Shure SE215

I bought these to use on the go (Bus, Plane, Car). The first time I put them in my ears they were not comfortable. But after a week or so they were like tiny marshmallows in my ears. The sound is great and they are really good for electronic music. Over time they have replaced my my full-sized headphones in both sound quality and comfort. And for 100$ why not just give them a try?

I cannot recall when I purchased the Shure SE215's, but I know that I immediately enjoyed them. This was of course before I moved on to more expensive models, and then shifted to on ear and over ear headphones, which offer better sound overall. The only reason I went with IEM's is because they were often easier to drive and ended up being louder. As a bagpiper, it is clear I like music loud, and before I knew about amps, headphones weren't good enough. The SE215's aren't the easiest in-ears to drive, and near full volume is needed to listen to them for me.

The SE215's have excellent bass, especially for the price of $100. The bass doesn't sound false, although clearly enhanced. The bass does fairly well in not hurting the mids, although the headphones have little soundstage, so seperation is not perfect, and the bass does bleed into the mids at times, along with the mids bleeding in the highs. What hurts this bleed more is that the mids and highs are very recessed and are merely there, never standing out or sparkling. I prefer a v curve in headphones, although over time the v curve has become closer to a level line for me. At the time, I enjoyed a strong v curve. The SE215's have a V curve, but only slightly at the highs, and with the bass being so strong, nothing else is ever focused on. The odd thing is, while recessed, the mids and highs became shrill at times, almost like the sound from mids and highs are blocked off somewhere, and when volume is high enough, only the shrillness comes through. I really enjoyed the headphones, and eventually shifted into foam tips, to deal with the shrillness. This helped, but seemed to dull the music even more. It was a worthy sacrifice at the time. Listening to the SE215's recent, a while after I last really used them, I can say I really don't like the sound, due to a lack of clarity, and too heavy of a bass, which I actually find to be unclear as well. With an amp, a FIIO E11 a the time the clarity improved, but the E11 boosted bass further. I have yet to try them on the E07k, but I suspect they will still not suit me well. My tastes have changed clearly, focusing more on musicality and clarity, rather than enhanced bass and highs, although I still do like small v-curve in the sound. As was stated before, the SE215's also lack any form of soundstage, and especially with foam tips, sound very closed in. With the amount of bass and lack of soundstage, these headphones will suit music such as rap and hip hop. These headphones will work with any current (mainstream) music really, which, for the most part, has abandoned musicality and any art form which music once had, for heavy, synthetic bass, and autotune. Sorry for the attack on anyone who likes current music, but I feel music of today, at least the stuff by artists like Bieber and Rihana, does not require audiophile level headphones, as there is no soundstage and naturalness that is needed to be displayed. Essentially, I believe a $40 pair of bass heavy phones will sound better that a less bass-emphasized high end headphone, for bass is the only thing that matters in the music. The SE2015's are bass heavy, and will suit current stuff just fine.


While the sound no longer impresses me, the quality of the SE215's continues to impress. The driver housings of the SE215's look somewhat week, but are made from a decently strong plastic. Better yet is the cable, it being 3-4 times thicker than the cables of many other in-ears, such as the Klipsch S4's. The drives can also be removed from the cable, which is nice if the cable were to fall apart, but I don't see the point if they provide such a great cable (not saying it is a bad thing though).


Price-wise, the SE215's were a good price I felt. $100 isn't cheap, but these headphones provide better sound and are of better quality than many other headphones in a similar price range.

This is the phone that brought me to the IEM crowd. After a few weeks using this I was hooked. Bought them on a trip to Hong Kong on an impulse, I was with a friend who was getting a LOD for his iPhone + amp + Westone 4 setup. We asked about budget choices besides the Klipsch S4 he was used to suggesting and the vendor said we should try the Shures.

Great value, I have upgraded to a W4R and even when someday I jump to the customs ship I will keep the Shures, they are perfect for running.

These were my first entry level IEMs which I purchased after growing sick of the horrible sound of iPod earphones, bundled earbuds and $20 buds from electronics stores

And I must say, it was more than well worth the money, still working perfectly albeit with some wear and tear on the wires, but nothing major. The sound quality for the price is awesome, matching and even surpassing some that are twice the price that I've auditioned.

