Product Description

Etymotic's 5th generation of high-fidelity in-ear earphones has finally arrived. The HF5 delivers a near-perfect music experience, even in high surrounding noise conditions. Like Etymotic's earlier generations of in-ear earphones, the HF5 is built on superior noise isolation, so you experience total sound immersion when listening to your music. The HF5 is compatible with all iPod models and music players that accept a 3.5mm plug. This package includes the HF5 in-ear earphones, assorted eartips for your comfort, a filter changing tool with filters, and a protective carrying pouch.

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Product Details

• Color: Black
• Brand: Etymotic Research
• Model: HF5-Black
• Dimensions: 6.00" h x 7.25" w x 1.50" l, .36 pounds

Features

• Super-high accuracy provides a near-perfect listening experience
• 3-flanged earpiece provides up to 35dB of isolation
• Frequency response: 20Hz to 16kHz
• Impedance: 16 Ohms (nominal)
• 4-foot cable

From the Manufacturer

Etymotic Research HF5--High Clarity, Great Fit, and Maximum Noise Isolation

Made by Etymotic Research, the people who created in-ear earphones, the HF5 delivers Etymotic's world-renowned sound quality in a pair of comfortable, convenient earphones. The HF5 provides a near-perfect music experience.

The HF5 works with all MP3 players and iPod models, as well as the iPhone and any other device that operates with a 3.5 mm stereo plug. The HF5 can be worn with the cables in front or in back of the head, and the cable slider can be adjusted by moving it up or down for a snug fit.

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The HF5 comes in black, Ruby, and Cobalt to match your style

Amazing response accuracy means unmatched crystal-clear sound

Designing the HF5: Etymotic Research Focuses on Noise Isolation and Response Accuracy

Keeping Things Quiet with 35+ dB Noise Isolation

The special 3-flanged earpieces that come with the HF5 provide 35 dB noise isolation or more (depending on the eartip used), making it one of the highest-rated products on the market for both active and passive noise-canceling headphones. With 35 dB of isolation, you won't need to turn the music up as loud to hear every nuance of your favorite artists, saving your hearing and preventing "ear fatigue". Once you obtain a proper seal in the ear, watch the world disappear, leaving you with your favorite music reproduced with remarkable clarity.

How Etymotic Research Measures Response Accuracy

The accuracy score is perhaps the single most important tool for earphone design. A perfect recording of a live performance played through earphones with 100% accuracy would produce the same sound at the eardrum as the live performance. A complicating factor is that the acoustic resonance and horn effects of the ear change a flat signal entering the open ear to an eardrum signal with the approximate frequency characteristic of the target curve. A perfect earphone will create that same frequency characteristic at the eardrum.

Hitting the "Target Curve"

Target curves on Etymotic Research graphs indicate 100% accuracy: The open ear diffuse-field response of the KEMAR® mannequin modified to compensate for the high frequency boost added to high-quality recordings. This modification (approximately 5 dB at 10 kHz) is necessary to avoid earphones sounding too bright on commercial recordings. Commercial recordings have a high-frequency boost that compensates for the high frequency roll-off in studio monitor loudspeakers and high-quality stereo loudspeakers and earphones.

Earphone response is measured on a KEMAR® manikin that has the same acoustic properties as the average head and ear. 25-band accuracy scores are calculated by summing the difference between the earphone response and the target response in each 1.3 -octave band from 50 Hz to 12.5 kHz.

In the 1970s, Consumers Union used an "Accuracy Score" to rate loudspeakers. Consumer Reports reported that it was possible to predict listeners' loudspeaker ratings within 8% from a calculation based on one-third-octave frequency response measurements converted to loudness in sones. The average error in loudness from a perfect system, subtracted from 100%, gives the accuracy score. Etymotic Research extended this 21-band calculation to a 25-band calculation and routinely uses the 25-band accuracy score in all earphone designs.

Other in-the-ear earphone manufacturers do not report accuracy scores, but Etymotic Research has tested all competitive products. The accuracy scores of Etymotic Research earphones are higher than those of most loudspeakers, and well above all competitive earphones, except electrostatic headphones that cost thousands of dollars.

