[ChristmaSFnatic]

The price difference is around $50. Justifies the difference? I am not a bass junkie but wont mind it on songs that uses them more. I read reviews that the MC3(or 5) is way bland and not exciting, so I wont be headbanging on it playing rock music? Will I do on the HF3 or is the bass stil low compared to say, s4i or Turbines?

 

[NA Blur]

To me they sound basically the same, but the HF3 distorts much more easily.
 
Here are some charts so you can explore this for yourself.  It looks like the driver implementation is identical.
 
Distortion
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=1&graphID[]=2701&graphID[]=2691
 
Frequency Response
It does look like the HF3 rides on average +3dB above the HC3, but this could be fit and seal related.
http://www.headphone.com/headphones/etymotic-mc3.php

 

[Inks]

They dont sound that similar, the MC is more conservative in response due to the lack of treble air. It's also much slower and precise, sounding congested and bland. Been a while since i heard the two, but the HF series was clearly better and worth the price difference imo. 

 

[kmhaynes]

Not sure that the graphs the user NA Blur is using mean what he is concluding.  I have owned both at the same time and there is a significant improvement in SQ from the MC5 to the HF5.  They do NOT have the same drivers, as the MC series driver is a completely different type of driver that Etymotic created called a "moving coil" driver.  (BTW, a number of other companies have similar cross-type drivers with similar names.)
 
The HF5 shares the same balanced armature driver as the renowned ER4, but the housing and the tuning are different for each.  The MC5 is much less coherent than the HF5, and on busy music passages, the MC sounds congested and confused.  The HF5 just sound beautiful compared to the MC5.
 
Save your money and get the HF5 -- it is worth it completely.

 

[ChristmaSFnatic]

Thanks guys. And is the HF5 good for most type of music, esp rock, pop, and Christmas songs? It wont make it sound boring eh?

 

[tripletec]

Quote:

Thanks guys. And is the HF5 good for most type of music, esp rock, pop, and Christmas songs? It wont make it sound boring eh?

The HF5's are great all around for all types of music. IMO best earbuds in the $100 price range. Bass isn't huge compared to others but your music doesnt sound like it has a ton of bass anyway.