Shure E3C Earphones Review
By Brandon King
March 6th, 2004
Summary
Before you consider buying the E3C, decide what you want to use them for, and what type of music you will be listening to.
If the answer is more bass driven music like drum and bass or trance, you may want to pass on the E3C. If you plan to listen to vocal, rock, or pop, the E3C is an excellent choice. The sound is lively and clear on the upper end and midrange, and slightly lacking in the low range.
Full Review
Introduction
Shure's middle of the line E3c provides excellent fidelity, but falls short on bass output. While the sound is more crisp than the previously reviewed E2c, it lacks the deep bass and doesn't seem to seal as well. Regardless, the E3c provides excellent detail, a decent soundstage size, and quick response. These factors make the Shure E3c an excellent set of headphones for use with any portable player.
Design and Features
The Shure E3c continues in the tradition of high quality canal phones. With an MSRP of $179, the E3c is priced to be the middle of the road option, resting square between the $99 E2c and $499 E5c. We previously reviewed the Shure E2c, Shure's entry level headphone, and will discuss the similarities and differences in each category.
Featuring what Shure calls high-energy micro-speakers, the E3c Earphones are designed to deliver “tonal balance across the entire frequency range.”
As discussed in the E2c review, canalphones are somewhat similar to earbuds. Instead of resting in the outer ear, a sleeved soft rubber section of the headphone is fitted into the ear canal. The result is nearly complete isolation from the outside environment. It is important to get a good seal with any canalphone — there should be no movement of air around the sleeve, since the sound is produced by the compression and expansion of the sealed space between the driver and the eardrum.
According to Shure, the E3c's speakers are “constructed with studio-grade components, with balanced armature technology, producing efficient output and exceptional audio clarity. The E3c's speakers have an extended frequency range for even greater clarity in your listening experience.”
The Shure E3c Canalphones are an excellent compliment to the iPod.
They seem to be designed to compliment the iPod, sporting a bright white plastic casing. The earbuds themselves are extremely small and lightweight, approximately half the size and slightly lighter than the E2c. The cord is 5 feet long, the same as the E2c, but gray instead of black. Both feature removable sleeves that varying in comfort and durability. Both come with a carrying case and 3 sizes of flex sleeves and 1 pair pf foam sleeves. The E3c also comes with soft flex sleeves which we found more comfortable, but provided the weakest seal — resulting is poor bass. Overall, the unstylish yellow foam sleeves provide the best seal, which means better sound.
Performance
Audio quality was very good with the E3c, but very different from the E2c. In fact, we would go so far as to say that the audio signature is completely different. While the E2c had deep murmuring bass that muffled some high pitched frequencies, the E3c is nearly the opposite. The high pitches are very detailed, but the bass is very weak, especially without a perfect seal. The responsiveness is excellent, proving that the “High Energy Microspeaker” present in the E3c lives up to its name. However, the bass is lacking regardless of what sleeves are used, especially lower frequencies. The E3cs were easily driven with any portable player we threw at it.
We used the same music used for the E2c review to test the E3c: Bjork's “Vespertine” (DVD-Audio and MP3), Mahler Symphony 10 (Berliner Philharmoniker — conducted by Sir Simon Rattle — DVD-Audio), The Cure's “Disintegration” (CD + MP3), Gary Numan's “Exile” (CD and MP3), and Delerium's “Karma” (CD and MP3). Our test players were a SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Platinum (for DVD-Audio, CD, and MP3), iRiver SlimX 350 (CD and MP3), and Rio PSA|Play 120 (MP3). All MP3s encoded with VBR 160kbps-320kbps/44kHz.
The high energy sound worked well with Bjork's fluctuation in voice, but the bass was unable to descend to levels needed for songs like “Hidden Place.” Again, Mahler sounded excellent. The balance across the spectrum shone through nicely, and we were able to easily place the various symphony components. The Cure sounded slightly distant, but very similar to concert quality of instrument balance. Both Gary Numan and Delerium lost their airy quality, and while the vocals came through very crisp and clear, the atmosphere was largely removed.
For gaming we used only Unreal Tournament 2003. Sound localization was excellent, far better than most of the headphones we have used, but the bass was merely okay. What should have been booming explosions left us wanting more, but was made up for with the detailed sound of alien innards squishing against the walls. As with the E2c, reproduction of sounds coming from behind was very clear.
The Shure E3c Canalphones pack a lot of punch in a small package.
Conclusion
Before you consider buying the E3c, decide what you want to use them for, and what type of music you will be listening to.
If the answer is more bass driven music like drum and bass or trance, you may want to pass on the E3c. If you plan to listen to vocal, rock, or pop, the E3c is an excellent choice. The sound is lively and clear on the upper end and midrange, and slightly lacking in the low range.
Specs
Key Features:
Sound Isolating Technology
The E3c's in ear design naturally blocks background noise. This allows lower listening volumes in loud environments. No batteries or extra equipment are needed for sound isolation.
High Energy Micro-Speakers with Extended Frequency Response
The E3c's speakers are constructed with studio-grade components, with balanced armature technology, producing efficient output and exceptional audio clarity. The E3c's speakers have an extended frequency range for even greater clarity in your listening experience. (See technical specs)
Personal Fit Kit
Because every ear is different, E3c's earphones come with a pair of disposable foam sleeves, three pairs (small, medium, large) of flex sleeves, and three pairs of ultra-soft flex sleeves (small, medium, large) to ensure the ideal personalized fit.
Secure In Ear Design
The soft, flexible sleeves in the Fit Kit gently contour the inside of the ear for a comfortable, secure fit. The E3c's are compatible with custom-molded sleeves, fit by a hearing specialist, for the ultimate in fit and comfort. (See custom sleeve information)
Low-Profile Earphone Cables
The E3c's cables pass behind the ear — out of sight and out of the way — to provide a more comfortable, discreet fit.
Lightweight Construction
Weighing only 0.9 oz (28g), the E3c is one of the lightest earphones ever made.
Earphones Carrying Case
The E3c comes with a stylish, compact carrying case. The cable spool inside allows for an easy, tangle-free way to store your earphones.
Warranty and Money-Back Guarantee
Every E3c ordered from this website comes with a 30-day, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee, plus a two-year warranty on materials and workmanship. (See full warranty information)
E3c Technical Specifications:
- Speaker Type: Single Low Mass/High Energy Micro-Speaker
- Sensitivity (at 1kHz): 115dB SPL/mW
- Impedance (at 1kHz): 26 ohms
- Cable Length: 1.52m (60 inches)
- Net Weight: 28g (0.9 oz)
- Input Connector: 3.5 mm (1/8") gold-plated stereo plug