Etymotic Research ETY-Kids5 Safe-Listening Earphones with Hu's Hoo & The Zoo Book/CD Bundle, Yellow

The ETY Kids ER5 is not just for kids. This review is strictly from an adult music listening point of view, as well as subjective---everyone hears differently (and everyone’s ears are physically unique), and a lot depends on your source (what you have them hooked up to) and how you use them. SOUND. All Etymotics are similar: accuracy, clarity, and neutrality are the keys. The neutral for most Etymotics is the Diffuse Field (DF) neutrality, not the bassier Harman version. Bass, midrange and treble are well represented, with no part of the frequency response emphasized or exaggerated. The bass is clear, but not huge, and not boomy---and (sorry for bassheads) not “fun”. The midrange and treble are clear but not harsh. Neutral, straightforward, uncolored. These deliver on clarity and detail, and the overall sound is lean, cool, accurate, and refreshingly no nonsense. I would expect that some ears not accustomed to a flat response would find them devoid of entertainment value. Etymotics are the diametric opposite of the pumped bass-heavy crudeness and glaring, peaky "V" signatures of most in-ears on the market. Interestingly, the ETY Kids and the Etymotic MK Isolator sound almost identical. I believe they are basically the same IEM. The only difference: the less expensive ETY Kids version has a higher impedence, a purposely lower volume as a safety measure (for kids use). What this means is that with the ETY Kids, you have to turn the volume up a little bit more. I do not find this to be an issue at all (as long as I remember to turn the volume back down when done listening, to prevent blowing out my ears or the speakers if I forget). In fact, I prefer the higher impedance because it gives me more control over the volume. Bottom line, the sound is great---if you get them to fit. Which brings us to the biggest question with these. FIT and COMFORT. Here is where you either love or hate Etymotics. Unlike most ear buds and other IEMs, Etymotics are long and “deep fitting”, and require you to insert them deeply into your ear canals. Even with a lot of uncomfortable experimentation, twisting, pushing, and angling, you still may not get it right. I must have unusual ear canals, because a good fit was almost impossible. These came with 3-flange silicone tips and the Glider tips (ER38-17), even though Etymotics has discontinued the Gliders. The 3-flanges didn't fit well at all, and there was also no seal and no isolation from outside noise with any of them. I did get an adequate fit and seal with the old Glider tips (ER38-17) with decent isolation. I also had some luck with ER38-14 foam ear tips (that came with my MK Isolators) but they were not perfect. They provided a better fit and seal, and better than average isolation, but they still didn't entirely block out, for instance, the hammering of construction workers a half a block away. I have since invested in a set of Earphones Plus replacement foam ear tips in small, medium and large sizes, so that I can further experiment. The best fit overall so far has been with the Etymotic foams and the replacement foams. Even with the best fit that I could manage, Etymotics still stick out more than I believe they should. I envy other Etymotic users who manage to get these things so far in that the “L” part of the ear phone is almost flush with the surface of their ears. Finally, like on many ear buds and IEMs, there is a microphonics issue with these. Anytime the wires are touched, there is noise. Not a huge problem, but it is there nevertheless. I find the marketing of this IEM to kids rather odd. Besides the pink color, there is nothing kid-oriented about these very adult-tuned IEMs. I especially advise caution regarding the fit. If I can’t get them far enough into the ear canals, how does a 4 year old kid? I recommend these and all Etymotics for the quality of the sound, for adults who seek a clear, neutral frequency response in an IEM. It is extremely difficult to find IEMs and ear buds under $100 with anything close to a neutral/flat sound signature. And--- given that it is essentially the MK Isolator with a minor volume limiter--- I certainly recommend the ETY Kids to adults as the entry level Etymotic. The sound, fit, and comfort are definitely not for everyone.

This is a very good deal if you're already an Etymotic customer, I will explain why. I like the fact that they are lightweight, the sound quality is good for the price. Good clarity for midrange and highs. Bass maybe isn't clean and punchy as more expensive models. A few things about this Kids version. First, they added more impedance so even at max volume when connected to a typical smartphone it doesn't get too loud that would damage hearing for short term listening, but is still loud enough to damage for prolonged listening. There is a roll off for the higher frequencies too I believe. High frequencies can damage hearing easily when you have music playing so close to your eardrums. Personally I actually like these features due to having mild tinnitus. Secondly, these doesn't come with the filters, which are used to prevent dirt and gunk from entering the driver chamber. The regular filters model "ER38-46" fits, so I recommend getting some. Also, they come with limited eartip sizes since it's marketed for kids. You can get larger sized Etymotic eartips that will fit. I do find that due to the design it makes a very good earphones to fall asleep with. It is right angle design and doesn't protrude so much so you can lay on the side a little easier. Some earphones are so sensitive even at the lowest volume setting it is too loud to fall asleep to. Since the max loudness is limited for these, you get a finer control of the volume.