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What Critics Are Saying

"They're cool looking (with the right tips, they look like sci-fi laser pistols), have little to no cable movement noise and reproduce sound in a way that is both perfectly clear and highly enjoyable. Everything about these gives the impression of quality, from the brushed aluminum finish to the way that music suddenly sounds distinctly layered in a way that it didn't before, and that it doesn't on many similarly priced units. [...] The tighter seal that these offer to most people is conducive to better listening, and the isolation properties are superb. You can't hear anything else with these guys in. Every manufacturer should have something like this." --John Herman, Gizmodo.com

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Technical Specifications

• Frequency response: 20 Hz -16 kHz
• Noise isolation: 35- 42 dB (depending on eartip used)
• Acoustic polarity: + electrical = + acoustic
• Transducer type: Balanced armature
• Sensitivity (1 kHz): 105 dB SPL for a 0.1 VRMS input
• Impedance: 16 Ohms (nominal)
• Maximum output: 120 dB SPL
• Cable: 4 ft
• Weight: less than 1 oz

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Customer Reviews

Brilliant Sound - Even better than the ER-4
I've been using the Etymotic ER-4 for years and recently just bought the HF5. When I first got the ER-4's years ago, my friends first thought I was crazy for paying $275. But I listen to all my music while commuting on the train. If you loved music as much as I do, would you spend that much on a pair of speakers for your home stereo, or skimp and spend $50?

The ER-4 delivered like no other earphones, with not only the sound quality, but the noise reduction. As someone once said "It's the closest thing there is to injecting the music right into your brain." I completely agree. It took some getting used to 'listening' to the bass as opposed to feeling it, but now these are irreplaceable.

I have bought several pair of the ER-4's due to damage, losing them, etc. And it was time to replace my current pair. I decided to get Etymotics newest model, the HF5. I didn't expect a huge improvement over the ER-4's, but I was wrong.

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.

The only thing I wasn't happy with, at first, is the cord. They seem to have switched back to the more grabby rubbery style cord as opposed to the smoother plastic. While the rubbery feels nicer, I was worried it would grab onto my clothes too much. That hasn't been a problem so far.

They could have also included a few extra filters. The filters need to be changed every few months when they get gunked up with earwax. This model only includes one spare, and it would have been great to include more.

Other than that I would say these earphones are superb and worth every penny.

Eric Monse

Good, Not Great
I have a number of different earphones/headphones, including Etymotic ER-4P, Jays Q-Jays, Ultimate Ears 5 Pro and 4vi. The ER-4Ps sound the best to me (but lack in the design category -- they stick out too far when inserted in your ear and the cable feels somewhat flimsy). The ER-4Ps have a level of clarity and detail (and treble) that the others do not match.

I bought these headphones thinking that I would now have the best of both worlds: the sound of the ER-4Ps with a better design. I was wrong. The design of the Hf5 headphone itself is better than the ER-4P, but the sound of the Hf5 does not match the ER-4P. To my ears, the ER-4P and Hf5 are very similar at the low end (neither is particularly strong in bass). However, at the mid-range and especially the high end, the ER-4Ps have more detail and clarity between different instruments and vocals. The Hf5 tends to sound more muddy IN COMPARISON to the ER-4Ps and the high end of the Hf5 has more roll off than the ER-4Ps (i.e., the highs on the Hf5 won't go as high as they do on the ER-4P). Vocals and mid-range on the ER-4P sound so much better than the Hf5 that I wonder whether I had a bad set of Hf5s.

Looking at Amazon's prices, the ER-4Ps are only $20 more than the Hf5. If you are spending that much money on headphones, the ER-4Ps are a better deal.

This is not to say that the Hf5s are a bad set of headphones. To the contrary, I found them to compare very favorably to the Q-Jays. The Q-Jays had better low end (bass) than the Hf5, but the Hf5 was better than the Q-Jays on the high end and the Hf5 seemed to have a better soundstage (more clarity and detail). The Q-Jays are smaller and fit better than the Hf5; HF5 are slightly better than the Q-Jays at blocking external noises.

The Ultimate Ears 4vi are a good set of headphones. With respect to sound, I would give a slight edge to the UE 4vi over the Hf5 (the UE 4vis have better low end and maybe slightly better soundstage than the Hf5...though not by much). The Hf5 fit better than the UE4vi and block more external noise.

The UE Super 5 Pros are muddy and pale in comparison to any of the other headphones.

So, the Hf5s are a good set of headphones...but they do not match the great sound quality of the ER-4Ps.

Etymotic HF5 - What I Think Of It
Packaging: Simple packaging that wasn't difficult to get into. No tools/scissors required. No excessive plastic or cardboard.

