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| Shure E3c Sound Isolating Earphones | 
 enlarge | Brand: Shure
Category: CE
List Price: $199.99
Buy New: $119.00
You Save: $80.99 (40%)
New (3) from $119.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  177 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Fragile: No
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 6.6 x 2.8
Warranty: 2 years warranty
MPN: E3c
Model: E3c
UPC: 042406119900
EAN: 0042406119900
ASIN: B0001NNLHK
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Smallest of Shure E-series Weighing only 0.9 ounce - less than 1 ounce | | • | Instead of bulky headphones, E3 wearers get form-fitting earpieces that stay securely inside the ear without uncomfortable headbands | | • | Sound isolation prevents outside noise from interfering with the music, and creates a quiet space for exceptional audio clarity | | • | The studio grade, low mass, high energy micro-speakers employ balanced armature technology for more efficient output and extended high frequencies | | • | Compatible for use with 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) audio output ports |
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| Accessories:
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| Similar Items:
| • | Shure EA306 Triple Flange Sleeves for E3c, E3g, E4c, E4g, E5c, I3, I4c, E3c-n and E4c-n models | | • | Shure Universal Fit 20 Pack Replacement Foams for E1c, E3c and E5c Earphones | | • | Shure PA755 Triple-Flange Sleeves for Shure Sound-Isolating Earphones (1 Pair) | | • | Shure EA120 Replacement Foams (Yellow) for Shure E3c, E3g, E4c, E4g, E5c, I3, I4c, E3c-n and E4c-n models - 10 Pair | | • | Shure E3c-n Sound Isolating Earphones (Black) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Shure E3c Sound Isolating Earphone - The replacement of the acclaimed E1, the E3 uses low mass, high energy micro-speakers to deliver incredibly precise sound with secure, comfortable, acoustic isolation for an outstanding listening experience where ever you are. Whether listening to your home stereo, computer, or portable CD or MP3 player, this earphone offers studio-quality performance of the highest order. Includes carrying case Soft, flexible sleeves in the Fit Kit gently contour the inside of the ear for a comfortable, secure fit 60-Inch cable with gold-plated connector 2 Year Shure warranty Color - White
Amazon.com Review
If you're looking to upgrade your portable music listening experience, the Shure E3c sound isolating earphones deserve a serious look. The E3c's offer a level of sensitivity and range that places them in the audiophile tier of earphones and fortunately, Shure has priced them to make this kind of quality within reach. In many ways, judging sound quality is all about making comparisons, and when the E3c's are matched against their big brother, the Shure E5c earphones, the E3c's do reveal a noticeable loss of dynamic range and clarity. Of course, the E5c's are worth every penny for those who want to spend more on earphones than they spent on their iPod. The E3c's, on the other hand, come out a clear winner when you weigh their quality and cost. Design
The E3c earbuds are small and easy to insert in the ear-- easier, in fact, than the E5c earbuds, which are larger and less friendly to folks with small ears. The E3c's thin and pliant cords are light and easy to manage. They're also designed to be looped over the back of the ear, but some testers found it uncomfortable and awkward to keep them there. These testers also said they preferred inserting the earphones upside down, letting the cords dangle downwards from the ear to avoid hassles. By comparison, the E5c earphones feature a bendable stiffening material in the section of cable that runs behind the ears, allowing the listener to loop the cables over and behind the ear more securely. It would be nice to see this simple solution added to the E3c earphones. Shure did choose to give the E3c's the same gold-plated, 3.5mm input connector as the E5c's. The connector has a low-profile elbow bend to minimize accidental unplugging and snags-- great for laptop and airline users. And just like the E5c's, the E3c's come with a number of earplug "sleeves" packaged in what Shure calls a "fit kit". Our testers had little trouble finding a sleeve that felt comfortable. We especially liked the expanding foam sleeves that, like those foam dinosaurs that grow in water, expand to fit the contours of the ear canal. Sound Quality
