CNET Editor's rating: 7.5 out of 10
Reviewed by
Steve Guttenberg
Review date: 07/10/03
Release date: 10/15/02
The good: Excellent sound quality; effective ear seals provide ambient-noise isolation; storage case; 30-day money-back guarantee; two-year warranty.
The bad: Wires have a tendency to tangle; tricky to place in ears.
The bottom line: These small, cone-shaped earbuds offer excellent isolation and pro sound quality.
Editor's note: We have changed the rating in this review to reflect recent changes in our rating scale. Click here to find out more.
The Shure E2c is a result of the company's experience designing in-ear monitors for onstage musicians. Wyclef Jean, Wilco, Jethro Tull, Everclear, Nikka Costa, Tricky, Herbie Hancock, and Oasis all use Shure products. Thanks to a bit of trickle-down technology, Shure is now offering a range of consumer in-ear models, of which the $99 E2c is the most affordable. It features a 62-inch copper cable and an adjustment tube that secures the wire comfortably behind your head. You also get a storage case with a cable spool.
To get any bass out of the E2c, you need to push the earpieces pretty far into your ear canals. Since human ears vary in size, Shure provides small, medium, and large pairs of disposable foam sleeves and reusable flex sleeves to ensure the best possible fit.
Now that those provisos are out of the way, let's get to the E2c's strengths. While these are not noise-canceling headphones, they block out ambient noise almost as well. We wore them on the New York City subway in our brute-force noise-cancellation test, and we came away quite impressed with the E2c's quieting effect. We didn't have to turn up our iPod's volume to overcome the high background-noise levels.
The E2c delivers a cleaner aural experience than most earbud models, so you hear greater detail without suffering excessive brightness or harshness. Bass definition and power are quite good. In fact, the E2c's sound quality compares favorably with that of our reference full-size headphones, Grado's SR 60.
While the deep-mounted earpieces may take some getting used to, the E2c sounds great. And since it's sold with a 30-day money-back guarantee, you can audition its comfort and audio quality for yourself risk-free.
14 out of 14 users found this user opinion helpful.
2 out of 10 - Terrible I really wanted to like this product...
I don't consider myself to be an audiophile by any means but I am particularly savvy with mid-priced ear ...
I don't consider myself to be an audiophile by any means but I am particularly savvy with mid-priced ear buds having owned several pairs thru the years. I tend to go with the Sony products even though they are cheaply made and tend to fall apart with normal use. I have been plunking down around $50 a pair for various ear-buds for the last few purchases and am generally pleased with the sound-isolating capabilities as well as a rich full sound of some of the Sony products - I currently have the MDR-EX81LP/B. I remember the first time I tried decent ear buds I felt like I was underwater, hearing myself breathe and all. This sound-isolation feature provides tremendous audio reproduction benefits in my opinion, even better than some high end DJ style headphones where you sometimes have to press the earpieces to your head to get the full sound. If it wasn't for the poor build quality of the Sony products they would have had a loyal customer...
That brings me to the recent purchase of the e2c from Shure. Most of the reviews of this product are glowing with praise, far outweighing the negative reviews - I should know, I think I read every single one on the internet. Shure is a great company, the e2c looked sharp, and I had a burning, unfulfilled desire for high quality, durable ear-buds at the $100 and below price-mark. From the moment I was able to get the packaging open, all seemed extremely well. The e2c is hot, the cords are nice and thick, the length is perfect, and above all, this company seems like they really care about getting that sound-isolating feel with all the possible ear-bud attachments. I even thought that not labeling the right and left buds was a dope stylistic touch (the right bud is black and white). They even thought to include earwax guards that you install prior to use. I was easily able to get a tight, perfectly sound-isolated fit with EACH of the possible attachments (hard rubber, soft rubber, and plugs). I found them easy to put in and use due to my previous experience with and tendency for sound-isolating style ear-bud headphones. I also really liked the way they fit the ear, with the cord going behind the ear - they are extremely comfortable. I preferred the hard rubber and the soft rubber ones equally to the plug style; the soft rubber ones are actually much like Sony's buds.