All in all, if you're looking for your first IEM, these are a great place to start

First, we must remember the price point. In Denmark, they compete with the likes of Beyer Dynamic MMX-101ie, Sony XBA-2, Creative Aurvana 3, AKG K-350 etc...
 
Accessories supplied in the box:
The earbuds are all of a pretty good quality, and they make a really good sealing, which can be hard to come by. The transporting case is nice too.
 
Sound signature:
Clearly V-shaped, but it's not like the mids are without detail. Indeed, resolution is very good even for the mids, but the signature is very minded to the broader population, which means that unplugged, choir-works, jazz and classical, will sound too fullfilling. Fx. Palestrina's Pope Marcellus Mass sounds like there's some instruments playing, instead of just voices. 
 
Sound stage:
I'm listing the SE215's sound stage as a negative, but truth to be told, you'll have a hard time finding anything significant better in this price range - especially if they have to be mainstream and generally easily available. One of the benefits of the Shure SE215, is that you may find a local shop from where you can buy them. Many of the top performers in this price range, can only be ordered from Asian countries, and troubles with customs may arise. Back to the sound stage; it's kind of "in your head", but it could be worse. It's not in any way can-like, but it's hard to place instruments and singers in unplugged music.
 
Bass:
Bass is very solid with a solid thumb. It's not fast and it could be tighter, but the resolution is pretty ok, especially given the price. They're bass-happy though, so for those of you that wants pump, but are unsatisfied with Beats/Dr. Dre, these SE215 will be a perfect alternative - as they're delivering the powerful bass you want, but with more clarity and way better overall tonal response.
 
Midtones:
This is where I find SE215 lacking. Midtones are too far gone; they're there of course, but I prefer a more midtone-forward approach. The resolution is pretty good though; the midtones are just not loud enough. Transition from bass to midtones is pretty fluent, which is good. To put it another way; most songs with prominent singers, will sound like the lead singer is standing in between the band, rather than a step in front of them. 
 
Trebles:
The trebles have a peak in the lower treble end, and they sound detailed with a little sparkle. Not much, just a little. More sparkle could've been nice - I'd have preferred that, and more airy feel created by the trebles would definitely also have been preferred.
 
Vertict:
So, the SE215's are of course not perfect. That'd be too much to demand, given it's price tag. Are they best in class? No, that'd be to stretch it a bit, but they're certainly among the top tiers in this class, and way above average. If you're unlucky to get a pair with faulty cables, the cables can be changed quite easily - but I didn't have any issues.
 
The sound quality is sure to delight people who're used to Beats Audio, Sennheiser at USD 100 or lower, and the like. If you come from midend over-the-ear headphones, you'll be happy to know that bass and lower midtones can pump well without sacrificing too much resolution, but if you're used to highend products, you'll probably feel that the SE215s are too much "in your head", with a general lack of mids and a lack of airy feel.
 
If you're willing to pay a bit more, I heavily recommend Sony MDR-EX600 as a mainstream and easy-to-get in-ear alternative; it has all the benefits from these SE215's, but they give you that nice LARGE sound stage, and more mids - for only few dollars more.
 
But if these matches the upper limits of your budget, I can easily recommend them. Even more so if you usually use your mobile phone or another kind of portable player, and you primarily listen to techno, dance, rock/heavy and less dynamic and song-centered styles. 

gear:
SGS2 with MIUI Rom music player
Go Vibe's Vest
Dacport LX + Objective 2
 
put these iem's into sgs2 and already doing nice
give some portable amplifier/dac, in this case i'm using govibe vest and she's already doing great
put some better amplification and dac, and my ear says that she's a marvelous player

Clear design,and good quality.
 

Pros:

1. Quite cheap (I paid £69)
2. Soundstage is fantastic at this price
3. The detachable cable is a great addition at this price point and ensures a much easier repair if the cable fails.
4. The provided foam tips are incredibly isolating and not exactly cheap if you try and buy them separately!
5. Wonderful for vocal music, mids are very good.
6. Surprisingly bassy, it's not overpowering, but it's certainly there and is quite detailed. Possibly too much bass for some.
7. No sibilence in the highs.

