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Shure E4c Noise Isolating Headphones - Black (Ear Buds, 109 dB, 1.1 oz - MPN: E4CNEFS)
Description: The cutting-edge industrial design of the E4c is a breakthrough in sound isolating earphone technology. Ideal for the business traveler and on-the-go audiophile, the High-Definition Driver with Tuned Port Technology delivers brilliant highs.... Read More Description: The cutting-edge industrial design of the E4c is a breakthrough in sound isolating earphone technology. Ideal for the business traveler and on-the-go audiophile, the High-Definition Driver with Tuned Port Technology delivers brilliant highs and extended bass that enhance your listening experience with your portable MP3, DVD, and CD players as well as all other audio sources.The E4c's in ear design works like an earplug to block background noise naturally. This enables you to listen comfortably at lower volumes-even in loud environments. And unlike bulky headphones utilizing active noise cancellation technology, no artifacts are introduced into your listening experience. Sound isolating earphones are also much smaller and don't require batteries. E4c Sound Isolating Earphones feature High-Definition drivers with Tuned Port Technology for incredible audio reproduction. As the ideal companion to any portable or home audio source, the E4c's Tuned Port design improves airflow around the driver to deliver professional-grade sound with extended bass response. Because every ear is different, E4c Earphones come with a pair of disposable Foam Sleeves, a pair of Triple Flange Sleeves, three pairs (small, medium, large) of Flex Sleeves, and three pairs of Soft Flex Sleeves (small, medium, large) to ensure the ideal personalized fit. The soft, flexible sleeves in the Fit Kit gently contour to the inside of your ear to create a comfortable, secure fit, so that the earphones don't fall out while you're exercising. An included volume level control allows for comfortable listening from any high-output audio source, such as airplane armrests. Minimize |
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| Date Reviewed: 10/20/2006 |
- Jimmy K.
from CA
- Member Since:
Jan 2006
View Member's:
Reviews
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Strengths: Excellent sound quailty. Noise isolation is best of all In Ear Monitors. Easily beats Bose QuietComfort 2 in sound quality and noise isoloation.
Weaknesses: No sound stage, so it is not for gaming.
Summary: 2006-10-23 13:45:46 I bought a Shure E4C-N (black) to replace my stolen Shure E4C (white) earphones. I have been using the E4C for a year and my wife has the E3C, so I'm very familar with the Shure E3* and E4* models. I also had Bose QuietComfort 2, so I will compare the Shure E4C-N with Shure E3C and Bose QC2.
Shure E4* Models: There are several different E4* models. Shure 1st came out with the gray E4, then white E4C, then black E4G (gaming), and then black E4C-N. Supposedly, these all have the same drivers and should sound the same. The white E4C has longer cord at 61" (1.55m), whereas black E4C-N & E4G have shorter cord at 56" (1.45m). E4C-N and E4G are exactly identical, except for the packaging. In the review below, I will only refer to E4C-N, but you can also apply all comments to E4G.
Differences in Shure E4* Models:
Cord length: E4C has 5 extra inches of cable than E4C-N. The E4C-N shorter cable is better when I'm moving about with my iPod. But when I'm using the earphone with my computer at home or work, the 5" longer cord will help here. Depending on your use, you might have to get extension cord.
Another thing I noticed is that E4C-N has a raised ridge on sound canal where silicon/rubber/foam sleeves fit onto the earphones. This was not present in my old E4C. Not sure if new E4C has this or only the E4C-N. This should prevent the sleeves from sliding off, which can occur easily with your ear wax as lubricant.
Sound Quality: Just 1 word: Excellent. The sound is clear and balanced with excellent highs/mids and good bass. The bass is tight and not overwhelming.
* E4C-N vs E3C: The E4C-N sounds more dynamic than E3C. The highs and lows stand out more on E4C-N than E3C. The E3C is smooth and relaxed, whereas the E4C make you sit up and listen to the music.
