Customer Reviews

Shure SE110 Sound Isolating Earphone with Balanced Armature Driver (Black)

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(23)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

Pros
Warm sound
Effective isolation
Wide variety of eartips
Cheap (relatively)

Cons
Lacks dimension
Sound not balanced
Can't fit everyone

These are my first pair of canalphones, and they do not dissapoint. The first challenge on opening the package is finding the right tip for you. Fortunately, the small foam tips almost fit. I can't really blame Shure for not including freak of nature sized tips, I suppose I'd have to go to custom molded ones to get a great fit. But regardless, once the foam expanded again, noise isolation was very good. Testing a variety of music, I found that dance, techno, hip hop is where these phones really shine. The warm slant really works to their benefit. When playing rock and acoustic, it didn't detract from them. But when I put on the Brandenburg Concerti, something interesting happened. It exposed their lack of spacial dimension, and balanced sound. So, if you listen to more modern music, these will work quite well. But, if you need a balanced, monitor-like sound, these are probably not for you.

I recently purchased the SE110s as a replacement for my BOSE over the ear sound canceling headphones that broke (cheapo plastic didn't last even though they were always in their case and handled carefully).

Although I was initially frustrated with the sound, I learned from reading that I wasn't using them right. The secret is to compress the foam and insert them into the ear and hold while they expanded back to make a snug fit. Once you figure this out, the sounds is amazing.

For me, the fact that they are small and easy to carry around, plus are only 1/4 the price of the BOSE headphones, I am very happy.

These are very good. Yes they fit tight in your ears but if you want a good sounding set of buds what do you expect? I travel alot and love the heavy cords as they are less likely to break if snagged. They are also short which is good, I clip my Ipod shuffle to my shirt pocket and they just reach my ears-perfect! I don't understand the negative comments regarding having to loop the wires over the ears, I let them hang with no problem. There is also an extension if they are to be used with a stereo or computer. A nice case for us travelers and extra foam buds was also a nice suprise, in short they couldn't be better. I bought a pair of Bose over the ear headphones prior to these and the sound quality of the buds is as good as the Bose.

I recently bought these to replace a pair of Shure E2c's. I'm using these with a Creative Zen Vision:M 30GB mp3 player. When I first listened to them, it was quite apparent that the midrange was over-emphasized, while the bass was a bit muddy and the high frequencies were getting rolled off really hard. My custom EQ setting for the E2c's was not going to work with these and I had to make some changes.

The EQ settings for these earphones are as follows:

80Hz +10
250Hz -3
1kHz -5
4kHz +6
13kHz +12

The mid-bass is a little muddy, so you're going to need to make adjustments.

The midrange is where it needs the most adjusting.

4-6kHz is the presence range, so this will need to be raised quite a bit if you want some airiness to the sound and to bring out more detail.


After getting a good EQ config, these IEMs did sound a lot better and more balanced. One thing I've noticed is that these have a noticeable compressed sound to them over the Shure E2c's. This can be a good or bad thing depending on what you listen to or how you listen to it. If you do the music 'playlist' thing like I do it fits in well because the transition from song to song is smooth and the sound is a bit homogenized.

As for sound quality, the highs are getting rolled off hard, so don't expect to hear a lot of detail with these. The bass is actually very good as long as you have a GOOD FIT. This is a MUST for getting good bass response! The midrange is just too much and you shouldn't use these if you can't control it via EQ. The sound stage is on par with the E2c's (fairly wide) and there is some noticeable airiness. I think the E2c's sound better than these and they don't require as much tweaking.

I think the Shure SE110s are slightly overpriced for the sound that they deliver. What you're getting with these is a compressed (broadcast radio) sound which is unique but kills some of the music detail. But the sound is rich (assuming you get a good fit) and clean. I haven't detected any harmonic distortion with these yet.

Edit 2/28/08: I would caution anyone on the fence with these because they really lack definition and presence. After using them a few days it was obvious that these are inferior to the E2c's. Shure needs to redesign these or go back to using dynamic drivers with their next budget model.

What I can recommend is spending another $50 for the Shure SE210's or save some cash and get the older E2c's. I returned these and got the SE210's and they are vastly superior to the SE110's.

I bought these and compared them against the Ultimate Ear's Super.fi.3's ($75), V-moda Vibe's ($65) and Sony MDR EX85's ($50). When compared against the ipod stock earbud's the Shure SE110's are excellent. However, check these out against the above in-ear competitors in the same price range and they finished a dissapointing 3rd, beating out the Sony's only. The Ultimate ear's and V-moda Vibe's were much stronger on bass and clarity. It was shocking how flat the SE110's were compared to the others (yes I had them inserted correctly with a great fit). I kept wanting to like the Shure's better, based on their reputation, but just couldn't. They are comfortable and seemed to be well built.