The Etymotic HF3 headphones were my daily headphones and recently passed away after two years of dutiful service. After experiencing their quality, I knew that I was probably in for disappointment if I tried any other model or brand. However, the problem with HF3 (and apparently most of the Etymotic line) is that they simply are too loud with most of the electronics I use. With a deep breath I ordered these ETY3's. After returning the first set which was DOA, I put the working second pair to the test. I'm satisfied with the sound quality and pleased to find them to be just as comfortable. Most importantly, I can now have my output volume at a reasonable level which gives me more space to turn my media down. Fortunately, this set accepts the the standard ear plug tips. Durability certainly taken a hit at this lower price point. Surprisingly, the ETY3's do not have replaceable filters which may be a problem over the long term. In general, the chord and body doesn't have the same "Wow $150 headphone" feel, but that doesn't bother me too much. If I may add, personally, I think that the gloss black finish is a nuisance.

I really like these earbuds. They are very lightweight and have a nice and long cord. I am able to pause, skip to the next track, and return to the previous track on my Huawei Mate 8 android phone. The eartips included make a great seal and the earbuds stay in place even while jogging. I have had tinnitus for the past two years due to a bad combination of listening to music at high volumes and using powertools at the construction field without hearing protection. I have developed a sort of discomfort towards higher frequencies at the same time. Everyday sounds like sirens, car horns, and the beeping sound of items being scanned at the checkout stands drive me crazy uncomfortable. I have invested in hearing protection made by another company that lets me hear my coworkers while protecting my hearing by automatically lowering damaging soundlevels to deter further damage with great success. I still love to listen to music so i have modifyed the equalizer on my phone to lower the higher frequencies of my rock and metal music collection but i was still getting discomfort from the higher frequencies even at low sound levels. After using these earbuds i noticed that i am able to enjoy my music without any discomfort and i have noticed that i am able to hear vocals more clearly to the point where i have noticed sounds that had been drowned out by the higher frequencies. If i had the ability to go back in time i would buy these earbuds years ago. Take care of your hearing while it is still healthy.

I should mention that I'm not an audiophile, and I use these primarily for listening to podcasts, so I can't give you a detailed review on the audio quality. To my untrained ears, they sound very good, though. I tried the various supplied tips, and found a grownup-sized one that was extremely comfortable and gave me excellent sound isolation. Also, using the enclosed child-sized tips, I've given this to my daughter to listen to while we're on an airplane. I like the fact that it blocks out the noise of the airplane while preventing the audio level from getting too loud for her. I got the model with the inline remote control, and it has worked very well with various models of iPhones and iPads. So why only three stars? Because I bought the headset in October, and by February, it was only working intermittently. I returned it to Etymotic, and (to their credit) they repaired it under the warranty and sent it back promptly. But now, four months later, I'm having exactly the same problem. It's still under warranty, so I'll return it again, and I'm sure they'll repair it... but it's annoying to have to keep doing this. And when the warranty runs out in a few months, and the headset breaks again (as I now expect it will), I will have to throw it away. EDIT AS OF AUGUST 2014: I sent in the broken pair and, to their credit, Etymotic sent me a brand new one within the week. I was very impressed with the speedy customer service.. until, 24 hours after I got the new pair, it broke again. So, I'm sending it back to be repaired under warranty for the third time in 10 months. This is getting a little ridiculous. I'm downgrading my review to 2 stars.

Excellent and affordable for classical musicians and audiophiles. Not as amazing as Etymotic's much more expensive models, but superior to all others I've tried. Virtually all other headphones and earbuds hurt my ears at any volume, I think it has something to do with the distribution of frequencies or the upper partials. Etymotic's are wonderful. If you want a natural sound you will love these. The kids model is a bit quiet, probably not for on the metro or anywhere really loud, although the buds do block out sound well.

If you find devices too loud on their lowest volume setting, or are uncomfortably aware of hissing/static sounds underneath what you're listening to, these are the earphones for you. (The box copy says they're intended for children or "sensitive adults" like me.) The tips they come with are decent, but I replaced the ones on mine with some Comply tips (size 100 works great) and am very happy with them. They do have a problem with microphonics (cord friction/movement noise) but it's greatly alleviated by using the included shirt clip. The included fabric case keeps the earphones in good condition and untangled. I'll probably buy another pair after I wear these out, unless I find a better high-impedance set of earbuds for the price in the meantime. It's not like there are a lot of manufacturers making them.

I have never heard a worse sounding set of headphones in my life. I got them for my daughter but am going to return them. I can't expect her to listen to these and enjoy music. And the volume limiter is way over the top. If that's the safe volume threshold for a human, we'd better stop all non essential conversation so we don't end up hearing impaired.