[Happytab]

All, I was given some of these as a present but they remain unopened due to the negative press they have on this website. I am still using my Apple earbuds but I need to replace them with something.

Should I give these a go or ebay them and go for something less expensive like the Creative or maybe some Marshmallows (I have been reading they are not too bad).

Thanks for your help - I would love to get this earphone thing sorted once and for all.

By the way I prefer Y cables rather than the ones that go behind your head and the useage will be entirely Ipod !

Thanks again

 

[Barney Rubble]

I love the E2 they are comfortable and gives good isolation the s/q is good for the price of the phones

It will be a step up from your ipod buds thats for sure


I have the superfi 5 and UM2's , both the Westones and the UE are obviously better but given the price I think the E2's hold there own

 

[aaron-xp]

I suppose the UM1 and ER6(i) are other possible choices, right? I personally prefer the UM1 to the E2, in terms of fit and availability of sleeves, and sound (both are bassy, but the E2 is a tad bit muddy).

The E2 is still rather capable though, and will be a great upgrade over the earbuds.

 

[LaBreaHead]

Depending on how much the E2's cost, and whether you might want to kick in a little money of your own, you could get an inexpensive pair of Marshmallows and a pair of Etymotic ER6i's (if you get a good online price) -- that way, you would have "fun" canal phones for easy use, plus a pair of analytical IEMs for isolation when in noisy environments. Or you could get a pair of the Creative EP630 canal phones and some Koss PortaPro 2's or the clip-ons -- that way you would have canal phones and a surprisingly good pair of portable headphones. Or splurge a bit and get the V-Moda Vibe canal phones.

Just a greedy Head-Fi-type thought.

It's fun spending other people's money ...

 

[Happytab]

Would the Marshmallows be a noticvable upgrade from the standard Ipod Buds ?

Thanks again.

 

[LaBreaHead]

Without having heard the Marshmallows yet (but having heard both generations of iBuds), I'd say that the Marshmallows should fit more comfortably and securely (as should any canal phone that inserted into the ear canal) -- that alone would be an improvement for me, over earbuds that barely hang there in the ear. People who have heard them have tended to post that they like them over bundled earbuds. I know that, overall, I prefer my Creative EP 630s (and even the Sony 51s and 71s) to just about any bundled earbud I've heard or owned.

There are earbuds that have good sound quality ... but without comfort and a secure fit, the potential can be wasted.

 

[Cooter]

"Would the Marshmallows be a noticvable upgrade from the standard Ipod Buds ?"

Yep, definitely.

I got a Nano for XMas and looked around for a decent set of replacement phones. The Marshmallows got pretty good reviews around here (plus they're pretty cheap!) so I bought some. Bass is much fuller and richer, highs have more shimmer, mids stand out nicely. As an added bonus I've found that I keep the volume lower with the 'mallows than I did with the earbuds. (probably due to them blocking out extraneous noise) I like 'em.

And I'm not alone. The first time my 12 yr old daughter tried them she insisted on getting some of her own for her iPod.

 

[saminmemphis]

I bought a used pair of E2C's (yes, they came with carrying case, great for me) with small clear flex sleeves I am guessing, from someone on the board here. I will test them out tonight but I expect they will sound better than the stock earphones with my Sandisk Sansa. I dont know how to tell if they fit like they are suppossed to, as I do not have other sleeves to swap out, but I like the fit just fine so far.

Sam

 

[marvelusjd]

I've had Shure E2s for over a year now as my first higher end headphone and thoroughly enjoyed them. I just sold them though for an upgrade. Some of the folks on the boards have both the Marshmallows and E2s and could tell you if it's worth the difference.

 

[agentcooper]

I've been using the E2 for a couple of years now. IMO the sound is quite good. Big improvement over standard buds. They isolate very well too. I like them better than the E3 I tested. I tried out a friend's super.fi5 Pros and they were better but for free or ~$60 the E2c I think is a good choice.

That said they are bulbous so they may rub the inside of you ear if they aren't in properly. But the biggest complaint I have is the durability of the cable. The cable just below the earphone, the part that will wrap over your ear, will eventually, if you use them regularly (>4 hrs per day like I do), crack and expose the wires inside. This will irritate the top of your ears as well as degrade the signal as sweat and other stuff gets into the wiring. I returned one pair to Shure because of this (it happened after ~10 months of ownership). They gave me no trouble and I got the new ones real fast. I wound up giving those away and buying the I2c (same as the E2c but for use with a cell phone). That was about 10 months ago I bought them and the cable is cracking once again (see photo, L and R are the same). If you stick with them I'd suggest getting some heat-shrink wrap and reinforce that area.

Also, the cabling is way way way waaaaaay to long. I'm not sure why they feel the need for so much cable. It just winds up either getting in the way or wound up in a pocket.

BTW, avoid the I2c. It really sucks. It has this really large cotroller with an in-line volume control (too sensitive - it moves <i>real</i> easy and is not a linear volume controller), mute button, and slider switch to select input (phone or audio device). It is awkward to deal with plus the plug for the cell phone (2.5mm) is crappy. Mine is failing. All phone calls crackle and pop when using it. And I know it's not the phone jack because my other wired headset sounds fine.

So in two years, the cabling on two different E2c is failing (near the earpiece). Though I haven't tried it I'd bet shrink wrap would help.

 

[jumpinjohn1234]

coming from someone who downgraded from the shure e4 to the shure e2. I'm happy.

 

[mala]

thanks for the info agentcooper.

I'm having the same problem with mine, and was hoping it wasn't an isolated situation.

I think the problem is that the wire gets stiff during cold weather (which I'm in most of the time...), which allows the weaker areas (often bent) on the cable to be cracked easily.

For example, I just noticed my cable has cracked at the left speaker and on an area of cable that gets wrapped tightly in Shure's bundled case.

If I can't get Shure to replace them (already did once with a shorted right speaker), I might end up buying a new pair.

I don't have very sensitive ears, but at least I know the E2Cs fit me.

 

[agentcooper]

since these are the only IEMs I've owned, I have no idea but does anyone know if other brands have this problem (cable cracking near the earphone)?

I know the super.fi5 series have reinforced ear loops (the part of the cable that loops behind the ear). So they probably last longer or never have this problem. I'm going to get a pair of EBs or Pros in the coming month. We'll see.

As for the cold mala, I live in Houston. It's almost 80 degrees right now!! It rarely gets cold here (unfortunatley, I love the cold). I think it's just the flexing by constantly being looped over the ear and wound up in its case. Regardless, it seems like a construction flaw or oversight to me. I really appreciate the cable thickness as I never get tangles like I have with thinner cabled phones but I'd like some reinforced ear loops like the super.fis.

 

[dizzyorange]

Happytab, I used both E2c's and ER6i's for a period of about 6 months on my NYC commute, and preferred the E2c's by far in noisy environments and the ER6i's slightly in quiet environments.

ER6i is a better earphone in terms of accuracy, and detail resolution, but tends to sound thin in outdoor situations, such as riding the bus, walking on a city street, or working in a crowded office.

E2c are more midrange heavy and, for me personally, had terrific powerful bass (I had a good fit with the foamies), but are significantly rolled off in the highs.

If I had to choose between the E2c, the ER6i, and the Super fi 3 (sounded plastic to my ears), I'd pick the Shures.