 
Cons:

1. The cable to earbud connector is fragile. Don't take the cables off without good reason.
2. No memory wire for the section of cable that goes over the ear, while whatever they are using is decent, it's not great and pretty much ensure I need to have the cord keeper zipped up to my neck to keep the earbuds properly hooked in.
3. Highs roll off a bit too sharply for my liking.

 
- They isolate very well with foam sleeves. Be careful when wearing them in town, look around you, they prevent you from hearing the cars.
- Over-the-ear wearing makes them keeping in place very well.
- Comfort with silicon tips is perfect. Really.
- Memory cable is practical.
- They look very, very nice. Even the cable is nice-looking.
- Detachable cable can be handy (even if it's not useful to me).
- They are very surdy.
 
- Foam tips isolate more than olives, but are less comfortable.
 
- Demands time to get used to and to find the right tips.
- The cable is a little stiff.
 
SOUND
- The sound isn't boxy as it is with closed-back headphones. It's nearly as airy as on my Grado's, excepted than the seal gives a little impression of closedness.
- Highs don't sound bad at all, as I could read on many reviews.
- Bass are gorgeous.
- They seem to profit very much from the use of my AD823-based CMoy, but maybe it's only a placebo effect. Anyway, even if it all came from the placebo effect, building said CMoy was the right thing to do. Drums sound better, and soundstage sounds a little wider.
 
Pics (enlargeable) :
 

1. Really nice bass.  Not overbearing
2. mids are great.  Never heard vocals so clear before on IEMs
3. highs are okay, roll-off not too steep.
4. very comfortable
5. nice selection of sleeves
6. nice carrying case
7. comes with a cleaning tool!
8. excellent price/performance ratio

 
Overall a great buy, and I would highly recommend these IEM's for everyday use.

My first "Pro" set of IEM's. I guess I am only 2 days into this set of Shure 215's but I have enjoyed every note of my music experience. Sound Isolation is great, although I am comparing to mass market IEM's (Bose, Griffin, Apple IEM's). Price is by far the best part, at $99 I really don't think you can challenge this IEM for value. I was also impressed by the Bass. It doesn't get muddy and can kick a bit with the right playlist.
I noticed that the case seems to be a touch too small for all this cord, and it's a soft case where I would prefer more protection. The cord is VERY long. I appreciate a longer than normal cord, but this thing has to be almost 6 feet long.
 
Overall I am very happy with these IEM's and I can't wait to hear how they sound after 20-40hrs.

I'm just going to say now that I'm not nearly an audiophile.  So my evaluation of earphones is pretty limited to what sounds nice to me.  I used to have a pair of Shure SE210s before moving to some Monster Turbines last year.  While I discovered that I loved the sound of the Turbines, I was really missing the incredible isolation of Shure.  Since I travel heavily for work, isolation is something that's really important to me!  Then, of course, not long after I got the Turbines the SE215s came along.  It was like the best of both worlds.  The warm, full sound that the dynamic drivers give and the awesome isolation of the Shures.  Actually the isolation on the SE215 is even better than the SE210.
 
As for the sound, I can say it just sounds so smooth and warm.  I recently got a pair of S4s so I actually understand a little better what is meant by sibilance and these don't have it.  To my ear there's very little difference between these and my Monster Turbines which is a good thing.  They just sound fun to my ears and I can listen for hours without fatigue.
 
They take some getting used to with the thick wires but I can put them in very quickly now.  There is no microphonics to speak of because of how they have to be worn.
 
Overall, I just love these.  After I got them, while I still like looking at all the other earphones out there, I've really lost my desire to buy anything else for daily listening.  Given their low price and fun sound, I think I got a real steal!

TERRIFIC HEADPHONES!! Love them! you have to give them a few hours to let them record themselves to get use of the best quality...overall they are fantastic! The sound quality is amazing!

My last IEM purchase was a disaster; I bought the Turbines and ultimately returned them as they were literally destroying my ears. I figured I was done with the IEM game for good, and moved to great big full sized Ultrasones. But I just couldn't ride the bus with those, they were too cumbersome and didn't quite isolate enough. So, my wallet aching, I went with these.
 
I've gotta say, after a little over a month I have almost no buyer's remorse whatsoever.
 
I'm going to start with the bad, because that's easier to quickly explain.
 