Everything changed after that. Now I want the 5 minutes back that I spent trying to get the stupid earwax guards off the sticky paper and on to the buds. In a word, the sound is WEAK. Everything - and I mean everything - EXCEPT the sound on these headphones is absolutely top notch. I completely ignored all the reviews about no bass, tinny sound, etc. (there weren't that many) based on the assumption that these people had no ear for sound and had no idea what they were talking about. To you people, I say now that I am sorry, and one of the biggest mistakes in my portable-audio life was not listening to you. I've since returned the headphones and am happy now with my Sony MDR-EX81LP/B, knowing that I have made an effort to at least try to find higher quality headphones even if at a premium. I suspect I will venture out of this price range ($50-$100) onto the next tier, hoping to get what I'm looking for; however, I doubt I will take any sort of chance on the higher end Shure products because of the experience with the e2c. I am interested in checking out the Etymotic products, they seem pretty good for high end buds.
If you think I have a bad ear simply because I think these things are terrible, then I don't ever want a good ear.
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by mhartman75 (see profile) -
August 16, 2006
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Whoa, I can't believe what I'm hearing
These are quite honestly the best headphones I have ever used. I have gone to the Bose store and I ...
These are quite honestly the best headphones I have ever used. I have gone to the Bose store and I tried some TriPorts and the Quiet Comfort II's. They were both really nice but they are big. The E2C's out perform both Bose's headphones. I love these so much, but I want to go back to the old earbuds that came with my Zen, but I can't get the E2C's out of my ears long enough to put the others back in. Like everyone else says, you have to have a good seal for these to work. I can stand the rubber flex tips but the foam tips are so much more comfortable. I've had them for one day and I slept in them last night. There were a couple of times where I woke up to my music and it was almost like I was in a trance, I seriously felt like I was high when I was listening because the sound totally surrounds you. These things are amazing. My parents hate them because now when they want my attention they have to tap my shoulder because they can't hear me. I'm learning to like the behind the ear design of them. At first it is awkward to put them in like that but when you use the plastic tube that slides up, the snugness of them is insane. I could jump around and they wouldn't let loose. I love the highs and mids of these. The bass is there but it definately will not rattle your cage. I guess you can't expect a rattling with earbuds because you can't feel the rumble in your body, but the sound quality is so good. If you have to have a headphone with earth shaking bass these are not the phones for you. Acoustic guitar music sounds so incredible with the E2C's. You can hear every little vibration of the string. I know it will sound weird but my favorite music to listen to on the E2C's is Tenacious D. It is soo crystal clear and you hear things you've never appreciated before. Today I heard Jack Black say fu** right at the end of the song. I've never heard that before. I love these so much I'm thinking of marrying them. I can't imagine what the E5's sound like and I can't wait to be rich enough to buy them. I recomend these to anyone who loves to listen to good, balanced, quality music. A+++++++ Shure!
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by chuchodude1 (see profile) -
July 8, 2005
7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular SICK Headphones!
I listen to all types of music from hip-hop to blues from trance to jazz. It's hard to find ...
I listen to all types of music from hip-hop to blues from trance to jazz. It's hard to find ear-bud headphones that can handle such a diverse range of frequencies. The Shure e2c does a remarkable job of cancelling noise and the sound is amazing. Once you listen to these and comparing them to OEM headphones, you'll fork up the cash immediately. The ear-bud style headphones only takes a day to get used to and once you find the right size adapter putting them in and out of your ears is no problem. People complain about having a hard time getting them in their ears, but it's not that difficult. Plus they HAVE to be designed liks this in order to have great sound. I got mine off eBay for $70. I can't even imagine with the e3c's and the e5c's sound like....
