Shure SE210 Sound Isolating Earphone – Black
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Hi-Definition MicroSpeaker for Optmized Audio, Sound Isolating Design Blocks Outside Noise, Fit Kit for Superior Fid and Comfort, Comes with a Two Year Limited Manufactures Warranty, Superior Sound Quality, Modular Cable Design
Features
- Hi-Definition sound with bright highs and extra detail
- Hi-Definition MicroSpeaker delivers wider range and more clarity and detail than standard earbuds
- Sound Isolation Technology reduces background noise better than noise-cancelling headphones, without batteries or added hiss
- Deluxe Fit Kit including a selection of interchangeable sleeves for personalized, comfortable fit; 3′ extension cable; carrying case
- Modular Cable Design lets users choose different cable lengths to suit different music player locations (armband, pocket etc.)
- Dimensions (W x H x L): 1 x 14 x 1 inches
- Weight: 1 pounds
pretty good!
It took me at least one week to get used to the ear buds, but after that I came to like it.
I bought SE420 and compared sound quality. SE420 has clearer sound and I thought it is great for listening to classical music. It can realize the high notes, from instruments like piccolo or triangle. It can create really nice tinkling sounds with spark.
On the other hand, SE210 has richer, deeper sound and I felt it great for listening to rock or pop songs.
SE420 definitely has better quality material. The ear buds sits more comfortable in my ears, easy to wear, cable is soft, flexible, and light.
SE210 requires some effort to fit the ear buds in ears, but once in place, it is not bad. The cable is rigid and does not conform to my ear shape so easily.
Everything considered, I like SE210 more than SE420. I felt the sound of SE420 is light and flat. SE210 gives more complex, comfortable, and satisfying sound to my ears.
Great ear buds – just make sure to put them in your ear correctly!
Be sure to read other reviews on how to install the ear buds – squeeze the foam first, put in your ear, allow 10-15 seconds to expand. The pulling on your ear may help too. I use these daily at work to seal in my music and seal out the noise rising over the office walls. I love them and have had them for 2+ years and they are still as good as new.
There Are Better Options
There Are Better Options. The sound quality of the E-2 and E-1 in- ears are not very good for the money. You will getter much better sound from E-3, E-4, or E-5. I really think there are other manufacturers that make better units in the sub-$100 range. I think the E-4 are the best bang for the buck, however I have seen some deep price cuts on all of these (E-3, E-4, or E-5). I recently picked up some E-4’s for $140. It appears that Shure may be coming out with a new line of in-ears so these may also be close-outs. As far as durability I have used all of Shure’s in-ears on stage and studio and have only worn out 1 pair in 6 years(they still work but the rubber boot where the wire goes in has broken). As far as comfort, some people will like them and some won’t. All in-ears bother my ears after a couple of hours, and after about 15-20 hours I usually have to replace the sleeves. You should also clean them after every 3-5 hrs use(the foam sleeves don’t clean very well). Also be aware that the E-1 and E-2 use different size sleeves that the rest so be careful when ordering replacement sleeves.
You’re all idiots
This is in response to each and every idiot that wrote a review saying that one of the ear phones stopped working after a certain amount of time. Read the instructions people! Each package comes with a little tool with instructions to clean out the earwax buildup in the ear phone. Mine “stopped working” after several months too. I called Shure and they told me to use the tool to clean out the build up. I looked at it and told her there wasn’t any earwax in there. She calmly told me to try cleaning it and call her back if it doesn’t fix it. I did what she said and the sound became just as crisp and clear as the first day I used them. Bottom line, these are the best earphones I’ve ever had. Yes, the bass is slightly lacking, but the crisp clear tones that come through more than make up for it. Remember, use the cleaning tool rather than just being one.
Great sound, but essentially disposable
I really liked the SE210s. So much so that I bought a second pair when the first went bad (lost sound in one ear). And then a third pair (again, lost sound on one side). Now the third pair has broken (stem stretched and broke when changing sleeves) and it’s time to find another brand.
The sound quality was fantastic, and I really liked the foam sleeves for use on airplanes. I found I kept them in as ear plugs all the time when flying and just left them unplugged when I wasn’t listening to anything. I only wish they were more reliable.
Maybe I’ll try Shure again in a few years hoping they have their quality control problems resolved.
do not buy those!
I bought 2 pairs, for my wife and I, after a while in both cases the left side stop working.
It seems it is a well known problem, I should have done my research and look at the other reviews.
Incredible earphones!
