[Belabor]

I just wanted to chime in about the SE215 I just got yesterday. I'm using them with my Samsung Galaxy Note II, and so far, it's been a bit of a mixed bag.
 
First impressions outside of the box were good. The durability seems excellent. Isolation seems good too, but I still have to test these on public transport to compare them with my other IEM's. I do like how they look as well. I got three pairs of Shure flex tips and three pairs of Shure olives. So far the largest olives and medium flex tips seem to fit my ears best.
It does take quite a while to figure out how to insert them properly, because the memory wire is very stubborn and the cable can move around freely in the earphone socket. I don't understand why Shure decided to make this design decision, in my opinion the cable would be a bit easier to live with if they would stay in place in the sockets. Other than that, the plug is just too darn big. I have a tpu case on my Note II, but it doesn't leave enough room for me to insert the plug. So my only choice is to not use the case if I want to listen to some music. Not a big downside, but an annoyance either way.
 
I can be brief about sound quality. Bass is good so far. Quantity is comparable to my Meelectronics M11+, but quality is significantly better. The mids are good as well, but I feel they could be a *tad* more forward. The highs... well... I find those pretty lackluster so far. I mainly listen to rock (stoner, alternative), but the guitar solos and vocals just don't have enough presence or shimmer to my ears. I preferred the highs of my M11+, even though I can clearly hear that the quality of the highs is better on the SE215. I do enjoy that the Shure's have literally no sibilance whatsoever, at least at low volume.
 
So, in conclusion, I'm still going to need to give these some more time. I don't find the sound signature to be "fun" as much as I hoped, because the highs are disappointing. I think I need some time with these to get used to the sound and maybe the lows will back down a bit over time to give the highs some more room. Quality-wise these are very good for the money, but I think these will disappoint you if you like your highs to be more forward.
 
EDIT: Shuffle just decided to play "The Girl and the Robot" by Röyksopp, and it sounded amazing. I guess these will work well if you're into EDM or electronic music.

 

[gtcharlie]

Not a big electronic music fan but I gave the Royksopp song a listen on my se215's and was very impressed.  May have to listen to some more of there music.
 
As far as the 215's go give them a little more time to break in.  My initial impressions were pretty similar to yours but after having them for a few weeks I really started to appreciate them.  And if you want to hear a guitar solo sound good listen to Dinosaur Jr. "Plans" from the Farm album. 

 

[loxxrider]

Those impressions agree a lot with what I've experienced and the general consensus on Head-fi. The highs aren't very forward, but for some, that is a plus. For sure I'd like more highs in some instances, but for most general listening, I prefer how the SE215 keeps them laid back. I also agree that they burn in a bit and just get better sounding with time.

 

[Gilly87]

+1 to all of this, I also noticed bass tends to tighten a little with burn in.

Those impressions agree a lot with what I've experienced and the general consensus on Head-fi. The highs aren't very forward, but for some, that is a plus. For sure I'd like more highs in some instances, but for most general listening, I prefer how the SE215 keeps them laid back. I also agree that they burn in a bit and just get better sounding with time.

 

[avaddikt]

I think the Comply ear tips are almost essential to get the most out of these phones. At least that has been my experience over the past year.
 

 

[Gilly87]

I really liked the stock grey Flex tips. I used to use reversed Sony hybrid -> Sennheiser biflanges which worked very well. Currently I'm using Klipsch ear gels which don't isolate as well as the Flex or biflanges but are very comfortable. I think the Senn biflanges were the best overall, they were similar overall to the Flex but the seal was less touchy.
Quote:

I think the Comply ear tips are almost essential to get the most out of these phones. At least that has been my experience over the past year.
 

 

[Belabor]

Quote:

I really liked the stock grey Flex tips. I used to use reversed Sony hybrid -> Sennheiser biflanges which worked very well. Currently I'm using Klipsch ear gels which don't isolate as well as the Flex or biflanges but are very comfortable. I think the Senn biflanges were the best overall, they were similar overall to the Flex but the seal was less touchy.

I use the Flex tips as well, but unfortunately they're not very comfortable so far. I'm going to use them for the coming weeks and see if it gets better. Otherwise I still have a set of Shure olives that will work.
 
Regarding my second impressions with these, I can tell that isolation is a step above my M11+ with biflanges. Bass is more pronounced and mids are much more detailed compared to the Meelecs because the background noise gets blocked out really well. I'm also very happy to find that sound quality improved a great deal by inserting the IEM's deeper into my ears. I was used to a pretty shallow fit with my M11+, but I noticed today that the seal improves greatly with deeper insertion. The better seal finally made it clear for me why these have come recommended around here! Mids became more forward, highs became slightly more sparkling and the bass, while still a little bit too forward for my liking, improved as well. Now I can see why people call these phones 'fun'!
 
Small issues remain, though. The plug is just too big (one of the main reasons I'm considering buying a replacement cable) and I'm still a bit annoyed by the memory wire.

 

[sam-c]

Hi guys,
 
I'm not a regular poster on the forum but after getting the SE 215's on a recommendation on the site for a good headphone for use in the gym thought I would post up my impression. I am by no means an audiophile but I am an enthusiast for audio generally. 

Getting the right tip and fit is definitely key for these, took me lots and lots of attempts to get them right but once they are in and with the correct tip they are very comfy and secure. You will definitely know when they are in correctly as the sound changes dramatically I found whilst trying them.
 
I will give a more detailed review of the sound after I've tried them in the gym tomorrow but so far so good! 
 
Sam

 

[elfary]

About to reach a month of use i must say that SE215 are rather good for the price. Great companion for the gym where i don't want to use neither my UM3x or SE420,
 
No cable issues this time around.
 

 

[Gilly87]

Aha, you are like me! I use UM3X as my main IEM and SE215 for workouts and other rugged applications, too. They actually have a similar tone IMO: midcentric with a bit of warmth, elevated bass, smooth treble. When I first heard the UM3X on loan from a fellow Head-Fier, I felt that they were a linear upgrade from the SE215 and essentially what I was looking for when I first started trying higher tier IEMs.

About to reach a month of use i must say that SE215 are rather good for the price. Great companion for the gym where i don't want to use neither my UM3x or SE420,

No cable issues this time around.

 

 

[avaddikt]

The cable bothers me some when I am laying down. Then it tends to be a little bothersome around my neck, as I have it tightened up a bit to keep the phones in place. But standing or sitting, gravity pulls the cable downward. Very picky detail, as I am sold on these overall.
 

 

[marko93101]

Any word on when the FiiO cable will be out?

 

[Gilly87]

Why you would want anything other than the kevlar-coated beast that comes with it is completely beyond me...I doubt many sound changes will be noticeable with a cable swap at the SE215's level of SQ. With customs and multi driver setups, I understand being able to discern small improvements, but for a $100 headphone that performs at or marginally above its price, I wouldn't sacrifice the durability of the stock cable.

Any word on when the FiiO cable will be out?

 

[marko93101]

Well the durable cable you're so delighted with doesn't last as long as I'd like. It's already broken. Don't fancy shelling out 50 euro for a replacement shure cable and am hoping the FiiO will be a cheap decent replacement.

 

[elfary]

I don't believe in cables bringing too much to the table sq wise but certainly i'd be in for a shorter cable.


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