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 !! :(

Have you tried it on a few different sound sources? It's possible that the problem is with the headphone jack on your music machine. If it happens on several machines, I would call Shure again.

I have the E3Cs and have a problem with the right ear too, I can't seem to find a fit... it keeps popping out. I tried putting the foam thingy (I love that technical term :p ) on the other night and couldn't get it on. I'll fool around with the individual pieces some more before trying a different brand.

The way I read it, there are two different questions here. I thought entropy was talking about the left side sound being defective, not that the unit (there's a good for everything technical term!) was coming out of his ear.

If the unit is coming out of your ear, it is likely that your ears are of different sizes. Not so uncommon. The solutions are:

1. Return your ears to the Maker for warranty service, or
2. try one of the more expensive in the Shure like or the Ety-whaty-whosits that have those tips with a series of flanges. Shure will accept returns no questions for 30 days. Ety-macallits says, "you open it, you own it."
3. Both brands are designed so that an audiologist can make custom fitted molded ear pieces. Expensive, but I hear they really enhance the sound.

Good luck with the electronics and the organics!!

Was there ever a definitive answer on this? Any type of consensus? I'm in need of some NC headphones, and seems like Shure headphones are the most recommended. I'm hoping to stay in the $100 or less area, but if the E3C are worth it, I might make the jump.

Has anyone seen any DIY info on fitted earpieces? I am thinking it should not be too difficult with advice from someone with knowledge of the materials & process.

E3 body is decidedly smaller than the E2, and the sound quality is noticably better. The real quality jump comes with the E4.... I can name several pieces of jazz that I listen to that the bass makes my teeth rattle with the E4's. Ok.... not exactly rattle..... but you can definitly *feel* the bass with these things.

D.

E3c vs. ER6 Etymiotic
 

I've had the Share E3c for over a year and use them 2-3 hrs a day on my train commutes as well as 5-10 hours on trans-Pacific flights (w/ iPod and watching videos on Powerbook). No complaints or problems with them.

My son has the Etymiotic ER-6 - which if I had to purchase a replacement, would personally prefer over the Shure. Better seal (not really noise cancellation per se), better bass.

Both around $100....

However earphones are very personal and you should try them out before making final decision.

PS - failed to mentioned bought second pair for friend in HK; he had problem, shipped back to me to return to Shure, who provided free replacement. So second those who advise Shure provides good service. Also, you should be able to buy this model for around $100 via eBay - it's been around quite a while and price could be actually under $100 by now.

I bought the Shure E3C about 9 months ago and love it. Once while on a long plane trip, the right phone went dead. I contacted Shure when I got back and sent it in for replacement. A few days later I received a new, retail packaged E3C. ^ ^

I love the quality. Bass could be a little more resonant, but it cancels out noice very well, so you are able to feel it well enough. I love the quality in the mid-high range though. And they are very light and very portable. Comfortable enough (for me) to sleep in. I don't like how the cords are designed to go behind your ear and down your back, so I usually just wrap the cord around my ear and let the cable go down to my front, to my iPod, laptop, or whatever. I got the E3Cs online for about $117 9 months ago and it was one of the best purchases I've ever made.

Same problem with Shure EC5s
 

For me, it's the right side which fades out. It just happened on my second pair as well...I don't want to go back to my Bose headphones! It doesn't seem related to the seal of the earplugs...but I'm open to all suggestions.

Thanks

New Shure E500s
 

Shure is about to come out with the E500. Triple drivers, one tweeter and two woofers. And a "push-to-hear" PTH switch that you push when you want to hear the stewardess asking whether you want another white wine. PTH switches will also be offered as standalone products. Available sometime this year. Brochure only at the Consumer Electronics Show, no demos of the E500.
They had data saying that the E2c, E3c and E4c have about 30 dB isolation, and the E5c has about 37 dB isolation. They were doing demos using the yellow foam inserts (disposable). There were bags and bags full of foam inserts.

The look very interesting:

http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/09/s...-new-paradigm/

Well.... I didn't think the E5's were enough of an improvement over the E3 and E4 to warrant the price difference.... but now.... Hmmmm....


Now all I want is a Shure QuietComfort Cellphone headset that's Bluetooth.

D>

Which would sadly make them useless on a plane, as Bluetooth would have to be turned off every time you fly with them :(

er.... to quote myself (emphasis added):

Sure (no pun intended) I'd turn off my cellphone headset anytime I fly.... I already do!

D.

I have E2Cs and replaced the earpieces with the triple flange ones. They just need a little snip at the end to shorten the neck and they fit right on. The foam inserts are good but after one trip they look gross. These are so much easier to keep clean and work well.

And "push-to-not-hear" when you don't want to hear them explaining for the millionth time how to fasten your safety belt.

I would think the "clear" phones could be better because they're less obvious. Both are obviously better than the Bose.

Do any of you know why the rule to turn off electronic devices at take-off and landing actually exists?

I seem to remember someone telling me that it was because with laptops, they could become projecticles and injure passengers (during the more dicey periods of flight) but this doesn't make much sense to me. It sounds like something that a bunch of lawyers working for the airline created to prevent the airline being sued. (I know that's the reason for the safety belt announcement)

All electronic devices generate electro-magnetic interference. Some very little; others a lot. The concern is that the interference could interfere with electronic aircraft systems, which is most critical during take-off and landing.

The electronic systems on the aircraft (e.g., aircraft audio system) have been tested for interference, but your personal device obviously has not been tested by the airline or FAA.

Under FAA regs, an electronic device can only be used during take-off and landing if it is certified as not producing interfering levels of electro-magnetic interference.

I posted a relatively good deal on E2Cs (2 pairs for $110) in SPAM

Do the triple-flange sleeves fit the E2C? The Shure website states the following:


Triple-Flange Sleeves

These reusable, silicone sleeves form a tighter seal than flex sleeves while holding the earphones firmly in place. Triple-flange sleeves provided as part of the Fit Kit with E5c earphones only.


Triple-Flange Sleeves: (For E1, E3, E4 and E5 Versions)

PA755 Triple-Flange Sleeves. Bag of 2.
(1 pair)