-The high's aren't the best, music in which the lead singer has a higher voice sometimes needs to be EQ'd to sound full. Keep in mind I haven't formally burned these in yet, I've listened for maybe 20 hours total but that's all the use they've gotten. This issue may go away, and if not it's not always noticeable and it is not a huge deal as the overall sound profile is great.
-The case is not terrific; it works, but it's not quite large enough for the cord (more on that cord later) and it doesn't seem to do a ton to protect the headphones.
-When I keep my player in my pocket and the plug is partially in my pocket, and the connection between the cord and the plug bends, it occasionally causes a mild skip in the audio. This is very rare, but it has happened a few times in the last month and it's worth noting. Easily avoided by carrying my player differently.
-Finally, here's my only really big gripe: I cannot remove the stock foam tips. I have pulled, tugged, squeezed, twisted, frozen, scratched, manipulated... nope. Now, the stock foams happen to fit my ears rather well (most of the time) so it's not a tremendous problem right now, but 1. It would be if the tips didn't fit and 2. The foams will eventually get really gross, and I will have to probably cut them off gently to replace them. It's like the tips are glued on, I don't get it. Most of the time these stock tips fit me, but I would like to be able to try the additional tips included for a potentially better fit. The left bud sometimes feels awkward, so a different tip might be really helpful. And as I said, foam tips are gross. They're wonderful in many ways, but they get really gross. And I will have to remove them to clean them eventually, and if I can't I'll have to take scissors or a pocket knife and slice these tips off and buy new foams from Shure (maybe a warranty would cover that, though).
 
Ok now that the small number of complaints have turned into a huge wall of text, let's get on to the pros (which will surely turn into an even huger wall of text).
 
-I'm going to start with maybe the most exciting thing: the cord. The beautiful, magical, amazing, life-changing cord that is made out of pixie dust and  concentrated joy and was gifted to mankind from heaven above. Yes, I'm speaking in hyperbole, but the cord really is awesome. It's long enough to really comfortably reach from my pocket to my ears, and then some. And it's thick to the point where it could take some SERIOUS punishment and absolutely never twist. Finally, I really appreciate it being removable in the event that it did break (I think it might, if I threw it into the fires of Mordor in Mount Doom). 
-The bass is incredible. These little IEMs pack as much of a punch as any full sized I've ever heard, but in quality not quantity. It goes very deep and is very strong, but does not get muddy or overtake the mids (sometimes it does drown out the highs, though). 
-A really nice warm, full sound signature. These really sound rich and full; R&B and wall-of-sound rock sound great, but thinner/strangely recorded oldies/classic rock also manage to sound really nice and not light or overly thin. 
-Despite the tip issues, the fit is excellent. These do not fall out, ever, and the over-the-ear cord is a really nice touch that ensures they stay in place. The first time I put them on it took me about five minutes to perfect getting them in, but then I had no trouble. The fit is particularly great in that it blocks out probably 95% of ambient noise: my bus driver blasts Steve Harvey every morning on the way to school and I can't stand it, but the minute I turn my music on it blocks it all out. The headphones don't block as much when the music isn't playing (it's passive noise cancellation, so the headphones themselves don't do a ton to block stuff out. Better than nothing, but not great). Nonetheless, with music on a reasonable volume I hear nothing outside.
-Terrific value. I had a 30 dollar gift card that I do not remember receiving for Best Buy, where I bought these, which felt like found money so in the end with tax and fast shipping they ran me about $80. I think they're worth a lot more than that.
 
I mainly listen to rock (punk, alternative, prog, classic, light, pop), along with some R&B, rap, and jazz. Sometimes some EQing is needed to make the highs and lows balance, but in general these really sound great with everything I listen to. I won't do the description for a few different specific songs that I've done in the past because I feel like that's a little too specific, and these are very consistent.
 
So yeah, I pretty much love these. They're comfy, they block sound well, they sound great, and the cord is majestic. I would strongly recommend these to anyone, my only real issue is the ultra-stuck-on tips. An excellent intro to higher end ear buds for me, very satisfying. I'll probably upgrade within a year or so, just because, but I could see sometimes using these even after I upgrade and if I can't afford an upgrade these would probably keep me happy for a very long time.

