Shure SE210 - Advice needed

[Otherside(UK)]

Dear all,

I am considering upgrading my Sennheiser CX300 buds for something a bit better. As I will be doing a lot of travelling i would something with like noise isolation.

So far the Shure SE210 earphones seem like the best option, but they are at the very top of my budget. Apparently they have a little more oomph than the E2C or E3C models.

I have tried Etymotic E6i earphones before and found them to be horrible horrible horrible sounding beyond belief and returned them. No bass, earpiercing highs, no character at all (yes i had a seal). I'm worried if I go for shures i will have a similar problem.

Do they have more oomph to them? How much bass do they put out? Obviously not as much as the sennheisers. I have tried the new sony earphones as bundled with their new video walkmans and found the sound excellent but because of the shape of the bit that houses the driver i couldn't get as good a seal and there was too much noise being let in to be of any use of trains and planes.

[avanti]

What I would recommend you to do is go on HeadRoom's website (www.headphone.com), click on technical information, build a graph with the earphones of your choice and then decide from the analysis.

For example, you didn't hear much bass from your etymotics because the CX-300s emphasizes greatly on the bass by comparison. So, the Shures, which are more naturally sounding, would feel pretty much the same as your last pair of ety's: little or no bass.

etc.

Personally, I like earphones that are more naturally sounding because the music I hear should be what the artists has intended in the first place. Cheaper brand headphones (especially Sony) emphasize so much on the bass that it just becomes "boomy" and dominating over the mids and highs.

[Otherside(UK)]

Thanks for the link, very helpful. The graphs suggest the e2c earphones would be a good compromise, and not to mention cheaper.

Any one have any thoughts on the metro.fi 2 earphones? They're reasonably priced, and from the reviews, offer good sound quality along with decent bass.

[urbanlegend]

Shure is launching (or has launched) the SE110 which is part of their new series at a lower price point. I haven't even seen them in a store yet, but you might want to consider them as I believe they're an update of the E2C.

[N e s s]

The problem I have with the newer Shures is the 2-part cable and straight jack.

[mcdj]

I have not tried the SE210s, but Shure phones turn me off in general. I don't want to wear cords on my ears. I live in NYC. I need to be able to remove and replace the buds on the fly multiple times a day, in the face of oncoming traffic and beggars. Over the ear cords would drive me nuts for that reason alone, comfort aside. (The feeling of cords on my ears drives me nuts too) Also Shure's are just too heavy and bulky for my taste.

However, for about the same price as the SE210 (and possible cheaper if you hunt), I can not stress enough how nice the Denon AH-C700s are, and as importantly, how comfortable they are. I say this because A.) you're coming from CX300s, which I like very much and fit me very well, and B.) you have the exact same reaction to the Ety ER6i as I did. This makes me think we might have similar sonic expectations.

The Denons have as much if not a bit more bass than the CX300s, but it's in a whole different, more refined class. It's boiled wool vs merino wool. The mids and highs are clear and clean. And the fit is nearly identical to the CX300. The Denons will not disappoint.