Super Sonics
With its vast storage and sleek multi-media capabilities, the iPhone is truly a portable media player for the ages. But it's also a phone. And if you want to upgrade that cheesy stock headset to something with sound quality that matches the performance of the player, then your choices have been fairly narrow.
Sure, you can pair up any set of stereo earphones or headphones with the iPhone (assuming you can fit the plug into the narrow iPhone jack), but then you'd have to yank out the headphone cord any time the phone rings in order to take the call. And this is where the Etymotic Research HF2 Stereo Earphones/Headset comes into play. It's an iPhone-compatible set of in-ear earphones, but it also includes a high quality microphone so you can take a call without missing a beat.
The Design
Fully compatible with the iPhone, or iPod Touch, the
The button also allows you to skip to the next song on your iPhone, which is handy. And although the headset is perfect for the iPhone, it can also be used with other smart phones with media capabilities, as long as they have the same tip configuration and the same size headset jack. One such compatible model is the such as a Blackberry Curve, but there are others. I was able to use it with my Treo 755p, via a 2.5mm to 3.5mm (male to female) adapter with the same "tip-ring-ring-sleeve" configuration. Using this with PocketTunes and the Headset Control application on the Palm allowed me to control song playback and volume right from that one simple button -- a very neat trick.
Bring in ‘da Funk, but Keep Out ‘da Noise
One of the problems with portable music and movie enjoyment is external noise. Whether it's the rumble of a train, the whoosh of a jet engine or the general cacophony of city life, outside noise can be hard to compete with. This can cause you to turn your music up a little louder than you may like -- potentially to unsafe levels -- just to drown out the unwanted sounds. The solution? Noise reduction, of course. Bring the noise level down and you won't need to crank up the music as loud in order to reach enjoyable levels.
When it comes to noise reduction in headphones, there are two schools of thought: a.) cancel exterior noise via electronic means (noise cancellation) or b.) isolate external noise from the listener via physical means (noise isolation). The first approach uses electronic circuitry to sample the external noise (traffic, subway rumble, airplane engine noise, etc.) and then generate a signal that cancels that noise out. The second approach either uses a large around-the-ear cup design to reduce noise or an earplug-style in-ear-canal design to really reduce the noise. The HF2 is an earplug-style design.
Noise cancellation can be an effective way to reduce background noise, but it can also impact the quality of the actual music, spoken word or movie that you're trying to enjoy over the headphones -- the noise isn't the only thing they cancel. In-ear noise isolation 'phones like the HF2 can be very effective at eliminating external noise, but they're not without their own challenges. Some people simply don't like stuffing things into their ears, either due to discomfort or personal hygiene (you'd be amazed how much wax can build up inside your ears at times). But if you can get past those two issues, then you're in for a real sonic treat with the Etymotic HF2.
Bring on that Big Sound!
For such a small pair of earphones, the HF2 headset produces a robust and expansive soundstage inside your head, with a nice harmonic balance. Listening to well-mixed audiophile grade recordings, vocals are warm without being bloated with the singer's voice floating in the center while instruments are placed precisely from left to right. Delicate details such as fine cymbal work and strings are presented effortlessly while low bass is solid and extended. Standard pop music and rock recordings, while nowhere near as demanding, are also represented well. Be careful though, as these headphones are so accurate as to make any compression artifacts accompanied by low sampling rate recordings a little more obvious than with lesser headphones. If you're ripping your tunes as 96 KHz MP3s, you'll be sorry, but if you're using lossless encoding or lossy compression at or above a bit rate of 256 KHz, your music will really shine.
I've used and tested a few different in-ear phones and found that the HF2s approach the much more expensive Etymotic ER4P earphones in sound quality but with just a smidgen less bass response. The transparency and overall musicality of the HF2 is top-notch but the ER4P does provide a slightly more solid bottom end (albeit without the microphone). But if you buy these and find that there's no bass at all, then there may be something else going on...
Where's the Bass?
The biggest complaint I've heard from other owners/users of in-ear-canal style earphones like the HF2 is that the bass is anemic, almost completely non-existent. In reality, if you get the proper fit in your ear, then this couldn't be further from the truth. But if you place them in your ears half-heartedly then you will experience a significant lack of low end. If a gentle tug on the cord pulls the earphones out of your ears, then they're not in tightly enough to make a proper seal. But if you insert the HF2 earpieces into your ears until the two plugs meet in the middle of your head, then you're probably in far enough. OK, that may be a slight exaggeration, but you do have to be pretty firm when inserting these into your ears. You can view a short video on proper insertion on the Etymotic web site.
If you find that the standard ear tips are too large or too small for your ear canal you can try using one of the alternatively sized tips included in the box, or you can have custom earmolds made specific to your individual ear canal at an additional cost. I found that the standard sized triple-flanged plugs worked just fine for my ears.
When the earphones are properly inserted, outsides noises will drop to a whisper. The HF2s can actually reduce the level of external sound between 35 and 42 dB (depending on which tip you use), making even the loudest environment nearly noise-free. You may find you can hear yourself breathing more clearly -- even hear your own heartbeat. But don't worry as these fascinating cues to your body's autonomic nervous system are blissfully swept away as soon as your music or video content begins playing.
In addition to deftly playing back to music, narration, TV shows or movie soundtracks, the HF2 headset allows you to interact with the world orally via its integrated microphone. I tested a few calls in typically noisy city locations and the sound quality of the caller was always top-notch. It's a little eerie heading the caller's voice come from the center of your head (between the two earphones), but you'll get used to it. I've been told by callers that my voice comes through clearly on the other end, though the microphone can pick up ambient noise as well so if you're in a noisy location, you might want to hold the microphone close to your mouth when taking a call.
Turn-Ons:
Turn Offs
Final Thoughts
If you're happy with your iPhone, Blackberry Curve, or other media-enabled smart phone, but you're looking for better sound than what you get from the stock headset, the HF2 provides a high quality alternative, albeit at a slightly steep price. The noise isolating design makes it ideal for frequent fliers (or frequent train riders), or those who find themselves spending significant time in noisy environments. Highly recommended.
Where to Buy:
Detailed specifications:
What's in the Box:
Manufacturer's Contact Information:
Etymotic Research, Inc.
61 Martin Lane
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 USA
Customer Service & Information:
1-888-Etymotic (1.800.389.6684)
847.228.0006 (outside North America)
847.228.6836 (fax)
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST, Monday - Friday
Web site: http://www.etymotic.com/
Email: customer-service@etymotic.com
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