[Mikerman]

I recently saw Shure's SCL4 IEMs (black) being offered at $99 (with free ship/no tax). 
 
Being a longtime Shure lower-price IEM owner (E2Cs and SE210s) and being familiar with the fame of the Shure E4s, but not really having followed the IEM scene in any detail for a few years, I couldn't help but pause and wonder:
 
Is this a deal that shouldn't be missed?
 
Or, as I'm content with my Shure SE210s especially, should I use the money for music instead?  And have other phones advanced to the point that this deal really isn't one, at this point? 
 
Any advice from you phone gurus is appreciated; this Shure offering is very tempting, given the very positive reputation of the E4s.  Thanks--

 

[yossi126]

Had the E4, RE0 is much much better.

 

[xtasi]

I think scl4's are like the 310's?  Interested in their value at $99 as well.

 

[Mikerman]

Quote:

Had the E4, RE0 is much much better.

Thanks.  I've had good fortune with my Shures, and so would be interested if others think this is a good deal; as well as whether the RE0s hands-down just would be a better way to go (and why).
 
And my understanding is that the innards of the SCL4s are that of the 310s (or, rather, the other way around), but that the 310s have a larger air port.

 

[jleewach]

the scl4's are pretty good. $99 for them isnt that rare though. Guitar center used to sell them for that price constantly. I'm pretty sure that Shure is discontinuing the whole SCL line, so you might want to see if the price goes down even more... Or you could buy the 420's I'm selling

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Had the E4, RE0 is much much better.

 
+1. Stopped using my E4 when I got the Ety Er6i. Sold it when I got the RE0. It's a bit bloated and the clarity doesn't quite match the (suggested) price. Plus I hated the cable. Definitely not even close to a $300 earphone in today's market but then again it's more than 5 years old. 

 

[rawrster]

This deal was much better around the first time guitar center had this kind of sale around a year or two ago. At $99 they aren't bad but there are a couple of earphones I would choose before them such as the RE0 and RE-Zero mostly as I haven't heard most of the $100 range stuff. I hated their cable retaining so much memory of how it's held and well the cracking cable. I got mine RMA after around a year and then sold it bnib and don't regret it for a second. Their isolation was good and I suspect they are better than a good number of $100 and under earphones but at their msrp that's a total ripoff and would never buy it anywhere near that price.

 

[Mikerman]

Yep, I wouldn't get the SCL4s at the MSP, but it was the $99 price-point that brought me in the door, wondering if, at that price, I should upgrade from my Shure SE210s (which I actually like, fit and sound-wise).

 

[Mikerman]

And actually, just got a $35 credit that I can use at the store, bringing the price down to $64 and no shipping/tax.
 
And so, a new pair of Shure SCL4 IEMs for $64?  Very tempting, especially given what I've read in reviews is a solid/stellar reputation for the phones.
 
Thoughts?  Are the reviews for the Shure E4s wrong?

 

[jleewach]

I wouldnt say the reviews are wrong, but the scl4/e4c's have been around a LONG time, much longer than the majority of the well-sounding competition, and so, most of the reviews were written when there wasnt much decent competition out there. Still, they have a very clear sound, good warranty, build quality, and will definitely sound better than your SE210's. 
 
At $64, I say go for it. You likely wont find a better price. 

 

[Anaxilus]

Maybe change the title from:
 
 

Shure SCL4 IEMs at $99: a deal not to be missed?

to
 
 

Shure SCL4 IEMs at $99: a deal to be missed.

 

[Inks]

yeah, i don't think it's that much of a deal...there are much better options.

 

[Mikerman]

Quote:

Maybe change the title from:
  

Shure SCL4 IEMs at $99: a deal not to be missed?

to

Shure SCL4 IEMs at $99: a deal to be missed.

 

Thanks but, that really doesn't tell me/say much, in the face of substantive things I've read about the phones, which typically note very positive things. 
 

 

[Mikerman]

 
Quote:

yeah, i don't think it's that much of a deal...there are much better options.

Which are?  (And yes, I've done a fair amount of reading of alternatives here and elsewhere.)  And that are matching my $64-$99 price range for the SCL4s? 
 

 

[Mikerman]

     Quote:

I wouldnt say the reviews are wrong, but the scl4/e4c's have been around a LONG time, much longer than the majority of the well-sounding competition, and so, most of the reviews were written when there wasnt much decent competition out there. Still, they have a very clear sound, good warranty, build quality, and will definitely sound better than your SE210's. 
 
At $64, I say go for it. You likely wont find a better price. 

Thanks a lot for the info.  I guess a point I keep coming back to in my mind is, if the phones were highly regarded when they first came out, that really doesn't go away over time, does it?  Rather, it's just that other phones that are good have entered the market as well (and at lower cost)--great for us as consumers!  What got me interested in these was my memory of the good reviews and the current price point (I really wouldn't be here without that, if we still were talking the MRSP, at this point in time), as well as my positive experience with Shure quality and customer service. 
 
Looking into some of the nicely-regarded alternatives I've been reading about here, I've kind of been struck by the funkier build designs, which make the Shures seem like classics in comparison.  Unfortunately, there's no source nearby to compare the phones' sound quality, which largely is, of course, the determining factor, in the end.