Shure E2c and E3c in ear headphones - do you like them?

[Blast9]

Hi folks ----

Looking for isolating in-ear headphones for listening pleasure and possibly rehearsing with a click track.

Has anyone checked these Shure E2c and E3c fones out?

Audio quality?

Effective at knocking down external noise?

There's a heck of a price difference between the 2 --- anyone used both?

Do you think they'd work for a drummer working with a click track?

Cheers

[Cojo]

Hi!

I have had the E2c for about a year. I initially bought them as a good pair of headphones to go with my walkman. They do isolate from outside noise and they have high sensitivity. The sound is detaild with a lot of presence. I actually listened to a mix I was doing and found them to reveal problem frequences that I havn't heard.

They sit well in the ear (if inserted right) so i think they will suit a drummer. I havn't listened to the E3c so I can't compare them.

They are deffinitly worth the money!

/Cojo

[Blast9]

Great stuff!

Thanks for your detailed reply!

[C/G]

Blast9, I am in the same situation. I am using Sennheiser HD280 headphones for rehearsing and playing with a click. I use one speaker over the ear, and the other side just sits on the side of my head because I still need to hear what is happening. I want to try in-ear phones but am worried about them not being isolated enough or letting too much ambient sound in. I need to hear the click over the band. Are those Shure phones expensive? I don't think I would be able to return them if I don't like them.

[T_R_S]

I have EC3 and don't likr them at all. - They again any in ear for me is not good. I must have "non standard ears"

[Blast9]

Hi Colin ---

Here in "rip-off Britain" the E2c go for between £57 and £63, and the (apparently much better) e3c go for between £112 and £149.

There's a good review on Amazon comparing the two!

T_R_S --- are you finding them uncomfortable or are you not getting on with the sound?

Cheers

[ersheff]

I have E3c's that I got on ebay used for very cheap. I like them for the most part. They're great for blocking out the sounds of all of the obnoxious, noisy students at the center of the arts when I'm trying to do last minute listening for my form and analysis class. When I first tried them, I thought they were a bit dark sounding and lacked on the high end, but once I got used to them I think that it was just because there was so much more bass on them then the ipod earbuds. Now that I've had them for a while, they sound pretty natural, maybe even too good- I'm starting to hear more of the inadequacies of compressed music, even at 320 AAC.

[C/G]

Originally Posted by T_R_S

I have EC3 and don't likr them at all. - They again any in ear for me is not good. I must have "non standard ears"

Maybe I can pop over some day and check them out. I'll clean my ears first I promise! Maybe I'll buy them from you.

[sleepwalker]

I've used E1 and E3c's. The E3c's do sound better. They are great at isolation and they sound good, but they're bass shy.

Originally Posted by Blast9

Hi folks ----

Looking for isolating in-ear headphones for listening pleasure and possibly rehearsing with a click track.

Has anyone checked these Shure E2c and E3c fones out?

Audio quality?

Effective at knocking down external noise?

There's a heck of a price difference between the 2 --- anyone used both?

Do you think they'd work for a drummer working with a click track?

Cheers

[innershock]

our drummer is using the e2c's and seems pretty happy--

out of curiosity to those of you playing live with clicks, what are you playing your mix off of?

currently i'm running off a Yamaha aw2816 that i got cheap off ebay.. fully automated faders, scene memory, and pretty decent routing options. we've even been forgoing the drum wedge and instead have been feeding a vocal only mix back to the aw2816-- all levels are controllable by the drummer too so he can customize what he wants to hear.

[C/G]

Originally Posted by innershock

our drummer is using the e2c's and seems pretty happy--

out of curiosity to those of you playing live with clicks, what are you playing your mix off of?

currently i'm running off a Yamaha aw2816 that i got cheap off ebay.. fully automated faders, scene memory, and pretty decent routing options. we've even been forgoing the drum wedge and instead have been feeding a vocal only mix back to the aw2816-- all levels are controllable by the drummer too so he can customize what he wants to hear.

I'm doing similar, but just using a crappy Behringer 4ch mixer. I am still using a wedge because only one of my ears has a phone on it, the other is uncovered so I can hear my band. I really want to try some in ear monitoring.

[GearGuy]

I have the E2 and I don't care for them... They can be okay on stage, you'll be able to hear what you need to (onstage I usually play bass) but they are not as full range or detailed for music playback. Also, the fit is not as comfortable as other IEM. Buy the E3 instead, worth the extra money!

