Shure E4c Sound Isolating Earphones -- djRoME's Review

One of the best pieces of swag I managed to come home from Digitallife 2005 with was a set of Shure E4c Sound Isolating Earphones. These puppies sound great! At an admittedly pricy $299, I'm not sure how fast these will run out the door, but let me tell you these things appear to be worth every penny.

Everyone representing iTG at Digitallife got a full blown demo of the difference between Shure's various models of these types of earphones, and the sound was impressive. During the demo, the Shure rep mentioned that these earphones are used by professional musicians as well as gamers and iPod owners.

Most say these earphones are designed specifically for the iPod, while it is obvious that Shure is aiming at that market, there are many other markets to tap into as well. These earbuds do such a good job with sound isolation, it's possible to be sitting on a loud train and not hear any of the train ambience at all! I spent the weekend with these earbuds on in the middle of a convention center, and felt completely isolated.

The set also comes with a connectable inline volume knob, as well as a sturdy case, and extra earpieces in different sizes. The little red box is brimming with goodies!

One of the best features about these earbuds is the interchangeable tips. You can choose from two different rubber types, or my favorite, the yellow earplug foam material. When you place the yellow foam in your ears, you are unbelievably isolated!

These earbuds are designed to be worn over the ear like a news anchor or live musician would. They are made with super strong chords, and appear very sturdy. The earpieces are interchangeable, so the E4c has the features of the set of earphones that you could own for a decade. They are very strong, and I can't see myself breaking them any time soon. I'm not really into this whole "iPod revolution" that's going on, but these earphones made me consider purchasing an iPod!

The sound of these earphones is breathtaking. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE demo these earphones so you can hear what the perfect earphone sound should be. These earphones achieve such a good sound by their placement in your ear canal, and Shure's "Tuned Port Technology," which increases the air flow around the sound driver to bring rich bass. These earphones have HUGE BASS!

CONS:

One con is that I don't believe the chord is long enough for a computer gamer to be comfortable with. measuring 55", the chord sounds long on paper, but I am slightly uncomfortable reaching anywhere but the front of my rig with the chord. This chord should be the perfect length for an iPod owner, however. The E4g model of these earphones (these come in black) have a slightly SHORTER chord (about 50") which I find amazing since I barely can live with the 55". Make sure you're plugging in at the front of your comp.


These earphones may be uncomfortable for you if you don't like the feeling of earplugs. These earphones go in your ear canal and feel exactly like earplugs.

The design of these earphones is to be worn over the ear, so those of you who hang the chord down by your chin will have to reverse the L and R sides to achieve better comfort. That's not a huge deal, yet wierd none the less.

BOTTOM LINE:

While the Shure E4c is not an absolutely perfect earphone for every application, these earphones have single handedly made me a fan of earbuds again. I wear these when I game for the isolation, and I wear them when I broadcast to hear what my TRUE sound is that's coming out of my micrphone. The sound is crystal clear, and AMAZING from the first sound you hear to the last song you listen to.


When you demo these earphones, DO NOT listen to MP3's as you won't get the full effect of the amazing quality that these earphones bring. The compression of the mp3 files degrades the sound. Demo these earphones with a CD playing so you can hear the amazing clarity.

At a price of $299 retail, I can safely say that would have scared me away from purchasing these. If you've got the scratch, and are even slighty interested based on this review, take my word for it and BUY THESE EARPHONES! You will not be sorry. The E4g version (black, shorter cable) is priced at $199 which is slighty better. If you already use earbuds daily, get these. They will be the last set you ever buy.

I'll give these earphones an 8.9 out of 10.