🎧 Etymotic Research HF3: High-Fidelity Noise-Isolating In-Ear Earphones with Advanced 3 Button Microphone Control Review

The headphones themselves have very good noise isolation and sound. However, the biggest problem is the quality. I had 4 of these, two with a mic and two without a mic. All of them deteriorated before the age of one year. First, the wire frays very quickly in various places, so I had to tape it with small pieces of electrical tape. But the second problem is even worse, one of the headphones is always either left or right, and I mean really, always fails within a year. So I had to send them both

These headphones sound amazing. I found the foam pods to be the most comfortable and insulating of the three options. I actually have 3rd party foam tips but I prefer these. The sound isolation is great, I can snap my fingers and hear nothing with the foam tips in. I've also used 3-ply earbuds and they were good too, but not isolated. If you want to use these earbuds, there is a specific method of inserting them: pull the top of your ear and place them sideways with the wire directly behind…

I've been using etymotic headphones to listen to music while traveling for over 10 years. I still have my first two pairs, the original ER6s and a pair of ER4 Micropros, and have only had to change the paraffin filters, which I do every few years. These new HF3s are better than the old ones in two key areas: the cords don't make as much noise when you hit them, and the thicker insulation keeps them from getting tangled when coiled. They also sit with less discomfort in the ears than the older…

This is my second pair of Etymotic headphones. I decided it was time to replace my 10 year old pair of ER6i's with something with a built in remote control. They came with all the standard accessories; additional ear pads, lapel clip, additional filters and case. Triple flange tips have never been my favorite so I ordered a set of universal double flange tips which still work great. (Revain has them too, in case anyone is interested). The sound is exactly what I expect from Etymotic. Clear…

Very clear sound, super light. If you're looking for a great pair of headphones at a great price, you've come to the right place. They also block tons of outside noise, like all Ety headphones, thanks in large part to the company's inception (they started out developing ear defenders and hearing aids). WARNING: While these are great headphones that plug directly into your smartphone or MP3 player, they like to be amplified. Read on for more information. When it comes to sound reproduction, the…

These are my first real IEMs. I prefer the DT 770 and Sennheiser 650 headphones. I expected them to be less and better than my favorite headphones. I mainly use them to protect my ears when riding a motorcycle. My Triumph Tiger isn't that loud but when you drive at 70-90mph the wind noise is deafening. Traditional isolating headphones don't isolate enough, and while you can hear music very well at speeds of up to 40 mph, you really need to turn the music on. I already have some tinnitus and I…

When I worked at a large audio engineering company and produced a lot of records, I heard a wide variety of audio playback devices. Most headphones deliver advertised bass with decent treble clarity at the expense of horribly foggy or completely absent mid-range frequency response. These headphones offer stunning mid-range clarity and smooth, detailed end-to-end response. Here are some specific thoughts: 1. Sealing is critical to reducing ambient noise and providing adequate low frequency…