[Marcus_C]

It's certainly not a bass heavy iem, it's strength is it's detail. Nothing like a sennheiser cx***. I now keep two iem's, one bassy/dynamic, one BA for the detail dynamics in the range just can't match. I use hf5's now and my Bassier iem's at the moment are the beyerdynamic dtx100.

 

[Vitor Teixeira]

Well, it appears this thread needs to reborn
 
Im looking for a decent pair of phones with mic, to use with iPhone, after doing some research, my choices are between the HF5 and the PFE 122.
On amazon.co.uk the HF5 are 71.37 pounds and the PFE are like 130, so almost double's the price..and i really dont want to spend more than 70/80 €, so..
From what i've heard the PFE are sligthly better, anyone tried them booth?
 
Maybe you can guide me to the right ones?
 
(This purchase will only be within Europe, this year i've just had my share of payed taxes...)

 

[jaw2ek]

Quote:

Well, it appears this thread needs to reborn
 
Im looking for a decent pair of phones with mic, to use with iPhone, after doing some research, my choices are between the HF5 and the PFE 122.
On amazon.co.uk the HF5 are 71.37 pounds and the PFE are like 130, so almost double's the price..and i really dont want to spend more than 70/80 €, so..
From what i've heard the PFE are sligthly better, anyone tried them booth?
 
Maybe you can guide me to the right ones?
 
(This purchase will only be within Europe, this year i've just had my share of payed taxes...)

HF5 do not have a mic, you need HF2, which are identical, except with the additional mic.

 

[martythestickman]

hi all, thought id chime in.
 
just received my HF5 from a fellow headfier, antonyfirst, who incidentally is a pleasure to deal with.
 
my experience with headphones and iem is limited to... HP: sennHD25ii, sonyMDRV7506. IEM: sennCX300, meelecM6, im716-depodded and soundmagicPL50.
 
my impressions of the HF5 are few but hopefully concise and are as follows:
very neutral/flat and smooth signature/presentation with good coherency.
soundstage is narrow, very near and immediate as if you were in the middle of the band.
high detail retrieval and articulation accross the spectrum whilst maintaining above average instrument separation/air.
great extension at both ends.
almost nil sibilance, unless the recording is prone and the volume is nearing max. unlike the soundmagicPL50 that are constantly shouting at me.
fantastic comfort and isolation.
high microphonics/cablenoise, almost nil occlusion.
i was vey impressed and surprised by the bass quantity and quality especially with them, considering peoples "ety is thin" stereotype. fast, accurate and never muddy.
in addition, the mids especially had a nice full/chunky body to the notes unlike the im716 which in comparison is anemic accross the board.
 
so far the HF5 display all the strong points of all these headphones/iem with "arguably" none of the shortfalls in that it has a narrow soundstage, and possibly not enough low for some people (although coming from HD25ii which i love and is my favourite i can safely say that the low end is adequate).
 
for the time being i highly recommend them, though im awaiting arrival of the fischerDBA02 and ueTF10, so when they get here ill try to get a bit more specifically comparative and until then...
 
well i hope that gives you some idea of how they sound, i tried my best, Aii!
 
marty.
 
 
 

 

[goodvibes]

I slightly preferred he HF5.
Quote:

Well, it appears this thread needs to reborn
 
Im looking for a decent pair of phones with mic, to use with iPhone, after doing some research, my choices are between the HF5 and the PFE 122.
On amazon.co.uk the HF5 are 71.37 pounds and the PFE are like 130, so almost double's the price..and i really dont want to spend more than 70/80 €, so..
From what i've heard the PFE are sligthly better, anyone tried them booth?
 
Maybe you can guide me to the right ones?
 
(This purchase will only be within Europe, this year i've just had my share of payed taxes...)

 

[yliu]

Those are great IEMs, but I found the cord really annoying. It is sticky, hard to untangle.

 

[plonter]

Hi all.  I am so happy right now,I just got my first ety's...the HF5!.  these are not my first iem's.
I had shure se530,420,im-590 in the past but ended up seeling them all due to fit issues.
but the ugly street noise and the fact that my yuin pk2 got ruined not so long ago brought me back to iem's and i decided to give etymotic a try.   
 
well..I am a very happy audiophile right now

    I was also concern about the "Bass light" issue because i am a little of a basshead myself.  they are certainly not lacking in bass,even have a very full and delight bass response if you are asking me...and i am a denon D5000 and ATH M-50 user so....the bass is right on the spot for me with the triple flange.
they sound very neutral and balanced to me but not harsh or too sharp in any way.
really really great earphones!  thanks everybody and head fi for the useful info...like always!

 
by the way..has anybody tried them amped?  I am very curious on how they will sound out of my headroom ultra micro stack rig at home.   right now i am using my cowon i9 which is also very nice sounding.
 
