Shure E2c
 

I just got these for a long-haul flight and initially they sounded great. But it seems the sound fades in and out of the right ear phone. There doesn't seem to be a noticably loose wire anywhere and plugging the phones in and out of the iPod headphone socket seems to fix it.. sort of.

Anyone had this problem before? It happens after a few minutes of play.

As these are canalphones, and new ones at that, are you sure you're getting a good seal in your right ear? Which eartips are you using? Maybe you can experiment with different sizes, or use the foamies. I've got the E5c, and Mrs. LAX-1K has the E2c...and the only time I ever notice a change in the level is when the phones aren't sealed or seated properly.

I'm using the foam covers, the others never fit me right. The seal seems OK and the left ear phone is doing ok. The real test will be the gym in the morning but I'm packing my iBuds for my flight to PRG tomorrow just in case.

If the problem persists, Shure is great with replacements. Fast and easy. Great people to deal with.

This is the set that I have as well (E2C). They're great for travelling and I can easily leave my noise cancelling Sonys at home nowadays for lighter packing. Although, after 3+ hours, I find that my ears get irritated... I think I might look into using the foam inserts for a while in the future instead of the plastic inserts. But I'm not sure how good it'll sound compared to the normal plasic gels.

What's the big difference (aside from price) to jump to the E5C?

Ears do differ. I just used the E2c's for nearly 20 hours again transatlantic/transcontinent. No problem witht the foam tips.

I tried the E5c's for a week and returned them to Shure. I was hard pressed to find much improvement in quality at all. Might just be my ears. Factoring that into the noisy ambience of an airplane, I thought it not worth the price difference. If you buy directly from Shure, they have - or at least did have - a no questions return policy.

Thanks. I think I'll carry the foams with me tomorrow. I have a short flight (YYC-SEA) for a few days before I head down to SJU. This will give me a chance to test them out in that fashion.

I guess new doesn't always mean better.. re: E5C. Or perhaps the audiophiles can tell the difference... :)

Foamies
 

I've never found a pair of earphones that fit my ears with anything but foam. With the Shures I actually found the sound to be better with the foam inserts than the plastic rounded thingies. Tonights flight will be a better test and I've packed the other fittings.

I did take them to the gym this morning and it seems if the earphone cord hangs down I don't have the issue with the sound fading in the right ear. Seems to be one of those curious occurances. I contacted Shure directly just in case its something else.

The biggest difference is that the E5 has dual drivers (with a crossover) in the earpiece, instead of a single driver. You get better frequency response, better sensitivity, and a wider dynamic range. Plus, the E5 is on the "pro" end of their earphone line. It's not uncommon for touring musicians to wear the E5 as an in-ear monitor while performing on stage.

Ah, so in layman's terms... two speakers in each to make the sound 'sound' better? I suppose that explains the large size as well.

Nevertheless, Shure really does make very impressive headphones. I'm just glad I don't have to carry the larger overhead style anymore. Ever looked in a mirror after a 12 hour trip wearing Bose Quiet Comfort over the head style headphones? :-P

How about the jump from E2C to E3C? Where is the best price-performance point?

Is the body of the E3C smaller? (I have to use the smallest foam plug with the E2C and would prefer one even smaller).

Yes, E3C is a little bigger and I also personally didn't like the colour. I *think* it was clear and reminded me too much of hearing aid devices. Besides, the white/grey colour of the E2C matches the iPods well; and the price (2 years ago), was much more attractive to me.

Actually, the E3/E3c is available in either white or dark grey.

I thought it was the E2c and E5c which had clear cases... :confused: I remember doing a double-take on someone on a train once who had the E5c, and I mistook them for a very elaborate hearing device :o

Yes :)

It's similar to your stereo or home theatre speakers - instead of a single speaker that reproduces all of the tones, there is a "woofer" which specializes in reproduces the lower frequencies, and a "tweeter", which reproduces the higher frequencies. This makes the sound "sound" better, in your words :D

Enjoy!
Steve

I love the sound quality of the E2Cs, but my first pair, the left side kept going out, and I finally sent it back and they sent me a replacement. However, now the replacement is having the same problem !! :(