Recently, I went shopping for a $100 pair of earphones to replace my aging set of UE MetroFi 220 earphones.
 
After much deliberation, I settled on the Sure SE215 series in the clear variant.  They were purchased from Amazon.com directly from Shure.  I am a Prime member, as such I paid the $3.99 and had them sent next-day air.
 
They arrived without incident and well packed in all manner of UPS-proof air based packaging.
 
The actual carton which contained the earphones was relatively standard fare and more or less unmentionable.  Inside the carton was the usual wadge of manuals and warnings printed in every language I've heard of and a few that I haven't.  Also, there was a small bag containing six silicone tips as well as four foam tips (the other two were already on the device) and a cleaning tool.  Finally, there was a zippered pouch with an internal pocket that is just perfect for the bag containing the tips and the tool or in lieu of that a small player such as an iPod nano or shuffle.
 
The first impression on removing the earphones from the package was that they are a quality device.  The cables, which in my case are clear, show off the braided metal sheathing over the signal cables which is interspersed with a copper conductor woven into it.  The plug itself as well as stress reliefs on the cable appear to be much more stout than other offerings, the cable has a very durable look and feel.
 
The cable disconnects appear to be a relatively high grade coaxial-type affair with a signal pin on the cable end sliding into a tube on the headphone end.  Some folks have had some problems with these, but we'll get to that in just a few minutes.  The entire connector assembly was covered in what appears to be a very thin oil, which was removed with a q-tip so as not to present any potential problems.
 
Moving along to the earpieces themselves, the quality craftsmanship shines in their appearance.  The shells are very solid, and inspection of the internal construction reveals meticulously soldered connections as well as a very substantial support for the single dynamic driver.
 
The first listen out of the box revealed good sound quality with a "punchy" quality to the bass, strong definition in the mid frequencies, almost to the point of roughness, and some attenuation in the high registers.  They went for my standard 72 hour burn-in combining equal parts of white, pink and brown noise played at a high listening level.  The burn in period didn't make a huge difference, but there were some minor changes to the sound quality in the form of lesser recession of the high frequencies and a smoothing of definition in the mids without a notable loss in imaging.  Down low, the reproduction gained a bit of force but is still favors mid-bass over sub-bass.
 
In casual listening, they have a very "fun" sound to them.  They are dynamic in their representation and don't tend to get overly sibilent at high listening levels unless the sibilent tendencies are present in the recording.  The tradeoff here is that highs don't have much of any sparkle to them.  That said, I feel they have more than adequate sonic capabilities and qualities.  Listening to them for several hours casually has not been fatiguing or irritating in the least.
 
Moving over to critical listening, their sound tends to accentuate the full mid range with an excellent degree of accuracy across the board.  The high end is rolled off enough to both avoid sibilient harmonics within the listening device itself unless otherwise noted above.  The entire sound envelope of the Shures has a great deal of accuracy with regard to imaging.  The sound stage is both wide and well defined and has more positional accuracy than I would have originally anticipated given the price point.  Isolation while using the foam tips was second to none and provided a very clean sound floor in environs ranging from the office to my quiet living room.  As far as bass reproduction is concerned, the lower frequencies were definitely there in complimentary fashion.  Some feel that these earphones lend themselves to bass heads, however I do not agree with this viewpoint.  While the mid-bass is certainly amazing with a moderate of impact and fantastic texture, I can't describe the sub-bass as anything aside from accurate and complimentary.  To clarify, the entire bass spectrum is represented accurately but without an overpowering amount of presence with regards to the middle qualities.
 
The only issue that I've run into with the device is the oft-posted problem of having one of the earpieces drop connection periodically.  The left ear on my set would cut to silence when turning my head a certain direction or holding the cable at that angle.  I blame the connectors specifically.  To remedy this, I used the tip of a knife* to exert very slight pressure on the pin in the cable-side of the connectors in order to bend it a less-than-readily-visible amount in order to facilitate better connection.  After several tweaks of this type, I am having no more connectivity issues in either ear, and it is smooth sailing.
 
To summarize, I am completely impressed with the devices aural qualities and would definitely buy them again if I needed to.  While they will not please the crowd which demands cymbal sparkle with their rock and roll, and they will not please a true bass-head, I believe that they will please folks who want accuracy, control and an overall fantastic musical reproduction with great isolation.
 
