Rating: 
Summary: Wow...like studio monitors in your ears.
Review: First off: I am not a review-writing junky -- So know that it has to stand out for me to write these comments. These in-ear headphones are great. Rather than recap all the obvious facts, I'll be brief. I also had the Sony MDR-EX71 in ears and use both of these with my Ipod. I rip my music at higher sample rates because I am finicky about the sound quality. Both the Sony and these provide sounds MILES above the buds that come with an Ipod, and also much better than any regular open-ear $10 headphone. For that matter, these sound much better than the $100 pair of semi-closed headphones that I have also. Be aware that these better sounds come from sealing off your ear and transfering the pressure from the earbuds to your eardrum. For the other reviewers that think there is no bass with these...you AREN'T INSERTING THEM CORRECTLY. When you jam them far enough into your ear that you think they are about to touch each-other, then you will probably be amazed. Regarding the E2Cs versus the Sony's, these sound better and they cost more. Go figure, more money...more value...seems logical. As for comfort, they might seem a little weird at first but you get used to it. The E2C's don't require that you wedge them WAY in, but you want to make certain that they are ALL the way in, or NO BASS. If you can hear yourself swallow, you got it. If you need to be aware of your surroundings, these aren't for you. Don't ride your bike with these, instead hang out at the coffee shop and don't sweat the lousy music that THEY are playing and listen to your own lousy music. Put the cellphone on vibrate and enjoy. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: The Best Affordable In-Ear So Far.
Review: I bought them after a very disappointing experience with my Apply In-Ear Headphones (I gave 1 star as I reviewed the Apple In-Ear), and I'm now using the E2c with my iPod, also with my band (I'm a drummer). The sound of the E2c is excellent and they are really comfy (I'm using the foam sleeves). Sure they are, because Shure is master of making in-ears, considering how many musicians worldwide are using their in-ear monitors everyday.
at first, you may find them a little bit hard to wear, but after a few practices you'll be ok, the only thing is remember to choose the right size of the plugs, or you may experience headache after longtime use if what you use is too large, the flex sleeves isolate better, but the foam fit better on me. And if you wear them from your back, and adjust the plastic sleeve to the back of your neck, the headphones will stay "in-ear" even if you are excerising, or you are playing in a head-bangging band.
You don't have to worry about the sound quality, it's too good to be true, they provide the best bass freq among in-ear (you don't expect too much bass for in-ears, do you?!), and the balance of sound is very promising, and good thing about using ISOLATING headphones is you don't have to turn way up in order to really "feeling" the music, for the sake of less leakage, i.e. they actually have less damages on our ears and you'll have a better listening experience.
if a portable music player is what you rely on everyday, why don't we make the experience better for ourselves, it's a private time, what left to ponder?! Get these!!
Rating:
Summary: Supurb sound and comfort
Review: I did a lot of research before buying a pair of in-ear phones for my 20GB iPod. I used the iPod ear-bud for a couple of months before they began to deteriorate. I then received the Apple in-ear phones as an X-mas gift (from my wish list) since so many of my friends and co-workers raved about them and were relatively inexpensive. I hated them after 2 days. They constantly slipped out of my ears so I was always having to adjust & reinsert them. So after weeks of reading reviews on so many in-earphones, I decided to narrow my search.
I decided on the Shure E2c despite some people saying they disliked the behind the head wires, low bass, etc. There were plenty of others that absolutely loved them. Plus I found them with an Amazon Merchant for about $70 including tax & shipping. I've had them for about a week now and I LOVE THEM. I have small ears and the smallest buds are still a bit large, but so much more comfortable than Apple's. The sound quality is great. I'm hearing things in songs that I never heard on the other earphones. The behind the head wires don't bother me since I don't wear them that way, except when I run and it's not a problem.
I won't go into technical details since others can do a much better job at that. For even a higher end user and mild-audiophile such as myself, these earphones are heaven. Caution to pedestrians, they really do drown out the noise so turn it down when you are walking on the street. But on the NY subway, they are great. Even on the subway, I have the volume at a little more than half-up and they still sound great.
These are a great pair of earphones, especially at that price.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad.
Review: I got these as a present and was initially unhappy with the quality of the output - until I read the manual and realize the special position of the headphones (wiring curled over the ear and behind the head). The tighter the seal with the sponges/earbuds, the more the isolation factor and the better the quality sound. But this puts the speaker tunnel deeper in your ear canal.Pretty good on the train and helps the 2 hour daily commute - blocks out most conversations. But certain voice pitch will permeate (bad) and the conductor annoucements are heard clearly (not a bad thing). Excellent in the work place but it is a pain to take the buds out then put them back in. Overall good for a city person/commuter warrior who is a minimalist and wants to block out the world.
Rating:
Summary: E2c- Mind-blowing.
Review: I got these for Christmas and was initially very disappointed. I had never had any audiophile-grade headphones before, and I was really expecting them to sound better. Sure, they sounded way better than my $10 headphones from before, but they were disappointing.
Then I tried out the foam sleeves. Rock! I love those things. They take a little bit of time to get into your ears but they isolate very well and sound great. Really accentuate the bass and such.