EDIT: wait..these are bass monsters!  am i doing something wrong?  all the frequencies sound on the spot including the bass ...but these are ety's ,they shouldn't be bassy...but they are.
I am listening to armin van buuren right now and the the bass is super punchy and going low.
not that it is a bad thing,just not something i expected from etymotic from what i read.
 
the highs and mids sound very neutral though...but the bass just seems a little too strong right now (relatively to neutral)  maybe it need a little burn in time to relax.

 

[plonter]

Hi, me again.  I keep getting impress from these, the sound is so neutral and accurate.
I am now listening to them plugged into my headroom ultra micro stack and the sound is really impressive.    exccept from the highs which are very precise and neutral ,the bass is really deep and with very good quality (HD600,650 style).  like i said before,even a tad more than totally neutral imo.   
oh...and the isolation is also fantastic.  I think that i became from an IEM hater to an IEM lover

I really feel like trying different iems to see the differences.  maybe one day when i have the money i will give the shures another try also.   but i can only use iems that comes with the triple flange tips because this is the only tip that seats in my ears and give me a proper seal.

 

[Bennyboy71]

Just pulled the trigger on a pair of the HF5s. I need a fallback iem when not wanting to take my SM3s out and about with me, and I did use to love my old ER4Ps, before I sold them. These seem like a bargain at half the price of the ER4s, but will get them tomorrow so will report back.

 

[plonter]

Quote:

Just pulled the trigger on a pair of the HF5s. I need a fallback iem when not wanting to take my SM3s out and about with me, and I did use to love my old ER4Ps, before I sold them. These seem like a bargain at half the price of the ER4s, but will get them tomorrow so will report back.

congratz on your new ety's mate! 

 please inform us on how you like them.  I can only say that these are easely in the same league with headphones like RS-1 and AHD5000 M50 and HD650 (i have them all) only without the coloration of the sound which makes them even better.   that's imo ofcourse.   the are great with my cowon d2 dap but they really shine when pairing them with my headroom ultra micro stack.  truly astonishing sound imo,I have to get myself a ER-P sometime.

 

[Bennyboy71]

Just got my HF5s this morning.  Previously, I had the ER4P with S adaptor, but sold it off to 'upgrade' to the CK10 (which I then regretted).  Have since moved on to the SM3, so have bought the HF5 on a whim really.
 
Got to say, the design of these is better than memory of the ER4 - smaller, less plasticky, easier to insert and get a fit due to size, and very comfortable indeed.  The stock silicone triples (larger size) appear to be a different colour to the ones I used to use as well, and might just be my defective recall, but they seem less 'itchy' than the old ones.  The cable seems ok, with little microphonics as far as I can guage, but then I do seem to have far less issues with microphonics than some of you more delicate, sensitive souls.
 
Soundwise, its interesting to compare the HF5s to both the ER4P and the SM3.  Only managed to grab cursory listens so far, but the trademark Ety clarity is there in full force - virtually crystal clear reproduction of both instruments and vocals, with excellent separation and a decentish soundstage. Stands up remarkably well to the ER4s in my view, but again that's from memory.  Certainly, the micro detailing is very finely etched, and lifelike, as if you're in the room with the performers.  This area is where the HF5s win out over the SM3, if you ask me.  With the latter, there's a tad less definition that is only really noticeable when ABing from the Earsonics to the Etys. 
 
I was worried the bass on the HF5s would be as comparitively downsized as ER4P, but from what I can tell, Ety have managed to squeeze more out of their cheaper (half the price) model. Of course, the SM3 does bass much better, going deeper and with more bite and reverb, but from the few tracks I've been listening to on the HF5, I'd say it goes deep enough and has enough impact for anyone who wants a nice balanced sound instead of a bottom heavy thumping bbbbbeast. Balanced is the word when it comes to the HF5, I think, with a nice shimmer up top, solid, detailed and unrecessed mids and tightly controlled bass down below.  Nothing sticks out like a sore thumb, and coherence is optimal (as it should be with single BAs).
 
Isolation is the usual Ety incredible - not much to report beyond saying both the HF5 and the ER4 block out virtually all extraneous noise, leaving just you and the music to get acquainted.  That has its pros and cons when out and about, but on the whole I can live without hearing annoying people make annoying noises in public.  Know what I mean? So top marks there.
 
In a toss up between the two Ety models, I'd actually say the HF5s are the way to go if you're travelling unamped.  They drive perfectly via my J3, sound virtually identical to the ER4P, are better built, and crucially cost half the price.  Got my ruby coloured ones for £67 here in the Uk, whereas you won't find the ER4P for less than £140 over here.  That represents a steal of a bargain in my book, especially if budgets and wallets are tight.
 
