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These earphones were just what I was looking for regarding fit. I had a lot of problems with other types of earphones in the past. The sound is good, but not anything super. Now that I have them, I like using them and will continue to do so, but I probably paid too much for them.
The SCL3's look like they were built for the army. My first impression was that the hf5's were tinny and had lower efficiency than the SCL3's (heck, even worse than a $19 pair of Creative earbuds).
They've gotten a lot of use and abuse (ripped out of my ears more than a few times), but have worked quite well the whole time. I've owned a pair of Shure SCL3 Single Low Mass High Energy Driver Earphone - White for a couple years, using them when I work out.
They arrived today and I have to say I'm very disappointed. Recently, the glue holding the two parts of the earphone together failed on one of them.
I repaired it with some heat-shrink tubing, but started looking for another pair of earphones.Based on some good reviews, I bought these slightly cheaper Etymotic Research HF5 Portable In-Ear Earphones (Cobalt). After messing around with the fit and inserting them so deep into my ear that it was on the edge of hurting, I could get them to sound pretty close to the SCL3's, but they were still about 6db quieter, with weak mids and still very bright compared to the SCL3's.The build of the earphones is also looks very cheap (the wiring harness is almost identical to the $19 Creative wires) and is quite short and fragile looking.
Much thicker (well shielded) wires, generous cable strain reliefs, and a very sturdy Y joint where the individual eraphone wires join to become the main cable.I'm going to return the hf5's and buy another pair of SCL3's.
the clarity is by far some of the best i've heard in a set. out of the box, depending on what you use to play music, i'd say they were a bit quiet and lacked low end punch. plus, i would have to have the volume usually maxed out on my mp3 player and because of that, the signal would distort a bit, effecting the sound coming out of the buds. clarity much better than shures. the isolation of these earbuds are amazing as well.using both the foam tips or the three tiered tips. i think that's what really defines these buds.
great clarity and presence. replaced shure 210s with these. just wanted to say these are awesome buds. low end punch is very good now. i've had them in for a 10+ hr flight and they didn't bother me. it was a big step from the shures regarding low end punch. what a big difference dynamic headroom makes.
for me, as soon as i put them in, they're a bit uncomfortable but after about a minute or so i dont feel them anymore. superb. to rectify this, i bought a headphone amp (total airhead) and it really brought these things to a new level. they do sit in a bit deep in the canal so that might bother some. they stay put very well too. now mp3 player volume sits very low and everything really came to life. i know the airhead has some spatial equalization or something like that which does effect the sound so purists may be turned away from that but it didn't bother me in the slightest.
I've been using the standard Apple earbuds with my iPhone, but I store all of my music in ALAC (uncompressed) format. The audio quality versus standard earbuds will amaze you. When you get them in properly, there is pretty darn good noise reduction and excellent bass.
I've got noise canceling headphones (Bose) for when I fly, so I wanted something for workouts and out-n-about.The HF5 in-ear phones are very, very good. I've gotten the knack for a good fit, but I would say that in-ear is not for everyone. I clearly needed better headphones to listen to the music in its highest fidelity.
A bad fit, however, and the audio sounds poor. Great audio fidelity, but the best experience is dependent on getting a good fit in your ears. These are my first pair of in-ear headphones, and it's been an interesting experience.
Exercise, talking, or eating with these things in makes for a poor audio experience, as you hear head and jaw movement.These headphones are great for commuting or situations where you don't move as much. Just don't move around a ton.
I read a review here saying the HF5 was even better than the Etymotics 6i because it has better bass. The bass is louder, but the entire spectrum is affected in the same way. That is not true. These ear phones lack the clarity and crispness of the 6i. The sound seems slightly muddy. Get the ER 6i instead.
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