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"Great headphones" on by keabler
Pros: Superior fit and low profile design, amazingly accurate and smooth audio reproduction, isolate more sound than normal earplugs.
Cons: cable is a bit thin, may not be comfortable for every one.
Summary: These are seriously great headphones. All (or mosts) of the members who reviewed these have no idea what they are talking about. They could throw on some Sennheiser hd 800's and complain that they aren't clear enough or lack bass (they are arguably the best over the ear headphones you can buy at $1400)
These headphones isolate 32db of ambient noise which is about perfect. This means that you can listen to your music at a non damaging level and still hear every detail, but not cancel all noise so if your at the gym and some one is trying to get your attention they still can. To get this much noise isolation the ear tips need to be inserted farther than normal into your ear. As a result they take about a week before your ears find them comfortable (also cleaning out your ears prior to trying them is a good idea).
The HF-5's sound amazing. I have some denon ahd 5000's and a set of swan 2.0 audio monitors (have had a plethora of audio equipment over the years) and I find my self coming back to these for more daily use (on my second pair already). The audio reproduction is amazingly smooth and crisp. No the bass won't rattle your head and you will probably have to tweak your EQ to a be a bit bass heavy, but the bass reproduction is accurate and definitely there. I like to use these for more daily activities (lifting weight, studying) because the sound reproduction is extremely smooth and does not cause fatigue.
Here is the issue for most people with these headphones. They receive these headphones and expect them to be better than what they are use to (skull candy or stock apple buds) and they are better but vastly different from what they are use to. First of all people don't give their ears a chance to get use to the fit and sound. You have to wear these for at least a week or they will be uncomfortable to wear, and to get good sound from these they have to be worn properly. Most people shove these in their ears a hair farther than their skull candy's went in and expect them to sound better, however; these headphones were designed to sit deeper in the ear canal (to isolate noise) so they sound like crap if you don't properly insert them into your ears.
The bottom line: these headphones are great for every day use, and will fit 95% of the population. You have to give them a chance and have a good idea of what good audio reproduction is to appreciate them. -
"OK but not that good." on by TADAMY
Pros: Fit and lightness. Very secure.
Cons: Sound, Sound and Sound. Very poor bass. Very distorted.
Summary: I normally trust CNET's reviews but these were very poor earbuds and I tried two pair because I thought I bought a lemon. For one, the bass is non existant and I don't listen to heavy bass music. The sound was very distorted. I run and I had to turn the volume so far down that I heard everything else around me and the sound was still distorted. The only good thing about these for me was the fit. They stayed put. That's it. I've tried many of the reviewed earbuds and the two I liked as far as sound quality were the Ultimate Ears fi-5 pro's and the V-Moda. These ht5's are no where close to good ear speakers.
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"Company won't repair product when it (likely) breaks" on by ianwallach
Pros: Sounds great, when it works, if it doesn't break.
Cons: The product broked (the mic cover split in my hands) within a month of purchasing it. Etymotic (a) refused to repair it, saying it was a problem they hadn't seen before; then (b) offered to sell me a new set for $94. It was disgusting.
Summary: It appears that Etymotic Research Inc., like many of us, are suffering through hard times. However, they are trying to make up for it by not backing their products.
I've always loved my Etymotic headsets, and jumped at the first opportunity for a set of Etymotic Headphones. I then got another, and the plastic microphone piece fell apart in my hands one day, within a month of purchasing them. I called, got an RMA number, and returned them.
Several days letter I received on odd and somewhat rude call from an Etymotic Research Customer Service Agent, who said that "the service department could not understand how the product had broken, and therefore would not repair it, but they would give me the option to buy a new pair for $94.
I was furious. I had always bought -- and loved and recommended -- their products. And I was a loyal customer.
If you need to contact me to see the correspondence (I will gladly scan and send it to anyone who disbelieves), send a request to ianwallach@mac.com.
They sound great. But they fall apart, and you have no recourse when that happens.
Ian -
"I enjoy so much with these eaephones." on by tomtung88
Pros: Very detailed with all music and must listen to it everyday.
Cons: The carry case looks cheap.
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"Lasted three weeks" on by xtnjohnson
Pros: Great sound -- really deep, good for a wide range of music genres.
Cons: Terrible build quality -- failed at the plug, despite careful handling.
Summary: It's sad, I had a pair of Etymotics that I loved but I wanted a device that would work with the phone. This model seemed to be everything I wanted but it's too fragile to recommend. The only redeeming point is that I got them on sale for just 80 dollars -- but that still works out to about 3.50 a day. Not good.
Etymotic Research HF5 Portable In-Ear Earphones user reviews (Cobalt)
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