* E4C-N vs Bose QuietComfort2: No comparison. Shure E4C-N (and even E3C) beat Bose QC2 easily. I hear sounds on the Shure E4C-N that I never knew existed when I used Bose QC2. Add in the price difference (Bose Q2C cost $299), E4C and E3C are much better buys.
* Bass: Depending on what music you listen to and your preference, the bass might be too weak for you. Though I have not tried Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro, some say UE has much better bass.
Sound Isolation: 2nd to none. I had plenty of opportunity to use Shure E4C and Bose QC2 on airplanes. The noise isolation on E4C is excellent. Because it act like an earplug, it blocks out all sound (both foreground and background sounds). On the other hand, Bose QC2 uses electronic noise cancellation and blocks out only background sound. So if you are on an airplane, Bose QC2 only blocks out engine noise, but not the screaming kid or crying baby next to you. Shure E4C-N will significantly reduce all sound. And with the music on, you cannot even hear the crying baby sitting next to you.
Comfort: This is a comment that will apply to all In-Ear-Monitors (IEMs) or Canalphones. It WILL take time to get used to earphones that sit in your ear canal. Once you get used to the earphone, you will not even notice that it is there. However, some people will never get use to it.
If you never used IEMs, it might take you an hour to even pick the right size inserts and to get earphones positioned correctly. And then it probably will take you several days to 1 week to get used to the pressure in your ears. Shure E4C-N comes with many different inserts to give you the best fit: white silicon inserts of 3 different sizes, black rubber inserts of 3 different sizes, a tri-flange, and foam. My recommendation is to use the foam. The foam is like an ear plug that compresses and then expands/conforms to your ears. The downside is that foam inserts need to be replaced. You can buy replacement foams (20 or 10-pair for $20). Note that E3C and E4C use the same inserts. So I buy the replacement foam pack, which works with my wife's E3C and my E4C (and now E4C-N).
Negative: The only negative about the Shure E4C is lack of sound stage (ability to identify the source/direction of the sound/music instruments). Both E4C and E3C has no sound stage what-so-ever. With the E4C, you feel like you are on stage with the musicians and the source is right between your ears. With the E3C, it sounds like you are at 1st row in the concert hall. So forget about playing video games using these earphones.
Price Paid: $188 (no tax in CA and no shipping) from EarphoneSolutions.com
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| Date Reviewed: 05/01/2006 |
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Strengths: Earbud + Speaker = excellent sound quality
Weaknesses: They make the ears go 'pop' if you pull them out too quick.
Summary: I had the E3C, but they broke because I forgot to put them back in their case. These E4C are a noticeable improvement and they come with replaceable eartips so if these break, i can repair them without using glue! Sound quality is amazing and you get noise isolation without the bulky headgear of other brands.
100% of People (10/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 09/22/2006 |
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Strengths: excellent fit
great construction
great sound
excellent customer service
Weaknesses: too sensitive for ipods
Summary: 2006-10-04 16:48:20 These really do sound noticeably better even than my E3Cs, which they replaced. They also seem very well put together and are made so that you can get at them to clean out, if need be. On the other hand, like the E3Cs, the phones are so sensitive that you can hear a definite hiss from any 5 or 5.5g ipod.
Update: By using the attenuator that comes with these, you can make the hiss go away. Also, frankly, unless you're in a perfectly quiet room you might not notice, anyway.
100% of People (2/2) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 08/14/2006 |
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Strengths: - Very rich and full sound
- Wide frequency range
- Very comfortable
Weaknesses: - No ompf in the Bass
- Needs a cable manger
Summary: I came from the stock iPod earbuds and could hear a great difference between the two. These IEMs absolutely are superior to the apple earbuds. There is grater clarity and range in frequencies. Also, they are very comfortable. I originally wasn't very thrilled with the idea of sticking things into my ear but they aren't uncomfortable at all. The added plus is that they really reduce ambient noise even more so than my Bose QuietComfort 2 (they sound better too). The only negatives are that the bass lacks some of the impact found in headphones and the cable is rather long, but for earphones these things are the best as they are really portable.
100% of People (2/2) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 07/12/2006 |
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Strengths: Over all great sound; very comfortable if put in correctly!
