Reviews for Shure E4c Isolation Earphones

Shure E4c Excellent detail, Worth the price

Strengths: Superior sound quality. Easily listen to each and every instrument. Bass is good, you just need a tight fit. This is the key to any IEM. No false bass boost like cheap headphones.

Weakness: I have to upgrade most of my MP3s from 128 kbps to 192 kbps. You can actually tell when you have a lower quality recording with these IEMs. No other weaknesses that I have found.

CUSTOM FIT:
This may help present owners with the fit. I didn't like the stock angle of the headphones. They have filters inside of them with a little tab to prevent you from rotating them. I cut the tab off the filter(replaceable) and rotated just a tiny bit for my own ears with more comfort.
INSTALLATION:
There is a slight learning curve to installing these, but in the beginning it helps to reach one hand over your head to pull your ear straight up then insert into ear with your other hand. The ear canal actually goes up and in not just straight in. Lifting your ear will help get the IEM where it needs to be. It makes a HUGE differance in sound quality so play with the fit before you return them.
VOLUME:
On another note: I use them with my Nano and whoever is complaining about not having the power to driver them is insane. I only listen at about 25-30% power from Ipod. 50% volume is about concert loudness and should not be listened to for long periods of time or risk hearing damage. I also tried with a shuffle and my old 3rd gen Ipod and they are about the same. Any Ipod or MP3 player will driver these very well because they don't need very much power.

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Shure E4C

Strengths: Sound isolating (vs. noise canceling - big difference!). Excellent sound across the spectrum. Are you kidding me? This kind of sound out of these itty-bitty things?

Weakness: Envious looks from the person next to me on the airplane with his big clunky noise canceling headphones.

It is obvious Shure develops their consumer earphones from the roots of the pro-musician line, whereas others I tried are coming at it from the mass consumer market. The sound is amazing and it blocks out enough noise in loud environments to enjoy incredible detail. I used these on a recent 15 hour flight to Asia and it was unbelievable how quick the trip seemed to go because I could actually enjoy music and sleep with them in my ears. (Try laying on your side on a pillow with clunky headphones).

These are definitely worth the price. My next pair will be an upgrade to the E5's (Bono & the rest of U2 wear the E5's on stage and on the private jet). I can't help but think that the very few negative reviews are from people who either can't distinguish pro-level sound or don't read the instructions for the custom fit. I like the fact that Shure builds pro quality products for the consumer market. I wouldn't think of leaving the house without my E4's.

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E4c's... seasoning not included

Strengths: Excellent sound isolation, nice looking earbuds that are not too bulky, very articulate mid and high freq reproduction.

Weakness: Tricky fit, bass not great

Not the near-perfection I would expect for the $300 retail price, but pretty good for the $180 selling price. These are very nice looking earbuds whose industrial design goes great with my iPod. The sound isolation on a properly fitted pair is pretty amazing too (although I've only tried them out in noisy gym situations), allowing you to listen to your music at much lower volumes rather than cranking it up to drown out the noise.

Weaknessness include a cord that is about 6" too long for my use (black version has shorter cord), poor fit in that they don't seem to stay in place very well while I run or even just do weights. I keep finding myself pushing them back into the ear every 10 min.

The biggest complaint that I had initally was that these buds seem to produce hardly any bass at all. Upon reading up a bit on the web, I tried breaking them by playing music through them overnight at moderate volumes. That defintely helped the bass... but it's still not as strong and autoritative as I'd like. My old pair of Grado SR80 headphones are MUCH better than my E4c's... but then again those are not exactly portable.

So overall, they look great and work pretty well at all frequencies once "seasoned" a bit, but the bass-hounds need to look elsewhere for their fix.

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Shure E4c Sound Isolating Earphone

Strengths: Improved bass over the E2c Excellent sounding high-mid range sounds Comfortable ear pieces Multiple ear piece options

Weakness: Bass still lacking

I loved the E2Cs so much that I had to upgrade to a better model. I find these headphones sound amazing, although its tough for in-ear headphones to replica bass.

If you use headphones a lot, I would consider this a great purchase, especially if you travel or commute long hours.

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Shure E4Cs

Strengths: Great sound, good noise isolation

Weakness: Speaker driver has blown twice in 4 months needing warranty replacement

I am very happy with the sound produced by these headphones, but am very concerned that they have failed twice in 4 months, needing warranty replacement. Each time, they failed after 2 months. At this rate I will have to get 6 warranty replacements by the end of the warranty period and will then have to kiss them goodbye! I do not listen to music very loud at all (I'm an older geezer), so that can't be the reason.

