Customer Reviews

Shure E2c-n Sound Isolating Earphones (Black)

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I have used the Shure e2c earphones (the previous model) for about 2 years now. Impressions:

(1)The standard rubber plugs are not comfortable, and don't give very much noise isolation. The foam plugs are very comfortable and really seal out the noise. Be prepared to be grossed out by all the earwax you didn't realize you still had in your ears.

(2) Sound quality: 8/10. Not studio monitor quality, but very very good.

(3) Isolation: 10/10. Seriously. Use these on a flight and you'll gladly take a seat next to a screaming infant. Only problem is that you see the flight attendant's mouth moving as she asks you if you want a Coke or 7up, but you won't be able to hear her.

(4) When you first get them, you'll try putting them in your ears without success. Only after about the third try, all of a sudden the foam thingys go all the way inside, and you say, "So THAT'S how you put them in!" After that, piece of cake. You need to compress the foam just like you do with regular foam earplugs.

There are some inconsistent reviews on the sound quality of these earphones, basically it comes down to how you like to listen to your music. If you like to press "bass Xpand" button on your stereo for that booming sound ,you may be dissapointed with the "flat" sound coming out of these earphones. Those of you who keep that "direct" button on on your amps will love the clean ,detailed sound of E2c.Remember that most music is in the midrange frequency.Listening to dance/trance or hip hop, I sometimes wish for deeper bass. But true bass is difficult to reproduce in small earphones. The illusion of deep bass in some cheap earphones is just that...an illusion. As for the fit and comfort I have no complaints. If youre not sure whether you'll like insert phones, get yourself a pair of foam ear plugs and try to wear them for a while. That will give you an indication of how you're going to tolerate them. The only discomfort comes from the wraped cords around my ears after few hours of listening.
The quality is excellent,the cord is long and the case is nice. These will outlast a cheap pair many times over.Recommended.

I've had these for 1 year so I have plenty of experience with them. Here are my comments. Firstly, they are not great for those who are looking for an alternative to the active noise canceling headsets (e.g. Bose). If you travel on planes, go with Bose or Sony active. If you workout in a gym or run, I do not recommend. The fidelity is okay and they provide excellent isolation from the gym's music, but the cord is just too long. They get caught on equipment and once when running, they got caught on a bicycle going the other direction (the wire bounces). The ear buds also fall out when running which is super annoying. Most likely due to sweating, motion, and gravity (the way they hang over your ear). I highly recommend these for the OFFICE or for STUDY. I'm not overly impressed on the sound quality. Yes, if you find the ear buds that fit perfectly and you jam them in your ears, the sound is great and the bass is deep. But if you are in motion, the buds tend to retract from your ear canal and the bass vanishes. If you like hip hop or music with a lot of base, i find that they deliver distortion on the lows. Not very pleasing. As soon as I lose these or damage them, i will be looking for alternatives. I bought these based upon other reviews at the time and the name brand, but will do more research (actually trying various ones out and returning them if i don't like them). I use this on an IPOD video 5th generation

I've used these phones for about a year now, mostly for hearing protection and music/radio while on my motorcycle. Earlier this year I took a month-long motorcycle tour in Mexico during which I wore them every day, all day, usually just using them as earplugs. They get top marks for comfort, and sound quality. I'd definitely buy them again if need be. Here's the warning: they come with a bad case. The case puts a sharp bend in the headphone wire and the wire will break at that bend. I managed to fix mine but I recommend you throw away the case and store the phones in a small bag or such. There's also a second warning: you must use the little mylar covers that keep water and ear gunk out of the phones. Shure sells spares when you're done with the dozen or so that come with the phones.

Update after 2 years: I'm about ready to throw the phones away now. First the wire broke near the left earpiece and I opened it up and fixed it and taped it shut. Then the wire broke near the right earpiece and I did the same. Now the wire's broken somewhere in the cord. What it comes down to is, these are pretty delicate phones. I still think they sound great and are very comfortable but I suggest you buy the extended warranty.

Here's the deal with Shure E2 headphones. They have many options when it comes to comfort, so you can find your best fit. However, of the three options, the foam (like wearing earplugs that play music) has the best sound quality, and with three sizes hopefully (but not guaranteed) you will find one size comfortable enough.

The thing about the sound quality is you should ONLY buy them if you have an MP3 player or something with adjustable balance. These headphones have HORRIBLE balance (low bass, high treble), but, if you work with the equalizer on an iPod or other MP3 player, you can adjust to bass booster or rock settings to make the songs sound flawless and amazing. This truly brings out the quality of the headphones, although it is a little extra work.