Weaknesses: None
Summary: The E4's are great sounding. No one range stands out; wich is good. The bass in not lacking at all and at times can be too much! For those that think that the bass is lacking, you are not putting them in correctly. Before I purchased them, I wondered if i would ever get use to them in my ears in comparison to conventional headphones. After experimenting with a couple different ear fittings, I found that the triple white pieces work great (every time)! The sound is consistent and the fitting is consistent. It's kinda neat, from a distance they aren't even noticed. Now when I go back to conventional headphones; they feel really hot on my ears. I'm also a musician, so I can't wait to use them with my on stage monitor.
100% of People (2/2) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 06/19/2006 |
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Strengths: Definitely the sound quality.
Weaknesses: Wax build up requires serious care. But it is worth it. May be uncomfortable for people with narrow ear canals.
Summary: I have searched high and low for a quality pair of in ear phones. The price alone compared to other sites makes these phones worth the investment. The 7 different sizes of attachments mean a sure fit is highly likely. I recommend.
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| Date Reviewed: 03/19/2007 |
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 Great when I first got it. As I start knowing more about earphones..... Strengths: Great balance of high and low frequency. Reality of dimension is astonishing
Weaknesses: Bass of my music deserves better representation
Summary: As I first shop for a earphone, Shure came into my radar screen pre-dominantly. I read pages of reviews and heard lots of good things about both the brand and the earphone. I have to admit that I have a favour towards Shure because I play pop music myself and Shure Mics sets more than good industry standard for what they deliver.
The turning point comes when I went to Hongkong for shopping. I ran into a shop where earphones from almost all great brands and all model lines are available. For this decent priced item, of course, they let you try what you ask for. They even provide two different MP3 players for your comparision. The result is ... price pays for itself. I changed my favour. My heart now goes to Westone's UM-2. It has the punchy BASS that shure E4C definitely lacks. Another nice thing that few people realize is how good the UM-2 fits into your ear shell cavity. With this flush fit, you can wear this to sleep and turn your head with it without feeling uncomfortable.
I ended up buying a UM-2 for my brother and a pretty white Shure E4C for my sister in-law for their wedding. This has been a joyful experience. I would consider getting a UM-2 myself in a year. The only reserve I have is about the seemingly flimsy twisted black cable. It remains to be seen how durable it will be although I was told the jacket is made of rubble that does not harden and crack (like shure earphones does). Hope you find these comments helpful.
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| Date Reviewed: 01/08/2007 |
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Strengths: Rugged construction; extremely comfortable; various earpieces; extraordinary transparent, well-balanced sound
Weaknesses: None!
Summary: A great audiophile-grade in-ear earphone.
The sound is neutral, with clean highs and realistic (i.e. not over-accentuated, like most other earphones these days) bass. They're very comfortable, block out a lot of external sound (which can be dangerous--use with care), and sound phoenomenal.
Previously, I used a pair of Etymotic ERG's, which I loved, but were too fragile for everyday, portable use. These earphones are thoughtfully and ruggidly constructed, with thick wire insulation and reinforced platic at stress points (namely, the plug and where the cable splits). Plus, they're made to be worn with the wire over the ears, which practically eliminates the annoying problem of noise induction resulting from the wire brishing up against things.
There are several options for earpieces, ensuring a good, comfortable fit.
Fantastic. Can't think of a single weakness.
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| Date Reviewed: 04/19/2006 |
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Strengths: Great fit, great sound, great look
Weaknesses: You need high-quality music to use this properly; expensive!
Summary: I really love these things! I bought these a couple of weeks ago and just can't stop using them. It comes w/ maybe 10 different caps of all different types and sizes so anyone's ear will work = ) The cord is much longer than the earbuds I've had in the past so I can actually sit back while on my computer. Sound isolation is great so be careful while driving or running the streets. Sound quality is very good but it will depend on if you have access to an equalizer. I've mainly been using this on my CD player because of the great quality CD's are but it doesn't have equalizer. Thus, my music is very treble-y. The bass is very strong but of course nothing like some of the professional headphones.