I love these earphones. I’ve owned a pair now for over 3 years. Never had an issue with them. I also, as many others have, learned how to insert these into my ears properly. Luckily, I didn’t have to change the pads that were on the earphones when I bought them.
The sound is incredible, even the bass is great and these are the SE210’s which don’t have the extra bass feature like the SE310’s do. To me, the SE210 was the best “bang for the buck” and I’ve been happy with my purchase even for these 3 years.
I used to travel quite a bit and these were great to have while on the plane. One thing on comfort is that they do stick out a little bit so if you lay your head on a pillow and you lay on your side the earphone may be a bit uncomfortable because it pushes a bit into the pillow. You don’t get this with your typical earbuds (like the iPod earbuds). Also, I would hate when people would have music that I could hear from their headphones while sitting next to them. These headphones don’t do that! I could blast my music as loud as possible and no one would hear it. I don’t like to be a pest so that’s important to me.
As far as the quieting feature, I like it better than the Bose type headphones because those noise cancelling headphones, 1- need a power source and need batteries (mostly), and when I use those types of headphones it puts a slight pressure it seems on my inner ears which to me is uncomfortable. These earphones don’t do that. They don’t cancel out as much exterior sound but even when sitting in the rear of a plane, the sound doesn’t bother me when I have music or a movie, etc.. playing. Sometimes I just put in my earphones and don’t listen to anything on them just so I can block out noise.
Quality sound, but beware– they’re fragile!
I have really enjoyed the sound from these headphones, and continue to take real pleasure in my listening experience whenever I use them. Lots of people have written about that in their reviews, so I’m just writing this to add a practical note of caution based on recent experience. Unless you are extremely careful in your handling of the headphones, they are likely to break within a year, usually where the wiring joins with the plastic body of the headphone. I tried to be good about that, having read about this issue from other reviews here, but life being life, didn’t always unplug them and put them in their protective case instead of wrapping them around the iPod and putting it in my pocket. Ah well. The good part is that Shure has a reputable warranty, but you HAVE to have the original receipt for your headphones or you’re out of luck, and you should also save the box they come in so there’s no question. I have a brand new pair of headphones to replace the broken ones now, and it was an easy warranty replacement, but it would have been a huge pain if I hadn’t kept the box and the receipt. Now back to good listening.
excellent!
these were perfect, right out of the package! durable cord, outstanding sound, great noise cancelling feature, wonderful comfort.
Great sound, terrible longevity
I love the sound from these headphones — amazingly great. But they sort of fell apart after about eight months and I had to replace them. I used them at the gym fairly regularly and after a few months the plastic casing started to rip where the wire attached to the earbud and where the wire attached to the male connector. I taped them, etc., but no luck. I hate spending a so much for a product that doesn’t last.
Shure SE210
Bought this product based on a review on AOL. Seller not at fault. Amazon.com not at fault. The AOL reviewer mislead me badly. Comfort is OK but I have used earbuds that were better. Sound quality is terrible. Highs are tinny and starting at low/medium to medium volume the tinny sound is painful. Mid-range OK. Lows are marginal to unacceptable. Can’t speak to durability because I only used them a few times. Only positive is a slick case but the the poor sound quality make these unacceptable at any price. Don’t buy.
way superior then bose in ear!
The Shure SE210 are replacing my Bose in ear headphones. I use my set on a daily bases with my commute in NYC. Ive only had the Shure’s for a couple of weeks but so far so good. First off they are way louder and really do block most of the outside noise. They seem to be built to last with stronger wire plastic covers unlike the Bose that repeatedly cut and tear near the jack. As for the sound quality, its great, love the fact that i can listen to music on low volume level and still enjoy without outside noise interfering. I do feel the bass on the Bose was a little richer but I still choose Shure quality. Overall im NO expert on headphones but i highly recommend.
second pair owned – work great
Sound isolation is VERY effective so you don’t have to blast it in order to enjoy your music over the din of the plane or the gym music. Sound clarity is excellent, as it is the range. I have owned Bose and Sony equivalents but found these much superior.
Not Worth the Price
I am satisfied with the sound quality, but the construction of these earphones is very poor, considering their high price. The insulation on the wire leading into the jack has pulled away, and now the wire is exposed. I haven’t used these earphones very often, and I certainly haven’t abused them. Based on reading the other reviews, this seems to be an all too common problem, so it is unbelievable that this product is still being sold. I also believe the wire or insulation has become more brittle over time, and it seems to me that they are getting harder to bend around my ear, which is one of the recommended ways to wear these headphones.