As we listened to a broad range of musical genres on the E3c earphones it was hard, once again, not to make comparisons with the E5c's. If you aren't even entertaining the notion of purchasing the E5c's, then make sure you never have occasion to listen to them. Rest easy in the knowledge that the E3c's deliver clear, crisp highs and rich, thundering lows. Delight in the fact that they excel at delivering the celebrated earphone experience; the external world is largely silenced and the music resonates inside your head. Meanwhile, if you are toying with the idea of stepping up to the E5c's, go ahead and give both models a listen. Although the difference between the two is not stark, we immediately noticed that we had to drive the E3c's at higher volume to get the same kind of resonance and fullness the E5c's deliver at a relatively lower volume. Comparing the E3c's to the E5c's is a bit unfair, but in many ways, the comparisons revealed just how good both sets of earphones really are. The E5c's represent an extremely high benchmark, and fortunately for those who don't want to spend a bundle on top-quality earphones, the E3c's aren't too far off the pace. We recommend them as a massive upgrade to the standard headphones that ship with most portable music devices.--Joshua Gunn Pros
- Simple, compact design
- Designed for compatibility with most ears
- Excellent sound quality at a non-stratospheric price
Cons
- Cord ergonomics could be better
- Lower-quality sound than the E5c model generates unplanned spending urge
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| Customer Reviews: Read 172 more reviews...
 Raw sound quality for my raw music like nothing I've known September 16, 2004
268 out of 292 found this review helpful
First off, let me save certain people the trouble of reading the following review: If you've got to convince yourself that a pair of earphones could be worth what these cost, they probably aren't.
When I first put these on (with my correctly-fitting size of included ear adapters), I was comparing them with a $9 pair of Sony earbuds that I've been using for the past few years. I couldn't believe it, but I thought my crappy Sony earbuds sounded 100 times better. "Where's the bass?" I thought to myself when switching the '3's' back into my noggin for the second time and still not hearing it.
It took me about 5 minutes to finally figure out the trick that Sony, Panasonic and all of the other consumer-grade electronics manufacturers have been playing on me and you all along: they deceptively amplify the bass response from that of the musician's original intent to cover up the dismal sound quality and inaccurate reproduction of the music provided by their inferior wares. Yeah, that 'Mega-Bass' is more like a bunch of mega BULL.
The '3's do not overpower you with bass. They deliver your music to you as your favorite musicians intended for you to hear it. What you are paying for with these headphones is ACCURACY. Those tight, crisp high-hats bucketed in syncopated pockets of time that you may have not even heard before will elude you no longer, once you get the '3's. The slight tune-decay of those analog synth chords that you're supposed to hear just upon the release of the keys on your favorite 70's fusion recordings would send chills through any jazz/funk afficionado like myself, but you'll never hear 'em without these puppies. The raw, airy echo of live drums that manifests the musically intended mood of good music more than almost any other component or aspect, imho, will be kept from you no longer once you are down with the '3's.
I just got these today, I put them in my ears over two hours ago, and here it is, 10:20pm, I've got work early tomorrow morning, and I cannot even tear myself away from these. I'm hearing my music for the first time, as far as I'm concerned. These headphones literally bring me to tears.
What's your music collection worth to you? Mine's worth about $10K in monetary value, priceless in musical value. I look at it this way now: If I didn't get the '3's, I wouldn't have saved the cost of the headphones - I would have wasted the value of my entire musical collection.
BTW, I do not work for Shure and I have no connection with them, Sony, Panasonic or the like.
If you are one of those conspiratory-minded people that think that a review this strong on musical electronics could only come from someone looking to knock a corporate power off of its perch,
that's cool with me; you probably don't understand music very well or a thing I've said above if you have time to waste on such thoughts that you could be spending listening to music.
Compact and GREAT December 2, 2004
57 out of 62 found this review helpful
Not being an audiophile but just an ordinary listener, I decided to splurge and check these out as Shure has a return policy. Am not disappointed --- really pleased to have the quality of great sound. Clear and crisp as one had great speakers. Don't bother with looping the cord over the ears, they work fine the regular way and check out the various inserts for the best fit. I have Sony noise cancellation headphones for over 7 years now and use those too, as well as medium priced Koss headphones from Radio Shack but neither compare to the E3c --- so save your money by not buying all those other headphones that will sit and go with the Shure E3c!
