Travel Technology - Shure E3C's on ecost for $118

http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?DPNo=401083

E2C's $65

http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?DPNo=436090

Sennheiser PXC-250 (refurb) $68

http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?DPNo=173832

Picked up my E3C's from ecost for $114.99 a couple of months ago, but with the shipping, handling and sales tax, the total came out to $131.22. Still a pretty good price for them since most places are selling them for around $179. Really like the E3C's. Seem to be getting better with use too as they break in.

They're gone now - they were down to 7 left when I bought a pair yesterday - $123.95 total cost.

I've been curious as to how they stack up against the Ety ER-6 - this seemed like a reasonable price point to find out.

To me they have a somewhat dry but very natural sound that I am very satisfied with. The first time I wore them, I thought they were very uncomfortable but they have been getting both more and more comfortable and better sounding as I have gotten used to them, learned how to insert them and as they have broken in. Now I can wear them for 8+ hours with no problems.

Although I have read many criticisms regarding an alleged lack of bass, I find the bass to be very nice if you insert them in the ear properly and get a good seal. For me the foam inserts work best in that respect. Also important to regularly inspect for and remove any wax buildup from the nozzles of the headphones.

Overall, I find them great for both working out and flying.

Note that the Shure authorized reseller agreement prohibits dealers from advertising Shure products for less than the Shure defined price. For E3's that is US$179. However, the agreement does not forbit them selling Shure products for less than this price. This is why most Shure authorized dealers will advertise the $179 price and then state that they will match/beat anyone elses price.

So anyone advertising less than $179 is either not an authorized dealer, or they are in breach of their agreement. But call one of the dealers advertising $179 and offering to beat any price and you will likely get a great price. I got my last two sets for US$136 each including delivery to a USA address, from an authorized dealer. Not sure whether ecost are an authorized dealer or not.

As for the lack of bass, it is all to do with the insertion into the ears. Good contact and seal is essential. On a recent large outdoor gig (Christmas Carols by Candlelight - its summer time in Australia in December) we had bass player, drummer, percussionist, accoustic and electric guitar players and two keyboard players all using Shure E3's for in-ear monitors - I was foldback/monitor engineer. The drummer and bass player were very impressed with the response. And with the E3's with correct seal, they were not hearing much accoustically from the stage - all through the E3's. Bass player only had his pre-amp with him, no amp/speaker at all, just the E3's. Drummer and keyboard player bought their E3's off me, which is why I keep buying more and more of them! Just have to keep building more amp/mix units for them.

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As for the lack of bass, it is all to do with the insertion into the ears. Good contact and seal is essential. On a recent large outdoor gig (Christmas Carols by Candlelight - its summer time in Australia in December) we had bass player, drummer, percussionist, accoustic and electric guitar players and two keyboard players all using Shure E3's for in-ear monitors - I was foldback/monitor engineer. The drummer and bass player were very impressed with the response. And with the E3's with correct seal, they were not hearing much accoustically from the stage - all through the E3's. Bass player only had his pre-amp with him, no amp/speaker at all, just the E3's. Drummer and keyboard player bought their E3's off me, which is why I keep buying more and more of them! Just have to keep building more amp/mix units for them.

Agreed. Really, no in-ear phone is going to give you anything resembling great bass (unless you want a custom-molded in-ear monitor that will start at $600 minimum). For the price, you can't beat the E3...some people prefer Etymonics ER6 at a similar price point, but it's really just a matter of the preferred "color" of the sound. Shure's tend to be a bit more warm/fun sounding, Etys tend to be more "analytical". When I get on a flight and see the folks pulling out their big QC2 headphones, I just grab the little 2.5" dia carrying case, and enjoy the ~ -30dB isolation. And, I can use mine just as earplugs during the time that portable electronics are verboten. :)

Note that the Shure authorized reseller agreement prohibits dealers from advertising Shure products for less than the Shure defined price. For E3's that is US$179. However, the agreement does not forbit them selling Shure products for less than this price. This is why most Shure authorized dealers will advertise the $179 price and then state that they will match/beat anyone elses price.

So anyone advertising less than $179 is either not an authorized dealer, or they are in breach of their agreement. But call one of the dealers advertising $179 and offering to beat any price and you will likely get a great price. I got my last two sets for US$136 each including delivery to a USA address, from an authorized dealer. Not sure whether ecost are an authorized dealer or not.

As for the lack of bass, it is all to do with the insertion into the ears. Good contact and seal is essential. On a recent large outdoor gig (Christmas Carols by Candlelight - its summer time in Australia in December) we had bass player, drummer, percussionist, accoustic and electric guitar players and two keyboard players all using Shure E3's for in-ear monitors - I was foldback/monitor engineer. The drummer and bass player were very impressed with the response. And with the E3's with correct seal, they were not hearing much accoustically from the stage - all through the E3's. Bass player only had his pre-amp with him, no amp/speaker at all, just the E3's. Drummer and keyboard player bought their E3's off me, which is why I keep buying more and more of them! Just have to keep building more amp/mix units for them.

The guy I bought my e5s from on eBay is an authorized dealer and is selling them for considerably less than list. He is based in the US.

I've had a pair of E3c's for the last year, and even wear them at my desk connected to an XM receiver. The attenuator Shure sells on their website is worthwhile, and makes hooking the phones up to an airplane (ch9 on UA) practical.

I didn't have any luck with the included sleeves and ended up buying the triple-flange sleeves directly from Shure. For me the triples work tremendously better than any of the included sleeves, and I can wear them constantly.

Pre-Shure I had a custom molded set that I used under a helmet on a motorcycle. Those were molded to work with a set of Sony ear buds I had, and the quality of the sound was no where near as good as the as-designed Shure's.

The guy I bought my e5s from on eBay is an authorized dealer and is selling them for considerably less than list. He is based in the US.
Selling for below the Shure price is fine. But advertising for less than the Shure price is not permitted under the Shure Authorized Dealer agreement. So if they are advertising the E5 below, then they are in breach. It is up to Shure if they wich to challenge. But most dealers will happily negotiate price if you ask. May be different for auctions such as EBay - not sure.