Shure E2c Sound Isolating Earphones
by Shure
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Our Price: $199.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $79.80 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Shure E2c Sound Isolating Earphones
Customer Review: Great for Travel or Gym
Summary: 5 Stars
I have used the Shure E2c Earphones for several months and have been very pleased with their performance. They are a great alternative to sound cancelling designs and I much prefer them over sound cancelling models because I feel that they have greater acoustic response.
Sound cancelling headphones work by creating a sound wave of opposite amplitude to cancel the ambient environmental noise such as fans, traffic hum, or jet engines. This means that the speaker in the headphone will need to generate both the music you hear and the opposing soundwaves inteneded to cancel the ambient noise. Noise isolation units such as the Shure E2c work by creating such a tight fit in your ear channel that ambient noise is blocked from entering. Because the earphone speaker does not have to generate an opposing waveform to cancel the ambient noise it can produce a clearer and sharper response to your music.
I admit that I am not an acoustic engineer and the above explanation my not be accurate from a scientific perspective, but I note that I think the music is sharper heard through soound isolation rather than sound cancellation systems. I spend alot of time in airplanes and have had the opportunity to compare these to Sony MDR-EX71, Sony MDR-NC10, and Bose QuiteComfort Noise Cancelling headphones. The first is a simple earbud design that costs about half the price of the Shure E2's. The Shure is much better. The next two are both noise cancelling systems. The Sony is roughly the same cost as the Shure system. I prefer the Shure system because I thought the music was clearer and I do not like the fact that the noise cancellation systems requires a seperate battery. The Shure needs not extra battery. Between the $300 Bose units and the Shure I give a slight edge to the Shure E2c. I prefer the Shure because of the smaller size, ease of operation (no battery), and greater comfort. The Bose unit sounds very good, but I do not think it is a good value compared to the Shure E2c's.
Customer Review: This Bass Lover Loves the E2c's
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had the E2c's headphones for several months now and I absolutely love them. I'm using them with a Cowon iAudio X5 mp3 player. I bought them because I work in a noisy warehouse environment and normal headphones required me to blast the volume...but I still couldn't hear the audio books I was listening to and music wasn't sounding good either. I got the E2c's and it was like I was in quiet room somewhere--all I could hear was the speech or the music and the the background noise was VERY faint. If you are at home prepare not to hear the phone or the doorbell or your kids crying...could be a problem there. As for the actual sound, I think they're awesome. I've read the complaints about bass, but I think that the E2c's deliver a truer bass signal instead of beefing it up like cheap phones which claim to boost bass. What you get with those cheap phones is a big fat mushy bass sound that washes everything else out. What you get with the E2c's is a more accurate--true to the recording--bass sound. If you like the bass heavy then you should have a player where you can turn it up--and turn it up you can--the E2c's AMAZE me with the full, rich bass they deliver from my Cowan iAudio. They handle practically all that I throw at them. I'm a bass lover who listens primarily to reggae music and I think that the E2c's deliver PLENTY of bass. As for the complaints of discomfort, I have not experienced them. It's the same as any other earplugs. It looks like my package came with some black soft rubber earplugs that earlier models did not. I used those for a while, but have switched to the orange "spongy" earplugs and they sound just as good and are comfortable too. Bottom line: the E2c's rock. They are especially good at blocking outside noise. You might be disappointed if you like bass but DON'T have a player where you can boost the bass signal. (If you can boost the bass the E2c's will handle just about all you can give them.) And don't buy these headphones if you don't like wearing earplugs.Customer Review: E2c- Mind-blowing.
Summary: 5 Stars
I got these for Christmas and was initially very disappointed. I had never had any audiophile-grade headphones before, and I was really expecting them to sound better. Sure, they sounded way better than my $10 headphones from before, but they were disappointing.
Then I tried out the foam sleeves. Rock! I love those things. They take a little bit of time to get into your ears but they isolate very well and sound great. Really accentuate the bass and such.
But I still wasn't satisfied. I'm a frequent head-fi'er (google head-fi) and had learned of a trick called the "brohken mod", as it was posted by a user named "Brohken". It involves cutting one of the silicon sleeves to form a small ring about 1/4" tall, and then placing a Sony EX71 sleeve over it. This prevents the end of the tube on the E2c from going through the EX71 sleeve.
