Digital Trends

Etymotic hf2

May 8th, 2008 | by Mike Kobrin

Description

The hf2’s discreet matte black finish looks way more hip than other models from in-ear pioneer Etymotic Research, though we miss the color-coded right and left earpieces of the ER4P. The 4-foot cable is stiff and smooth enough to resist tangling and has a small inline mic module the diameter of a cigarette. The single button on it covers call send/end, music pause/play, and track skip (tap twice).

Music or video pauses automatically when your babysitter calls in a panic and switches over to your ringtone. When you hang up, your iPhone resumes media from where it left off. The button is easy to grab and press quickly without looking, so you don’t fumble an incoming call.

Extras

The package includes an extra pair of filters, which you can replace if the sound starts to go a little wonky for any reason (usually submersion or industrial amounts of earwax). An included tool makes filter replacement simple, but the parts are extremely small. We're big fans of the imitation suede and leather case, which has a mesh pocket on the inside for accessories.

Comfort and Noise Isolation

The hf2’s go pretty far into your ear canals, so if you're the type who can't stand earplugs, you're barking up the wrong tree. The silicone tips are more intrusive but sound slightly better, while the foam blocks more noise and is more comfortable for long periods. The included "baby blue" tips are for smaller ears, and they all block a variety of noise from subway rumble and jet roar to chatty coffee shop goers.

Unless you’re a fanatical Q-Tipper, the hf2’s collect a lot of earwax, which in turn grabs pocket lint; the result is fuzzy, sticky eartips, so use the case. Instead of a cleaning tool (not included), Etymotic recommends simply washing them with soap and water after use, which is good hygiene if a bit of a hassle.

The mic is well-placed and our voice came through crystal clear, but the cable picked up a lot of noise when we walked. The shirt clip partially alleviated this, but we wish the cabling were designed so we could wear them over the tops of our ears, which eliminates it completely. Wind is also a problem - it whistles in these earbuds something fierce no matter how good the seal in our ear was.

We tested using our 8GB iPhone and every genre of music we could think of (more than just Country and Western) ripped to Apple Lossless or 320Kbps MP3 from CDs. We also tried a few movie clips ripped from a test DVD. Here are a few experiences we feel are representative of our testing.