View Full Version : Shure E3c - Are they worth the dosh?
BaronBros
10-07-2004, 11:24 AM
I am just about to purchase a set of Shure E3c's.
My question is "Are they worth ??100"
I know I will be told now "everyone is different, some like them & some don't". But I mean for build quality, sound & on a whole are they worth it or do cheaper ones do the job just as well?
kauffee
10-07-2004, 12:30 PM
If you're looking for a more audiophile-quality sound in an isolated earphone, then yes. They are much more accurate than a typical earbud and the lower-end canalphones like the EX-71 and Apple In-Ear. Build quality is superb, as well. The material and the cord are both extremely sturdy. They're not the cheap plastic you're used to on other earphones. It's almost a ceramic-like material.
Still, they are a compromise. You're paying a premium for the portability and isolation. I still don't think they sound as good as the Grado SR-60, which is half their price. I'd almost say the Koss KSC-35 sound pretty close, but again... no isolation and a lot bulkier.
So you really have to consider all the factors. You probably won't be disappointed by the sound (I happen to like them a lot) but you won't be blown away, either.
Angelfly
10-07-2004, 01:08 PM
Where did you find them for ??100? :D
/me readies his student switch card
MartyMcPod
10-07-2004, 01:44 PM
I personalyl think the E2's are worth the 70 dollars they cost, but around here, the E3's for about 140 are a tad to high. I don't think the difference in sound, justifies the price.
kauffee
10-07-2004, 05:28 PM
The whole "is headphone A worth $X more than headphone B" question is very individual. For me, if headphone B sounds better than headphone A and I can afford B, then I buy it. I don't really ask whether or not it's worth the price difference because I know I won't be happy with headphone A knowing B is out there. That's just my personality. It's different for everyone. Some people might be able to afford B, but the price difference still might not justify the purchase for them.
So there's really no universal answer. It depends on the individual.
MartyMcPod
10-07-2004, 05:37 PM
Yup. kauffee is right. In general, depending on the item, I don't like knowing there is better stuff out there.
But, I'm also a poor a*s college student, so I get to choose the best bang for the buck...
:D But, if you can afford the E3's, get them. I like them a lot.
g_bruin
10-07-2004, 06:43 PM
You should also look at the Etymotic er6i. They are in the same price range as the E3s. I had the EX-71s before and the ER6i are a huge improvement. I considered the E3s but in the end picked the ER6i and haven't regretted it.
RNELSON
10-07-2004, 11:26 PM
nope, i had them and was not impressed. i would recommend the e2's although i never tried them. i guess im no audiophile but the sound wasnt worth the high cost and i ended up selling mine on ebay. the isolation was great, but they became uncomfortable after an hour or so's use, and they look queer the way u wear them. its a pain in the arss to put them in and i dont like the feeling of seeing people talking and not hearing them -then removing the headphones to hear, and then putting them back in. personally, the sound quality sounded the same between the apple stock buds and these, but i bet it was my music because i was listening to some metal and i guess that is not quality music, or my hearing isnt that of an audiphile.
Yes, they are. Absolutely, if you need the isolation. I commute by train every day and they are godsend. With any other headphone I've used, even closed phones, my music was always competing with the noise from the train and from other people's conversation. As a result I had to choose between risking my ears by turning up the volume too loud, and not hearing my music the way I wanted to. If you don't need the isolation then I would not bother with any canal phones, just a regular set of cans.
Earphone quality judgments are very subjective, so consider this with a grain of salt: I consider myself to be an "audiophile" and I think the E3C's are the best earphones I've heard, even given the price. The sound is very natural and I really think that I am hearing the original recording with great fidelity and without a lot of coloration. Unlike some manufacturers, Shure has, to their credit, not manipulated the sound to increase the initial "wow" factor.
superjunk66
10-08-2004, 09:14 PM
Got 'em, love 'em, won't live without 'em. My brother got the E3cs and I got the Etymotic ER-6is. I was not happy with the Ety's, and sent them back. I always liked the sound of my brother's Shures better.
SO, instead of laboring away in a state of perpetual envy, I bit the bullet and ordered the E3cs. I have not regretted this decision for even a milisecond....
Get them, you won't be sorry.
My 2??
justgotmyipod
10-08-2004, 09:54 PM
Originally posted by superjunk66
Got 'em, love 'em, won't live without 'em. My brother got the E3cs and I got the Etymotic ER-6is. I was not happy with the Ety's, and sent them back. I always liked the sound of my brother's Shures better.
SO, instead of laboring away in a state of perpetual envy, I bit the bullet and ordered the E3cs. I have not regretted this decision for even a milisecond....
Get them, you won't be sorry.
My 2?? its pretty normal that we think others have better stuff than ours....its not just headphones.. anything even if yours is better than your brother's.:p