Shure MPA-3C Music Phone Adapter for iPhone

by Shure

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1.5 x 3.5 x 8.5 inches ; 1.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000UD205K
• Item model number: MPA-3C-K-EFS
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 26, 2007

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Developed by Shure, the industry leader in professional audio electronics, the Music Phone Adapter (MPA) is a sleek modular accessory that converts any Shure Sound Isolating Earphones into a stereo headset and allows Apple iPhone users to switch seamlessly between listening and communicating. Building off of Shure's 80-year professional audio legacy, the MPA utilizes the company's innovative modular design to bridge from personal listening nirvana to other communication activities that converged devices such as the iPhone offer.

By combining a VoicePort microphone with a control button that allows users to answer and end calls without touching the phone, the MPA enables consumers to incorporate the premium sound quality of Shure Sound Isolating Earphones into mobile phone conversations. The MPA's low-profile VoicePort microphone, which was developed using the same technology as Shure's QuietSpot mobile headsets, is tuned to optimize intelligibility, ensuring callers hear you clearly even in noisy environments. This professional-grade Shure microphone uses VoicePort technology to provide superior sound quality and blocks background noise and wind from interfering with your phone call.

Shure's award-winning line of earphones are precision-engineered for a listening experience that's true to live performance. They feature premium sound quality, sound isolating design and extensive "fit kits" for personalization. With the addition of this MPA attachment, Shure's Sound Isolating Earphones take convenience, portability, sound quality and freedom from outside noise one step further, enabling listeners to experience professional quality sound with both their MP3 players and music-enabled phones. Instead of carrying a pair of earphones and a separate, lower-quality headset for your music phone, the MPA allows you to incorporate the premium sound quality of Shure Sound Isolating Earphones into your mobile phone conversations.

Product Description

Music Phone Adapter fur Shure SE model earphones. Compatible with Apple iPhone

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solves the problem, February 24, 2008

By 

Just Anonymous (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shure MPA-3C Music Phone Adapter for iPhone (Electronics)

I recently got an Iphone and realized that my E3Cs didn't fit into the recessed jack of the iPhone. I was 100% happy that this adapter existed:

Pros:
a) it allowed me to use my great Shure E3Cs with the Iphone and,
b) it allowed me to take calls
c) it has a button which allows me to take calls in phone mode or pause the iPhone when in iPod mode.
d) when I'm in iPod mode and the phone rings the volume gently lowers and the phone rings -- I can click the button by the microphone to answer and when I'm done talking, I can press the button by the microphone again and I go back to my music - very convenient.
d) with both shure earplugs in you can take calls in extremely noisy environments and you will hear all of the conversation (your caller sounds like they're in a recording studio)


Cons:
a) like others have noted, the cord becomes very long and complex to manage. Lets just say I resorted to rubber bands which is not very trendy.

b) if you take a call in extremely noisy environment and both earplugs are in, you'll hear everything but parties will keep asking you if you can hear them bc they'll hear the noise through the microphone (I tell them not to worry and that I can hear them great with my Shure earplugs).

Why the 5 stars? Because it works very well and solved the core of my problem of using my E3Cs with my iPhone. Thanks for having this Shure!

I couldn't find this at stores but one quick search at Amazon found it and I had it in my hands the next day. Thanks Amazon!

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nearly Perfect, March 27, 2008

By 

Ryan L. Cross (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shure MPA-3C Music Phone Adapter for iPhone (Electronics)

I would say that this product is perfect save for one flaw. That flaw being the problem everyone else is talking about. I didn't actually get what they were talking about until I ran into the problem myself, so I'll attempt to explain it a little better for those who are like me and aren't quite grasping what they are saying.

The problem is in the length of the cord, which results in poor placement of the microphone. This is ONLY a problem if you are not using the split part of a Shure set of earphones. I'm not sure if this diagram will translate due to formatting, but if not, just use your imagination. ;)

(ignore the periods, I had to use them for placement, otherwise it all fell apart)

Shure ear phones extension with mic
--------
........>-- ------------------
--------

traditional ear phones extension with mic
---------
.........>------------------------------ ------------------
---------

As you can see, in the second instance, the mic is MUCH further away from where your head would be than if you were using Shure ear phones. The Shure ear phones are only about 2' long because they come with another extension (which is replaced by this very product) that is another few feel long. So the mic is only a few feet down from your mouth using Shure head phones but is more like 4-6' down using normal head phones. So you would have to coil up the NORMAL head phone's cord and clamp it up higher on you, so that the mic will be somewhat close to your head when you attach it to the previously coiled-up cord.

Otherwise, the sound quality is supurb, it DOES fit into an iPhone without the need for an adapter and it's very high quality, just like the original cord that it is replacing.

I hope this helped!!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not up to Shure's standards, November 12, 2008

By 

Mark Kawakami (Burbank, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shure MPA-3C Music Phone Adapter for iPhone (Electronics)

This is actually a nice product at first. The mic is sensitive (perhaps too much so), and the buttons works well. The length is ideal, especially if used with other recent Shure headphones.

The problem is the construction of it. I've had two of these, and both quickly developed a short or break that frequently drops out the sound from one of the two sides. I don't know why this is, but now that it's happened twice, I tend to think that this just isn't a very good product. That's disappointing. I've had several Shure earphones and loved them all, they are a company i respect tremendously. But this particular product simply isn't up to their standards.