Update–Well, now I noticed that, not only has the insulation around the jack pulled away leaving the wire exposed, the insulation further up the wire to one of the earphones has split, exposing more of the wiring. The entire surface of the insulation around all the wires has now become less flexible, and, at this point, these earphones are worthless. I’ve decided to trash this overpriced piece of junk and order a new set from a different manufacturer.
Sound good, but defective
I bought these IEMs as an upgrade from the Shure SE110s. While the sound quality is good, they appear to go bad after a few months of moderate use. With my first pair the left earphone quit working, so I sent it in for a replacement and Shure sent me a new pair with no questions asked. The second pair lasted for about 6 months, but this time the right earphone lost about 30% of its volume, so I’m giving up on them.
I originally paid $150 for these and thought they would last a lot longer than this. I didn’t abuse them and always kept them in the carry case when not in use. Others have reported similar problems, so this isn’t a case of bad luck.
I find it funny that the $30 Sony IEMs that I have are still working flawlessly and have been in use much longer than the Shure’s. They don’t sound as good but offer consistent performance.
Should have read the reviews first…
I should have read the reviews thoroughly before ordering. The low end of these headphones is nearly non-existent. I understand how ear-canal earphones work, and made sure I had a good seal while wearing them, but just couldn’t get acceptable bass levels with a PC, iPod or stereo. I listen to all kinds of music, and found the high to mid range of them fine, but was left wanting more. Highly disappointed for a set of headphones around $100.
Very good earphones
I bought these to replace a set of E3C headphones that I broke by stepping on them once too many times; I wasn’t sure if SE210 or SE310 was the right replacement, so I figured I’d save a few $$$ and go with the SE210. Unfortunately, I didn’t have both working at the same time, but working from memory, I’d say that the SE210 has somewhat better bass response than the E3C, while the highs on the SE210 are perhaps a bit less clear than on the E3C’s. All in all, the two are nearly identical, and I’m very happy with the SE210s.
As others have noted, you really have to find the right plugs to use to fit your ear — a bad fit will guarantee a very disappointing experience with any of these earbuds.
Long-term quality issue
When I first wore the SE210 I was very impressed with the fit and the quality of sound – more than enough for downloaded mp3s. However after 7 or 8 months of wear, mostly on planes, the rubber sleeves which run from the cable to the earpiece broke on both earphones; the rubber cuts away to reveal the Shure name and the L or R instruct and in doing so makes it too thin to last. Pulling the in-canal phones from the ear and probably pushing them in creates pressure which is obviously too much overall for the thin rubber. Once they are broken the cable join to the phone is exposed and over time this will sever rendering the product useless.
Great for exercise (beware the cord)
I bought these to replace a pair of E2C’s that lasted 3 years of heavy use (half marathons). I also bought the Monster Turbine for essentially the same price ($100). The Monster’s sound better but are very heavy and tend to slide out of the ear canal when running. The SE210’s fall between the E2C and Monster’s in sound quality; they are very comfortable and secure when running.
I was hoping the short cord (without extension) would work with an ipod on an ARM band, but it it too short for this. I’m 5′9, medium build, and it extends only to my chest (not my arm). 2″ to 4″ longer would have been perfect, as it is you will need an extension for anything other than a shuffle attached to your collar.
2 years and still going…
I’m in the process of thinking about getting some new ear buds, mostly because I’m a technophile that has to spend some money on gadgetry every now and then. So, I’ve been on Amazon researching higher end Shure’s. The reason I’m focusing on Shure is because I’m very satisfied with the SE210’s that I bought over two years ago. I have used these guys regularly for the past two years with my iPod Nano for running, in the gym, walking around town, riding public transport here in Eastern Europe, etc. Sound is great when you get the right fit and is very isolating. Everyone has to go through the different options and figure out the best fit that truly seals in the ear canal. I settled on the mid-sized foam earbuds and they are just now beginning to lose some of their elasticity/”spongie-ness”.
I’ve seen some complain about the weight of the cable or its durability. The weight took a bit of getting used to the first day or two. After that, it is what it is and you just use it and don’t think about it. If you can’t handle a couple extra ounces around your ears, then don’t get these. My only complaint about the Shure system with the cable extension is that I sweat a lot when I run, and I run the cable under my shirt so it’s not flopping all over the place. Over time, sweat has leaked into the connection and is starting to corrode the male-female connection there. Not a big deal, but it’s what keeps me from giving 5 stars. Otherwise, very satisfied with these for the roughly $100 price point.