Entered CNET Catalog: 03/17/2006
SKU: 042406131940
Manufacturer: Shure Inc.
Manufacturer description
Ideal for the business traveler or on-the-go audiophile, the i4c provides you with the convenience of either listening to your music or answering a call on your mobile phone. Standard versions work with portable audio players and most cell phones.Product summary
The good: The Shure i4c earbuds offer amazing sound and great call quality even in crowded, noisy situations. The in-line remote lets you switch sources, mute calls, and adjust the volume.
The bad: The pricey Shure i4c earbuds have an awkward setup and offer only mono sound from the cell phone input. They also lack a feature that notifies you of incoming calls, as well as a button for answering or declining calls.
The bottom line: The pricey, dual-connector Shure i4c headset delivers stellar sound quality for your iPod and your cell phone, but you better have your phone on vibrate mode, or you'll miss those incoming calls.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 03/22/2006
The earbuds themselves look similar to Shure's other models, with light but reassuringly solid construction; we wish the left and right earbuds were more clearly marked, but that's just a quibble. On the cord for the right earbud is an in-line microphone, dubbed the VoicePort by Shure's marketing gurus, while farther down on the thicker main cord is an in-line control with a mute button, a volume control, an MP3-player/cell phone switch, and a belt clip. Finally, the cord splits in two again, with a 1/8-inch minijack for your iPod and a 2.5mm jack for a cell phone. All told, the cord is about 63 inches long.
Using the foam, form-fitting earplug attachments (nine different pairs are included), we eased the Shure i4c earbuds into our ear canals, attached the remote to our belt, and plugged our T-Mobile Sidekick II into the twin minijacks. The setup is inherently awkward--having two devices plugged into a single set of earbuds led to plenty of juggling and tangles. We were most comfortable with the Shure remote and the Sidekick clipped to our belt, as well as the Nano in our hand or our pocket.
That said, it's tough to complain about the sound. Listening to our tunes over the Shure i4cs' high-definition earbud drivers spoiled us rotten; the bass in our Photek tracks sounded huge, with practically no distortion even at ear-splitting levels, while we could make out every detail of Anne-Sophie Mutter's fiddle in Brahms's second violin concerto. The i4cs' call quality was equally impressive. We went to a crowded Manhattan movie theater lobby and dialed some friends; not only could they hear us loud and clear, but we heard our buddies perfectly, even with all the crowd noise.
There's an important catch, however. While the Shure i4cs' remote will switch the sound input and change the volume, it won't accept or decline phone calls. By the same token, the headset can't alert you to incoming phone calls; if you're rocking out to your iPod when a call comes in, you better hope your cell is set to vibrate mode. We should also note that in our tests, we heard only mono sound from the cell phone input, even from cell phones with stereo minijack outputs. Sure, it's a moot point if you're using your iPod for music but still disappointing.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1out of 1 user reviews
Awesome sound - Good music+Phone setup
Pros: Best sound quality I've heard. Works with my PDA Phone + all music sources
Cons: Lack of call controls (minor) - price.
I use a variety of audio sources:
Sprint 6700 PDA/Phone (Very cool)
MP3 players
Pioneer Airware XM radio
Home bedroom Theater (via headphones at night - the wife is sleeping)
Several keyboards - from Casio to Kurzweil 2500
Audio Montitor while I play alto sax in a band.
This earbud set HANDLES IT ALL!
I don't need extra phones/ etc.
The noise cancellation is awesome considering I was comparing to an "active" Sony unit I've been using for a couple of years.
For phone calls - I ALWAYS have my phone set to vibrate, so call notification while I'm rocking out isn't a problem.
The keyboards sound GREAT through these. I hear overtones that I haven't heard before.
Around the kids when they are active and loud - a joy. The buds just about cancel them out with no audio source. Add some music and all you see is moving mouths. (I have 4 kids - you have to block them out sometimes!)
Listening to HD concerts on TV is great too.
I've worn them for over 6 continuous hours so far with no discomfort. It IS important to experiment a bit with the various earpieces to get a good, tight fit. The sounds are MUCH better when the fit is right.
Overall - these aren't really expensive when you consider all of the uses that you may put them to. I know I would probably be almost as happy with the 2c or 3c models, but I think of these as replacements for stereos / speakers and various headphones. PLUS I don't have to change other than to plug in the next device. I feel a little geeky - but then don't we all these days?
BTW - the audio quality for phone use is WAY better than the bluetooth device I use. Not as convenient - but then again, once you're all setup it's not that big of a deal.
Would buy again.
