Customer Reviews

Shure MPA-3C Music Phone Adapter for iPhone

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

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!

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!!

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.

Finally, I can hear again, and people can hear me. My high-end earphones now work with my iPhone and I no longer have to suffer with the poor fit and sound quality of the stock ear-disks (I was surprised Apple brought these back instead of incorporating their new ear-bud design). I no longer have to set the volume near maximum, I need only the second or third bar in most situations. Whether you have Shure earpieces or some other brand, if you want to recover your investment and start enjoying better call and audio quality I can recommend this as an option.

All the complaints I have read related to this product are related to cord management, no doubt this is a hassle. My solution was to clip the mic to one side of the headset and slip the cord inside my shirt. This might not be a comfortable solution if a your attire generally requires a bra or other undergarments.

I really thought these were good until the connection near the plug started to go. They worked really well and then after a year of light use, the sound started to cut out. You could sort of bend the cable to try and get it to reconnect, but it got so bad, I had to replace them. I'm not sure if it is a soldering issue or what, but very disappointing for an extension that costs almost as much as a set of headphones. The female plug also doesn't have the most secure fit and the ear buds will often come lose from jogging or light bouncing. I'll never buy again. I still like the ear buds from Shure a lot, but have already bought another brand for the microphone extension. It seems like they may have rushed this out to meet the iPhone owner demand and then never re-engineered a flawed design.

I use Shure se530 and have a lot of respect for the manufacturer. Sorry to report but the quality of this adaptor is horrible. First, the button becomes really stiff when it's cold outside and can be hardly pressed (double press is almost impossible). Second, the mic is horrible and people always complain that they either can't hear me or it's too loud if I hold the mic too close to my mouth. So I have to hold the mic all the time, and move it closer or further depending on the environment. Apple's mic is much better. Third, even though I care about my phones and ALWAYS carefully put them away to the case which came with my earphones, the adaptor just shorted out. Now I am looking for an alternative. Maybe will have to buy this one again in the hope that the quality changed... (it really fits well Shure earphones).

PS When I bought it, I though I read somewhere that when speaking over phone you can hear your voice in the earphones. That's not true and it's really uncomfortable to speak with earphones. I have to remove one earphone just to be able to properly hear myself.

I trusted the reputation of the Shure brand and had no problem paying more for this adaptor hoping for durability. After less than a month of non-abusive use, the cable has shorted out near the plug, which causes the sound to cut out. I was very surprised at the poor durability of this product.

I wrap headphones and cables loosely and put them in a case, so this was a case of the product, not the use. I do not recommend this adaptor at all.

When I first researched this product I could not confirm anywhere whether it acted like the Apple iPhone earphones in allowing you to forward to the next song with a double-click. Well, as it turns out, I bought a set and confirmed it myself.

This is one of the only iPhone adapters I know which will not only let you answer and reject calls, but also will let you forward music to the next song in iPod mode.

Also, like Shure earphones themselves, it uses a thick heavy duty wire which does not tangle easily and is rugged enough to handle daily use (and stuffing into my pockets).

Overall an excellent product. Recommend highly.

Shure MPA-3C adapter functions as it is supposed to but now only after a month of use with my iPhone it has a short in it that causes the right side to go in and out. I was expecting a little more durability from Shure.

This adapter is a terrific fit for my needs. Using this item and Skype, my iPod Touch is now a Wi-Fi phone. This allows me to have an inexpensive second line at home without having to go back to a landline. The adapter fits the standard 1/8" plug used by 95% of headphones on the market. This is of particular importance for me, since the Skype/iPod Touch line is used by several family members, and we'd prefer not to trade ear wax by sharing Apple's iPhone earbuds. Instead, we use an over-the-ear headphone, or our own personal earbuds.

Sound quality is terrific, my friends tell me that calls made this way sound as good or better than my Razor. Here's another big plus: the microphone works on its own, whether or not there are headphones attached. This means it can be used for voice memos, field recordings, or as a speakerphone with Skype. I have not encountered any issues with feedback when using the iPod Touch as a speakerphone.