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Shure isolating headphones

Strengths: Sound isolating, even frequency response, Shure quality of craftmanship, custom fit with various earpiece sizes. I have comfortably used the silicon types for over 12 hours a day.

Weakness: None. The weak bass response comments are not a valid. These are designed to offer a flat frequency response across the spectrum. They don't give a fake bass boost common in consumer products.

The Shure line of products is handsdown the best on the market. Shure has been dealing with audio since 1925. There is no gimmicks involved and they are worth every penny. The imaging is nothing short of amazing. These headphone are more a professional grade and are used by many musicians as personal monitors on stage. If you are serious about sound then the Shure headphones are the only way to go. I personally would never settle for anything less. These headphones will reveal many things in recordings that you many not of ever heard before. They may just change your perspective on audio in general. If something sounds "off" in them it is more likely to be the recording or the source you are listening to, not the headphones. Yes, they are that good. Shure is the industry standard for professionals for good reason.

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Worth the money

Strengths: Great sound, isolation, decent bass

I replaced my old headphones and I LOVE these. Great build (nice cable with support where you need it). I like the compact carrying case which is included and the numerous earbuds to choose from.

The sound is crisp and the noise is very well blocked (I've used them on the DC subway and only heard very minor background noise even with the volume at mid-level). Bass is better than I expected and much better than the headphones I replaced.

One minor annoyance (due to the fact that they are so thoroughly placed within your ear) is when you have the headset volume muted you hear the chaffing noise from the headset cord on your shirt which propagates to the headset. I don't notice it when there is music.

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very good

Strengths: Sound quality, although a bit tinny with some music, Very comfortable earbuds

Weakness: Cord to thick and to long, should be made adjustable

Excellent for professionals, but portable use difficult due to cord thickness and length. Numerous earbud choices make phones very comfortable and rarely fall out of ears. Would definitely buy again

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Shure E4C are fabulous

Strengths: Great sound, attractive, tangle-free, low-profile

Weakness: very tight fit required for great sound

The Shure E4C sound isolating earphones are worth every penny if you appreciate great sound and you want to block outside noise. They produce a sound so crystal clear, that you will hear notes and instruments which you never heard before. The clarity is fabulous. You must insert these ear phones inside your ear so that you obtain a tight fit. When you pull the phones out, you should hear a pop sound. Shure provides a variety of ear sleeves and sizes so that you get a personal fit. The foam sleeves are most comfortable but I found the soft flex sleeves provide a snugger fit. If the fit is loose, you will lose the bass and the great sound. Shure E4C earphones come in a neutral color and will match any of the new players. The phones are low profile; and as a result, do not stick far out from your ear. The earphones are designed so that you can wrap the wire around the ear which is better for exercising. The earphones come with a tasteful carrying case. I have wound and unwound the E4C’s, and I find the wires to be sturdy and almost tangle-free. The earphones are designed to provide a great sound for classical as well as pop or dance music. A minor adjustment on your player, and the earphones will provide all the bass you will need. I highly recommend these earphones.

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Shure E4C

Strengths: Great earplugs with excellent sound quality, sturdy construction and excellent noise isolation. Must have Ipod companion. Apple earbuds sound like crap compared to this

Weakness: The accompanying case could use the cable management like the E3C case. Bass response is Average.

Shure e4c's are some of the best earplugs you can buy for your portable mp3 player. Highly recommended and this is the only way to listen to your IPod. Best balance for price/performance compared to the E5c. Sound quality is very good. Overall, great earcanal headphones!!!

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Excellent earphones

Strengths: great bass and highs

Weakness: Got to have clean ears!

These are great! I have e3c model also and love them, but I thought that the bass was lacking a little bit, so I got these. I can say that even after having it for just one day it produces excellent sound without any break-in. You know right away that sound stage is vastly improved, and you can easily separate instruments in the band. Nice.

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nice sound isolating phone

Strengths: noise blocking, sound quality,diversity accessories

It's one of the best sound isolating phone on the market. The sound quality is superb. And you can hardly hear anything surrounded you. So it's a good choice if you want music in a noisy enviourment. Plus, the package of the item includes enough accessories for different ear size and others.

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great sound

Strengths: strong, rich sound, low profile (strength?), thick cables, lots of ear fittings.