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by wildcat365 (see profile) -
April 25, 2005
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
3 out of 10 - Poor Waaaayyyyy too many good reviews
After trying the E2c's out, I have a hard time understanding the amount of 9's and 10's ...
After trying the E2c's out, I have a hard time understanding the amount of 9's and 10's on this site. Seems a little fishy.
Sound Isolation
The isolation is pretty good when you have a good fit. Unfortunately, a good fit means blood in my ear.
Fit
In order to get sound isolation, the Shures' take a slightly different approach to the earpiece. All other earbuds I have used allow the removable sleeve to compress inside of your ear. There is usually some overhang of the rubber or silicone with respect to whatever stem the unit has. This overhang compresses freely, but the end result is a good, if not tight fit. Since the Shures require such a tight fit, their stem is extended and the sleeves do not overhang at all. The maximum compression is limited by the diameter of the stem. The result is pain. Having to wrap the wire around your ear makes putting it on a chore every time. Worse though is the earpiece itself. There seems to be two schools of thought as to how it should be inserted. The first is the Shure manual method which explicitly states that you should not push the earphone sleeve beyond the ear canal opening. The other I gathered from CNET, which is that the sleeve needs to be inserted into the ear canal. The former is definitely safer is probably the way it was designed to work. The latter probably improves the bass response, but seems like a somewhat dumb idea as you should not have anything stuck that far into your ear. Both methods involve a considerable amount of pain for my ears though. I tried all of the sleeves, and since they all completely cover the hard plastic stem, there is simply not enough "give". I'm sure that my ears would eventually get used to it, but I really don't think its a good idea to bruise the inside of your ears just to hear music.
Sound Quality
Very dissappointing. Bass quality is marginal at best. Since the unit is sealed, bass response is limited by design. Subdued is the best way to describe my impressions.
The e2c's also lack musicality. Beautiful songs that I have listened to for years lost harmonics and air. Dynamic range has been sacrificed and replaced by bright harshness that make many songs very difficult to listen to. If I had heard Diane Krall on these initially, I would probably not be a fan today. Are they detailed...yes, but that translates to flat to my ears
Summary
Overall, I think the Shure E2C's are overated at 7.5. The design leaves a lot to be desired and I think that they potentially have public health issues with the ear insertion methods needed to get decent bass response. In that regard, if you own or plan to own the e2c's, please follow the manufactures recomendation and do not insert into your ear canal.
Headphones should be easy to use and these are definitely not.
Updated I wound up buying the E4C's due to the substantial discount at Frys in San Jose. For just 50 bucks more than the E2c's, I have finally found the headphones for me. The fit is soooo much better as the design of the earpiece is better (shorter stem and some overhang of the sleeve). The sound quality is fantastic on these babies!! The problems that I mentioned in my e2c review are gone. I suspect that the lack of pain in my ears helps quite a bit too. IMO, skip the e2c and go with the e4c especially if your ears tunnels are not huge.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular I can't hear you, I am listening to music...
Holy cow...Received these today form earphonesolutions.com they are effcient and very helpful, great to do business with. I ...
