- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 174 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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11 out of 12 people found this review helpful
1.0 stars
"I really wanted to like this product..."
Pros: everything except the sound
Cons: the sound and this 10 character minumum
Summary: I don't consider myself to be an audiophile by any means but I am particularly savvy with mid-priced ear buds having owned several pairs thru the years. I tend to go with the Sony products even though they are cheaply made and tend to fall apart with normal use. I have been plunking down around $50 a pair for various ear-buds for the last few purchases and am generally pleased with the sound-isolating capabilities as well as a rich full sound of some of the Sony products - I currently have the MDR-EX81LP/B. I remember the first time I tried decent ear buds I felt like I was underwater, hearing myself breathe and all. This sound-isolation feature provides tremendous audio reproduction benefits in my opinion, even better than some high end DJ style headphones where you sometimes have to press the earpieces to your head to get the full sound. If it wasn't for the poor build quality of the Sony products they would have had a loyal customer...
That brings me to the recent purchase of the e2c from Shure. Most of the reviews of this product are glowing with praise, far outweighing the negative reviews - I should know, I think I read every single one on the internet. Shure is a great company, the e2c looked sharp, and I had a burning, unfulfilled desire for high quality, durable ear-buds at the $100 and below price-mark. From the moment I was able to get the packaging open, all seemed extremely well. The e2c is hot, the cords are nice and thick, the length is perfect, and above all, this company seems like they really care about getting that sound-isolating feel with all the possible ear-bud attachments. I even thought that not labeling the right and left buds was a dope stylistic touch (the right bud is black and white). They even thought to include earwax guards that you install prior to use. I was easily able to get a tight, perfectly sound-isolated fit with EACH of the possible attachments (hard rubber, soft rubber, and plugs). I found them easy to put in and use due to my previous experience with and tendency for sound-isolating style ear-bud headphones. I also really liked the way they fit the ear, with the cord going behind the ear - they are extremely comfortable. I preferred the hard rubber and the soft rubber ones equally to the plug style; the soft rubber ones are actually much like Sony's buds.
Everything changed after that. Now I want the 5 minutes back that I spent trying to get the stupid earwax guards off the sticky paper and on to the buds. In a word, the sound is WEAK. Everything - and I mean everything - EXCEPT the sound on these headphones is absolutely top notch. I completely ignored all the reviews about no bass, tinny sound, etc. (there weren't that many) based on the assumption that these people had no ear for sound and had no idea what they were talking about. To you people, I say now that I am sorry, and one of the biggest mistakes in my portable-audio life was not listening to you. I've since returned the headphones and am happy now with my Sony MDR-EX81LP/B, knowing that I have made an effort to at least try to find higher quality headphones even if at a premium. I suspect I will venture out of this price range ($50-$100) onto the next tier, hoping to get what I'm looking for; however, I doubt I will take any sort of chance on the higher end Shure products because of the experience with the e2c. I am interested in checking out the Etymotic products, they seem pretty good for high end buds.
If you think I have a bad ear simply because I think these things are terrible, then I don't ever want a good ear.
- 1 reply to this review
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Every case of someone disappointed by the sound out these earphones is no doubt a result of an improper fit. No matter what brand or model, the sound suffers completely if there is not a proper seal. The E2C's do have an unusual fit, but you can get a good seal, which produces fantastic sound! I guess you're content with inaccurate sound reproduction from the Sony's in exchange for an easier fit, but I'll stick with the E2C's.
Where to buy
E2c Sound Isolating Earphones:
$69.00
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$69.00 | Yes |
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