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Find the perfect gift for everyone

Shure i4c

Reviewed by

Ben Patterson

on 03/22/2006

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See all products in the Shure i Series
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CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
Detailed editors' rating
Average user rating: Write your own review
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Price range:

$198.83 - $207.78

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Amazon.com	$207.78
Amazon.com Marketplace	$198.83

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Quick specs
Type: Microphone
Product type: Headset
Design: Ear-bud
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Add to my list 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.

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Compare this headset to:

Shure i4c Starting at $198.83

Klipsch Image S4 earphones Starting at $79.00

Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Wireless Stereo Headphone Starting at $109.99

Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones Starting at $268.95

Shure E4c Starting at $224.99

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CNET editors' review

CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
Detailed editors' rating

Reviewed by:
Ben Patterson
Edited by:
Jasmine France
Reviewed on: 03/22/2006

Resisting the trend toward listening to tunes on your cell phone? Shure--the manufacturer of high-end earbuds that often cost more than the iPod itself--has a new set of earphones for music lovers who want their tunes on their iPods and their calls on their cell phones. The i4c headset features a set of pumped-up earbuds with dual connectors--one for your iPod and another for your cell--plus an in-line microphone and remote. The Shure i4c certainly wowed us with its sound quality, both with music and with cell calls, but we missed features such as alerts for incoming calls and the ability to accept or decline calls with the remote. Then there's the jaw-dropping $330 price tag.

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 iPod Nano and 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.

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4.5 stars

"Awesome sound - Good music+Phone setup"

by gregw42 on April 16, 2006
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Where to buy

Shure i4c: $198.83 - $207.78

store	price	in stock?	rating
	$207.78	Yes
Amazon.com Marketplace	$198.83	Yes

see prices from 2 stores

Compare prices for Shure i4c

Price range: $198.83 - $207.78

	Amazon.com	$207.78
	Amazon.com Marketplace	$198.83

Compare prices from 2 stores

Recent user reviews

Average user rating: 0 stars Not yet available
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My rating: 0 stars Write review

Showing 1 of 1 user review
4.5 stars

"Awesome sound - Good music+Phone setup"

by gregw42 on April 16, 2006
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Shure i4c

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1. Rate this product:: (Mouse over the stars to rate this product and click to set your rating.)
2. One-line summary:(Summarize your review in one line. 10 characters minimum; required.): 0 of 55 characters
3. Pros:(Tell us what you like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.): 0 of 250 characters
4. Cons:(Tell us what you don't like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.): 0 of 250 characters
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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

alaTest.com

Editors' rating: 67

Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 9 reviews of Shure i4c from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 61/100 and users 73/100. Comparing these reviews to 79121 other Headsets reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 67/100 = Good.

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pcmag.com

Editors' rating: 40

Summary: The Shure i4c should have been an accessory, not a standalone product.

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