But I still wasn't satisfied. I'm a frequent head-fi'er (google head-fi) and had learned of a trick called the "brohken mod", as it was posted by a user named "Brohken". It involves cutting one of the silicon sleeves to form a small ring about 1/4" tall, and then placing a Sony EX71 sleeve over it. This prevents the end of the tube on the E2c from going through the EX71 sleeve.
The results: Amazing! Sony makes much better sleeves, but inferior canalphones. Doing this mod gives one the best of both worlds. Bass is much better, comfort is MUCH better, and even the ease of use is much better too. It used to take a minute or so to get the foam sleeves in - you have to roll them, then stretch out your ear canal, etc, etc... but these EX71 sleeves make everything much better.
Isolation, by the way, is excellent. I wore them during a basketball game, and while using a medium-low volume setting on my Neuros II, I could not hear anything but music. That, combined with just how great the quality of the phones are, is pure audio bliss. Only downside is that now I can't stand 128kbps mp3s.... I prefer ogg anyhow!
So my conclusion: I highly recommend the e2cs. $70-80 may seem like a lot for headphones, but you won't regret it. I guarantee that if you just get the sleeves in right, you can't dislike these phones. Many people don't fit them right and then complain about how terrible they sound. They can't sound good without a good seal.
Get them!
Rating:
Summary: Shure E2c headphones are worth every penny
Review: I got these headphones with some of my Christmas money. Even if I had to pay for these with my own money knowing how good these headphones are now, I would still have got them.
The sound quality from these is far better than what I've gotten from any other headphones or stereo system I've used in a long time, if ever. Even after a few weeks of using them, I can still pick out parts in songs that I didn't realize were there before I got them. The mids and trebles are all much crisper and accented than I've experienced with other headphones. The bass isn't as heavy as I've gotten with different products, but it is a lot more clear and not as rumbly. For songs that have a lot of bass, like rap and R&B, these might not be an option you'd like. Personally, I'm a fan of rock-style music, and the music is immaculate for me. The sound isolation on these headphones is amazing now that I've figured out how to wear them. I can put these in while I'm working on my computer and I won't be able to hear the keyboard clicking as I type.
I do have to gripe over the learning curve of using these headphones. It took me nearly a week of constant use to figure out how to get the ear buds to seal up and block out ambient noise consistently. Most headphones do not require a guide that includes multiple pages explaining how to wear them. Less patient users than myself may call these things trash simply because they can't get a good tone out of these things when the real problem is they aren't wearing them properly.
Overall, the positives for the Shure E2c's far outweigh the negatives. I can't really call these budget headphones since they list for $100, but they really are worth the money. Happy listening!
Rating:
Summary: Shure-ly an Excellent Investment!!
Review: I purchased the Shure E2c headphones about three months ago with some reservations. It seemed like these headphones were rather expensive, especially because they don't feature any type of noise canceling technology. The design seemed very rudimentary, and they looked uncomfortable. Boy was I wrong!
Being a frequent traveler (especially by plane) I was dying for something better than the noise canceling headphones I was using - and the E2c's were the answer!
I was floored using the E2c's for the fist time! While listening to my iPod at a low volume, my friend had to YELL for me to hear anything he said! These headphones are more effective than earplugs because while they are blocking external noise, they are supplying music or audio that you WANT to hear, thereby further superceding any ambient noise. What's more, when using the E2c's, I typically keep my iPod value 60-70% lower than with my noise canceling headphones, allowing my iPod battery to last 30% longer. The E2c's are nearly perfect for eliminating the irritation and stress associated with any public area. Especially airports, bus stations, and Starbucks!!! I also use these headphones frequently at cafes to avoid distraction and help me concentrate on whatever I'm doing.
The only negative I can think of is that some people might find the different types of fittings (foam and rubber) a little uncomfortable at first, but you will easily get used to this after a week or two.
Bottom line...If you can't stand hearing: 1) A baby crying on an airplane, 2) Loud people who talk too much on the subway, or 3) Distracting noise while reading at a cafe, the Shure E2c's are perfect for you! These headphones are worth every penny!
Rating:
Summary: Lives up to expectations
Review: I read reviews all over about the E2 and E3 'phones before choosing these. I have a very good pair of over the ear 'phones and was a little apprehensive about the in-ear types, but it's the only reasonable thing for portability. The major thing I wanted was good bass response - something that appears to be lacking in the in-ear 'phones. I like a lot of bass - not booming, but enough so the bass guitars and bass drums have a punch - like you'd hear at a concert.
These E2's did not let me down - the bass is very adequate. I'm quite happy with them. Several reviewers on the 'net recommended them over the E3 series if you want more bass, which is why I chose these over those more expensive E3s. I should note that they don't have a really low end, but these are not top of the line either. They are very competent though. The sound isolation is excellent - you MUST get the 'phones into your ears and seal, otherwise the sound is the pits. It takes some getting used to, just be prepared to spend some time with it until you get it down (don't wait until you're on the plane to try them out!)
Some folks mention "the band is playing inside your head". I worried a bit about this too, I don't want it to sound artificial. It doesn't! I think that, if anything, people just might have to get used to the purity of the sound compared to earbuds or over the ear types.
