Shure SE210 Sound Isolating Earphone - White

I'm a former audio engineer (cool job but hard to make any 'real' money) so as you might suspect I'm pretty discriminating when it comes to gear. Shure has long been a big name in pro audio, their SM57 and SM58 microphones are industry standards so it was only natural that I selected Shure when I decided to go for a pair of high end buds. Understand that these are NOT just a "pop them in and go" pair of phones like the kind that came with your MP3 player. You have to learn how to wear them and most people will probably experience some discomfort until you get used to them. This type of sound isolating earphone has to go DEEP into your ear canal to work properly. If you don't get the fit just right, you won't experience the rich sound including good (but not "in your face") bass that this pair of cans is capable of delivering. Getting the fit right and achieving a nice tight seal is absolutely critical. If you don't get it right these will sound like an old AM radio...Read more

I have had these earphones for 6 days now and I have to say I've been extremely impressed with the sound quality. At first I was a bit disappointed, but once I got the fit right and figured out how to insert them correctly they really improved to the point that they now sound amazing (it took about a day to get them fitted correctly).

As far as the fitting process goes, I ended up having to use the smallest sized inserts - I couldn't even get the medium size inserted at all. Now that I've found the right position in my ear, they stay in place very firmly and are comfortable enough to wear all day long. The mistake I made at first was just trying to jam them in as far as them would go, but I discovered that I have to push them in and then angle them up slightly into my ear canal to get the best sound. Before I made that discovery I was ready to return them because I wasn't impressed at all.

I wasn't sure how well the sound isolation would work, but I've...Read more

I don't have the vocabulary or technical knowledge to be considered an audiophile, but I am very, very particular about my audio, moreso than the average person I would imagine. I've owned everything from Bose to Ultimate Ears to Bang&Olufsen to Sennheiser and Sony. I recently purchased the SE210 recently as an upgrade from the Shure E2. I wasn't completely satisfied with the E2 (E2C.) The SE210 is a much easier fit than the E2, the process of inserting them is easier and they seem to stay in the ear better. Indeed, Shure ear phones, to me, fit better and isolate noise much better than other in-ear-canal earphones (like Ultimate Ears.) The sound is very crisp and clear, the level of detail is excellent, and the bass is not as heavy. I use these walking outside, on the rapid transit train, in the airport, and on planes, and these are amazing at enhancing the listening experience in noisy areas. If you listen to a lot of hip-hop or like a lot of bass, you might want to consider...Read more