[thunkerdo]

I just bought the SE215's and play some music off my iPhone and notice that the highs are extremely loud, to the point where it almost hurts my ears to listen to it.  I've had Shure E3c-n's in the past and loved them.  I had Klipsch S4's too that I liked.  I also have some Beyerdynamic T50p's that sound good.  Do I have to break-in these headphones?  Or do I have a dud?  The sound is not very balanced at all.

 

[lwien]

Well, I don't think anyone here has ever said that the SE215's are balanced.   If anything, they are very unbalanced. 
 
With that being said though, the SE215's are rolled off in the highs so what you're describing is not what is supposed to be happening.
 
First thing I would do is make sure that you are getting a good seal.     Try this test:  http://www.sensaphonics.com/?page_id=833

 

[thunkerdo]

Thanks.  That did help some, but I'm still not sure I'm happy with the sound.
 

 

[Mooses9]

give them a good burn in period, they are dynamic micro drivers, so burn in about 200 or so hours sound might even out a bit, also give your brain burn in some time also basicly get used to how they sound

 

[julian67]

I just bought the SE215's and play some music off my iPhone and notice that the highs are extremely loud, to the point where it almost hurts my ears to listen to it.  I've had Shure E3c-n's in the past and loved them.  I had Klipsch S4's too that I liked.  I also have some Beyerdynamic T50p's that sound good.  Do I have to break-in these headphones?  Or do I have a dud?  The sound is not very balanced at all.

The most likely thing is that you didn't choose the right tips or you are not wearing them properly. They should fit snug in the shell of the ear and not protrude at all.

Correct fit:



Wrong fit:



The wrong fit will give the bad sound quality you describe. I've seen several reviews where people get the fit completely wrong and don't get to enjoy a good sound.

Assuming the fit is good then you either have a faulty pair or you bought fakes. The Shures have a very emphasized bass, a quite pronounced midrange (typically vocals) and slightly rolled off highs. Even if burn in exists it's hardly going to affect a complete binary inversion in the sound quality.

 

[thunkerdo]

I just repurchased the S4's.  I repeatedly listened to various styles of music with the SE215's and then the S4's.  I've come to the conclusion that I don't like the SE215's.  Either I got a dud, I'm still not fitting them right, or they just don't hold up to my expectations.  If it's a fit issue, then it's a real problem, because they do not pop in as easily as the  S4's.  That sound test that lwien provided me with helped ensure a good fit for each test.
 
The S4's are definitely not perfect, but they are much better than the SE215's.

 

[ubs28]

The Shure SE215 is not strong in highs, far from it. It must be a fitting issue. Try the other tips and see if it improves. 

 

[spurxiii]

From memory they're definitely a bassy headphone and not neutral. Maybe too bassy for me.

 

[Mooses9]

Yeah the foam have a tenency to do that. Delivers good bass. With the expense of the mids and highs. I love the foam And comply tips for comfort but as far as sound is concerned they are def not my go to tip.

 

[spurxiii]

Yeah the foam have a tenency to do that. Delivers good bass. With the expense of the mids and highs. I love the foam And comply tips for comfort but as far as sound is concerned they are def not my go to tip.

I find if I put I the foams tge correct way I get all the bass but not lose any money d's or highs.

You need to really compress the foam all around, including pushing the tip area back so it has no chance of covering the opening

 

[outmywindow]

Wow, I certainly enjoyed the low-end response of the SE215 but one of the reasons I sold them is because I couldn't get the treble response that I wanted out of them with the tips that worked for me. To the OP, out of curiosity where did you buy your pair of SE215?

 

[spurxiii]

Quote:

I find if I put I the foams tge correct way I get all the bass but not lose any money d's or highs.

You need to really compress the foam all around, including pushing the tip area back so it has no chance of covering the opening

 

[spurxiii]

I didn't like the low end response. Although there was good detail and extension in the bass, I felt it affected the mids and I love my mids so I couldn't live with it