I have to admit that when I listened to Radiohead's Kid A, my pampered ears did miss some of the low-end I get from the fancy studio monitors I have at home and from my pair of Shure E5cs that I've had for years now--but I was still blown away by the smooth sound of the SE420s' midrange and their ability to cleanly deliver so many different sounds distinctly, so much so that you can pick out each note from a barrage of sound. This lent "Treefingers" all of the hauntingly delicate mood it demands. Likewise, listening to Jerry Garcia's and David Grisman's performance of "Russian Lullaby," from their eponymous album, was a joy. Garcia's guitar and Grisman's mandolin danced deftly with and around each other, each retaining its own space within the mix, while every cascading note jumps forth with all the punch and life that those old codgers infused them with in the first place. I was even able to hear their fingers slide across the strings on the fretboards. It's just too bad 'ol Jer's fingers aren't around to do that anymore.
If you've got the money to spend, you can't go wrong with Shure's SE420 earphones. Bass addicts might complain that the sound doesn't extend to the almost subsonic depths reached by the SE530s or other larger, full-sized headphones. However, if you like your bass tight and clear, and appreciate the smooth, creamy midrange and crisp high-end that the SE420s can deliver, then you'll likely easily overlook the slightly truncated low frequencies. Add to this Shure's two-year warranty and you've got a very appealing offer. Plus, Shure has been known to simply replace a defective product--sometimes even replacing it with a newer model once an old model goes away. Now, you'll have to excuse me as I pick my jaw up off the floor, as I've been letting the SE420s deliver a stunning reproduction of Garcia's and Grisman's "Arabia" as I wrote this final paragraph.
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Where to buy
Shure SE420 Sound Isolating Earphones (black):
$197.00 - $349.99
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$349.99 | Yes |
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$349.99 | No |
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$277.31 | Yes |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$197.00 | Yes |
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MemorySuppliers
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$349.00 | No |
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