 Not recommended May 4, 2005
34 out of 43 found this review helpful
These Shure earphones fall into the category of In Ear Monitors...that is they plug directly into your ear canal, so they are more commonly called canalphones.
Like all canal phones, it must be inserted and sealed into your ears properly for best sound. To do so, the package includes a large assortment of different sleeves, soft, medium, and disposable foam. Let me save you the trouble, the foams are by far the best. They provide the tightest seal, and the best sound quality. You compress them by rolling them in your fingers and then insert the earphone into your ear and they will expand to form the seal.
Without a proper seal, you will lose all the bass notes and it will sound tinny. After a while, they will wear out, and lose their elasticity, and you will have to buy replacement foams. Shure is charging a lot for these foams, so keep that in mind when you buy this product. I wish they could have priced them more reasonably.
After you insert the earphones into your, you can loop the cords around the your ears to provide stability (so the cord is less likely to yank out your earphones as you move around). It does take a while to get used to inserting them, and it takes a few moments to do so. So these are not good earphones if you expect to take them off a lot as you will wear out the foam inserts even faster.
Also, as Shure says, these are noise ISOLATING headphones. This is a blessing, as they block out at least 20dB of noise with the foams, and even in the noisiest environment all you hear is clear music. Even on an airplane or train, you are isolated and feel like you are in your own private concert hall.
About the sound quality. I've heard and owned a lot of headphones from highly praised Sennheiser HD497/HD600/HD650, may Grados, AKG electrostatics, All the Grado's, and others, and these Shures sound completely different. They have a very intimate midrange, you will feel like the music is hardwired to your brain. Vocals are clear and crisp and the singer sounds like they are practically singing to your face. Bass is not very prominent. It's all there, and very tight sounding. But it does sound a little bit relaxed. Compared to most headphones, I feel the bass is accurate, but just a tad bit weak.
However, above 6Khz, the treble response does start to roll off significantly. So much so that I was wondering if I had a defective product. But this is the way they are supposed to sound. Compared to nearly every other good headphone I've used, I find the Shure's treble response to be unsatisfactory. So much so that I start resorting to EQ settings on the iPod just to try to bring it back on par. Even with a potrable headphone amp, the bass is still weak, and the treble is very recessed. I gave up on these and sold them. No amount of break-in helped either.
So I don't recommend these, all the treble that you are used to hearing with most other headphones are a distinct whimper. It's too bad because the sound of the Shures is pretty nice otherwise. For the same price, I really do suggest you look at alternatives like those from Etymotic Research or the triple driver Ultimate Ears canalphones. Even Shure's own E4 model, albeit much more expensive, is a better value than these as they have a more balanced sound.
SImply Amazing; Choice of Sleeve Makes Huge Difference August 8, 2004
19 out of 21 found this review helpful
UPDATE TO REVIEW:
This is an update to my earlier review. I've now had these for about two months and have grown to really like them. I've found that the foam sleeves are by far the best, both for sound quality, isolation and comfort. The sound with these is simply fantastic - sharp, clear, detailed and powerful. The isloation is awesome. The foam sleeves get dirty after a while but Shure sells replacements for $20 for 10 pairs. A pair probably needs to be replaced every few weeks, depending on how often they are used. $2/pair isn't a lot of money so I don't mind it.
Another review mentioned how the design is bad because the wire needs to go over your shoulder or under your armpit. That's not how they're supposed to work. The wire goes down your back. I usually keep my Ipod in my front pocket and have no problems having the wire run down my back around to my pocket. Can also run the wire down the front as well (I do this at the gym). As for putting them on, yes they're not AS easy as regular headphones but they take me all of 5 seconds so I don't mind.
