Home > Consumer Reviews > Etymotic Research HF2 Earphones / Headset (iPhone Compatible) - Black

I bought these to replace some old Shure earphones. The flanged inserts do not fit me and actually hurt. Plus, the sound quality leaves something to be desired. In particular, although I have plenty of bass, the tenor has distortion and crackle on tip-in -- something that really ruins a softer, melodic song that would otherwise benefit from high fidelity reproduction. There are foam inserts that don't hurt and lessen how noticeable the sound quality issues are, but if you are going to use something with a foam insert you are much better off with a Shure product. Although you may be thinking that the flange is more convenient (I have always disliked the process of having to put in the foam inserts, wait for them to expand before listening, and perhaps going through the process again if listening is interupted -- not to mention having to replace the foam inserts every few weeks, turning these items into something like a $15/month contract), if it does not fit you are stuck. Amazon will not take it back after you have opened it and Etymotic has refused to respond to my inquiries.

I bought these from a recommedation in a trade magazine. I do not find them comfortable nor do I like the sound quality. For about 20% of the price, I think the Sennheiser CX300's are a much better deal.

These Cans image very well and bass extension is much better then the etymotics 6i. The treble extension is also pretty good. The sound isolation is tremendous and the design makes it easy to insert and remove from your ears.

This review is about using these headphones with the iPhone, not listening to music with them. For music I use the Bose® QuietComfort® 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones and there is just no comparison between this headset and the Bose, but the Bose cost twice as much and the headset covers the ear so it is an unfair comparison.

When using this headset with the iPhone, everyone to whom I speak tells me that they are the best headset I've ever used. On my end, reception is always clear. The controls (volume, etc) are easy to use. I've never had an issue using this headset with my phone. As for listening to music, these headphones are so annoying to me that I simply don't listen to them. They sound like tin and for the money I did expect a bit more. They are not much better than the ibuds.

As I do not own an iPone, I am not the target user for Etymotic Research HF2 Hands-Free Earphones whose target user is looking for one solution for a hands-free/headphones device. Also, as I own a palm Treo 755p Smartphone (Verizon Wireless), I was unable to use the Etymotic Research HF2 Hands-Free Earphones as a hands-free device since I lack the adapter necessary for the Treo (this is a failure of the Treo and not of the Etymotic Research HF2 Hands-Free Earphones).

As a listener to audiobooks, I appreciate the absolute clarity of the Etymotic Research HF2 Hands-Free Earphones. They work better at noise reduction than the Sony MDR-NC6 Noise Canceling Headphones which I have also tried. They are also quite comfortable in the ear with the only complaint I can muster is the feeling of being underwater when there is silence. When I used the earphones for music though, I was slightly disappointed in the quality. Perhaps I have not found the magical "sweet spot" that others rave about. However, since my listening habits include more audiobooks than music, I am actually quite happy.