Weakness: the included ear fittings do not block out sound very well, the foam fitting works the best for me. I've heard that etymotic er6i blocks out sound better.

after using the earphones for a week, I can say that they are a definite improvement over the stock ipod earbuds. However, the 170 dollars I paid is a bit much. If these shures had better sound isolation I'd be a bit more satisfied. But overall, I'm impressed with the sound quality esp. in classical music and contemporary recordings (music recorded in the 60s i.e. beatles, dylan, beach boys, sound like crap)


I recommend the shures, but definitely ask your audiophile friends about etymotic and try them before you bank $170 on the e4c.

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Shure E4Cs

Strengths: Amazing sound isolation Very clear mids and highs

Weakness: bass is virtually absent

I tried these for a week and ended up returning them. On a plane they were spectacular in reducing engine noise. They had excellent, almost too sparkling highs, the deep bass was so lacking that there was nothing to boost with an equalizer. I had the sense that the vanishing point was about 120 HZ.

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By member: JCONDE - Oct 4, 2005

Excellent Canalphones

Strengths: size, color sound and build quality

Weakness: bass could be better, not the best synergy with ipods

I have owned my E4 for 2 weeks not. I am extremely happy with this product. At $189 it was an excellent deal and while bass could be a little better, I am very happy with the sound. It works better with my iriver H320 than my daughter's ipod.

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Solid Choice, distinct advantages

Strengths: Ability to eliminate outside noise and hear maximum sounds through headset

Weakness: poor directions on how to chnage out other earpiece sizes it comes with to fit you

Best noise canceling ability from outside sounds. It allows you to enjoy a fuller, uninterrupted sound. Sound qualty is very good, but not head and shoulders above some other premium earphones.A little pricey, great for travelers. You actually need to be careful because you have no idea what others are saying

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check review also Etymotic Research ER-4 before buy...

Strengths: Strong, last long or 2 years warranty

Weakness: 70% block noise

Headset Shure Advantages :


1. It the best fits in the ear
2. Block outside noise 70%, and don’t need battery.
3. Strong, last long or 2 years warranty
4. Can change the sizes and material from
5 Very small headset you can use in any place
6. Wire goes outside fits better
7. very health, not dangerous to the ears, opposite its health because instead to need higher volume you just hear good in the lowest volume because you don’t hear the noise outside.
8. is not a lot for $120 its worth a lot
9 I am using already 2 years and I approved 100%
10. 100% comfortable you can use hundred of hours directly
11. withe wire.
Today the Etymotic Research ER-4 has better noise canceling, I bought before my shure before etymotic made

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Something is not right

Strengths: -

Weakness: where's the bass?

i ordered the shure ec4 headphones for my ipod without testing because of all the good reviews and it was a big mistake. i have tried them on the Shuffle and the iPod Photo, but they are a bad match. it seems the Shuffle and the iPod photo dont have the power neccessary to drive these high tech headphones. try them on your powerbook and you will see what i mean. the difference, especially in the bass region, is like night and day. i would give it 4 stars for use against the powerbook. i am going to try them on the iPod video i just ordered. if that wont do it i am going to sell.

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Absolutely AMAZING sound!

Strengths: Virtually flawless frequency response across the spectrum. Amazingly compact and portable for the quality of the sound they produce. Perfect for long trips on a noisy plane, train, ferry, bus, etc.

Weakness: Difficult to insert correctly into ear canal. Not good for jogging due to the overpoweringly loud sound of your footsteps while wearing these earbuds.

Using the set of sleeves that came installed on the earbuds, I popped them into my ears and started to listen. What followed was the sound of sheer disappointment. I was mortified that I had paid $180 for something that sounded like a megaphone. Based on how the sleeves felt in my ears I was certain I had a tight seal, yet there was no bass response (aside from harmonics) and the rest of the frequencies sounded like they were coming from a tin can.

So then, I lethargically pulled another set of sleeves out of the package and installed them in place of the original ones. Again, I pushed the sleeves deep into my ear canal to achieve what I felt was a perfect seal. "Here we go again" I thought as I hit "play" on the first track of Mannheim Steamroller's "Christmas Extraordinaire" album. This time I was simply blown away by the depth, richness, and clarity of the music I was hearing--quite possibly the best sound I've ever heard from a set of headphones. What a difference! It looks like the secret to these things is having the right size sleeve installed.

Next, I noticed that I really couldn't hear anything else in the office. Everything but the music was simply silent. I could, however, when the music was paused, hear my heartbeat. Overall, they block out sound far better than my Bose Quiet Comfort headphones. The sound quality is just as good as the Bose (if not better), but without the subtle white noise generated by the noise cancellation circuitry.

