[Tadeas]

A couple of days ago I got my HF5. After some experimentation I can see that the isolation with both triflange tips is decent but not great (say, -25db) and with the foamies it's absolutely gorgeous (say, -40db). So I think the seal is OK. Problem is, there is really very little bass and it's the same with any of the tips. In fact, I can hear the bass lines but it's really very weak and receded, making even classical or jazz music kinda less "encompassing" and less enjoyable. The sound is generally very "thin".
 
I also own Sennheiser HD449, which are supposed to have very even response and the bass in the Senns is much stronger, even though it's everything but a bass heavy headphone. I'm feeding it both through Fiio E10, either streaming from Deezer (high quality, it's 320kbps MP3 I think) or FLAC. An example song that makes the difference well audible might be Norah Jones: Say Goodbye (from Little Broken Hearts album).
 
Is this expected with HF5? Or do I really have a poor seal? Can anyone compare the HF5 sound with some big neutral headphones like the HD449 or ATH-M50 or something similar?
 
Thanks!

 

[zoolzoo]

from my reading it seems that they are a really bass light iem, maybe so much to a fault to your ears.

 

[tomscy2000]

Answer: http://www.etymotic.com/media/publications/erl-0137-1982.pdf

 

[kfarndog]

Long time Ety ER4 and HF5 user here.  The Etys will never rattle your brain with bass but it sounds like you may not be inserting enough or getting a proper seal, especially if you are needing more on classical or jazz.  Hope they work out for you as they really are remarkable.

 

[SpartanD63]

I've had the HF5s in the past. Loved em, but they really are bass light, though they will get decent bass with a good seal in your ear.
 
Note, I use "had" since I lost them and wanted to keep experimenting, not because I didn't like them.

 

[Ivabign]

I have a pair of HF3 I am getting ready to crack open soon - I had the ER4PT - is there a great difference between the HF3 and HF5? Furthermore, is there that much difference between the 3 and the 4? - Would an impedance plug help the 3 to approximate the ER4?

 

[kfarndog]

No difference between HF3 and HF5, just the microphone.  I have both the HF5 and ER4 - I feel the 4 is another 10%-20% better than the 5. The HF5 is a heck of a bang for the buck either way.
 
Not sure about the impedance plug and would be interested to hear any experiences on that as well.

 

[Tadeas]

Looks like the weak bass mystery is solved. I had the volume too low all the time, enjoying the superb isolation. With decent volume it sounds fine. Absolutely gorgeous actually.

 

[dkreithen]

I've found that the HF5's benefit greatly by proper amplification (i.e., not using the cellphone output). I'm using an Oppo HA-2SE which does wonders for the bass. It's never bloated though, just right...