynamic Speakers Lifetime Warranty     Audio Quality 4.5/5   Simply put, I have never heard a more heart-rendering representation of my music, ever. Two speakers, a tweeter and a woofer, provide timbre accurate sound. Treble can shine, vocals...