[meteor]

I don't know if you can get them in the UK, but if you have the dough - i think Westone is making a better driver than Shure these days. It makes sense since Westone was the original designer and manufacturer before Shure took it to Asia. At any rate, if you want to get anything great out of an IEM driver you almost have to go to a dual (highs & lows) driver unit. Shure make the E-5, Westone makes the UM-2 - which is essentially a more comfortable, more compact, and IMO, a slightly better sounding version of Shure's E-5 dual driver earphone set. Both would have about 26db of isolation. If you can't spend the dough on a dual driver unit, the differences between the single driver variations (Shure E-1, E-2, E-3 or Westone UM-1) are fairly subtle... except for the Shure E-1 and the Westone UM-2(essentially a mildly redesigned and, IMHO, slightly improved E-1) both come with the foam inserts that will also produce about 26db of isolation. The rubber inserts are less effective at isolation.

Of course, for me none of this was quite right so I got a set of custom molded Ultimate Ear drivers where I can choose how much isolation I want depending on the situation.

cheers,

[scrubs]

You may also want to check out the Etymotic Research in-ears, if available in your area. I got the ER-6i for my mp3 player, initially, but now I use them for tracking (especially drums), since they isolate so nicely. The ER-4p is supposed to be even better.

[Blast9]

Hey thanks everyone for your detailed info

--- meteor and scrubs --- thanks for those suggestions

--- Innershock and Colin G ---

What else have you got in th emixer channels? I guess you hav ebacking tracks too innershock? Or are you monitoring the inputs with the band feeding into the AW?

[C/G]

Originally Posted by Blast9

Hey thanks everyone for your detailed info

--- meteor and scrubs --- thanks for those suggestions

--- Innershock and Colin G ---

What else have you got in th emixer channels? I guess you hav ebacking tracks too innershock? Or are you monitoring the inputs with the band feeding into the AW?

I'm just getting the click in my phones right now, that's why I keep one half of the cans on the side of my head and not directly on both ears. I use the click for about half of our songs due to loops and delays and all that other tap-tempo bullshit my guitar player does. We eventually want everything in synch, like both keyboards, delays, ect via midi controllers.

It drives me crazy actually because everytime he gets a new toy and synchs it up it just adds to the routing headache.

I bet they would be totally pissed if I bought a big chinese crash and decided to use it on every song just because it is new.

[Blast9]

LOL...

"China crash --- The new click track sound for the two-double-0s"

Reminds me of my bass player... He's always looking a bit skeptical when the drummer's laying into the open hats in the choruses.... "Hmm... its not aggressive/loud enough... Do some crash/ride stuff"

What.... on EVERY SONG bro? What about our future MTV ballad hit? tutt

[BB Bill]

I have the EC3, use them both on stage with my in-ear monitor and on my free time with my iPod. They work great for both. Good isolation on stage (and also when listening to music on airplanes or buses etc), and they sound pretty decent with my iPod.

I'd recommend them.

[js1]

I like my E3Cs as well (for the same reasons that others mention).

One thing that I do - if I'm trying to position a mic in front of a guitar cab going full bore, I'll use industrial earmuffs over the E3Cs. Acually works pretty well.

js

[doug_hti]

I just got some e3s today. I had to replace a couple pair of e2s that I've had for over 5 years.
A couple weeks ago I got Ultimate Ears 3 series (don't remember exact model). I really thought they (the ultimate ears) were RIDICULOUSLY lacking in the low end, almost as in they are not working and it wasn't a seal issue.

The E3s are descently (not amazingly) better than my old E2s a bit more top and bottom extension, quite pronounced in the mids and upper mids.

Overall worth the money and useful.

[Implicit]

Originally Posted by meteor

Of course, for me none of this was quite right so I got a set of custom molded Ultimate Ear drivers where I can choose how much isolation I want depending on the situation.

What model UE's do this?

[xj32]

Not too expand the circle...but after trying the E2's and 3's I went with the E4's, which sounded the most real and natural to me. The E2's actually have a better (read) hyped bass responce.

I may also be biased as one of my best friends helped design the E4's...

Paul

[chrisp2u]

Originally Posted by meteor

I don't know if you can get them in the UK, but if you have the dough - i think Westone is making a better driver than Shure these days. ... Shure make the E-5, Westone makes the UM-2 - which is essentially a more comfortable, more compact, and IMO, a slightly better sounding version of Shure's E-5 dual driver earphone set. Both would have about 26db of isolation. ...

+1 on the Westone UM2's. The quality of (if not better than) the Shure E5's and can be found for less than the price of the E4's (got mine for $225). They worked ok with the included comply foam tips, but I picked up some shure triple flanges for my UM2's and trimmed them back a tad. Flanges take a bit to get used to, but both the sound and isolation is better than the comply's IMHO. Ultimately, I'll probably end up getting the custom molds for them though.
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