Included Items: HF5 IEM, Small Etymotic pouch, Standard Etymotic tri-flange tips, Baby blue tri-flange tips, Large dark grey foamies (not the mushroom type), Filter changing tool, Spare filters

Cord: Seems sturdy enough. Has a slider above the "Y" junction. Shirt clip already on the cord. Cord doesn't seem too thin or too thick. Plug is straight instead of having a bent or "J" shape.

Initial Impression: Good lord, I have to insert these deep to get a seal with the stock tips!

Sound: Very clean. Bass is tight, fast, a little anemic for my taste, but definitely there and not completely disappointing. (Note to those who want warmer sound from these: With a small 4-5 dB boost in the 40-60 Hz range and a 2-3 dB boost in the 250-450 Hz range, the bass/low mid range is just about right) Mids are neutral. They don't sound either forward or recessed. Highs are fresh, airy, energetic, and crisp but without being piercing or shrill. These have the least sibilance I've heard from an IEM. I can only hear sibilance with "ch" sounds, not "s" or "sh". Even then it is barely detectable.

Recommended Genres: Pretty much anything but hip hop. These sound great with vocals, piano (wow), guitar, and anything which doesn't require massive bass response. I suppose you could even do a few hip hop songs, but they have to have the bass pretty much built in to the song (such as Flo Rida's "Low"). Anything with bass that focuses on a warm, constant mid-bass + low, low (30 Hz or less) bass in the background (Hurricane Chris's "Hand Clap") with few bass spikes will not sound good with these.

These are especially great for anything that requires a fast bass response (Metal/Symphonic Metal/"Fast" Rock) or energetic, airy highs (Pop/J-Pop/Guitar + Vocal/Classical/Orchestral). Or both! (Think of Ministry) I can't lavish enough praise on these for how well I think they render pianos. I literally want to reach out and start playing (my fingers unconsciously twitch!) whenever I hear a piano with the HF5.

Soundstage: Honestly, the music is somewhat constrained here, probably in large part to how deep you have to insert these puppies. Your music isn't going to surround you or anything. The instrument separation is great with these, but the sound feels a bit like it's been squeezed into a small room (Maybe a small recording studio?). That or if you have these cranked loud enough you could consider that you're standing on the stage or in the first row instead of being in the crowd. Once in a while you'll be able to place something off to the side, but it won't be as often as with a fair number of other IEMs. This is also highly dependent on the quality of the seal you have. The better the seal, the better the soundstage is with these.

Microphonics: Bad and lots. Luckily (and somewhat annoyingly) the shirt clip is attached straight out of the box!

Isolation: Good and just okay. Good on first insert. Without music playing I can hardly hear conversation in the office, and even then it's an undecipherable mumble. After a period of time the seal loosens up a bit and it's more like a standard IEM, where you can listen to conversations if you want with no music playing, but it's not going to bother you while listening. I just had a coworker open a can of soda no more than 3 feet away from me and I could only hear it because I was listening for it (Listening to Eric Johnson's "East West", which isn't really a complex, loud song).

IMPORTANT NOTE: Quality of seal is almost inversely proportionate to comfort if you have medium to large ears. This applies to stock tips only and will not be an issue with foam tips or your favorite tip that fits the Etymotic HF5 nozzle.

Comfort: Starts off poor with the initial seal. These are a pain to get a seal with, and I don't really have large ears or ear canals. I generally use medium-sized tips on everything but my Klipsch Image X10. After the seal loosens up a bit (helps to yawn lightly), they aren't bad, but you'll know they're there.

IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU CAN SLEEP WITH THESE ON! They rival the Klipsch Image X10 for comfort in this regard!

Comfort - Tips: The HF5 tri-flange tips are interchangeable with Klipsch gels and Future Sonics bi-flanges. The sound stage improves with the Klipsch gels, as well as warming up the sound a bit.

Overall Sound Quality: 4.5 out of 5, only because of the small soundstage and just-barely-too-low low end response.

Overall Value: At the $99 I spent, 4.5 of 5. At MSRP of $150, I'd say 4 of 5. Microphonics (shirt clip not withstanding), no airplane/volume attenuator, lack of various tip sizes, diminished soundstage, and just-too-little low end response (for my taste) bring the HF5 down. However, the sound reproduction is excellent, and I am personally quite happy with the signature overall. With a slight EQ boost on the low end and low mids, these are a very enjoyable IEM. The Etymotic HF5 has the least sibilance I've heard from an IEM. Also, you can sleep with them on no problem. These were definitely worth my money.