The results: Amazing! Sony makes much better sleeves, but inferior canalphones. Doing this mod gives one the best of both worlds. Bass is much better, comfort is MUCH better, and even the ease of use is much better too. It used to take a minute or so to get the foam sleeves in - you have to roll them, then stretch out your ear canal, etc, etc... but these EX71 sleeves make everything much better.
Isolation, by the way, is excellent. I wore them during a basketball game, and while using a medium-low volume setting on my Neuros II, I could not hear anything but music. That, combined with just how great the quality of the phones are, is pure audio bliss. Only downside is that now I can't stand 128kbps mp3s.... I prefer ogg anyhow!
So my conclusion: I highly recommend the e2cs. $70-80 may seem like a lot for headphones, but you won't regret it. I guarantee that if you just get the sleeves in right, you can't dislike these phones. Many people don't fit them right and then complain about how terrible they sound. They can't sound good without a good seal.
Get them!
Customer Review: Wow!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned/tried over 20 different pairs of earbud style headphones. Sony, Apple, Sennheiser, Creative, Phillips, HK, JVC, etc. The sound quality from these ranges from disgustingly bad to pretty good. The best were a pair of $12 Sonys. Good bass, decent highs. These Shure E2's are a whole nother level.
I had been looking at taking the next step in earbuds but I thought how good can a set be? And are they worth a $99 MSRP? Yes, yes they are. First of all. If you have not tried a noise canceling or reducing pair of headphones then you don't know what you are missing. It is similar to stepping into a sound proof room. Listening to music at a low level with these noise reducing earbuds turns people around you into mutes. You can't hear them talking. This is great. You will pick up sounds in your music you never knew were there. Incredible. This takes some time getting use to and this is not for every situation. Jogging through the city, etc. You want to be able to hear sirens, people yelling 'look out!', etc.
The sound is clear, crisp, and never fatiguing. The bass is good, but could be a tad better. You can adjust this with the eq in your player. I compaired these with some Ultimate Ears 5EB's and while the 5EB's had better bass response, the Shure's had a better sound stage and cleaner higher frequencies. I would choose the E2's in a hearbeat over the $199 prices Ultimate Ears.
One thing to note. These don't fit like ordinary earbuds. They sit deeper in your ear canal. Take some time to find to choose the best fitting end before you complain they don't fit. The small or medium foam ends seem to fit best with most people. Once you get use to putting these in-should only take a few times- you will be amazed at how much better these sound than any ear bud under $100. These destroy anything in their price range and even ones much more expensive. I would buy these for anyone who loves quality sounding music.
Customer Review: Amazing, if you know what good sound, sounds like
Summary: 5 Stars
Though some reviews have said that these headphones are,"Overpriced, Weak Bass, Uncomfortable", they are the total opposite. The ear sleeves may take some getting used to, however, when the burn-in period is over, and when one gets used to the fit, these headphones will blow you away. I've tried numerous audiophile-quality headphones before stumbling over the Shure E2C's---Sony MDR-V700DJ, Sony MDR-V600, MDR-V500DJ Sennhesier HD580, Sennheiser HD280, Sennheiser HD550, Sony Nude's, and many, many more. Though my MDR-V700's were, undoubtedly amazing, they were quite bulky, and the impedence was too high to be powered by a portable device. The Shure's on the other hand reproduce sound extremely well. The the mids and bass is strong and clear, and the highs are not piercing. In addition they are built extremely well, and I am confident that they will last me for a very long time. They are well worth $100.
Now, let me address some complaints. the comment that the bass is "weak" is an uneducated comment. Currently, when bass is mentioned we seem to think that it has to be felt. But headphones are about HEARING, not FEELING. True, they are not like strapping a pair of 12in subs to your ear, but the bass in headphones is not defined by whether the headphones can move your head back and forth while listening to music. Rather, bass refers to an actual bass. Yes, as in the guitar. Though these headphones do a mediocre job at reproducing SYNTHETIC bass, it does a phenominal job at reproducing actual bass. Pick up any classic rock, or jazz. You'll see what I mean. Moving on...the flex sleeves do take some getting used to. I recommend using the foam sleeves first then moving unto the silicone flex sleeves. In addition, the sound quality is also dependent on the quality of the mp3 or source where you have plugged in your headphones.
One more tip: do not be led on by uneducated reviews. These headphones do not disappoint.