Shure E3c, E4c or Bose QC3?
 

Having flown almost 100K BIS miles so far this year with 50 dollar in ear Sony's, I think it's time to give my ears a break. I've heard great things about the Shure E3's & 4's. Whats the difference between the two besides the price (approx. $179 & $299)? If I'm not an audiophile, does it make sense to pay the extra $$ for the E4's or will I even notice the difference?

Finally, how do the QC 3's stack up against the Shures keeping in mind that I do not find in-ears uncomfortable at all?

Thanks!

I think the E3s are terrific. I can compare them only with the E2s, and the E3s are much superior to those. I have a hearing loss and can tell the difference between the E2s and E3s, but I doubt that the E4s would be worth the price to me.

I've tried the QC 3s, and the noise cancelling doesn't stack up remotely close to what I get from the E3s with foam tips or, better yet, my custom plugs from http://www.britears.com/. With either the foam or custom plugs, I am effectively deaf. Someone usually has to tell me when the "put away your toys" announcement comes around.

I've tried (head to head; my head, same music, same flight) Etymotic ER-4P versus Bose QC2. I found that I got better sound quality and better noise isolation from the Etys rather than Bose. I suspect the same would be true for the Shures. The key, as the previous post indicated, is to get a good seal.

There are many more choices than Shure. Useful review here:
http://www.earphonesolutions.com/beeaforip.html

Certainly not the Bose. Any of the in-ear 'phones are superior, IMHO, as long as you don't find in-ears uncomfortable.

I've tried the various Shures, and find them better than my previous long-time favorites from Etymotics. The only other one I would look at, and I haven't tried them, is the Ultimate Ears 5pro - splits the price difference between the two.

Between these, it's a matter of personal preference. Audiophiles who are passionate about sound reproduction will spend big $ for small incremental improvements. "Normal" folks have a much lower break even point. I have spent more than I care to admit on home audio, but have been satisfied with the E3c's for a while now. A factor in my decision was the reality of losing headphones this small through the rigors of travel. I'm on my third set, about one a year.

Bose in the ear
 

Anyone tried these yet. If i recall the price point of 99 sure seems right(for a change)

Don't bother getting the Bose in-ears. I think they're on par with earphones half that price. They just sorta sit on the outer bowl of your ear, so there really isn't any noise isolation like the Shures or the Etymotics. And for the price, I would step up to the E3s over the E2s. Even to an untrained ear, the difference is enough. But unless you are an audiophile, the E3s are more than sufficient.

Before I can recommend anything; are you comfortable putting anything in your ear canal? That's what you have to do to get proper seal so that the Shure/Etymotic/Ultimate Ears, etc type 'phones will work. When using the proper tips to get the best seal, they're significantly more invasive than the 'earbud' type 'phones you may be used to. That said, they'll perform better than any active noise cancelling headphone made. Nothing beats actual isolation!

With the Shure 'phones, a middle ground exists. Some of the eartips will rest over the canal and provide a decent seal and good cancellation. These are the ones I use (soft grey). They aren't an absolute seal but provide enough reduction that i'm happy and are comfortable enough for hour on hour use as you'll get on a longhaul. DEFINITELY skip the Bose earbuds. Nothing special for far too much money.

Failing the in-ear option, the best on-ear I've heard are the Bose QC2. The QC3 are not circum-aural (meaning they don't surround the ear) and aren't nearly as effective. But if you don't mind earbuds, go with the Sure '3cs. They're the most readily available and a very good price/performance tradeoff. Just make sure to get eartips that fit you best. The E5s come with a fitment kit, not sure about the E3. Or you can go nuts and get custom earmolds. :D

The yellow foam tips are by far the best for isolation, IMHO (barring custom molds, of course). Roll them up like earplug, pull you ear pinnae up and back with your opposite hand from over your head, insert the foam and let it expand to fill the ear canal. For a super fit, open your mouth/jaw at the same time.

Thank you
 

Thank you for the recommendations and advice. Looks like I will go with either the Shure E3C's or the Ultimate Ears 5pro. Both seem more than adequate for my needs and have a bearable price point.

Love the Shures. I am about to upgrade from the E2's to the 4's or 5's.

I had the original Bose, then the QC2's. Decided to try the Shures since I did not really like the sound quality on the Bose ... and they are bulky. Shure was selling direct then and had a no fuss return policy. Tried the QC2's and E2c's head to head and sold the QC2's without a second thought.

Keep in mind that the price difference between the E3 and E4 are not that much.

At Amazon, the E3 are around $130 and the E4 is around $212. I am seriously contemplating upgrading my E3 to E4, since E4 are also available on Ebay for $180 shipped brand new (Buy It Now item)

Just ordered a new E4c to replace my E2c from Erwin computer.

$178.00.

They are a Yahoo! Shopping affiliate.

Thought about the 5's but decided the 4's would do.

I will order the PTH (push to hear) device directly from Shure. Putting this in-line between the sound source and the earphones lets you push a button to activate a microphone so that you can hear someone speaking to you without removing the earpieces. This has always been a minor annoyance when flying especially with the deep insertion of the Shure earpieces.

i've got the e3c's and e4c's, can tell a huge difference between the 4's and the 3's. the 3's offer a good sound, but the 4's take it to a new level. i love the 5's but $500 for a pair is too steep..

and if you just can't get enough info/review time in before you buy
check out HEAR

did learn that the Altec Lansing IM716 might be a winner
quite plain