[palmfish]

Perfect!

 

[gnarlsagan]

Ordered a HF5 for the isolation on my flight. It's going to be a lot of fun readjusting to my ASG-2 when it comes back from loan...

Yes it's about as big of a difference as it gets lol. Welcome back to the fold. Just enjoyed reading your old hf5 review. It's pretty spot on. It's hard for me to get away from the ety clarity, especially now with luisdent's little eq bump for 60Hz and below.

 

[eke2k6]

Yes it's about as big of a difference as it gets lol. Welcome back to the fold. Just enjoyed reading your old hf5 review. It's pretty spot on. It's hard for me to get away from the ety clarity, especially now with luisdent's little eq bump for 60Hz and below.

Ha, thanks. I feel like the HF5 is the inverse of the ASG-2's FR. I don't think I'll be letting it go again this time. Unless broke college student syndrome strikes again, which means I very well might.

I'll try that eq out, but the eq app on my iPhone drains far too much battery life, and it's a bit clunky. Any recommendations?

 

[gnarlsagan]

I'd recommend getting a fuze with Rockbox lol. You could also try a damper mod. Orange would up the bass quite a bit.

 

[luisdent]

Etymotic Research ER-4PT: Measurements by Golden Ears

Impressively flat midrange.

Yeah, and the er4s flattens the treble too. So, the whole thing is flatter

 

[eke2k6]

I'd recommend getting a fuze with Rockbox lol. You could also try a damper mod. Orange would up the bass quite a bit.

My clip+ will have to suffice for now

Besides, I can appreciate the hf5 for what it is. I think I'd use it without eq or mods.

 

[robm321]

Nvm

 

[eke2k6]

Quote:

Besides, I can appreciate the hf5 for what it is. I think I'd use it without eq or mods.

 
I lied.
 
Now where's that eq?
 
 
Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah + Ety 2 khz spike = ouch
 
The bass is actually ok with me, since I was expecting it. I tried lusident's EQ, but I ended up not liking it because it muddied up the sound. The HF5's soundstage is already too small to congest it further with extra bass. It's tuned really well to my ears, minus that midrange spike...which I guess gives it the clarity that you guys love (along with the recessed bass).
 
The same 2K spike that gives clarity can also make some vocals sound nasaly.

 

[castleofargh]

Quote:

Quote:

Etymotic Research ER-4PT: Measurements by Golden Ears

Impressively flat midrange.

Yeah, and the er4s flattens the treble too. So, the whole thing is flatter

<Subjectively Percieved Tonal Balance>
Diffuse Sound Field Equalization + The small room X-Curve Compensation + Bass Compensation.
 
so flat after what, only 3 different compensations based on completely average values that don't really apply to my ears or my room, or my source, or how deep I insert the iem, or my age.
that flat stuff is a cult, and millions of people believe they like flat sound when they never ever heard it.
so which flat sound is the flat one? the raw flat dull and boring? or this flat, bright and fatiguing?
I can agree on the audio qualities of the er4, but I will never ever believe it sounds flat.

 

[eke2k6]

Ok, this is definitely not a flat iem. It would be a lot more accurate to describe it as mid-centric. More specifically, upper mid-centric.
 
The soundstage is well below average in height, and average in depth. It's especially evident in the bass presentation. The bass notes are there, but never move in the sonic image. My ASG-2, and several less capable iems, can place the sub-bass under the the mid-bass, down into the throat and chest. I'm also finding myself listening louder than I would normally to "fill out" the sound.
 
 
Tonally, I like it. It has the second best treble I've heard. If I were to build a multi-BA/hybrid iem, I'd use the HF5's driver for treble.
 
But it has plenty of issues to address. I'm just grateful for the isolation.
 
End 1 hour review
 
 
PS: The Flashbulb's Reunion is fantastic with the HF5.

 

[gnarlsagan]

Ok, this is definitely not a flat iem. It would be a lot more accurate to describe it as mid-centric. More specifically, upper mid-centric.

The soundstage is well below average in height, and average in depth. It's especially evident in the bass presentation. The bass notes are there, but never move in the sonic image. My ASG-2, and several less capable iems, can place the sub-bass under the the mid-bass, down into the throat and chest.


Tonally, I like it. It has the second best treble I've heard. If I were to build a multi-BA/hybrid iem, I'd use the HF5's driver for treble.

