Cheap Shure E2c Sound Isolating Earphones (Electronics) Price

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Customer Reviews of Shure E2c Sound Isolating Earphones

Great fit, great sound, so-so look
I tried out 3 pairs of in-ear phones before settling on these, because while I am not an audiophile, I am picky about fit. These fit my ears very nicely, to the point that I forget I'm wearing them, but fit is very personal, so they may not work for everyone. I like that the entire earphone head fits into the shell of the ear, because it becomes virtually invisible, especially if you wear the cords around the back of your neck. As others have said, it's important to try each and every pair of tips provided: if you don't get the proper fit and seal, the sound will be tinny, distant and otherwise totally unacceptable. <
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>The sound of the Shure e-2c's is what I would describe as "true"--no single element is overpowering, and all styles of music sound good. I repeat, I'm not an audio expert, but to me, these phones allow me to enjoy my music without getting in the way and making me aware of them. <
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>I did not find the noise isolation to be complete without using the orange foam inserts, which are too much trouble for me for daily use. The soft black tips allow me to hear loud noises through the music, which I appreciate as safer than walking around totally unaware of my surroundings. <
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>Quibbles: I do not like the thickness and blackness of the cords, although it's true that they don't tangle easily. The V-Moda Vibe earphones look way cooler ([[ASIN:B000K5WW1U V-MODA Vibe Earbuds -V-Gun Black]]) and have a much nicer cord. The Vibes are also lighter. But, they didn't fit my ears well, and when I briefly achieved a snug seal, the bass was overpowering. <
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>For quality construction, accurate sound reproduction and good, but not total, sound isolation, try these. If they fit, you'll love them.

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Much better than standard, but not great
These were on sale when I bought them, marked down to $50 from $100. They are vastly better than the stock earbuds I was using, I will admit. I actually kinda liked them, until I did some research and picked up a pair of Sennheiser CX300's for 65 bucks. Compared to the Sennheisers, the Shure E2C's sound horrible, like the difference between the Shures and the cheapest earphones you can buy. For an extra few bucks, you can have vastly better sound quality with the Sennheisers.

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Good, but not without issues
I was looking for headphones to serve me in the following conditions: <
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>- Working out (jogging and weights); <
>- Airplane travel; <
>- Work <
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>I have gone through several $10-20 headphones (usually the "sport" types that have a plastic hook that go over your ears) as well as the ear buds that came with my IPod Nano. The cord on the $10-20 versions typically wear out on me after 6-9 months of use. The ear buds from Apple were inadequate b/c they slip out when working out, and also they fail to cancel out any background noise when traveling. I am not an audiophile by any means, I just want a reliable set of headphones that work well for different situations. After reading reviews I decided to "go up a notch" and try a more expensive set, and purchased the Shure E2c's online for $59. Below are my impressions so far: <
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>Positives: <
>1. They stay securely in my ear and do not slip out; <
>2. Do a good job of "isolating" the sound when listening on an airplane, where the engine caused me to have to increase the volume quite high when using the standard Apple earbuds just to hear (obviously not good for my ears). With the Shure's I am able to set at a normal volume level and hear OK). <
>3. Solid, thick cord that does not appear they will wear out if taken care of properly (i.e. storing them in the small, compact case that came with it). <
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>Negatives: <
>1. Inadequate for office use do the the challenge of putting on and securing. It is difficult to describe with words, but from each earbud a cord comes out and wraps around the front and then over your ear, with both cords coming to the back of your head. This is then tightened behind your head with a sliding tube to prevent them from coming off, and the main cord leading to the MP3 device is now behind you. <
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>I have become more adept at putting these on, but it does take some adjusting, wrapping cords around your ears, and fitting things just right each and every time. You can't just easily slip them on and off like other sets. <
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>For working out or for extended wear on a plane this is great, they just aren't going to slip out. For the office though they are pretty much unusable for me. If someone comes into my office with a quick question I have to take them out, then spend another couple of minutes putting them back in. If I need to get up to go down the hall to the printer or the restroom, same thing. So I find myself just using the Apple earbuds in the office as it is much, much simpler to get on and off quickly. <
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>2. Design. This is the only set of earphones I've ever seen in my life that doesn't have an "L" and an "R" to designate which is the left and right earbud. Instead the designer decided to get cute and make one side a solid color and the other side a split color. Don't ask me which is which because I forget each time. To me this is just brainless on the part of the designers. <
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>3. Sound quality. It's OK, but I guess I just expected a little more when buying something from a company that purports to be "the best" and "the choice of professional musicians". Again I'm not an audiophile by any means, but the tones just don't sound that deep or rich. I understand that these represent their "low end" version, but for a company asking for $99 (I paid $59 online) again I just expected more, because frankly the sound isn't that much better than the cheap pairs I've owned. <
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>Summary <
>These are a great set to use when working out. For the office they are simply impractical. For air travel (where there is a need to block out the noise from the jet engines) they are certainly adequate, however if this is all you were looking for then I'd consider one of the Bose models (not the earbuds but the full headset that goes over the ears; I have tried my brother-in-laws and they are actually noise "canceling" and not just "isolating", and are infinitely more comfortable than any earbud model). <
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>For now though, my system of using the Shure's for the gym and the airplane and the Apple earbuds for the office will be adequate for my needs.