Customer Reviews

Shure SCL2 Sound Isolating Earphones with Single Dynamic Driver, Black

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've used Shure E2C's for about 5 years (2 or 3 pairs). My most recent pair finally started wearing through the wire coating, and I have too much pride to just electrical tape them (not to mention there are dozens of holes in the insulation). I should note that purchased the clear version of these earphones, but am posting where most of the reviews have already been made.

So I decided it was time to replace the E2C's and wanted to see what my options were. I looked at the Shure SE110's and SE210's, but didn't find many favorable reviews (especially when juxtaposed with the E2C's). I peaked around at other brands but decided I've been too happy with Shure to risk it.

I settled on the SCL2's, assuming they were somehow better than the E2C's, given they are the "Pro" version of the same phones.

My initial reaction is that the sound is more homogenized than the E2C's. I don't feel like I'm listening to the band play live, I feel like I'm listening to them in The Matrix. The sounds feels more synthetic and less real. Given that I've used the E2C's for years, I confident the fit is not the issue; my ears know where they are supposed to fit.

I have read that there is a break-in period for these earphones; I tend to believe that as I've seen break-in periods on all types of speakers (car, home, computer, etc.) I'm 3 weeks in today, and I just hope this break-in doesn't take much longer.

All in all, the phones are very good. After listening for about 30 minutes, I don't really notice the sound being odd. If there is a lack of anything, I would say its treble, as I've had to play with the EQ a bit to get the highs where they should be.

If I had the choice, I'd probably move back to the E2C's. I'm still confident though that these SCL2's will break in.

That's my review for now. I'll do my best to come back and update this in a couple months, hopefully after the break-in.

>>>> UPDATE (6/4/08): Sure enough, the break-in did wonders for the sound quality of these headphones. I would now say these are at least as good as the E2C's, and I would buy these again without hesitation.

Another note is that the cord on these phones seems much more durable and flexible than the E2C's.


>>>> UPDATE (10/26/08): They finally cracked like all of my E2C's have done. Given these headphones are used every day of the week for nearly 12 hours each day (no joke), they were bound to let go sooner or later. The crack showed up an inch from the left earphone, and over a week's time, it split open and exposed wires. As I write this, the earphones are in route to Shure's Service Dept. to be replaced (in all likelihood).

I'm not looking forward to another month-long break-in period, but I am looking forward to getting another new set of these phones. Despite the recurring theme of Shure's products (cracks in the rubber), I will continue to buy and *LOVE* their products for the sound quality. I would rate this item FIVE STARS after 7 months of use.

>>>> UPDATE (11/1/08): Shure replaced the cracked earphones at no charge. Being impatient as I am, the wait seemed like ages (in reality, it took about 14 days from the day I shipped the old earphones to the day I received the new ones).

I *think* the cord on the new earphones is just a bit shorter, or my old cord had stretched out a bit. Also, the break-in period didn't take nearly as long as the first time. After about a week with these new earphones, I would venture to say they are about as broken-in as my previous pair were in 3 months. Sweet!

>>>> UPDATE (2/18/09): The cord near the ears is definitely starting to get brittle, and I suspect that within a couple months there will be cracks. I really thought this pair would avoid this common problem with Shure earphones!

>>>> UPDATE (6/17/09): Amazingly, still going strong with these earphones. The cord near the ears is definitely stiff and I would hate to try bending it, but luckily its formed in the shape I need. See the comments on my review for a great suggestion on repairing the cord if it cracks.

>>>> UPDATE (10/13/09): Was forced to send in these earphones for service. The left earphone was playing at about 70% of its normal volume (and subsequently giving me weird vertigo). Shure took about 2 weeks to send a brand new pair. The new pair broke in as expected and I'm enjoying having a new set!

All in all, I'd say these are probably the best Shure earphones I've owned and I'm very pleased with the sound quality these days (audiophiles rejoice!)

