Shure SE102 MPA

Purists might not like it, but mobile phones and MP3 players are converging at a record pace. Even reputable professional audio companies are starting to take notice, as evidenced by Shure's latest personal earphone offering, the SE102 MPA. The $99 sound isolating set comes bundled with an extension cable with an inline mic and call button, so it's designed to play nice with your iPhone or other music phone. The SE102s aren't the best Shure earbuds we've laid ears on--the type and number of ear fittings is limited and audio is a bit brittle at times--but they're still a big improvement over the sets that come with most music mobiles.

The Shure SE102 MPA earphones are fairly standard in design. Each black earpiece is bulbous and conical with an angled arm that fits into the ear. Shure includes four sets of silicone ear tips--one small, two medium, and one large--but no flanged or foam set, which prevented us from getting a completely secure fit. We really had to shove them in our ear to hear any bass and as the ear pieces are fairly large, this did not make for a particularly comfortable experience. Also, the apertures of the arms are a bit larger than other SE models, so you can't use any of the tips designed for other Shure sets. Still, those with average-to-large ears shouldn't have too much trouble. When you're not wearing the earphones, you can store them in the soft travel pouch included in the box.