*If you do this modification to your pair, please disconnect them if using a conductive item to tweak the pin to avoid shorting the amp, and be gentle.  To much of a bend and the headphones will not connect properly.  It is better to have to tweak twenty times and do this right than tweak once and have a broken device.
 
List of music auditioned with this device:
Jon Schmidt - All of me (Piano)
Jon Schmidt - Micheal means Mozart (Piano and Cello)
Handel - Assortment of pieces from "Messiah" (Orchestra and Choir)
Mord Fustang - Lick the rainbow (Electro House)
Mord Fustang - Milky Way (Melodic Electro House)
Skrillex - My Name Is Skrillex (Dubstep)
Skrillex - Cat Rats (Dubstep Disco)
Pendulum - The other side (DnB)
Pendulum - Encoder (Vocal Percussive DnB)
 
All tracks were reviewed in all contexts using loss-less files obtained from reputable download sources or created from stamped CD.
 

 
Theses are fantastic! Absolutely Stunning. 
 
The bass is clear and detailed. It extends well and has very good speed. There is just the right amount too. I would consider myself to be a basshead, having sought after bass themed iems constantly. i've owned the original turbines and sennheiser cx 150 and cx 475 (directly marketed for supreme bass.)
 
 Compared to the original Turbines and the two sennheisers there isn't as much impact but the clarity and extension is far far far more superior and more than makes up for that. listening to dubstep with theses is a thrill. In my opinion, if you had to give up one attribute of bass i'd say impact is the one to sacrifice.
 
 The SE215's mids are missing a little detail, but overall satisfying. the turbines very recessed mids were much more disappointing. the senns both fall short to the 215's and i would say come close to if not on par with the turbines mids.
 
highs sound a bit small or short. but the detail is there. i think that the highs being that way makes these have virtually no sibilance or hissing. although, listening to heavy metal i think needs better separation for that genre to my ears. acoustic, indie, soundscapes all sound excellent through these. 
 
the comfort is just excellent. not tiring and your not fijiting or frequently adjusting these at all. once they're in, they're in. the shure foam tips are insanely good. i prefer them to the comply foams. one bad thing is the keeper on the cord is very difficult to move up and down. its pretty stupid. it feels like your gonna rip or something. i also think the cord could be made of better material. there are no microphonics at all though. oh yeah the isolation is some of the best i've expirenced. i was 10 ft from my wife in my living room without the tv on or anything and couldn't really hear her talking to me..lol.
 
Bottom line, these amazed me. i want to commend shure on their take on dynamic driver iems. owning the se530's i would say these are certainly behind them in the mids and highs( not nearly enough to justifiy the price jump) and miles ahead in the bass department. these smoke the original turbines, making them seem outclassed and silly. actually i do like the turbines styling and material choice better than the se215, but thats ALL.
 

Love them, better with a little amping

So after a month of debating weather I should spring for the Shure SE215 I went for it. I only went for it because Shure has a really good warranty and if I need to use it I can.
 
Durability/Looks/Design/Comfort
Regarding durability and looks I find they look good because you don't even notice them under my hair. But durability wise i have heard reports of one side stop working. They look solid to me so far so only time will tell. The design and way they fit in the ear is annoying at first but you get used to it. IT irritates me though because i always have to move my hair all the time just to put them on. But once they are on they are solid and stay in place. I also find they are wonderfully comfortable and i can wear them all day. Just make sure you select the right tips.
 
Sound Quality
Here is the part everyone cares about the most. How do they sound? Well to answer that i will have to separate it into 3 categories.
 
Lows/Bass
This is where the headphones shine the most. They have plenty of bass and to me it is a little much but i think they would be good for bass heads. They tend to reach fairly low and seem rather fast in the bass.
 
Mids
The mids are rather scooped to the extent that vocals and guitars are a little faint. I have some issues with this but overall i am very satisfied with the mids on these. Just don't buy these expecting Shure's well known midrange.
 
Highs
Highs, what highs? Yes there is a somewhat high range here but it seems to be little. Although i am not surprised considering these drop off at 17khz but i feel the highs are very laid back and are very smooth sounding.
 