I can heartily recommend these to outfit your MP3 player, etc. without reservation. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: great product, and Shure stands by it
Review: Like many people, I was tempted by the good reviews but reluctant to pay so much for a pair of tiny earphones. Finally, almost 2 years ago, I bought a pair.
Like all of the other reviews here state, the Shure E2c's sound GREAT. They are very balanced, and let you hear the subtle details of your music, making the music almost come alive in your head. They turn your MP3 player or Discman into an audiophile-quality stereo system.
The E2c blocks outside noise by forming a very tight seal in your ear. In contrast, "noise canceling" earphones, such as the popular ones by Bose, do not block outside noise from reaching your ear, rather they add their own electronically generated noise which is supposed to cancel out the outside noise. I've never had good results with the various noise canceling headphones I've tried; plus, they require batteries to generate the noise-canceling noise. The E2c's block noise without batteries, and without adding any artificial noise or discoloration to your music. It works very well. I especially appreciate it at gym, on the bus or subway, and on a plane. (Warning - PLEASE don't wear the E2c's while driving or bicycling or any other time that safety requires your full attention!)
The build quality of the E2c's is very good - the cord and plug are thicker and sturdier than competing earphones. For 2 years, I heavily used and abused my E2c's, especially at the gym. Literally hundreds and hundreds of times, I've plugged and unplugged them into my various MP3 players, hastily wound and unwound the cord, and tossed them into my gym bag, usually without using the protective case that comes with the E2c's. Despite the very good build quality, my heavy use led finally to a short: when the cord was wiggled in a certain way, the sound on the left side would briefly go out.
I went to Shure's website and saw that they have a 2-year warranty. I sent my E2c's to Shure for repair, hoping it would be covered by warranty, but prepared to pay if Shure felt the problem was due to wear and tear (because, in fact, it was). Two weeks later, I received from Shure a BRAND-NEW PAIR of E2c's - they decided the problem WAS covered by the warranty, and wanted me to have a new pair rather than repairing my old ones!!!
This is more than I expected, and will make me a repeat buyer of Shure products! I especially appreciate this level of service given the lackluster support I've received from so many other companies.
Rating:
Summary: Warning: May cut your music player's song capacity by 50%!
Review: Shure E2c's are amazing at "opening up" your music, expanding the stereo field and exposing details & nuances you never knew your music had. Problem is, you may soon find yourself unsatisfied with the low-bitrate encodings you were using. So you'll spend hours re-ripping your whole CD collection... and then you won't be able to fit as much music on your player anymore... what a pain! (grin)
Low-bitrate encoding is only good enough if your headphones are too crappy to reveal that most of your music has been thrown away to make that songfile so tiny.
I'm used to Philips' & Sony's in-ear offerings, like the MDR-EX51 and MDR-EX71. While their in-ear pieces nudge up bass levels and cut down a bit on ambient noise, the tiny speakers in them aren't very good, so they tend to "blur" or "smear" your music enough that it's hard to notice the compression through all the muddiness.
Here's an experiment for you: find a song with alot of subtle stuff going on at once... shakers, light cymbal taps that fade slowly, soft latin percussion, something like that. Rip it twice, once at 256kbps and once at 96kbps, and use your best headphones to compare. Start with the 256kbps file: close your eyes and find a specific shaker that repeats throughout the song. Pay close attention to that shaker for several seconds, then switch to the 96kbps file and try to find it again.
You'll probably find that it has been thrown away... replaced with a muddy, vaguely shaker-like sound that's not really in the same spot.
Now here's the kicker... with the Shure E2c's you don't need to have your eyes closed to catch details like that shaker... you don't even need to be paying attention! If your music's at a decent bitrate you'll be listening to an old favorite when you'll suddenly notice some cool flare or riff or subtle effect that you "somehow" missed the first hundred times you heard that song. The E2c's will give you hundreds of those "oh that's cool... I never heart that before" moments.
The E2c's handle high volume without breaking a sweat, but what's particularly breathtaking to me is their performance at very low volume. Right now I'm enjoying some music (@256kbs), and my Hi-MD player is at volume level 2 of 30. Even in my quiet office my last pair of earbuds had to be at 10 before what came out of them actually sounded like music, but with the E2c's I get balanced sound at 2... I still hear every detail of the music! Even the bass is still there... quiet, but defined and audible.
I get the feeling the E2c's are going to save my hearing... I had to really crank previous earbuds to hear my music on the train every day, and to overcome traffic & wind noise on the city-streets biking part of my commute (for safety I use the only the right earbud while biking).
Once you get the fit right (and get them in DEEP) the noise seal is nearly as effective as a good set of earplugs. At work I leave them a bit loose in my ears and run them at low volume so I can enjoy my music but still hear the phone ring. And so I can notice if my boss is in my doorway talking to me (at which point I remove one earbud so I can hear better and talk without shouting).
The bottom line? Rediscover your music collection with a pair of E2c's. They may cut your music player's song capacity in half, but they'll more than double your enjoyment of it... which is worth it, in my book!
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