Holy cow...Received these today form earphonesolutions.com they are effcient and very helpful, great to do business with. I will discuss the pros, so be prepared for along list, these things are amazing. Bass on these is impecable. I would have never imagined a pair of headphones (in-ear headphones) this small would ever aceive the sub level that this one can when a good seal is achieved. The design on this pair of headphones was enough for me to purchase these over etymotics. Much more advanced, shirt/belt spring-clips are perhaps an accessory for a pair of pocket-change earbuds, but when you make the step to a pair of higher-end headphones, you'd expect intelligent design, and this gives that to you. They plug into your hears and then instead of dropping like it's hot out of your ears to the front of your body to a clip that has to be trusted to keep these from falling out, shure got smart. These direct the [thick] wire upwards and around the top of the ear to prevent fall-outage, and are very effective. Thy go around the rear of the neck/head where a clear plastic sleeve tightens around the neck to further secure the unit in the head. they go around the read keeping the [thick] cord from getting in your way in front of you. Now that I have used the word "thick" enough, I might explain. These earphones have a very quality cord that is thick and feels like it would never break. I think you could jump start a car with them if you had to.... The system comes witha zipper case that is very compact and provides a safe environment to your new toys. The bad? The rubber sleeves are a bit uncomfortable, not at all overly so. I have been wearing them as I am writing this review and have already forgot I was wearing them (that would be, if I could ignore the wonderful sound that is filling my ears). They offer soft silicon sleeves that are supposed to be a bit more confortable (a future purchase of mine). So whatever you choose, due to impecable design, lower price, and great sound etymotic is trailing it seems. I haven't heard the etymotics, but again, I care not to, thin cords and bad design aren't a turn on to me. I will save you the cliché "I am shure" play on words and just say that these earphones are one of the better things you can do with the 62.99 that is in your back pocket at the moment. I am not into propoganda, but if I was, I'd say join the bandwagon and shag a pair for yourself. It is a good thing martha.
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by Cardinalxc13 (see profile) -
July 13, 2005
9 out of 10 - Spectacular The HiFi earphone
I've been using sony 484,888,ATH-CM5 & CM7, sennheiser MX500. The E2C is the first earphones that make ...
I've been using sony 484,888,ATH-CM5 & CM7, sennheiser MX500. The E2C is the first earphones that make me feel like hearing my pair of LS3/5a. the sound is netual not sweet. bass is enough but not like a overdoing subwoofer. soundfield is wide and image is clear & firm. you'll hear small music details that you've not noticed with other earphones. you'll feel the sound come in front of you just like you are listen to hifi speakers ( other product will make music over your head) P.s. if you want to get similar sound at lower cost, I highly recommend the MX500, it worth.
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by chrisgod (see profile) -
June 25, 2005
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 out of 10 - Very good Audiophile? Not quite, but still pretty decent!
This is the earphone to get if you want to save your hearing and still enjoy audio bliss in a ...
This is the earphone to get if you want to save your hearing and still enjoy audio bliss in a relatively small package. Though pretty expensive, these beat those sub $50 canalphones by quite a bit but not proportionately with its price I think. Its nowhere near twice as good but sounds like an affordable pair of full sized monitor phones though nothing like medium to high end ones. Don't get me wrong, these are good but not fantastic because they cause some fatigue and still mask a small amount of treble and midrange detail but they're good if you want to trade up from Sehnheiser portables or Sony MDRs, fantastic if you're using iPod or Creative standard issues! ;-]Happy listening!
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by timJ (see profile) -
June 10, 2005
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Awesome pair of earphones!
I have never bought a pair of in-ear headphones, but I'm so happy I did. Shure was a name ...
I have never bought a pair of in-ear headphones, but I'm so happy I did. Shure was a name that I could trust, as a musician and as someone who has worked as a live sound engineer, so I did not hesitate buying these earphones; and I'm very pleased! These buds work great together with my iPod (or any other mp3 player). Also, they provide incredible sound isolation. I couldn't believe it until I tried it for myself; they do a great job of blocking all outside noises. They do take a little while to get used to in the beginning, and may cause discomfort, but give them some time, and they'll be your favourite mp3/cd player accessory!
Manufacturer: Shure Inc. Specs: Headphones, In-ear canalphone, 1 oz, Stereo, Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, Gold-plated plug, 2 years Limited warranty Parts and labor, 30 days Limited warranty Money back guarantee
Manufacturer: Shure Inc. Specs: Headphones, In-ear canalphone, 1.1 oz, Stereo, Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, Gold-plated plug, In-line crossover, 2 years Limited warranty Parts and labor, 30 days Limited warranty Money back guarantee
Manufacturer: Shure Inc. Specs: Headphones, In-ear canalphone, 1.1 oz, Stereo, Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, Gold-plated plug, 2 years Limited warranty Parts and labor, 30 days Limited warranty Money back guarantee
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