In response to the reviewers who complain about lack of bass and low sound quality - you haven't put them in your ears correctly. This type of earphone demands a good fit. That is, they must be lodged in your ear canal, making a seal. This takes some practice and trying out the various sizes and types of included tips, but the results are worth it. The sound quality is excellent and external ambient noise is strongly attenuated.

The Shure SCL2 is the next incarnation of the E2/E2c. The only difference I notice is that the wires are softer and more flexible, which helps keep the drivers in your ears - the rigid wires of the E2/E2c had a tendency to pull them out. The reviews on Amazon for the E2 and E2c (which, by the way, are the same product) generally apply to the SCL2 as well.

These are great. When I got my first MP3 I did a lot of research. Bottom line, no matter what player you get, throw away the earphones and get quality. Shure was the one most recommended by those in the know. You must get a seal in your ear to get "bass" and when you do... you do get bass. The sound is amazing, super, clear, full bass. You need to play with the various ear peices. A lot of people like the foam, I prefer the black rubber pieces. Here is the best part. They are guaranteed for two years. Not figuring mine would ever go bad I did not save the sales receipt. One day 2 1/2 years later I got one ear-phone wet, so it quit. I put the earphones in an envelope, wrote that I had been a user of Shure since my hippy days, and that I did not bother to save the receipt. I wrote that if they could help me great, if not, throw them away. Two weeks later, without a question, they sent me a new set of earphones free. Now that is a great company. One more thing. If you use the foam, wet them a little first. One day on the treadmill at the gym I got an insight...wet them with a little syliva first. Wow!!!! perfect, perfect fit. What a difference.

This is one company that got the product and the follow-up support right.

I had a pair of E2C's that sounded great for under $100 earphones. I used them so much that the wire began to fray after about a year (even with the thick wire covering). While I had them for a year (standard electronics product warranty duration) I sent them back to Shure along with a photocopy of my original receipt and they simply sent me a new pair of SCL2's, no questions asked. The SCL2 is the new version of the E2C's. There is an automatic 2 year warranty on all Shure products. You don't have to register, purchase a warranty extension; you just get it for buying their product. Nice.

When I first tried out these earphones, there was no low end at all...they sounded worse than the stock iPod ear buds. Then I switched from the clear PVC sleeves to the soft black rubber. What a difference. The sound had a nice full range and is very warm. The rubber sleeves fit so well that when removing them I had to break the air tight seal first (be careful of that - pull them out nice and easy). Once sealed in your ears, these earphones block out most ambient noise, which allows you to listen to music at a much lower volume.

These are definitely the best earphones I have used. The big over the ear headphones can sound better, but if you want an small earphone, these sound pretty good.

I had a pair of E2's for about 13 months. I use them mostly for books, not music. They're remarkable, in comfort, sound, clarity, etc. The main reason I bought them was for health. I had found when I used the cheap earphones while driving, or especially riding a bike, with, I had to turn the volume up so high that I'd have a slight ringing in my ears when I took them off. I'm 31 year old--not interested in spending $5000 on hearing aids in 10 years just because I thought $75 was an outrageous amount to pay for earphones.

...the rest of the story. About 13 months after purchasing the earphones, their began to cut in and out. I really don't blame the earphones here--I never used the special holder they included with the earphones. Instead I'd just wrap them around my iPod and stuff them in my pocket.

I thought I'd have to buy a new pair, then I realized there was a 2-year warrenty--worth a try, I thought. Sent in the earphones (with my receipt) and within 2 weeks, Shure sent an entirely new set of earphones--the SCL2. No games, no need to send in boxtops.

Amazing service. I highly doubt I'll ever go with any of the look-a-likes that are starting to pop up--especially with the great customer service Shure provides to back up a stellar product.

