Etymotic hf5

Many portable gadgets ranging from portable media players to touchscreen phones come with a good pair of earphones which should be exceptional for listening to some favorite music tracks or for hearing phone calls clearly. Although the sound quality should please regular listeners, the headphones may not be as comfortable enough to be worn for long periods of time. Real audiophiles may even want some extra features like noise isolation to prevent ear fatigue.

Etymotic Research provides a solution for that by sporting a unique design while delivering both quality sound and comfort to listeners with the Etymotic Research HF5 Portable In-Ear Earphones. These earphones excel in portability with the fact that they can be plugged into any audio source without the need of an amplifier or set of batteries.

Etymotic Research hf5 High Fidelity Earphones

Etymotic Research hf5 High Fidelity Earphones

Design and Comfort

The Etymotic Research HF5 Portable In-Ear Earphones can match a variety of the modern portable media players and mobile phones out there since they come available in three different colors – black, ruby, and cobalt. What stands out most are the uniquely designed 3-flanged earpieces that gently slip in to any ear to effectively seal the ear canal for proper noise isolation. The earphones are also light, so putting them on doesn’t add any discomfort issues normally caused by added weight or bulk.

Inserting these flanged eartips is easy especially if they are moistened. In case a good seal cannot be obtained, foam eartips are also included in the package, so an additional pair of earphones isn’t necessary. The foam eartips provide a good seal as well as long as the eartip is held in place for a little bit so that the foam can expand. Doing so is necessary to experience the full bass responsiveness features that the Etymotic Research HF5 Portable In-Ear Earphones delivers. It also ensures safe prolonged listening as long as lower listening levels are used. Compared to the older ER-4 models, the HF5 reaches new heights when it comes to comfort. In fact, these portable earphones are so comfortable and portable that they can be used while sleeping.

The 4-foot cable is fairly enough for comfortable listening when using any device and is rather flexible on how it can be used. There is a cable slider that is adjustable to allow the cable to be worn perfectly either in the front or back of the head. In addition to the assorted eartips, the Etymotic Research HF5 also comes with a filter changing tool with some filters included along with a pouch that adds some significant protection when carrying the delicate pair of powerful earphones.

Actual user review:
“At first I felt like the earphones didn’t fit as well as the ER-4’s. But then I realized that these actually go DEEPER into your ears than the ER-4’s. And once I got them in there… WOW! The sound was actually so much bigger and brighter than the ER-4’s. The ER-4’s were great, but the HF5’s is like watching High Definition Television compared to regular TV. The highs are brighter and the bass is bigger. – E.Monse (NY, USA)

Features

Response accuracy is one of the main focuses of the Etymotic Research HF5 with live recordings having just about the same accuracy as if the sounds were really live. Etymotic Research backed up these claims by testing the “Accuracy Score” the same way loudspeakers are tested and the results turned out to be generally higher than most loudspeakers and earphones.

Providing that the eartips are properly sealed in, at least 35 dB of noise isolation is ensured and can be greater depending on the type of earpiece. This allows listeners to hear all of the key notes and vocals without cranking up the volume too high. The bass quality also lives up to the manufacturer’s claims, making the pair good for all genres including some popular hip hop tracks. All genres of music sound are balance and clear, separating itself greatly from the ordinary earphone models.

Bottom Line

The Etymotic Research HF5 is backed with a nice value for a high-quality earphone priced at just over $110. With its compatibility with all devices with a 3.5mm jack including iPods, mp3 players, and cellular phones with a 3.5mm stereo plug, the HF5 rivals well with the other competing models in its price range. The package includes enough items for all people to use to achieve the perfect fit. The soundstage can use some improvement, but the noise isolation, overall comfort, and accuracy makes this a great pair to have for anyone who is fond of wearing earphones when they are at home or on the go.

• “These earphones are exactly what I’ve always wanted, just never knew existed–excellent music inside my earplugs. I’m bad at handling noise that is out of place (neighbors stomping upstairs, blasting TV downstairs, extremely loud individuals on the subway (+ the subway noise itself), car alarms…). These guys completely block all of it out. I can sit and study in the middle of a cafeteria and not hear a soul. I’m no longer that grumpy old guy (24 is the new 75) that asks everyone to “pipe down you noisy kids.” The noise isolation is so good that my wife constantly surprises me even if she’s trying to get my attention–I just don’t hear her calling me–as she comes up to me. As far as the sound quality goes, these are far superior to the AT (just like in the noise dept). There’s no hiss of the noise cancellation and the music is just much more clear. So many little sounds are heard hat I just didn’t know were part of the music or the show. I’m periodically turning around when I think someone’s behind me–nope it’s just the 3D sound that these things give off.” – I.Nikhamin (USA)

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• “I love listening to all types of music and have been a musician for 30 years. I really enjoy the hf5’s and find them to to be the best of the various earphones I’ve owned, including ety er6i and altec upgrader 336’s. They’re very comfortable and the sound is very easy on the ears. The bass is accurate and not overdone, the separation is wonderful,and so is the sound placement. I hear things that I don’t hear in other earphones.
These have the same drivers as the ety 4’s. I’ve never listened to ety 4’s so I can’t comment on how close they are in sound, but these are noticeably better than the 6i’s.” – Steve W. (CA, USA)

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