I almost didn't purchase these earbuds because a couple of the reviews (the ones claiming "weak bass response") made me a bit wary. Now I'm glad I didn't believe them. I would have to say that anyone who thinks these earbuds don't produce enough bass, does NOT have them fit properly in their ear. I am a bass fanatic. I'm the guy who, as a teenager, had to have a dual 12" bandpass subwoofer box with 1,000 watts of power installed in the trunk of my hatchback in order to be satisfied. Granted, these earbuds don't produce a disproportionate amount of bass like my bandpass box did, but they most certainly DO produce an ample amount of rich, deep bass with amazing clarity.

After hearing the sound these things produce once they were properly fit in my ear, I can honestly say that I would still be thrilled with them even if I had paid the $300 retail price. They’re worth it!

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E4c Ear Buds

Strengths: Very good sound isolation. Full packet ear bud plugs.

Weakness: The sound quality is very good, but you can't expect tremendous bass response from ear buds.

Bought specifically for using while doing yard work, mowing, edging etc. They work perfectly for this application. I wouldn't recommend them for use while riding a bicycle or running. They block out too much noise which could be dangerous.

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Very nice!

Strengths: Great sound quality, very comfortable

Weakness: Difficult to fit at first

Let me start by saying I'm no audiophile by any stretch of the imagination. I don't even listen to a ton of music. But I know sound quality well enough to know that the "sit in your ear" earbuds I've been using weren't cutting it. The sound was ok, but if I pressed them into my ears a little, the sound improved dramatically. So I wanted to see what I've been missing.

I have small ears. Almost all earbuds I've ever used start to hurt my ears tremendously after a short amount of time, even if they're just sitting inside my outer ears. I got these because everyone says they're so comfortable. At first, even the smallest soft flex sleeves wouldn't enter my ear canals properly, but they made a relatively good seal anyway, and the sound quality was superb. On a flight to Las Vegas, I used the triple flange sleeves to get a better seal. The very lowest volume setting on my computer was sufficient to hear all the details of my movie, and even these enormous sleeves went into my ear with relatively little discomfort. I've also found that the more I use them, the more easily they slip in and the less they irritate my ears. I've even found that they make the other sleeves more comfortable to use (stretch my tiny ear canals a little?).

From someone who has a lot of trouble using in-ear earphones, let me just say that these have exceeded my expectations. I haven't compared the sound quality to other ear buds, but even the bass sounds great to me. And I really feel like I'm saving my ears by not having to crank up the volume. Ususally, the lowest volume setting is plenty to hear the music, and I never go above half way or the volume is excessive.

The construction seems top of the line, and the earphones stay in place comfortably, no matter what I'm doing. Especially with the triple flange sleeves. They were well worth the money I spent.

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Great earphones!

Strengths: Sound quality, bass response, lots of ear piece options, sound isolation

Weakness: pricey, heavy cord

The best in-ear headphones I have ever heard. I have gone through 3 different earbud brands - should have spent the extra $$ up front and bought these. Now that I have found the right combination of ear sleeves, these earphones are not only the best sounding, but the most comfortable I have ever owned. Well worth the extra money..

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DEFINITELY WORTH THE PURCHASE!!!

Strengths: Awesome Sound. A bit pricey, but totally worth it. My girlfriend bought a pair too after hearing them.

Weakness: NONE!

I consider myself an audiophile and I would highly recommend these to anyone that loves to hear the guitar pick on a guitar string when strummed. You can't even imagine the clarity I got with these earbuds. I absolutely love them. Wouldn't ever go back to anything less. BTW I bought the EX-71sl sony phones first and returned them 45 min. later.

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Shure E4C

Testseek.com has collected 21 expert reviews for Shure E4C and the average expert rating is 82 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use Testseek.com to see all ratings, product awards and conclusions.

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Shure E4c Headphones Review

The E4c is a small package for such a larger performer. Billed as sound isolating earphones, the E4c uses a tiny high-definition speaker and Shure's Tuned Port Technology to improve airflow around the speaker for "enhanced bass." The E4c is designed for use with personal portable electronics and, as such, it is both highly efficient and very detailed. In fact, the qualitative difference between...

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Shure E4c

The Shure E4c is a huge improvement from its predecessor, the E3c. The fit kit, which provides eight types of disposable sleeves, offers several options for users. The earbuds fit in an over-the-ear design, but allow you to choose from a pair of disposable foam sleeves and triple-flange sleeves, three sizes of flex sleeves, and three sizes of ultra-soft flex sleeves to ensure maximum sound...

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Shure E4c Sound Isolating Earphones

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