So I'm a brand new owner of the SCL2, but a past owner of the E2c - and let me tell you how that unfolded.
It began 6 months ago, after an exhaustive Amazon/internet comparison of in-the-ear plugs left me feeling that Shure E2c's were a safe bet.
So, I bought them, tossed them in my ear, discovered that my right ear requires a smaller foam plug while my left ear is less finicky and allows a larger rubber plug.
As far as sound quality, I loved them! It was night and day after using the ipod earphones. Once you get that seal, the rest of the world (even on New York subways) basically goes away and I loved their quality - Nine Inch Nails never sounded so good.
However, after 3 months, the right plug suddenly dropped to about 10% of the previous output. So I quickly played around to verify that yes, it was the earphones. I emailed Shure's customer service and the response was simply to send them in. So I did.
In 2 weeks I think, I received a brand new set of E2c's. Very simple, no problem from the company. And they were great. After 2 weeks of the original ipod earphones, I was VERY happy to get my Shures back.
Enter a week ago. My Shures and I were bouncing along, happy as clams (the type that make really good New England Clam Chowder) and suddenly the left - 10% output. I verified that yes, it was the earphone again. I searched gmail, found the previous email, and sent them back to the same address. Today in the mail, I received a brand-new pair of the Shure SCL2s.
I have yet to try them out, but I'm very excited to once again stop listening to the subway sounds and hear the bass again (goodbye ipod earphones). The product has been wonderful - and when it hasn't been, the company has. So in the end, I (and my differently structured ear canals) fully endorse this product.

I've used this Shure headphone model for over a year and so far I'm impressed with the sound quality and the customer support.

Most importantly, it is key to find the right fitting sleeves to get the best sound possible. I find when I'm running on the treadmill and start breaking a heavy sweat, the foam sleeves dont slip out from moisture/sweat around my ear- a pet peeve of mine I've had with other headphones. Otherwise on the airplane I use the black soft flex sleeves or keep the foam ones on.

Take the time to find the best fit for each ear. I noticed my right ear canal is a little larger than my left ear, so I use different sizes for each ear.

Because I use these headphones a lot, especially when I ride my bike or go for long runs, they are likely to take a hit. I suppose if I constantly kept them in the protective case, I wouldn't have to require two replacements within a year and a half. Suffice it to say, Shure has replaced two sets of headphones without me having to provide a receipt or specific documentation.

I'm not an expert in sound quality, so I'm sure there are improvements in higher end Shure models, but for someone like me who is picky, but not a perfectionist about sound quality, these are great. Its neat to hear with these headphones sounds of songs I never heard before with my computer speakers-these headphones really lets me appreciate the music more.

Overall, very satisfied with this model and the company. They have me as a customer for life.

**Just a side note- to really get the best sounding music, its just as important of the quality of the music being played. MP3 files are whats called 'lossy' meaning they lose quality upon conversion. Instead of converting/downloading mp3 files, download .shn or .flac files to get the audio at it's losless, original form. There really is a difference, at least for me.

I got a pair of E2c's from Amazon 22 months ago and got quite a bit of use out of them. About one month ago I noticed that the wires were cracking near the ear pieces which exposed the conductors. I didn't think they'd still be under warranty but I dug up my paperwork and they were; two whole years later! Anyway I sent them into Shure and less than two weeks later I get a pair of SCL2's in the mail.

Appearance-wise they're identical to the E2c pair I had. This time however I tried using the clear plastic ear pieces and I don't know if it's them but these immediately sound better than the E2c's. The bass is richer and it seems like the midtones are fuller.

While the E2c's were great I was never that impressed with the sound, especially compared to my sealed Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones. However these SCL2's compare favorably. I would get them again and I would buy more Shure products as they have a great product and super customer service.

I had a pair of E2Cs for about a year. They were the best earphones I've ever used. Unfortunately they developed a problem with the wire, so Shure sent me a new pair for free. That 2 year warranty is very good.
Now these SCL2's seem the same except for the wire seems less brittle and a bit stickier.
I too have found that the best end for these is the black rubber. Try them until you find a good fit and get them inside your ear canal. The sound is excellent! Well worth the money.