[chewychewbacca]

Hi guys,

I ordered the Etymotic HF5's on a whim for $100 shipped off amazon since I saw the lifehacker article and need quality In-ears ASAP for my trip on Tuesday. However, I am afraid that the bass may not be adequate as I keep hearing that it really lacks bass. I listen to a lot of hip-hop but not the kind of hip-hop with overwhelming bass. More like melodic samples, although I do have some hard hitting songs to play from time to time. I'm certainly not a huge basshead or anything. I really am interested in clear quality almost monitor style to listen as the sound engineer may have intended, and so I can pick apart each instrument, but a little extra complementing bass would be nice. I certainly don't want bass that I can barely notice but don't want to be flooded with muddy bass either. I'm hoping the HF5's are what I'm looking for as I want a best bang for the buck, balanced, sub 150 dollar quality earphones. I may be able to live without a little bass if the sound quality is truly exceptional with good sound stage.
 
 
 
 
 
 
I'm sort of regretting not researching enough now, and I am looking to buy another pair of in-ears just in case for my trip. Preferably something that I can get on amazon so I can use my Amazon Prime and get it the next day, or locally somewhere. I am in Orange County, Southern California if there is any boutique headphone shops around here. I need these ASAP.
 
Build quality has to be pretty good, I would like these to last for at least a year or more, and have some good isolation since I'm going to be getting on a plane. 
 
I could stretch a further than $150 maybe up to $300 if the bang for the buck is really there and It's something that could totally blow me away, and I could possibly buy a few to try out if really needed. Correct me if I am wrong but I think amazon has a reasonable return policy on this type of stuff?
 
I'd prefer not to amp them for portability sake but if there really is a huge difference and there is something very portable out there and it would make a good combo, I'd appreciate a recommendation. I am going to drive these with a Motorola Droid and maybe off my Macbook Pro sometimes during the trip.
 
I would love to get into some of the more obscure earphones that are of exceptional quality, however, I need these quick and I'm afraid I won't be able to get them in time. If there is a particular one I should look at getting for long term use when I don't need one on such short notice, please mention it.
 

 

[chewychewbacca]

Some extra info on what I've had if it helps any:
 
I previously have owned Shure E2C which I felt did not have enough bass but had a lot of sound quality and stage presence which I liked. These were amazing when I was mostly listening to classic rock and the like though. The cord on the E2C eventually gave away.
 
I also had V-Moda Vibes for a while which was overall a good earphone but did not hold up well. I thought the vibes were a little more colorful and vibrant. Definitely great for fun listening but not for serious concentrated listening. I did enjoy them though as they had more bass. I could not pick out the small details with these as I would have liked. The cord on the Vibes gave away much faster than the E2C, I had them send me a replacement. After a while I lost them and gave up on spending double digits on earphones.
 
I bought JVC Marshmallows to be done with it and enjoyed them as a cheap, pretty good quality bass heavy set. At this time I did not listen to music as passionately as before and so they served their purpose for me. They did not have the separation that I like though. I lost a tip on the Marshmallow and now I'm looking to get back into a medium cost earphone again.

Maybe this could help you guys out with some recommendations on furthering my earphone/headphone journey.

 

[ph0rk]

I like the image s4.
 
It is well under budget but you may wish to use the surplus to try out some other tips. I like the dual-flange the s4 comes with, but it doesn't block as much sound as the sure triple flange (even when it is trimmed to 2 flanges).
 
It is a dynamic driver like the e2c, and has pretty good bass. The bass is pronounced, but that is what you'll need if you're in a car or bus or plane. I wear them on my motorcycle on long trips, and they do the job, so long as my windscreen is in the quietest position.

 

[chewychewbacca]

Would the UE TripleFi 10 be a big upgrade? I'd like to upgrade to a better earphone than what I've had before (E2C and V-Moda Vibes). I'm looking at those since it's only $50 dollars more than the UE you mentioned. It would be cool to have another to compare with the HF5's during my trip. Any other recommendations?
 
I'm not too sure about the s4 and SE215's, I'm going to research it further though.

 

[Berkovajazz]

Try Monster Turbines and Shure se215.

 

[calipilot227]

If the HF5 is on the way, try it! You might like it. 

 I used to be a hardcore basshead before I got the ER6i (3 years ago). It's even better that you'll be on a trip because you will probably be forced to like their sound signature.

 

[ashinyforehead]

Quote:

If the HF5 is on the way, try it! You might like it. 

 I used to be a hardcore basshead before I got the ER6i (3 years ago). It's even better that you'll be on a trip because you will probably be forced to like their sound signature.

Are you saying if I like bass a little, & I get the HF5s, I will like them a lot better?  Is that what happened to you?

 

[rangerid]

HF5s respond very well and cleanly to EQ, which can be done to increase bass quantity. Frankly, HF5s are superior to the TF10s on many levels...
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/533167/quick-comparison-etymotic-hf5-ultimate-ears-triplefi10

 

[calipilot227]

Quote:

Are you saying if I like bass a little, & I get the HF5s, I will like them a lot better?  Is that what happened to you?

Not sure I understand what you are trying to ask, but yes, I did enjoy them. They effectively cured me of my bass addiction because I realized that treble and midrange were just as important 

 

 

[donedj]

http://mp4nation.net/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=62_51&products_id=390
 
These rock
Simply rock
Brainwavz M2
Better than the Klipsch S4s (way better)
 
If you get a great fit which is easy with bunch of tips it comes with, you will get amazing sound, and will think these headphones should be selling for 100-150 range.