The biggest problem for most people will be finding music that will maximize these buds. Your 128kbps mp3's really aren't going to cut it. If that's all you have/listen to, don't even bother with this! It's going to sound just like any other earbud. If you rip CD's or use a cd-player, THEN you'll really hear how great these are!
90% of People (9/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 04/26/2006 |
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Strengths: Crystal clear sound, you can hear the pick strumming the guitar. nice natural sounding bass.Mp3's that are 192kbps and above really sound best with these. Nice strong wires, very light and portable!
Weaknesses: takes some time to get used to placing the buds far down into ear canal ( a must to get the full effect)
Summary: These IEMS are amazing especially for the price of $185.00 total compared to the 299.99 retail price, thanks compu plus!
I'd definitley recommend these headphones and compuplus to everyone! what a deal!! The sound quality of these blow my sony ear buds away. these are so nice and loud, I cant even put the volume all the way up on my ipod video.
83% of People (5/6) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 09/30/2006 |
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Strengths: Crystal clear sound, very loud, fairly good isolation.
Weaknesses: Almost none.
Summary: They are the same as E-4C, just have shorter cable.
If You can afford to have these, as well as ETYMOTIC ER-4P, buy them both. Shure's may be louder, and have a little better design, but do not match ETY's sound isolation. Even if You use triple flange, that looks same as ETY's.
At home I use SENNHEISER HD-280, all purchased for really good price at COMPUPLUS. They are all well worth what I paid.
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| Date Reviewed: 12/08/2006 |
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 E4C Strengths: not sure
Weaknesses: weak sound, no bass
Summary: I have read all the reviews on this earbud and am so surprised that all the reviews are very positive. But my experience is not so good. I am not sure if mine has a problem or there is a general problem in this model. My E4c's sound is so weak. $39 Sony earbud is much better. And there is no Bass at all. Because of these problems, I sent it out to Shure for Warranty service. Hope I get a better one, when I get it back.
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| Date Reviewed: 12/05/2006 |
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a little disappointed
Strengths: excellent clarity
Weaknesses: lack of low frequencies,
takes time to get used to
Summary: after all the hype i decided to bite and bought these earphones from an authorized shure dealer. the sennheisers mx-500 that i used before were ok, but since they do not provide any background noise insulation i had to crank up the volume quite high, while on the street/bus.
well, the e4's were a bit disappointing. the sound is nice and clear, but they are lacking in the lows. this was quite unexpected for the hefty price tag.
may be i am spoiled by my hd-497's, but i once had "the plug" and as far as i remember the lows there were excellent.
i must note that i do not need extra bass, i listen to variety of music styles, but mostly classical, jazz, and alternative and i like correct reproduction before anything else.
i now have the ipod's EQ set to bass boost and it works adequately, but I wish i hadn't had to do this.
also i'm still getting used to the in-the-ear canal style - we'll see how this goes.
finally i'm seriously considering getting a line-out adapter and a headphone amp for my ipod since these expose all the defects of the built-in ipod amp.
50% of People (3/6) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 08/29/2008 |
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Strengths: Excellent sound quality with strong base.
Weaknesses: Wires are a little longer than I would have liked and do not fit in the case as well as a pair of the E3G Shures that I previously owned.
Summary: My past experience with Shure ear buds has been with E2's and E3's. Based on the drop in prices I wanted to try the E4's and am very pleased with the step up in the performance. I personally do not like the appearance of the newest line and actually purchased a second set of these before they are no longer available.
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| Date Reviewed: 09/08/2007 |
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Strengths: Clear, crisp highs, resonating, deep bass and everything in between. The enclosed variety of earbuds insure a tight fit for the perfect 'sweetspot'.
Weaknesses: Would have preferred 14K gold
Summary: Fanatastic buy and, in my humble opionion, the best price on the web from PriceGrabber. Be patient and play around with the earbuds as my first few tries resulted in a very 'tinny' sound leading me to incorrectly believe I had either been ripped off or been dupped into a counterfeit set of earphones!
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