Conclusion
I find these are very bassy iems and not to be purchased if you want mid or high range performance. These would suit bass heads well imo. They are also very smooth and easy on the ears. Not harsh at all and that makes them very good for sensitive ears.
 
Overall Conclusion and Value
If your looking for sub $100 iems that are very easy on your ears are comfortable and have good bass get these. I feel they compare with my Shure SRH840 decently enough to justify the price. But be warned that these seem to have bad quality control.

I use these mainly for when I'm on stage or when I'm mixing live, running around adjusting a muzo's in-ears/wedges.
 
These are perfect. For 100bucks anyway.
 
But the unique thing about these I've never experience before is that it makes me want to see how far I can turn down any track and see how far I can go before I lose those details I've never noticed before.
 
They simply sound capable of reproducing whatever you throw at them. Sounds are no longer squished together. I can now discern clearly what level instruments are relative to others as opposed to something sent through a compressor with a hard knee and ultra high ratio. i.e. it sounds very clear, linear and distortion-less.
 
They come with a perfect little flat oval case with the Shure logo stitched on. Very nice and pro-looking.
 
Complaints. Hmmm.
 
They do lack a certain brightness, making cymbals, etc. sound slightly distant. But they demolish listening fatigue. Hours of listening, and normal hearing 
They don't lack space, they just don't shimmer as much. Which really reduces listening fatigue during long gigs and rehearsals.
When listening to music, it's very raw and clean. It doesn't try too add something that isn't there, but everything that's meant to be there is.
 
The cable is a little stiff (plus heavy and thick), and being an engineering student, I know that it is a little too stiff for massive amounts of bending, which a bit of a downer, because I needed a running pair, too. But it's all good, 'cos the cable is replaceable! Albeit a little pricey, it's ultra simple and easy with the snap connector. Some people have complained about the swivelness of the connector, but I find it makes it a whole lot easier to get them on, and it feels sturdy enough.
 
So that's about it.
 
 

Well here's what I have to say about the SE215. I am a high school student so I don't have too much experience with hi-fi stuff but I am an semi-pro musician so I know what good sound is and that stuff. But then again, everything here in this review is purely subjective and should be left for you to decide when you buy
 
I picked up my SE215's at Best Buy for $99.99 which was a pretty nice deal. I was debating getting these or Klipsch S4's but I eventually caved into buying my first Shure earphones. I am not disappointed at all with my purchase. I have owned Shure mic's and turntable cartridges so I know that they have great quality and customer support.
 
These earphones are built quite sturdy with some tough looking plastic. At first, I thought the driver was encased in full arcrylic but it is only a plastic shell. The cable is thick yet soft and the stress reliefs seem adequate. The accessories included are enough for everyday use: carry case, 3xFoam tips, 3x silicone tips. I was a bit surprised though that there were no multi-flange tips included though.
 
The fit kinda took some getting used to for me. The primary IEM's I had been using before were the TF10 and SoundMagic Pl30. The TF10 is just weird and the PL30 sit fairly loose in the ear so the Shure fit was different at first since it actually fit inside my ear taking up all the space. It took me about 15 minutes to mold the memory cable into a position that suited me but afterwards it was fine.
 
The SE215's definitely sound amazing for their price. I burned them in for ~50 hours using various noises and music. I find the burn in balanced out the sound a bit compared to straight out of the box. The bass is definitely the strong point of these IEM's. The bass is quite punchy and feels accurate. I find there is a mid-bass hump though which gets kinda annoying in some tracks with vocals. Also, it might of just been me, but I find that the bass distorts a bit when the notes go low and the volume is turned up. The mids are adequate: not great but they don't suck either. I find that they just don't sound as smooth as I would prefer. The highs are nice and I find they are able to reproduce quite a bit of detail. I haven't found the high's to sound harsh yet. These IEM's don't have large soundstage and you definitely feel as if you are listening to a recording. But then again, you feel that way when using alot of IEM's.
 
I don't have too many IEM's to compare to so I'm just going to skip that part.....
 
 
Overall, I find these SE215's are excellent value considering their price point. They are now my new 'everyday' earphones so I hope that they will be able to withstand some abuse They definitely surpass Monster Beats and many other 'mainstream' headphones that may cost even more than these. They can't compete with multi-driver BA IEM's but are good for what they're worth.