[TMusic]

I purchased a pair of the E2Cs a few months ago for $40 from buy.com. My main iems have been a pair of er6is for the past year. While I haven't listened to the Shures but maybe 5 hours tops I find that I am enjoying them very much.

Good build quality, less micophonics, easy insertion and decent sound. Do I not possess an audiophile ear after all these years?

My other phones are a pair of Marshmallows, AK81DJs, ER6is, KSC75s and soon to arrive IM716s.

 

[deusofhearts]

They're not that bad, it's just more people would rather opt for something else for that price, or spend a little more and get something more to their preference. From what I hear, UM1's, IM716's and super.fi 3's offer better performance than E2C's for around the same price range.

 

[That dude]

I'm sorry, but at that price, they are THAT bad. I've recently got the chance to try one out and I found the sound to be dry and flat (opposite of dynamic). Just do a 1 to 1 comparison between them and your ksc-75, you'll understand (btw, if you haven't done the kramer mod for both the e2 and the ksc-75, you should. The difference is quite large with the ksc-75. I don't know about the e2).

The im-716 would sound a little mellower compared to the er6i (which to me is another dry, uninviting and harsh earphone). In other words, th im716 are much better. These are just my opinions, what matters is yours. If it's good to you, it's good.

 

[ph0rk]

I paid full price for my first pair several years ago ($99). They're fine: relatively rugged, good isolation, and decent sound, and perhaps most importantly - easy to insert/remove.


A steal at $40.

 

[mrdeadfolx]

Not bad for the price point, but once you upgrade, its very hard to go back to them.

 

[Arjisme]

I really liked mine when I had them. They were pretty decent, but you can definitely improve on them. At $40 I find it hard to believe anyone would say they are bad. Trust your ears. If you like them, enjoy them.

 

[dealmaster00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by That dude /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm sorry, but at that price, they are THAT bad. I've recently got the chance to try one out and I found the sound to be dry and flat (opposite of dynamic). Just do a 1 to 1 comparison between them and your ksc-75, you'll understand (btw, if you haven't done the kramer mod for both the e2 and the ksc-75, you should. The difference is quite large with the ksc-75. I don't know about the e2). The im-716 would sound a little mellower compared to the er6i (which to me is another dry, uninviting and harsh earphone). In other words, th im716 are much better. These are just my opinions, what matters is yours. If it's good to you, it's good.

Great reply. I think this really brings out the difference between people who like the Shure e2c sound and dislike the Etyomic sound, and people who like the Etyomic sound and dislike the Shure e2c sound. The fact of the matter is, the e2c is a more "musical" phone IMO - warm, great mids, long decay. The etyomic sound is more "analytical" - bright, detailed, quick decay (WARNING - I haven't listened to any Etyomic phones but that is the impression I have of them after reading here for so long.). Personally I didn't like the sound of the e2c. I thought I did at the time, but it was the highest $$$ headphone I had listened to. Years later, when I tried out other headphones, I realized that the e2c were crap compared to them (IMO of course). Not enough treble, and the Kramer mod took away what little bass was there. I have a pair of IM716s on the way and I think I'll probably like those more, if only for the better treble!

 

[Jackson99]

I didn't think they were that bad either. In fact, I actually liked them better than the E3c, which were far to "mid-rangey" for my tastes. I used my E2c at the gym for about a year and was pretty happy with them (until the left channel stopped working). Now I use the UE Super.fi 3 at the gym. In my opinion, these are a better value for around $40 IF the fit works for you.

 

[p956lh]

They're alright as portable phones. Most people don't like them because they aren't "fun" (the bass is very tight) and it has a tiny soundstage. But it's fine for portable use or if you need the isolation. Besides at $40 it's a steal, and Shure's warranty is awesome. I honestly don't think they're that bad, even against my amped PX100 and M50.

 

[eruditass]

much better kramer modded, and still very easy to insert compared to other iems

 

[SactoMan101]

The Shure E2c has good isolation, but the problem is that the bass is a bit weak and it has the typical rolled-off highs of lower-end Shure headphones. For the amount of money that the E2c costs nowadays you might as well pay just a little more and get the Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio.

 

[vesther]

Well, I felt that both the E2C and the SE110 sounded kind of muddy--as when I did a comparison between the E2C, SE110, and the E500/SE530, the difference between the E2C/SE110 were not substantial whilst the sound is a lot more clear with the E500/SE530 than the E2C.

I would preferrably go at least with the SE310, though I prefer the SE530.

The E2C (now SCL2) provides good noise isolation, but the sound, like I said, is kind of muddy.

 

[ZMU817]

For what it's worth, I love my e2cs. Had them for 2 and a half years.

Kramer modded, maybe they just fit my ear better than others but there's nothing lacking in the sound.

Everything I throw at them

No soundstage, sure, but I like the music in my head, so I'm down with it.

Bought them for 99, had them replaced since then

awesome warranty. had a cut in the cord, got a new retail package, all the tips. which was good, because I've lost some since then.

Enjoy it!

 

[vega670]

My first pair of IEMs were E2c's that I bought retail. As a move up from earbuds, the E2c's have a surprising sound just because they isolate so well. They made my ears sore after a few hours of listening because of the shape, though, so I bought a pair of E4c's when I found them used for a good price.
I have listened to some E3c's, and the overall sound of the E2's are better IMO. Although I haven't listened to them, most articles that I've read claim that the super.fi 3 studio is an improvement over the Shures for the price.

 

[SBD]

For their price, they are bad. Even at the $40 price you could get super.fi 3's or a $30 upgrade could get you grado's or ety.

At their normal $70 street price, it not a good deal considering the other options. I heard a TON of people comparing westone, ety, etc to even the e4c. Shure is good, it just doesn't stretch your dollar.