[VolkswagenFox]

I have a rather weird issue with my Shure E3C IEMs. About a week ago I popped my trusty Shures into my ears and listen to some tunes. But, what's this? No audio from the left? @#$%! I need to buy new headphones now!

Wait, there is audio from the left, but only the low end and really quiet. Hmm. I took my headphones off and placed it in front of my keyboard along with my iPod which was still playing. After lunch, I noticed my headphones in front of my keyboard, so I started looking for replacements on the internet. I was reading some reviews and out of habit, I put on my E3Cs. What's this? It's normal again! Rejoice! After listening for a while i started to notice that the left side sounded a little brighter and louder the the right.

Was I imagining it? I swapped the left with the right, and the left headphone (in the right ear) sounded louder as well. So I wasn't imagining it. I think I'm going to buy some Etymotics ER4P to replace my old Shures, as I don't think I can fix the Shures.

 

[James63]

Sound like you have a loose wire inside the headphone or at the mini plug. My E2cs did the same thing. Send them back or at least call them and see what they say. How long have you had them?

 

[VolkswagenFox]

I don't think it's the wire, because I tried jiggling the wire on the phone, plug and Y-connector and everything sounds the same. I listened to them continuously from when I first posted this thread till right when I wrote this post and it started to out as being loud on the left and now it's normal, it gradually changed volume. I tried switching the left and right headphones just now and the volume is the same so my ears didn't get used to one side being louder than the other.

 

[James63]

The wire inside the headphone fell off the dirver of my E2cs. It started out with a scrachy sound then one got quiet....then died. I could not jiggle the wire and recreate the sound, but if I tilted my head it would happen. I think yours are on there way out.

 

[saboteur1]

Sorry to threadjack, but I'm having a similar problem with my Se210's -- actually, the complete reverse. After wiping off my black foams and waiting overnight, I popped on my completely tips and plugged my 'phones into my iPod. I noticed that the left channel was louder than usual, and I unplugged my earphones. Of course, when I plugged them back in, the sound was drastically reduced for the left ear (around 10%) and the right ear sounded amplified (about 150%). It's been 2 weeks, and I emailed Shure's customer service yesterday and they told me to send them back in. I'd like to know if the community had any last ditch solutions to my problem.

 

[qazwsx]

Could be:

-A manufacturing defect.
-Popped driver.
-Blown driver.
-Moisture.
-Cable issue.
-Problem with your ears.
-Problem inserting the IEM, i.e. earwax conflicting.
-Could just be all in your head.
-Something blocking the driver.
-Something inside your ear.
-Inserting the IEM too quickly or too slow the air can damage the driver.

And a thousand issue long list of potiental problems.

 

[lostbobby]

i had similar problem with E500's, left channel sounding really dim. I "fixed" it by wedging something between the cables above the "Y", then i sent 'em in for replacement.

 

[VolkswagenFox]

The right side kept going quieter and quieter so I wanted to get them fixed by Shure. Shure customer service told me that eBay bought stuff isn't covered by warranty so I thought "oh, what the heck" and took of the nozzles and switched them around, and I noticed that the opposite side was now quiet, so there was a clock in the nozzle! There are little filters inside each nozzle and I just popped the out with a paper clip, superglued the nozzles back on and now everything is fine!

This is what the filters look like. Tiny little things.

I also noticed that the headphones have better treble now that the filters are out. Anyway, I'm a happy camper now.

Except now my hands are covered by with hardened superglue and I almost glued one headphone into my ear.