Review: Shure E2, Shure E3, and Ety ER-4P

[Mochan]

The Shure e3cs are probably great but believe me the e2cs are a huge disappointment.

The sound is good but not that good to justify its price over a $50 earphone, and the bigger problem is convenience: it takes too long to put them on, wind them up, the wires and the storage case are bulky and not easy to bring around, they are not ideal for jogging, and they hurt your ear very quickly.

I like the sound and the isolation but using these is very tiresome nad I end up using my el-cheapo $20 Sennheiser MX500s instead most of the time. It's a shame really. And yes, I know how to make them fit and get a good seal properly.

I would like to try the Etymotics and Westones sometime but they are hard to come by around here. But I will probably never buy another Shure earphone product again.

[mateo60]

I adore my Shure E3's but I find the rubber tips uncomfortable, so I use the foam tips. Those tips are stupidly expensive! I thought I'd share this article about how to reuse your foam sleeves. If it saves anyone a few bucks, it's worth it. More than a dollar per foam sleeve is ridiculous.

http://hubpages.com/_cmt1/hub/Reuse-...Ear-Headphones

[linuxamp]

Went through 2 pairs of MDR-71 s in about 4 years. While I loved the sound quality and comfort I was disappointed that they both died the same way, possibly indicating a flaw in the build quality. One side would start to crackle then eventually become silent. I believe the cord became detached inside the earphone casing.

I found a good price for the ER-4P and read such good reviews about them, especially the latest black model, so I placed the order.

At first I was a bit disappointed. They take a bit of training to get a good seal due to the long 3 flange eartips which was too deep for my ears. I found myself constantly adjusting them to get the seal just right without hurting my inner ear. I eventually resorted to cutting off the smallest flange and now it fits and feels much better and I don't hear any difference.

Second, they do lack in bass. Sure, some argue that the bass is fine and that I'm just a basshead but I beleive that a good earphone should reproduce sound as close to the original as possible. If the original has deep bass the earphone should reproduce deep bass. No excuses.

Lastly, many complain about the "microphone" problem of the old (blue and red) model when the textured cord rubbing against your clothes carries the sound right into your music. The new model is supposed to have resolved that by using a new, smooth cord casing but I found that the cord is also very stiff so it still microphones not from rubbing but tapping against yourself. Walking or running with these earphones makes music unpleasant.

[Skollie14]

Shure E2c problem.
My E2c cables have become brittle after about a year of use in the area's that are in contact with my skin. For example the cable that loops over my ears became brittle and cracked exposing the copper wire underneath. This first manifested itself when taking off my coat the static charge would zap me behind the ears.

Has anyone else experienced this problem with the E2c or any other model and if so did they go to Shure and what was the result.
Also I wonder if this is the reason for Shure discontinueing so many lines

[N e s s]

Yeah, that happened to me too. My first pair lasted 8 months and my second pair lasted 6 months before cable cracked. Right now I'm using UE Super.fi 3, but I think I might get something else soon.

[akula]

I tried these in past years as well as Shure's new offerings.


No disrespect but try the Q-Jays for about the same price as these. Dual drivers and v.g. SQ. Shure now offers less for the money. (But I'm sure they'll soon rectify this.)

[iPod Dan J B]

I just bought a pair of Shure SCL3's to compliment my SE210's and I am more than impressed. Using the Black Foam Sleeves (that come already attached to the SE210's) the fit is perfect and very comfortable for extended use. I only rip at 128 AAC but the sound quality is excellent using both sets of Shure earphones

Dan

[Mochan]

It's funny, revisiting this thread after more than a year. Shure products have gone on 40% sale over here, I guess nobody is buying them because they are just not bang for their buck. The e2cs and their gen are long discontinued but the newer gen of Shure products just seem to be even worse off if they need to be sold at 40% off.

Shure, worst audiophile company I have ever had the displeasure of buying a product from.

[Hyper-X]

Originally Posted by linuxamp

Went through 2 pairs of MDR-71 s in about 4 years. While I loved the sound quality and comfort I was disappointed that they both died the same way, possibly indicating a flaw in the build quality. One side would start to crackle then eventually become silent. I believe the cord became detached inside the earphone casing.

I found a good price for the ER-4P and read such good reviews about them, especially the latest black model, so I placed the order.

At first I was a bit disappointed. They take a bit of training to get a good seal due to the long 3 flange eartips which was too deep for my ears. I found myself constantly adjusting them to get the seal just right without hurting my inner ear. I eventually resorted to cutting off the smallest flange and now it fits and feels much better and I don't hear any difference.

Second, they do lack in bass. Sure, some argue that the bass is fine and that I'm just a basshead but I beleive that a good earphone should reproduce sound as close to the original as possible. If the original has deep bass the earphone should reproduce deep bass. No excuses.

Lastly, many complain about the "microphone" problem of the old (blue and red) model when the textured cord rubbing against your clothes carries the sound right into your music. The new model is supposed to have resolved that by using a new, smooth cord casing but I found that the cord is also very stiff so it still microphones not from rubbing but tapping against yourself. Walking or running with these earphones makes music unpleasant.

The ER-4P IMO isn't on the same level (grouping) as the MDR-71. The MDR 71 is more of a casual listening set designed to reproduce exaggerated bass so bass-lovers will love the effect. Casual listening often involves the issue of dealing with daily noises, just like how a car-stereo would be setup to exaggerate certain audio ranges to deal with environmental challenges. I have a set of MDR71's and I like using them for daily/normal use.

However for careful listening (which the ER-4x are), the accurate reproduction of sound is much clearer in the sense of true musical instruments in which case the MDR71's will sound very muddy. If there was a way where you could be at a live performance, record it on digital media and reproduce it as close as possible on a set of earphones, the ER-4's will easily > MDR71's, not even close. For someone who uses a product to boost bass (i.e. Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 EB) and switches to an ER4 set, it's going to sound bland and lacking which is no different from switching the bass boost on/off.

The problem with ER-4's are exactly as you said it. They aren't something I can wear day in and day out, due to the stiffness of the cable (I have the old twisted cable), it's very annoying to hear the thumping sounds transmitted when the cable hits just about anything. Comfort wise I can't wear them for more than an hour at a time (I don't like the feeling of having something like an earplug in my ear for extended periods). I believe in order for the thumping issue to be resolved they really have to find a way to make the cable as soft and extremely pliable yet durable enough to last the time.

[iPod Dan J B]

Originally Posted by iPod Dan J B

I just bought a pair of Shure SCL3's to compliment my SE210's and I am more than impressed. Using the Black Foam Sleeves (that come already attached to the SE210's) the fit is perfect and very comfortable for extended use. I only rip at 128 AAC but the sound quality is excellent using both sets of Shure earphones

Dan

I bought another pair of Shure SCL3's and am still using all three pairs in rotation. Still absolutely love them. Can anyone advise how the new/current Shure SE315's compare to the SCL3's or SE210's as I would like a new toy if it was worth the expense? Cheers.

Dan

[gormo7]

Haha i like it