[Canon]

Well I have read a few posts here about people who have had the wire crack on their E2Cs. I am kind of wondering if this is just because of the type of wire that Shure is using on this model or if it is just generally a problem with IEMs because of the way you have to bend the wire around your ear for a nice fit.

So far I have gotten pretty decent enjoyment from my E2Cs but I have only had them for just over a year (fairly steady use I suppose a couple hours a day during the week on the bus etc.) I thought they would last longer than this considering how robust the wiring felt when I first got them.

I am going to call the company that represents Shure in Canada tomorrow (they are only open during the week aparently). Hopefully they are as friendly as Shure themselves. I've heard some good stories from others here on this forum regarding the Shure warranty.

I have attached a picture of the issue for those interested.

 

[jinp6301]

its only the e2c I think. Since the wire is being pulled up over your ear, theres considerable stress on the connection between the wire and the actual earphone, so its very likely to short out there. It happened to me already, and I sent it in a couple of days ago.

 

[kramer5150]

Its an e2c problem. Mine cracked and disintegrated / crumbled after a year.

 

[LFC_SL]

Damn. Must research! I just bought a pair as present for my bro's b-day as they were on sale. Oh well

 

[sockhead]

I've had mine for over a year, and I haven't had that problem at all. Recently, I started treating the phones like crap (stopped putting them back into their case when done, taking them out into the extreme cold), and they still seem to be in top condition.

My foam sleeves, on the other hand, are disgusting.

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sockhead /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've had mine for over a year, and I haven't had that problem at all. Recently, I started treating the phones like crap (stopped putting them back into their case when done, taking them out into the extreme cold), and they still seem to be in top condition. My foam sleeves, on the other hand, are disgusting.

it depends on the chemistry of the skin oils of the individual. Some are luckier than others.

 

[Trippytiger]

I'm actually just about to send mine back sometime this week because of a similar problem - the cord is starting to crack just above the strain relief portion (

) after the splitter. I did everything via email, which went really smoothly once my emails stopped getting bounced back. You shouldn't have any problems with your return either.

Actually, I had a question of my own about returning them that I hope you don't mind me asking here, Canon. When people have shipped theirs back, what do you send them in? Is a thick padded envelope enough to keep the earphones safe and sound, or is a box required?

 

[exX08]

Try not putting them over your ear. That might help.

 

[Canon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trippytiger /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm actually just about to send mine back sometime this week because of a similar problem - the cord is starting to crack just above the strain relief portion ( ) after the splitter. I did everything via email, which went really smoothly once my emails stopped getting bounced back. You shouldn't have any problems with your return either. Actually, I had a question of my own about returning them that I hope you don't mind me asking here, Canon. When people have shipped theirs back, what do you send them in? Is a thick padded envelope enough to keep the earphones safe and sound, or is a box required?

No problem at all man. I would also love to hear what others have done. I was planning to do the padded envelope as I would imagine it would cost a lot more to ship a box. You'd have to step on that envelope pretty hard to damage them in transit I'd think.

 

[Luke]

It's an eX(c) thing. Me e3c's cracked similarly. I repaired the insulation crack with electrical tape.

A better repair would have been liquid electrical tape described here:

http://personalaudio.custhelp.com/cg...V4dD1jcmFjaw**

My electrical tape repair helped for a while, but then it started cracking in another spot. Then another, and I wasn't really paying attention to it - I hadn't noticed. Then the copper itself started to wear and the signal started breaking up.

By the time I sent mine back, the warrantee had expired. However, they sent me a new pair for free anyway.

 

[deviationer]

I have the same problem. I have already sent my original pair in a while back and got a replacement and now my replacements have cracked. Used liquid electrical tape, fix it for a while, and now even the LET is cracking.

 

[breseler]

I had bad connection in my first set of E2s - sent them back to Shure for replacement.

 

[GlorytheWiz825]

Never had this problem with my E4Cs. I did treat them pretty well though.

 

[Canon]

Yea, I was careful with mine as well, I always put it back in the case being careful to avoid pulling the wire tight and causing a kink etc.

I think it's a design flaw with the material they used to be honest. That wire shouldn't crack like that.

Thankfully Shure has a good warranty return policy and it sounds like I won't have any problem getting a replacement. It makes me comfortable dealing with Shure in the future if if/when I decide to buy something new.

 

[Trippytiger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canon /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think it's a design flaw with the material they used to be honest. That wire shouldn't crack like that.

I'm quite sure that it's the insulation material, too. I've never had a problem with wires splitting on any of my other portable headphones, which all have a rubbery, pliable sort of insulation. What I find really strange is that Shure seems to have decided that it makes more sense to simply keep replacing them rather than implement a minor design change to solve the problem. I would have thought that the frequent warranty returns would cost them more money than fixing the issue once and for all.