Shure or Bose?
 

I've already seen the thread about the NYT review and a couple of others, and though there were occasional insights, I'm still a bit uncertain how to proceed. So here's the scoop:

1. I'm a frequent business traveler whose never really used any noise canceling headphones on a regular basis, though I've had the opportunity to sample a couple at times.

2. I've committed myself to buying either a set of Bose or a set of Shure headphones...the only question really is which one would be ideal for me in either product line.

3. I'm not an audiophile...I'm looking for something with decent sound (which either of these brands will do) that's going to provide excellent noise cancellation or noise isolation, and most importantly, that's going to be durable and stand up to a bit of abuse (or has a great warranty/guarantee).

4. I have a preference for in-ear headphones, but I'm not married to it if the product does the job.

5. I'd like to keep this thread strictly on Bose and Shure gear...I realize there are lower cost options that provide nearly or entirely the same functionality, but I'm really interested in comparing these two lines.

Since neither Bose nore Shure are remotely cheap (let's face it $200+ for headphones isn't a throwaway purchase), I'd like to get as much information from people as possible before I go down this road...I'm really interested in hearing people's experiences with Shure or Bose, how well they held up to abuse, and what took you down the road of Shure or Bose.

The headphones I'm looking at are:

Bose QC2
Bose QC3
Shure E5
Shure E5c
Shure E500PTH

Any I'm missing?

Thanks folks...looking forward to seeing what people's insights are.

Shure e500PTH are the cream of the crop and the best on your list. Excellent isolation and the sound is fantastic! Only negative is the price.

I can sleep on my side with Shure E3cs. Can you sleep wiht the e5000pth? I've been told that sleeping was an problem with the E5cs.

OP, if in-ear phones are comfortable for you, go with the Shures. The fit in a case you can put in a pocket, sound great, and noise isolation protects you from more noise than cancellation.

I've compared in-ear (Etymotic ER-4P) with Bose QC2 and QC3 head-to-head (same song on iPod, same flight). The in-ear give better sound quality, better noise isolation, and are lighter to pack as the previous poster said.

Never having owned the E5s, I can't speak to them, but the e500s seem to be pretty compact - with the right pillow, they should be sleepable.

Hve a look at Futuresonic Atrio. Had a chance to test run them on my ipod and they will most certainly be my next purchase when I need new headphones.

As for Shure, I have the e2c and love them.

I have the shure e2c's and they are great. I have only one issue and that is that I sometimes find it difficult to find the right fit. There are times that I get the earphones in the sweet spot the first time inserting them, then there are time when it takes a few attempts. Overall I am happy with my purchase. The e2's are on the low side of your price range and I am shure (sure) you will like them.

If you are not an audiophile (as noted in the OP) then I recommend you consider the Shure E4. The PTH module with the E500s is a bit of a gimmick and you ed up with lots of wires to deal with. And by the time you find the unit and slide the switch (I have no idea why they call it "push to hear' since its a slide switch) you have lost the moment for any real benefit. At least that is what I have found when using it.

The E4s have great sound and the same isolation as the E5 and E500pth. I personally use E3s for travel as they have light, compact and less of an investment to loose should I be forgetful or unlucky.

Etymotic ER-4P.

Hey, they basically invented the in ear monitor. They're still one of the only ones that'll do custom ear molds and the audio isolation plus response is fantastic. From the cnet review:

"ER-4P headphones are hand-built by a skilled technician working with stereo microscope, then measured and tested at Etymotic's factory in Elk Grove Village, Illinois."

Personally, call me sappy, but I like buying a hand built American product that beats the snot out of the competition. :)

Regards,
-Bouncer-

MacGyver,

Based on what you posted as requirements/requests I would strongly suggest you take a listen to the Shure SE310 earphones. They are designed as more or less an identical item to the E-4C earphones, but have better sound due to far better isolation. They are heartier in terms opf cables and modularity as well. The long cable on the E-4C is now two separate pieces on the SE310 series.

I think the body of the earphones is also heartier feeling. Have gone through E3C and E-4C earphones before settling on these.

I think if you have no need to worry about the coin, go for their top of the line product one step up, but if you want awesome sound at a slightly better price, the SE310 earphones are hard to beat.

Mike

Mike,

hope things are well on your side. Here's my question. I went from E3 to E4 and now I am contemplating buying the SE420. What do you think of the SE310 though? Is it just as good as my current E4 or better?

Hey,

All good here. :)

I too went the E3 to E4 route and then the fragility of the E4's became an issue as I primarily use the Shure at the gym while exercising hard. Lots of chances to pull them out and put them back as people come up to yack. The SE310 have done far better in this regard as they are heartier construction externally. The sound quality is as good as the E4 with maybe the slightest loss of brightness. This is however made up for at the low end and I like the overall switch with my music. If you are not hard on the earphones, the bright vs. bass issue is worth taking some sample music to a store and comparing on. I think a true audiophile may find a preference one way or the other on this point.

All that said, a traveler will certainly prefer the SE310 construction as the noise isolating is far superior on the SE series. I think though that this is primarily due to the black soft conical sleeves. Love them!

If you can swing it the SE series has impressed me mightily, but bear in mind that my own personal filter is largely tied to the construction in combinatioon with the sound. The sound issue alone will require sample music and a bit of time with the product, pre-purchase.

Not much help but the short very value judgement oriented answer to your original question is: "better".

Come by ORD on 9/2 for lunch and I will let you have a listen if you want. :)

Mike

Thanks for the comments, I will give it a shot then :) To think that the E4 is already so quiet.

9/2, possible, I might have to fly to PVG or HKG for 2-3 days but let's see.

You had mentioned something that I wish I could find: a store with a good selection of headphones that you can compare and try out BEFORE buying them. The only 'try before you buy' display I have seen was at a Best Buy with the ability of listening to a couple of different Bose TriPort over-the-ear models.

The Apple Store is where I go. They have a very big interest in getting these out there to the public. If there is one near you, it might be worth a look.

Mike