Review of Shure E2C Headphones
February 7th, 2005 by Jeremy Toeman
Everyone has their own inner rock star. Whether you singalong while driving (we see you), or yodel in the shower, its your inner self trying to get out. Thankfully, most of our inner children stay where they belong, inside (I can’t explain Ashlee Simpson, so please don’t ask). The few who have the gift are (we hope) out there sharing it. And when they do, they need gear. Good gear. One key thing they need is headphones, the kind that can block out enough of the outside world and let in what they want to hear during their performance. Believe it or not, for as little as $99, you can play in their world.
Shure, an American company whose roots are in the radio parts business, makes what they call “sound-isolating” headphones. In a nutshell, Shure combines exceptional quality headphones with earplugs. We were sent a pair of the E2c model, the lowest end that Shure makes, to try out. The units come in a great, compact carrying case, and were easy to carry along in our laptop bag.
We went out for a combination headphone test and workout, and tried to find an environment that would put the unit in a real-world environment. Somewhere where there’s a bit of background noise, and a jogging trail. We went to a small little built-up strip on the edge of the San Francisco airport. By the way, jets are loud. 
We also found a new friend, Emily. We asked Emily to try on the headphones, and then do some basic jogging, stretching, sitting, just like she usually does near SFO. Most important was to test if she could clearly hear the music coming from her iPod mini while the jumbo jets were taking off and landing in the background.
As you can see from our highly scientific methods, the Shure headphones were light, comfortable, and natural on Emily. The only hassle we ran into was her actually fitting the set into her ears. The Shure E2c headphones come with three sizes of earbuds, but she had a little difficulty, even with the smallest size. Then again, it was about seventeen degrees out, and it didn’t seem like Emily’s fingers were working properly in the cold. We recommend being comfortably warm when putting in the earbuds, and also having some familiarity with using earplugs, as it can be a bit tricky the first time you try it out.
Once they are in, however, it’s fairly hard to shake them loose. Their great design has them fit snugly in your ears, specifically designed not to fall out. One could even shake them like a Polaroid picture (did you even turn on the radio in 2004?), they do not budge.
We at LIVEdigitally do not have any sound measuring technology, other than the arm-based applause-o-meter. But there were 747s taking off every 10 minutes or so. It’s loud. We brought with us the Shure E2c and a pair of the Panasonic RP-HC50 Noise-Canceling Stereo Earbud Headphones (click here for info, but please do not buy them).
The Panasonic set (with batteries and all) did dampen the noise somewhat. By somewhat, I mean not at all. The music was all but inaudible.
The Shure E2cs provided a solid music experience. There was still some rumbling in the background, but since we could practically feel the exhaust of the planes, I think the point is moot. Bottom line here, is the headphones performed great. As much as the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0 Powered Speakers created deep, loud music, the Shure E2c headphones created listenable music in a deep, loud environment.
These go into the laptop bag, forever. Well, that’s until I upgrade to the even better ones Shure has to offer (and frankly, I can’t imagine how to get any better).
As for letting out your inner rock star? Go ahead, I’m wearing the E2c headphones, so I can’t hear you anyway.
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Models and photography provided by
May 16th, 2005 at 12:44 am
wheres the headphones? Great model. Interesting though
July 18th, 2005 at 7:01 am
EXTREMELY sexy when inserted into your ear!
October 18th, 2005 at 11:51 am
sexy when inserted into your ear
December 16th, 2005 at 9:06 am
stick it in and turn it up =)
February 17th, 2006 at 4:43 pm
[...] http://www.livedigitally.com/wp-content/iaudiophoneBIG.jpg”; target=”_new”>Indeed, any device that is so small, with so many features can only achieve this with some trade-offs. The iAudio 5 is no exception. For starters, there are too many ways to boost the bass: through the equalizer, the BBE, and the Mach 3 Bass. At least one could be eliminated to simplify adjustments. The manual does not explain many of the features and only has 20 pages in each language and left me wanting for more. There is a learning curve to navigating around comfortably using the two toggle switches, but I was comfortable after about 2 days. The buttons are on the smaller side, and users with larger fingers may have some difficulty. Speaking of smaller, the info on the display is very small as well. I was frustrated that I could not build playlists from the device. Also, there is no removable storage slot to expand the memory so I recommend you buy the larger 512 MB or 1 GB model. The player takes several seconds to start up, or shut down, which delays the start of the music. Audiophiles (as with just about all players they buy) will want to upgrade the headphones to a better model. Conclusion The iAudio 5 is a very stylish music player, with enough features to keep even advanced users satisfied for some time. The colorful display is clearly the standout feature. The use of a common AAA battery for power minimizes down time. The FM tuner means you never run out of new music during long layovers at the airport. The variety of recording modes and options extends the possibilities and usefulness of the device to a variety of applications. The number of supported file formats for playback complements these options. I envision this device for the young executive who likes to exercise with music, and travel without being weighed down with a heavier device. With all these possibilities, I’m sure they’ll find something worth listening to. For the extra dough, you can have something that is far more exclusive and feature rich than just another iPod Shuffle. When your friends see the multiple color display they’ll know why you chose the iAudio 5 and will be envious. Strengths -standard AAA battery [...]
May 29th, 2006 at 9:55 pm
It would help if you’re ipod was POWERED ON!
September 1st, 2006 at 5:55 am
I’m very interessted in these news technologies. Do you know others brands?
December 3rd, 2006 at 1:33 am
Great review!
Just one question- in the bottom photo did you ask her to touch her elbows at the front? Like we all used to do at Junior School parties? Because- I like it a lot.. haha. Please contact me through my email. i am most interested.
November 17th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
i dunno if i could afford one of these … but i “shure” want one … hehe …
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:19 am
great headphones.. sounds cristal clear
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Wow, I love these headphones! The sound is great, and you can easily hear at low volume! Not to mention that they block out any outside sound. I used them while listening to my cousin’s friend’s iPod, and plan to get some soon!
September 18th, 2008 at 5:42 am
I’ve got a pair of the higher-end headphones from the same line, and although I love them for the sound, the bit about jogging and stretching (etc) is a little exaggerated. I’ve found that just during the course of a normal bus ride I’ll have to adjust the headphones in my ears at least once or twice, because the natural tension of the ear canal pushes the tapered body of the earplug “sleeves” out. I’ve tried the smaller size, but as could be expected they just fall out of their own accord; a lack of tension in this case. The orange earplug-foam ones you used for the demo are really the best earbud sleeves for the job, but they can get rather uncomfortable in the long run.
In short, the headphones are fantastic for crystal-clear audio work in a comfortable environment not necessitating very much movement or traffic (where I’ve experienced them best), but not so much as everyday on-the-go headphones; you’re better off with something that’ll sit inside the natural cup of your earlobe, at least.