I have heard that some of the top tier Shure products are awesome. However, for the sub $100 price range, these are simply overrated.

I bought these on vacation in December of 2007. Some time around August of 2008 I started noticing that the sound would cut out whenever I happened to move the cord slightly. I had always taken good care of them and stored them in the included case when I wasn't using them, so I didn't know what was happening. I thought it may have been my iPod's headphone jack, but I tested my original iPod headphones and they worked fine.

I no longer had my receipt, so I called Shure to make sure I wouldn't have to pay any repair charges, since the SE110s weren't released until September 17, 2007. They are supposed to be covered by a two-year "warranty," so technically were still under that warranty. She assured me that it would be okay to send them w/o a receipt, and stressed that I should send them via trackable courier (FedEx, UPS).

Well, guess what? I just got a call from their service department that I would have to pay $71.61(!) to get them repaired. This, plus the cost to ship them 3-day means I'd end up paying $85.75 to repair a product that retailed for $119.99!

I tried to argue with an employee named Adam that they were still under warranty but he was unwilling to override the charges, since a receipt was not included.

I took really good care of these and they failed on me in less than a year. I was really expecting Shure to back their product, but that appears to not be the case. I would not recommend these headphones to anyone and will never buy a Shure product again.

I did alot of research and deliberation about spending more than $50 on a set of in-ear earphones and felt my purchase of the Shure SE110 Sound Isolating Earphones with Balanced Armature Driver (in black) was a good purchase. I'm glad I did because there are so many choices at this price point and I wanted the best value for the money.

I was absolutely correct in my choice -and impressed beyond my expectations.

These are excellent earphones. Crisp highs, realistic mids and bass. What I mean by "realistic" is that they reconcile within the parameters of the music category. If you have a selection that is bass heavy, it will deliver accurately, as well as the mids and highs. (If you want a "thumpin'" bass from the get-go, unless the tune is engineered for it, remember that you have an EQ for the fine tuning). The case is good quality.

Along with the selection of different tips it also comes with an extension line -and that was a real good plus because the short line is REALLY short. The case is good and I can put my line in as well as my Sansa without a problem (I do typically use the extremely short one though. It works for me and what I do).

You will DEFINITELY have a better listening experience if you "burn" these earphones in. As much as I wanted to put them on as soon as I got them, I did put them on the Sansa, cranked it really high (so I could hear it without them being in my ear). I stuck them in my Sansa, cranked it and put it in the drawer by my bed with some socks over it so I couldn't hear anything. I left them in there for AT LEAST 24 HOURS.

It is VITAL that you get a GOOD SEAL within the ear canal to enjoy the music of your choice. Without that, you will most certainly be disappointed.

And this is how I know I've got a good positioning of the gooey, squishy earphones:

1. Roll them to a thinnish cone so it is small at the end -it will go in the ear deeper that way.

2. Turn your music source ON -in my case it is a Sansa e280.

3. Turn up the volume so that you can hear it as you place the tip inside your ear canal.

4. As you are placing the tip in your ear, you will be able to get a better sense of what sounds reasonably close at your comfort listening levels. I stress "reasonably" here because you are turning the music player UP loud enough so that you can "hear where you are going" is the best way I can describe it. DO NOT GO TO CRAZY WITH THE VOLUME. It should be reasonably loud enough to guide and place the tips. Don't blow your brains out doing this-ok?

5. Once you get it into position, do the same with the other ear. Roll the tip, etc. When you have a balanced sound, then you can turn the volume level down to a comfortable level.

6. Then TWIST the inserted tip to lock it into place. You will know when you have a good seal with those tips, it almost "locks" in.

7. The tips will expand to fill the spaces in your ear canal creating a sturdy fit and an incredibly snug fit.


Please note that while these are not advertised as "noise cancelling" headphones, you will DEFINITELY want to be careful and aware of your surroundings. When you have a GOOD SEAL you will NOT be able to hear MOST of what is going on around you. It is easy to get lost in the tunes with such a snug fit :^)

The volume is excellent in these. You do not have to turn it up very much at all for an accurate and comfortable listening experience. It is pretty loud at the halfway point. I have cranked them all the way and it is just as accurate as when it is at a lower level.

Another (hopefully) useful tip would be to actually use your EQ to your taste -I've read alot of people (on other similar items reviewed) feel ripped off if the phones don't perform well on their current custom levels. THESE are accurate enough to hear the slightest inference of instruments; I have been able to hear nuances I had not heard before on my JVC's or Sony's.

Now for the types of music I have tried. I have a pretty diverse mix of music that I enjoy, and it WILL make a huge difference in your enjoyment if you use your EQ to reflect the tyoe of music you're listening to -that makes sense, but alot of reviewers (other similar items) do not seem to mention much about this.

-Mountain and Led Zepplin -excellent! Bass is realistic, mids are great and highs are crisp.