When weighing the HF5 against the SM3 though, its a different story, perhaps understandably.  The forensic detailing of the Ety signature definitely appeals to my finer sensibilites, but the Earsonics blast the HF5s out the water into deep space with their 3 dimensionality of presentation, their wiiiide soundstage, and the sense they give you of having just poked your head into the middle of the music, like an astronaut donning a sonic helmet  Hows that for an awkwardly segued metaphor? But its true - the immersion that the SM3s offer, even though they sacrifice isolation, build quality and lots more cash,  is too big an obstacle ultimately for the Etys to climb over. 
 
Thats in no way a denigration of the HF5s.  At two hundred and thirty quid cheaper, I wouldn't expect them to trump the SM3. That they don't is not rocket science. Instead, they offer an alternative sound signature, and one that may well suit your own personal tastes and pockets better. At their price, they represent a killer investment and I'm glad I returned to a brand I'd left behind. It feels like slipping old boots off after a long day.

 

[panthers2012]

Very nice review. I recently tried the HF2s (the iPhone counterpart to the HF5), and they are very very good (as you point out). Of course, being newly bitten by the headphone bug, and not to be satisfied, I also purchased the Ety MC3s yesterday, which are $99, and want to see if they are close enough to the HF2s. As you may know, the MC3s (and MC5s) are Etymotics' first dynamic IEMs, and for the most part are getting very positive reviews here and elsewhere. I read that the MC3/5 line is pretty much equal to the HF line in terms of detail, but adds a little bass and warmth to the mix. I thought I would be spending $300+ on in-ear phones here, but seems like I am going to be happy with a lower priced option. Of course, I saw that Newgg was selling the JVC HA-FXC50s for $7 after rebate, and bought a pair. When someone suggested the Comply tips, I bought some and tried them. Wow, $7 for a very good sounding headphone.
 
Anyway, thanks for that nice review and I agree with you (though I have no expensive phones to compare them to.

 

[Bennyboy71]

Cheers.  They're a very special little iem, thats for sure. 
 
As for your comment about being newly bitten by the headphone bug - be careful, very careful is all I'll say!  Its like quicksand in here.... soon your poor credit card will be sobbing into the leather of your wallet and your friends will start to stage interventions to discuss your 'problem' with you.
Quote:

Very nice review. I recently tried the HF2s (the iPhone counterpart to the HF5), and they are very very good (as you point out). Of course, being newly bitten by the headphone bug, and not to be satisfied, I also purchased the Ety MC3s yesterday, which are $99, and want to see if they are close enough to the HF2s. As you may know, the MC3s (and MC5s) are Etymotics' first dynamic IEMs, and for the most part are getting very positive reviews here and elsewhere. I read that the MC3/5 line is pretty much equal to the HF line in terms of detail, but adds a little bass and warmth to the mix. I thought I would be spending $300+ on in-ear phones here, but seems like I am going to be happy with a lower priced option. Of course, I saw that Newgg was selling the JVC HA-FXC50s for $7 after rebate, and bought a pair. When someone suggested the Comply tips, I bought some and tried them. Wow, $7 for a very good sounding headphone.
 
Anyway, thanks for that nice review and I agree with you (though I have no expensive phones to compare them to.

 

[shane55]

Quote:

Cheers.  They're a very special little iem, thats for sure. 
 
As for your comment about being newly bitten by the headphone bug - be careful, very careful is all I'll say!  Its like quicksand in here.... soon your poor credit card will be sobbing into the leather of your wallet and your friends will start to stage interventions to discuss your 'problem' with you.

 

Well hello Ben...
 
Very nice writeup and congrats to you.
 
So are you listening to these flat or EQ'd like the SM3's?
 
cheers
 
shane
 

 

[Bennyboy71]

Flat all the way mate, flat all the way.....as nature intended.  Sound utterly perfect that way through my J3, I reckon.....did have a wee fiddle with extra bass and some BBE enhancements but dropped back to a flatline pretty soon and am gonna stay there I think.
 
Only thing that worries me is how simple the whole setup is - just using the stock larger triple flanges, just sticking them in my ears and just pressing play.  Can it really be that easy? No mods needed, no frankentips, no EQ, no standing on one leg aiming your left ear in a north by north east direction under a full moon? Really???

 
Oh, and I hope you dont object but I thought I'd post that link to the Stereophile review you sent me earlier if thats cool?
 
Apologies if this has already been posted folks, but it makes for most interesting reading.  I agree 7800%
 
http://stereophile.com/headphones/etymotic_research_hf2_amp_hf5_in-ear_headphones/
 
p.s. I have just sold my SM3s. Seriously, the HF5s are that good.  For me, anyway.  Your mileage may vary of course, cos contrary to Mr Durdon's assertion,  reading Head-fi shows that you actually are all unique snowflakes.....
Quote:

Well hello Ben...
 
Very nice writeup and congrats to you.
 
So are you listening to these flat or EQ'd like the SM3's?
 
cheers
 
shane