Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 31
 Great, precise, sound September 6, 2010
C. Bodington
I purchased these earphones a little while ago and have been very happy with them> Here's what I think
Pro's
Precise sound (everything comes out clear)
Reasonable, clean bass (Matches precise, but I also prefer the bass in these because it is not over emphasized, this is personal preference)
Noise Isolation (These are probably the most isolation you will get from any non-custom earphone. This is great for noisy environments, and even for quiet ones. It is just me and the music.)
Price (These are a great value)
Con's
Insertion (You do have to put them in very far. I bet half the people here who think they put them in all the way could have gone farther. It helps to pull on the earlobe as you insert.)
Comfort (You will get used to these as I have, but don't expect to wear them for multiple hours right out of the box. To sound good they need to go deep which will probably not be comfortable the to begin with. I can now wear these for several hours straight.)
Bass(?) Put these in deep enough and you will be satisfied unless you are a basshead
Overview.
Get these if you care about having accurate, flat sound. Great for classical, rock, jazz, and lighter music listeners. NOT FOR BASSHEADS.
Get these if you need a lot of sound isolation. If isolation is not important to you, get something more comfortable. A pair of headphones.
They are a great value if you will be happy with the claims I have made. If you like too much bass, or won't stick them uncomfortably (for the first few times) into your ears, you will think they are a bad value product.
 Horrible Build Quality September 2, 2010
HCChua
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The ER HF5 was my very first pair of audiophile earbuds. I did a lot of research online, had an audition at a local earphone retailer and fell in love with the clean, analytical sound signature.
I truly enjoyed the HF5 but that didn't last long. 2 months to be exact. The plastic casing of the right earphone broke when I was removing the grey foamies that came with it for cleaning. As you might expect, Etymotic did not honour the warranty when I sent it back via the retailer. Direct contact via email drew a blank too. So, the good support of Etymotic is a myth as far as I am concerned.
As a consumer, I am annoyed that Etymotic shipped such a poorly built product. For me, the HF5 cost USD2.50 per day of use. This is just a warning to others. For me, I won't give another dollar to this company ever again.
Amazing August 30, 2010
Powder
These are perfect. Have had some $300 Sure ones that don't even compare. I just lost these on my plane flight. Somebody is lucky to get em. I will buy another pair.
Outstanding value May 31, 2010
M&M (Boston)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have tried many in-ear headphones from ~$30 to ~$300, and these are IMHO the best combination of sound quality, comfort, and affordability. I wear them on my daily commute in Boston, and the noise isolation is exceptional. I use the cylindrical foam earpieces, and with those inserted properly I can barely hear the Red Line subway train when it approaches in the station--if you're not familiar with the Boston subway system, this is not a quiet event by any means. As others have commented, the headphones may seem a little weak in the bass department if you are used to artificially juiced-up bass. It was that way for me at first, but I quickly adapted, especially given the improvement in overall clarity. I sometimes use an EQ setting in my ipod that adds just a smidgen of additional bass, but with or without that, the sound is beautiful. I'm not one for the florid descriptions of sound gear that you can read in audio magazines, but I will say that I feel these headphones have renewed my music collection, which is mainly 190-kbps MP3. Everything I listen to sounds fresh--full of previously unheard nuances and emotional impact. As for comfort, I wore these for about 10 hours straight on a trans-Pacific flight, and if not for the music playing and the lack of jet-engine noise, I could have forgotten I was wearing them.
 Etymotic hf5 March 17, 2010
Joel Tunnah (Brooklyn, NY)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The HF5 is a vast improvement over other earphones I have owned, like the awful Sennheiser CX300 or default iPod earbuds. But, claims that these or any other tiny earphones are "reference quality" is an exaggeration, and there are also usage issues that need to be considered.
Using 320kbps mp3's in my Sansa Fuze, I compared the HF5 to my full size Sony MDR-V6 headphones. The HF5 does remarkably well in the mid-range - no complaints. But the highs are a little muddier and fizzier, and the bass is just not there - even when seated correctly. They really are superb for listening to audio books in noisy environments - but for music I can't give them more than 3 stars.
As for using the HF5's: I find it very distracting having something so far into my ear - at times they are downright uncomfortable. It usually takes several attempts to get them seated correctly. Earwax is a constant issue (nasty), especially in the ridged rubber flanges. The audio quality is very dependent on placement. The rubbery cord makes a lot of noise in your ear if you move at all (forget about jogging or walking with these in).
External sound isolation is what I would call excellent, although again it seems to me that people greatly exaggerate. I use these on the subway, and sadly you can still hear the train and everything around you. It's not at all like what you get with protective shooting headphones. Still, the isolation is much better than the MDR-V6's, and slightly better than the Bose QC15's I tried.
Build quality is excellent, cord length is perfect, and they are attractive units. Comes with a nice soft case.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 31
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