-Deva Premal (mantra music with alot of detailed studio work)- excellent! The chimes and bells in the backround are great. I discovered alot of things I had missed with other sets. HOWEVER I have to say there are a couple of songs that the sound seemed to have almost a "white-noise" on the high's which were offensive at any level. Not present on other selections; the studio may have not finessed them enough as the same thing was present when I used my other sets.I am pretty certain this was NOT an earphone issue (as evidenced by the music below).

-Classical -amazing. I used the big test of a heavy and detailed Bach piece as performed by E. Power Biggs on one of the largest pipe oragns on the planet and every detail was there. I was VERY impressed as the piece is exceptionally demanding with the bass foot pedals and both hands on separate keyboard levels simultaneously. Try it! Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Wow! (I also used a very light test on Handel (flute and harpsichord) and the highs remained true.

OK, I know I have gone on longer than most any review I have read (sorry!)but I felt compelled to do so. These are excellent earphones for the money. I'm certain that "burning" them in for at least 24 hours, being mindful of your very important sealing within the ear canal and proper EQ use will enhance your listening experience dramatically.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

Peace.
Patte

Whether or not you get excellent sound from the SE110 depends on your source. In short, they sound good on a normal mp3 player, but they sound remarkable once you hook them up to a headphone amp.

I own the SE530 and bought the SE110 for sports, so the SE530 is my reference. On a normal mp3 player, the SE110 had good overall sound. The midrange and high's are more distinct, while the bass is rather weak. It's there, but it's somewhat dim and lacks clarity. Muddy actually. Once I plug it into a headphone amp, most of the problems go away. The clarity on the mids and highs improve dramatically, and the bass problems largely go away. There's actually a good thump to the bass. Once amped, the SE110 sounds much, much like the SE530 un-amped. I think the problem with the SE110 is that it requires a much higher power output than normal. Without the power, it's sounds more struggling. With it, it shines.

There are other differences. There's still less balance on the amped SE110. The bass is still weaker and there are some minor differences in the mid and highs, but once you adjust the EQ on your music player, those differences largely go away. The differences that remain are only evident to those audiophiles who'll gladly pay triple the cost for a 5% improvement in sound. For general listening, there's virtually no difference.

In short, the SE110 can be an amazing earbud, but you'd have to provide it with the right power requirements. Couple it with a cheap thirty dollar headphone amp and you can get near SE530 performance but save hundreds of dollars.

Here on Amazon I have been on a week-long mission reading various reviews to find some "great sounding earbuds" for under $100. I primarily use them for the gym and also for traveling. I had a set of the Sony MDR51s but after 2 years of constant use the cables started to fray.

Therefore, I purchased the earbuds listed below to compare sound quality. I would rank them in this order:

1. Audio Technica ATH-CK7 ($79)
2. Sony-MDR81 ($32)
3. Shure-SE110 ($99)
4. V-Moda Bass-Frequency ($25)

The ATH-CK7 was by far the best sounding earbud. The sound quality was great! The ATH-CK7s have a tight sounding bass with some slight "boom" factor (which does not sound artificial). As well as clear highs and solid midrange. They also have good noise isolation.

The ATH-CK7 are a good compromise between the very neutral (boring) sounding professional quality Shures's and the lower priced "artificially-produced bass heavy" Sony and V-Modas. Overall the ATH-CK7 sound quality is clear and precise with a natural sounding bass response. If you do not have much $$$ to spend I would go with the Sonys if you don't mind the thin, strange asymmetrical cables. The sound quality is good for the price.

With the ATH-CK7, you get the usual extras - a vinyl pouch and 3 different sized earbuds. The cables are medium sized and not "thick" like the Shure's or thin like the Sony's. As a previous reviewer mentioned the titanium body of these headphones feel solid and well made.

I am very happy I compared a few brands because the differences are huge! I hope this helps with your purchase.

BTW... I am not quite an audiophile but I do enjoy good quality sounding music. I mostly listen to rock when using earbuds.

Once you get them in your ears, the sound is great. I listen to books on tape as I travel to and from work. I have found that they cut outside noise down sufficiently for me to listen at a comfortable volume, but they can be irritating to get them in your ears. I use the foam pieces and have found it tricky to loop the wire over your ear, squeezing the foam piece at the same time, and then mashing them into the ear canal and holding until the foam expands. The ear bud is a nice size which means there is a certain angle you have to insert them and invariably, the wire comes off my ear. You then have to readjust everything. I've never thought of myself as uncoordinated, but perhaps there is just an easier method to doing this that I haven't found yet. Anyone have a suggestion?

Update...in response to the 3 suggestions offered...thanks! They were very constructive. Tightening the wire at the bottom helped greatly as well as forgoing the 'loop' over the ear. They actually fit better without 'looping'. I also took the suggestion of ordering 'flange' tips made of silicone...excellent idea.