I've seen some complaints about the bass. People who complain don't know what bass should sound like. These have tight bass, not crappy boomy bass like cheap headphones. I listen to a lot of bass-heavy hip hop and electronic music and I love the way these sound. I have some tracks where the bass is pounding.
I do have a few minor complaints with these. Because the cord runs down your back, you need to make sure to leave some slack when you sit down, otherwise your back will press the cord against the seat back and if you move your head, the wire will be tight. This doesn't really bother me, and you can also run the wire down your front if you want. Also, when you take them off, you can't just put them around your neck like other headphones since there's no headband to fit around your neck. Again, very minor complaints.
Overall, I have grown to really love these headphones. The sound quality is awesome and the isolation is really amazing. The only sleeves I use are the foam. The gray ones don't sound as good and the clear ones aren't very comfortable. I ordered the triple flange sleeves for $10 from Shure's website, but didn't like those. The foamies are really awesome though.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I've had these for two weeks now. Did a lot of experimenting with the sleeves and I will tell you that which sleeve you use makes a HUGE HUGE HUGE difference.
I initially used the gray ones. Tried both the small and medium sizes. I'm an audiophile and was disappointed in the sound quality. Don't get me wrong - it sounded good. It was very clean and flat. But I thought it sounded a little thin and lacked depth/color. I fiddled around with how they sit in my ear and found that that made a big difference also but never hit the point where I thought the sound was amazing.
I just tried switching sleeves. Tried both the clear ones and the foam. All I can say is WOW. The sound quality with both of these is so much better than with the gray (at least for me). I can't get over the difference it makes. The difference is all in the seal that the earphones make in your ear. To anyone buying these, I strongly suggest you try all of the sleeves that come with these. It will make all the difference. For me, it will take some experimenting to see whether the foam or clear sleeves are more comfortable to wear for extended times, but they both sound amazing.
The isolation on these is also incredible. I live in NYC and take the subway to work every morning. With my old (over the ear) headphones, I couldn't hear the music when a train would pull in or out of the station or when the train was moving and the wheels were screeching on the tracks, even with the volume all the way up. Now the music dominates everything I hear. Even if a screeching train is pulling into the station, my music still sounds loud and clear. Plus I don't need to keep my Ipod's volume all the way up anymore, which is better for my ears. It's really amazing.
The design of these takes a little while to get used to (they wrap up behind and over the top of your ears) but once you get used to it, it really is a better way to wear headphones. They are securely in your ear and will not come out. Also, the cord is out of the way. Takes a few seconds longer to put them but I think it's worth it. I find these to be very comfortable.
I'm a DJ and have used Shure needles for years. Shure makes high quality products. These are no exception. They sound fantastic - rich, deep, clear and flat. I strongly believe that anyone who gave these a bad review didn't experiment enough to find the right seal. I highly recommend these.
 They were great, until the trip to the emergency room . . . June 29, 2005
19 out of 27 found this review helpful
I feel a bit of a fool, because how do you get this thing stuck in your ear? But it happened to me, and it wasn't as if I did anything extraordinarily stupid. I read the instruction booklet, and I stuck the earphones in my ears. That's all I basically did.
I attached one of the smaller cushiony sleeves to each side of the earphones. They were really comfy--slid right into my ear, felt just right--like they were positioned the way they were supposed to be. Then one time when I was trying to remove the earphone from one side, the plastic sleeve detached from the earphone and stuck in my ear. I couldn't get it out by myself, so off to the ER I went. The ER doctor said it got really stuck in there.
I try to think back and wonder what I possibly did wrong that could have contributed to the ER visit, and I still come back to, "I put them in my ears. I positioned them so they were comfortable and worked well. That's all I did." Seriously, it isn't rocket science. The sleeves were attached snugly to the earphone body, and yet one of them still came off inside my ear. If it can happen to me, it can happen to someone else.
Other than the trip to the ER, these earphones worked fine. The short time I had them, they really isolated outside sound well, and the sound was great. I wish they'd work out for me, but understandably, I am leery of in-ear headphones right now--at least ones with removable sleeves that *might* slip off inside your ear canal.
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