But it has plenty of issues to address. I'm just grateful for the isolation.

End 1 hour review

The Hf5 will become peaky even 3mm away from the reference plane, and this is what I suspect causes you to find vocals nasal sounding. That or you have a different HRTF than ety lovers.

I'm not sure what you mean about the bass, especially when you reference sub-bass in the throat and chest, as I've never experienced that phenomenon.

To my ears the ER4S has more sub-bass in comparison to the mid-bass than the ASG-2. Meaning that even with sub-bass roll off, sub-bass is more clear, defined, and solid sounding in comparison to the mid-bass on the ER4S than on the ASG-2 to my ears. There is obviously a lot more bass on the ASG-2, but notes are definitely less delineated and blur together more, making the bass sound more like one big mass than separate audio events. I wish I could have found an eq to work with the ASG-2 when I had them, because I'm sure that issue could be improved.

 

[eke2k6]

Quote:

The Hf5 will become peaky even 3mm away from the reference plane, and this is what I suspect causes you to find vocals nasal sounding. That or you have a different HRTF than ety lovers.
 

 
Ok, I switched to the white triple flanges and stuffed them in to the point where the tips were no longer visible in the mirror.
 
Holy crap. "Why, hello bass and sub-bass, nice to meet you. I'm glad to see you brought soundstage depth and height too."
 
Pianos are so much more full, snares are more impactful, and vocals are more linear, only nasal once in a while but retain their immediacy. 
 
I'm listening to Macklemore's Wings$ and it sounds beautiful.
 
 
Downside: this level of insertion is painful, and I think I'm getting dizzy (no joking). My brain isn't used to this.

 

[eke2k6]

I feel like I need to write a letter apologizing to the good folks at Etymotic.
 
I'm listening to Drake's Sooner Than Later, and I'm hearing a crapload of bass and sub-bass impact and rumble. This may also be the cleanest bass I've heard.
 
damn
 

 
 
 
I'm also finding this depth easier to deal with, as long as I don't touch the body of the iem. Kind of how you can get used to the knife in your stomach as long as you don't move much.

 

[luisdent]

Ok, I switched to the white triple flanges and stuffed them in to the point where the tips were no longer visible in the mirror.

Holy crap. "Why, hello bass and sub-bass, nice to meet you. I'm glad to see you brought soundstage depth and height too."

Pianos are so much more full, snares are more impactful, and vocals are more linear, only nasal once in a while but retain their immediacy. 

I'm listening to Macklemore's Wings$ and it sounds beautiful.


Downside: this level of insertion is painful, and I think I'm getting dizzy (no joking). My brain isn't used to this.

Insertion gets easier with more time. I've rarely heard sub bass as good as the er4 in quality. With my eq i find them perfect quantity as well.

Muddying up the etys with my eq? I think you applied it wrong. . in fact, listening to acoustic tracks, you shouldn't really even tell it's on. It only slighty brings up the sub bass level. Make sure youre using the right values based on your eq app vs mine. You should be using simple db values. I cant speak for the hf5, they are not the same as the er4s. I had the hd5 a ahort while, and the er4s are superior in extension and flatness. So this eq isnt geared towards the hf5.

Not everyone will agree on presentation and sound, but the deeper insertion definitely makes the soundstage wider and more realistic for me. I'm telling you, er4s, red filters, deep foam or triple flange insertion and my gentle sub bass eq. I'm thrilled every time i listen to them.

All of my vacation so far, i can't imagine having another iem. The isolation allows me to hear their awesone quality anywhere. Any ither iem would have been drowned out in the airplane noise or car noise or house noise (oh my goodness)... The etys go from silence to bringing things to an extremely quiet background whisper. So nice.

 

[Hutnicks]

Quote:

 
Ok, I switched to the white triple flanges and stuffed them in to the point where the tips were no longer visible in the mirror.
 
Holy crap. "Why, hello bass and sub-bass, nice to meet you. I'm glad to see you brought soundstage depth and height too."
 
Pianos are so much more full, snares are more impactful, and vocals are more linear, only nasal once in a while but retain their immediacy. 
 
I'm listening to Macklemore's Wings$ and it sounds beautiful.
 
 
Downside: this level of insertion is painful, and I think I'm getting dizzy (no joking). My brain isn't used to this.

The filters are actually there to keep the white matter out of the IEM