ogewo
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2004
- Posts
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Today I had the unique opportunity to demo the complete line of Shure earphones at their headquarters in Niles, Illinois. I only spent a few minutes with each model, and my audio vocabulary is quite lacking, but hopefully I can leave everyone with a few helpful thoughts. And if not, well, at least I get to brag
I met everyone's favorite Shure employee, Matt (Sugarfried), in the lobby of their gorgeous building. He had the E2-E5 and his Ipod ready to go. I listened to a few different songs, but mostly just Couting Crows - Big Yellow Taxi, and Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats. Only the foamies were used, which are Matt's preference and seemed quite comfortable to me. On to the impressions, in the order in which I tried each model:
E2 - I spent the least time with this model. It seemed like the bass was too overpowering, giving the music an inarticulated, muddy quality. They were OK, but not well suited to critical listening. Also less comfortable than their smaller tubed brethren.
E3 - These would be a major upgrade from any consumer level headphone I've tried. Any muddiness was gone and I was now really enjoying the music. Not quite the detail, soundstage, extension that I'm used to with my HD595s, but for their price these really feel like the sweet-spot of the canalphone market. Most likely what I will be buying soon.
E4c - A major step up. Detail and impact were what really struck me. I no longer felt like I was making a compromise for portability and isolation. Seemed more natural, more airy like an open 'phone. The E3s were great, but these were impressive.
The metal casing really looks sharp. It gives these little guys a tough look, but it's functional too. Being able to remove the tip for cleaning is clearly a useful feature. It screwed on very tight, with a rubber washer to keep it in place. When complexity goes up and manufacturers start adding little parts here and there I usually get nervous, but the E4 looked tight and well thought out. I would have no reservations about build quality and will buy these if my E3 fund manages to grow a bit.
E5 - I think we've gone beyond what I'm able to appreciate at this point. Maybe they're better than the E4cs, but I just couldn't tell. The sound was noticably different though, I just can't articulate how. Sorry mates, the more experienced HeadFiers will help us out on this one.
Matt also mentioned that the big boss herself, Mrs. Shure, requested that her new iPod shuffle be paired with the E4c. I'm guessing she can afford the E5s, so this is a big endorsement for their new model.
Before I left, I tried to convince Matt to hold a meet at the HQ, but I saw his hand inching towards a big red button on the phone labeled "Security" and I didn't press the issue
. Actually he said it would be fun, so we'll see.
Matt, thank you for taking time out of your day to give me my first experience with Shure Earphones. I learned a lot and now really look forward to owning a pair.
I met everyone's favorite Shure employee, Matt (Sugarfried), in the lobby of their gorgeous building. He had the E2-E5 and his Ipod ready to go. I listened to a few different songs, but mostly just Couting Crows - Big Yellow Taxi, and Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats. Only the foamies were used, which are Matt's preference and seemed quite comfortable to me. On to the impressions, in the order in which I tried each model:
E2 - I spent the least time with this model. It seemed like the bass was too overpowering, giving the music an inarticulated, muddy quality. They were OK, but not well suited to critical listening. Also less comfortable than their smaller tubed brethren.
E3 - These would be a major upgrade from any consumer level headphone I've tried. Any muddiness was gone and I was now really enjoying the music. Not quite the detail, soundstage, extension that I'm used to with my HD595s, but for their price these really feel like the sweet-spot of the canalphone market. Most likely what I will be buying soon.
E4c - A major step up. Detail and impact were what really struck me. I no longer felt like I was making a compromise for portability and isolation. Seemed more natural, more airy like an open 'phone. The E3s were great, but these were impressive.
The metal casing really looks sharp. It gives these little guys a tough look, but it's functional too. Being able to remove the tip for cleaning is clearly a useful feature. It screwed on very tight, with a rubber washer to keep it in place. When complexity goes up and manufacturers start adding little parts here and there I usually get nervous, but the E4 looked tight and well thought out. I would have no reservations about build quality and will buy these if my E3 fund manages to grow a bit.
E5 - I think we've gone beyond what I'm able to appreciate at this point. Maybe they're better than the E4cs, but I just couldn't tell. The sound was noticably different though, I just can't articulate how. Sorry mates, the more experienced HeadFiers will help us out on this one.
Matt also mentioned that the big boss herself, Mrs. Shure, requested that her new iPod shuffle be paired with the E4c. I'm guessing she can afford the E5s, so this is a big endorsement for their new model.
Before I left, I tried to convince Matt to hold a meet at the HQ, but I saw his hand inching towards a big red button on the phone labeled "Security" and I didn't press the issue
Matt, thank you for taking time out of your day to give me my first experience with Shure Earphones. I learned a lot and now really look forward to owning a pair.
