[Vendetta]

I own the Etymotic HF5 and I have grown to love them. I really like how they are not muddy, and clear and concise.


 


I want another IEM and I wont get a chance to try anything so I am wondering what is the next step up for me.


 


I enjoy bass and I wish the etys had a little more as long as it was controlled but I can not stand when it is flappy and uncontrolled and makes the other frequencies sound muddy, it just ruins the experience for me.


 


So where would I go next? The ER4P? Or would I not notice a significant improvement?


 


I love rock, and some rap as well as indie.


 


I would say I like detail and musicality over accuracy, and I would like a little bit more bass but it must be controlled and not intrude into other frequencies.


 


My budget is $300


 


Thanks

 

[ZARIM]

The Sony EX1000, GR01, CK10, DBA-02 and UE900 are great upgrade with good bass.

 

[nipit]

Er-4p is a good step from hf5.

 

[Vendetta]

My budget is $300
 

 

[Vendetta]

How about the Ortofon e-q7?

 

[ostewart]

Shure SE425 or Fischer audio DBA-02 MKII

 

[davidsh]

I have the HF5 too, really like them, they are my first IEM's. You know about the er-4p to er-4s converter? Anyway, i am currently awaiting my first headphone amp (fiio e17)

, and i have also ordered a 4p to 4s converter, which basically adds 75 ohms of impedance to the 'phones. This is an experiment, and what i am going to do, is to use the adapter with my soon arriving amp, and then give it a slight bass boost with the built-in bass boost function of the amp, and see what happens. 

 
Whether it being a good idea i cant tell for sure yet, but i have read a review of the hf5, where the reviewer did just that, and to me it seems, that he is speaking about a similar improvement as as you would get doing the same to an etymotic er4-p. Then with the bass boost, i might be able to help out the weak bass.
 
I am hopefull this is going to work out, and as you might know the drivers in the er4 and the hf5 are essentially the same.

 

[davidsh]

Anyway just another thought from here. In my opinion there is a quite big spike in the hf5's frequency response at some 4-8 kHz i think, and i am considering to try to EQ'ing to dampen it a bit. 
 
After some research i think i have found out, that the most headphones produce some kind of spike at the higher frequencies because of resonanses in the ear. Do you think it would be a good idea to go deeper in to eq, or just leave it be?

 

[Curly21029]

I don't intend to derail this thread, but it's the most recently active I've found citing the HF5.
 
Could any current owners please listen to this bass test track?  I've received an HF5 today and on this and similar test clips I have found them to produce a very apparent "fluttering" sound on low notes that doesn't sound like the typical distortion heard with low-quality drivers.  Is this normal?  Is it inherent of IEMs?  I admittedly have very little experience with them.

 

[gnarlsagan]

Quote:

Anyway just another thought from here. In my opinion there is a quite big spike in the hf5's frequency response at some 4-8 kHz i think, and i am considering to try to EQ'ing to dampen it a bit. 
 
After some research i think i have found out, that the most headphones produce some kind of spike at the higher frequencies because of resonanses in the ear. Do you think it would be a good idea to go deeper in to eq, or just leave it be?

 
Try various cuts at 2.5kHz and 7.5kHz. And check this out.