Posted the below observations in the HF5 appreciation thread too, as I think both these threads might benefit.
Just got my HF5s this morning. Previously, I had the ER4P with S adaptor, but sold it off to 'upgrade' to the CK10 (which I then regretted). Have since moved on to the SM3, so have bought the HF5 on a whim really.
Got to say, the design of these is better than memory of the ER4 - smaller, less plasticky, easier to insert and get a fit due to size, and very comfortable indeed. The stock silicone triples (larger size) appear to be a different colour to the ones I used to use as well, and might just be my defective recall, but they seem less 'itchy' than the old ones. The cable seems ok, with little microphonics as far as I can guage, but then I do seem to have far less issues with microphonics than some of you more delicate, sensitive souls.
Soundwise, its interesting to compare the HF4s to both the ER4P and the SM3. Only managed to grab cursory listens so far, but the trademark Ety clarity is there in full force - virtually crystal clear reproduction of both instrumens and vocals, with excellent separation and a decentish soundstage. Stands up remarkably well to the ER4s in my view, but again thats from memory. Certainly, the micro detailing is very finely etched, and lifelike, as if you're in the room with the performers. This area is where the HF5s win out over the SM3, if you ask me. With the latter, there's a tad less definition that is only really noticeable when ABing from the Earsonics to the Etys.
I was worried the bass on the HF5s would as comparitively downsized as ER4P, but from what I can tell, Ety have managed to squeeze more out of their cheaper (half the price) model. Of course, the SM3 does bass much better, going deeper and with more bite and reverb, but from the few tracks I've been listening to on the HF5, I'd say it goes deep enough and has enough impact for anyone who wants a nice balanced sound instead of a bottom heavy thumping bbbbbeast. Balanced is the word when it comes to the HF5, I think, with a nice shimmer up top, solid, detailed and unrecessed mids and tightly controlled bass down below. Nothing sticks out like a sore thumb, and coherence is optimal (as it should be with single BAs).
Isolation is the usual Ety incredible - not much to report beyond saying both the HF5 and the ER4 block out virtually all extraneous noise, leaving just you and the music to get acquainted. That has its pros and cons when out and about, but on the whole I can live without hearing annoying people make annoying noises in public. Know what I mean? So top marks there.
In a toss up between the two Ety models, I'd actually say the HF5s are the way to go if you're travelling unamped. They drive perfectly via my J3, sound virtually identical to the ER4P, are better built, and crucially cost half the price. Got my ruby coloured ones for £67 here in the Uk, whereas you won't find the ER4P for less than £140 over here. That represents a steal of a bargain in my book, especially if budgets and wallets are tight.
When weighing the HF5 against the SM3 though, its a different story, perhaps understandably. The forensic detailing of the Ety signature definitely appeals to my finer sensibilites, but the Earsonics blast the HF5s out the water into deep space with their 3 dimensionality of presentation, their wiiiide soundstage, and the sense they give you of having just poked your head into the middle of the music, like an astronaut donning a sonic helmet Hows that for an awkwardly segued metaphor? But its true - the immersion that the SM3s offer, even though they sacrifice isolation, build quality and lots more cash, is too big an obstacle ultimately for the Etys to climb over.
Thats in no way a denigration of the HF5s. At two hundred and thirty quid cheaper, I wouldn't expect them to trump the SM3. That they don't is not rocket science. Instead, they offer an alternative sound signature, and one that may well suit your own personal tastes and pockets better. At their price, they represent a killer investment and I'm glad I returned to a brand I'd left behind. It feels like slipping old boots off after a long day.
