[kreggurree]

Now I know this is a slightly crazy comparison but I am looking for a work horse Headphone that I can use in most of my life situations. (Home, Trains n Planes, RARELY when walking). After looking at lots and lots of threads and reviews the HD25 is where I have arrived at in the portables section and the Ety HF5 in the IEM section. There seems to be a real lack of variety in portable closed headphones but that's a different story.
 
I know the sig's are a little different but I guess I want to know if on average the HD25 is significantly better than the HF5 or if the difference in SQ is close enough that its just a case of form factor preference and that the HD25s cost £40 more?
 
I am asking like this as I don't really know what sound sig. I like. I own a pair of Senn 201's and love the upgrade they are from basic buds and cheap speakers etc. especially through my zoom h4. I want the album kind of blue to sound great, Debussy Piano pieces, Orchestral and film, Prog Rock, Acoustic Guitar instrumentals and singer song writer are my predominant loves.

 

[Gozzer]

 If you're in a high noise enviroment the hf-5, otherwise the hd25-1 will sound better.

 

[kreggurree]

Thanks for replying Guzzer.
 
I hope someone will indulge me a little more and help me see how each will do for different genres, this is more to do with sound sig. From what I have read the HD25 is overall a better SQ but its sig. is Punchy Bass Great highs but recessed mids which is great for a lot of genres I listen to but maybe not classical. Whilst I have heard the HF5 has less bass than a lot of people like.
 
So how do each do with :
 
Jazz (eg. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue) :
 
Classical (Solo Piano) :
 
Classical (Orchestral/Film) :
 
Prog Rock (eg. Porcupine tree) :
 
Acoustic Guitar  (instrumental / singer) :
 
Thank you  

 

[flatmap]

Sorry I haven't heard the HD25s so I can't compare, but the Etymotic should do well with your
musical preference.  I bought my MC5 out of convenience for travel, and 
have really come to like what they do.  Not everyone likes the feel of IEMs
of course; my kids can't stand them.
 
The Etymotic IEMs get rid of most of the outside noise,
and really cuts down the airplane engine sound, etc.  
They give a really clear sound and there is something about how it delivers
the pitch of the notes that just seems really spot on.  Very good for 
classical and for piano IMO.

 

[kreggurree]

I do still want to hear peoples thoughts on on these and specific genres but I have another question too.
 
I assume I am right in saying that both the HF5 and teh HD25 will blow my Senn. 201's out of the water so if the hf5 are 100% better how much more on top are the HD25, another 5, 10, 50% better?
 
 
ps. sorry for all the questions I am just new to chasing quality sound and have no reference point to compare reviews too.

 

[higbvuyb]

Quote:

I do still want to hear peoples thoughts on on these and specific genres but I have another question too.
 
I assume I am right in saying that both the HF5 and teh HD25 will blow my Senn. 201's out of the water so if the hf5 are 100% better how much more on top are the HD25, another 5, 10, 50% better?
 
 
ps. sorry for all the questions I am just new to chasing quality sound and have no reference point to compare reviews too.

They're different and you can't really say one is better. The HF5 is more accurate and has better isolation but may be less durable. The HD25 has more distortion and coloured treble but this might sound more 'fun' to your ears.

 

[kreggurree]

So the difference is more sideways and sound sig related. I guess in terms of SQ I just need to bite the bullet and start learning what sound sig I like by buying something and just decide which form factor I prefer.
 
I love that if I get the HD25's they will last for a very long time, that unlike IEMs I can easily share my music experience with a friend.
 
I love that the hf5 are uber portable, £50 / 1/3rd cheaper.
 
I am concerned about comfort with both in different ways, clamping and occasional use of glasses or sticking something in my ear (1st IEMs).

 

[Mr C]

I got my hd 25 5 years ago and they are still in great shape. Another great thing about the hd25 is that you can replace everything in them so technically you could own the "same" cans all your life.
 
Given that you dont seem to have a high end setup I dont think you'd hear a lot of difference between the two in terms of sound quality (both are know to be great) so it come down to what would be the best form for you? over the ear or iem.
 
Anther thing ot take into account is that the etys are known to be uncomfortable to people with not very big ear canals. So that's a thing to keep in mind.On the other hand the senns can be a bit tight on your head at first but that will get better with time.

 

[HeroicPenguin]

Quote:

So the difference is more sideways and sound sig related. I guess in terms of SQ I just need to bite the bullet and start learning what sound sig I like by buying something and just decide which form factor I prefer.
 
I love that if I get the HD25's they will last for a very long time, that unlike IEMs I can easily share my music experience with a friend.
 
I love that the hf5 are uber portable, £50 / 1/3rd cheaper.
 
I am concerned about comfort with both in different ways, clamping and occasional use of glasses or sticking something in my ear (1st IEMs).

 
For me, the HD25 was definitely more uncomfortable. I don't like supra-aural (over the ear) headphones, and the HD25 is one of them. It's got great sound though, enough so that I bought it back again after I had sold it. The things I didn't like about it were comfort, recessed mids, and a lack of soundstage (but that's mainly due to design).
 
The HF3 I still own. It's got fantastic accuracy, pretty flat across all spectrums without much of a boost anywhere. It should be good for all music (better than the HD25 for classical, worse than the HD25 for rock). Really great IEMs for travel, especially if you get the one with Android/iPhone controls (HF2/3) if you need them.

 

[flatmap]

As a note on durability of IEMs:  I've carried mine over a lot of hard miles in the last year and a half and they
still look  brand new.  
 
The secret is that I have an ample sized zipped wallet to carry them in.
Roll them up nicely & gently, stow, and zip.  The case that came with them was way to small in my 
estimation.  No need to be wrestling, cramming and stuffing them every day.  So... recommend an
ample carry case.  

 

[kreggurree]

Well I was in London last Saturday and got to try a couple of headphones. Most were ones that I know need amps but I did get to try the HD25 Addidas edition, some grados and the Shure 840 + others.
 
The grados I have no idea which needed amping or not, the hd25 did not sound any better to me than my senn 201's running through my zoom h4.
I am not sure if this is just due to poor audio memory, poor conditions (in a shop with my clip zip, lacking time so slightly rushed), or too high expectations/unaware of how much the performance gap is between full size and not.
 
BUT I then tried the Shure 840's and there was a noticable improvement, it felt like all music I had been listening to before had been through rusty pipes and now it was like pure clear water. The jump from ibuds to 201s was like I had been listening to incomplete musioc before and this jumo was like it was now cleaned up.
 
Any way considering I have seen shure 840s for £119 I am tempted to just get them and get good enough IEM/buds for running and walking.
 
Am I misguided or is the SQ gap not that large between £20 closed/fullsize senns and £100+ portables?
If it was detail and clarity that I was wowed by maybe IEMs can provide that? (but it might have been the soundstage)

argh! I am dissapointed and confused all at once

 

[flatmap]

Is it possible that theShure 840's were the best isolating 'phones of this lot?
In a noisy environment, good isolation is quite important, since the outside sounds
leak into your listening and can make great headphones sound bad.
 
For example, when ensconced at my local coffee shop, any of my
open style headphones are quite useless -- and maybe not unlike listening
through rusty pipes.  So I wonder if you were in a sufficiently quiet spot.
Just a thought.
 
Notwithstanding, even in those conditions, when you walk away with such a nice
experience listening to the Shure's, seems like they really have something you 
value.  I bet you'd like them.