Overall, if you're looking for a good pair of earbuds, these are the most risk-free, because you're NEARLY guaranteed comfort and (if you adjust the balance on your device) great sound. It just seems like earbuds are loved and hated by so many, since they totally depend on your preference for treble-bass balance and the size of your ears.

I have been skeptical of $99+ earbuds.... Still don't know if these are "noise canceling" so much as they are just "ear plugs". But as the other reviews mention, once you get the FIT - they are amazing. I never expected earbuds could sound like these. (I did have to adjust my ipod EQ for more bass - but I expected as much.) Well worth the price.

I have owned two pairs of these headphones in the past year in a half. The reason I have owned two is because the first pair stop functioning after 9 months and now, 5 months later after shure sent me a new pair of e2cs, the second pair has broken in the same exact fashion. Bad luck i thought, but after talking with two of my friends, owners of shure e2c's who experienced the same exact problem I did, I am convinced that the e2c design is fatally flawed. If you buy these headphones, you will experience the pristine and great sound quality that everyone raves about but only for 7-10 months before the right earbud stops functioning rendering your e2cs useless. I can only surmise that the reason there are not too many people complaining of the same problem is that people who do write reviews on amazon write them within 1-3 months of owning the product so when their product does break, they do not take the time to post or write about it online. Well, after my second pair e2c's broke and after consulting with my friends about the same problem, consumers have a right to know that Shure is distributing a faulty product. I really hope this email is an impetus for the people at Shure to finally redesign their earbuds and stop tarnishing their name with the e2cs. Thank you - rock on

The E2c's seal up extremely well when the right plugs are applied. (I prefer the smallest size silicone plugs instead of the tougher plastic ones that come attached in-box.) And between these and the Ultimate Ears Super-fi 3's, the Shures are much more comfortable, easier to fit, and provide the best seal. (In fact, the seal is so good, not only will it make your head feel like it's going to implode, but you can also hear the creaking of the joints your neck when you turn it.) The Super-fi's are a bit better sounding (sounding less like in-ear monitors than other in-ear monitors, i.e.: a bit fuller in the mids) but they didn't knock my socks off the way the E2c's do. Vocals are clear, crisp, well-defined, and reproduced with passion unlike anything I'd heard from headphones --- even from my Sennheiser HD580s. I should mention though, that if you're used to the sound of circumaural (over-the-ear) headphones, as I am, the Shures still have a bit of that 'in-ear monitor' sound (like the music is being forced through a tiny tube directly into your ears) but they are nonetheless miles above anything the likes of which Sony could produce. Not bad for an entry-level product. I love these phones.

EDIT [7.6.06]: The foam eartips, though made to be disposable, are the most comfortable and best sounding, and eliminate that 'underwater' feeling the other tips generate.

$100.00 for earbuds?! I'm no audiophile, so I bought some $20.00 clip on buds, they play music and they stay on my ears. Well the dang things hurt. I'd just invested in $400.00 in an I-Pod and accessories and started to rethink quality phones. You can tell by looking at the Shures that they should work better, theres simply more stuff there. I take college classes and am easily annoyed at cell phone yappers when I'm doing the last minute cram, so sound isolation sounds real good, quiet actually. I got noise canceling phones but they only work for steady droning noises.

I've been aware of Shures reputation for many years with musicians, so I didn't doubt the clarity and range of sound would be there. But I've never had a set of buds stay in my ears 5 minutes, even the `expensive' $30.00 ones I'd tried and returned. I didn't wanna blow $100.00 on buds just to have them fall out of my ears and into the gears of my mountain bike. No problem, they fit like a glove and stay on just as well. Check Shures site to see how they're applied and you'll understand. Have you ever worn those foam earplugs? That's what they feel like if you use the foam sleeves that everybody recommends.

Enough babble. These buds are noticeably sturdy, have excellent clarity and range in all forms of music (ok, I didn't listen to opera, who does?). They fit like a pair of driving gloves and I will save $$$ as I won't be experimenting with any more phones or buds, these are the ones. Ohhh, forgot, I'm now an audiophile, I discovered what they're hearing!

I have had these for about 2 months now and really love them. It's hard to imaging how good the next version up of these would sound considering how good these sound.
If you like pounding base then these may not be for you. They have really good sounding base but they don't overdue it. Very naturally sounding.
The only reason I didn' give them a 5 rating is that it takes a little while to find the right fit. IF you don't have the right fit they are horrible.
Once I got the right fit, I could tell immeditaly. It blocked the outside noise and the sound came alive. I like to go to the local Starbucks and drink coffee, read a book and listen to my Ipod. These work great to block out the ambient noise while having great sound.
I recomend these!!!

one note, they are like earplugs so if you don't like something in your ear you might not like them.