Buy Shure E5c Sound Isolating EarphonesShure E5c Sound Isolating Earphones Product Description:
- Sound Isolating in-ear design - Hear only what you want to hear
- Portable and lightweight design - weighing 1.1 ounce
- Personal fit kit to contour to your ear size
- Dual high-energy micro in-ear speakers
- In-Line Crossover to enhance a studio quality listening experience
Product Description
Shure E5c Sound Isolating Earphones - The E5c is the top-of-the-line model of this prestigious series, offering the richest possible listening experience. Dual high energy micro-speakers capture the high- and low-frequencies, while an in-line electronic crossover separates these outputs. You can hear your music like never before, where subtle details are brought forward for a lush, complete stereo listening experience. Input Connector - 3.5 mm (1/8) gold-plated stereo plug Includes case Shure 2-Year limited warranty
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
81 of 82 people found the following review helpful.
A few VERY IMPORTANT points:
By Owen Oyer
Instead of gushing prosaic over how great these earphones are, I would instead like to point out a few important points.1) You will have probably noticed that there is a very great discreptancy between reviews. Some reviewers say that these earphones sound very full with rich bass, while others claim that they are very bright and tinny. The reason for this is that these earphones rely on getting a good seal with your ear canal. One of the symptoms of having a bad seal is a very steep drop-off in bass. If they sound tinny, lean, lacking in bass, thin, metallic, etc., then it is virtually guaranteed that you do not have a good seal. In reality, these earphones do tend to favor the bass quite a bit, and have a rather soft treble.2) The amount of sound isolation does not always equal the quality of the seal that you get. It is possible to have them in such a position where they isolate quite well, but they will still sound tinny. This is, once again, because they're not inserted correctly.3) A good way to insert any in-ear canalphone is to pull back and outwards on your ear to open up the ear canal, then insert the earphone as deep as it will go. This can sometimes build up pressure inside your ears, and moving the canalphone to one side to temporarily break the seal and release the excess air pressure is a good idea. Once again, the sound should be warm and bassy, not thin and metallic.4) These are high fidelity earphones. That means that feeding them 128k mp3's is not a good idea, since they will faithfully report how bad your files are. They really are at their best with lossless music, but 224k mp3's and above are a good space-saving compromise. Just don't drop below 192k. They will also show you how well or how poorly your music is recorded. A lot of modern music uses dynamic range compression in order to - theoretically, anyway - sound better on the radio. Instead, it ends up sounding much worse on high-quality equipment. With the E5c, you're at the entry point into actual hi-fi, and you will hear dynamic compression if it's there.****So, are these earphones worth it?Yes, but with the impending release of the Shure E500, audiophiles will have another earphone to call top-of-the-line. The good news is that the price on the E5c should plummet when the E500 is released.The E5c has a very warm sound which stresses the bass considerably, but remains clear and well articulated throughout the rest of the frequency spectrum. This is a very good earphone for popular music and rock. It does give up points in clarity next to the Shure E4c and Etymotic Research ER-4S, but it sounds fuller and richer than either.An alternative to the E5c is the Westone UM2. It is a similar design with two drivers, but it has a more comfortable fit due to a different enclosure shape, and it is a bit clearer in the treble, though a bit harsher.For the record, I've owned the E5c, E4c, Etymotic Research ER-4P and 4S, Westone UM2, and now the custom-molded Westone ES2. With every canalphone, the quality of your seal is paramount. If this is your first canalphone, then don't expect to get a good seal on your first try without being shown the proper procedure. Live with it for about a week, and eventually you will get it.
68 of 71 people found the following review helpful.The Cadillac of Headphones
By JLP
After a few years of using the ER-6 with pretty good results they started to kick out on me and I also got tired of replacing the ear wax guards. Yes, intraear headphones are not for the faint of heart but they work better than any noise reducing headphones out there not requiring batteries and permitting significantly greater outside noise reduction than the Bose. They are also considerably less bulky so you don't look like a space cadet on the subway. I purchased the Shure E5c from beachaudio and they arrived very quickly. There was also a nice discount from full price. I was impressed by the packaging and the wide selection of ear plugs you could use. They vary in size and in materials. So someone with smaller ear canals who would prefer a soft material can be as easily satisfied as someone who prefers a hard material with larger ear canals. From the selection you likely will find a pair that gives you the most comfortable fit and best sound isolation. I have found them to be quite comfortable and remarkably I receive better isolation in sound without having to shove them into my ear canal as I had with the ER-6. I can listen to my iPod at 20 percent lower volumes while on the subway. The headphones themselves sensibly fit over the back of the ears very much preventing transmitted sounds from brushing the cord against my jacket as I walk. They come with a wire loop for removing wax so no ear wax gaurds to purchase - yes I know eww but I certainly keep my ears very clean and the sound quality and sound isolation is well worth it. So what about the sound quality - in one word spectacular. They sport of wide range and are quite clear from all frequencies. The difference is the fact they use two drivers instead of one and you pay for that difference but if you are using your iPod as much as I use mine then it is worth the price - commuting time for me ranges from 40 to 60 minutes per day. If you've got the cash and love superior sound then this earphones are for you.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful.Full, detailed, and beautiful sound...but is it worth the price of admission?
By Andrew
Being a gadget nut who needs the best of everything I got bit hard by the upgrade bug and sold my Shure e3c earphones to help pay for the e5cs. Seeing Amazon's wonderfully deep discounted e5cs made my upgrade path very interesting--I had to choose between the e5cs+$30 USD or the e4cs. Strictly speaking in terms of technical design the e5c seems to come out with an edge, featuring dual low-mass/high frequency transducers compared to the single low mass/high frequency transducer/tuned port combo in the e4c phones. Additionally I haven't heard (or heard anything about) the e4cs, and with it still being a relatively new product I decided to go with the "known quantity" in the e5cs. These phones have gotten nothing but rave reviews on the Internet and from a musician acquaintance of mine from work, so the choice made was that much easier.And boy howdy, was I glad I made the upgrade :). First of all let me start with the sound that comes from these earphones--unbelievable, and a huge upgrade from my e3cs. Compared to the e3cs the overall sound is much fuller, the low end much more prominent while maintaining the mid and high range detail and clarity of the former. The result is sound that is so complete and accurate that I can't imagine any other earphone or headphone being any better--which is probably inaccurate of course, but the point is that I am wholly and utterly satisfied :). I listen to all types of music from classical to synth pop and house to alternative rock (my favorite) and the sound is equally as neutral, full and detailed from genre to genre. The main device that drives my e5cs is a Cowon iAudio x5 DAP running mp3s at high bit rate (between 160 and 192 kbps), which is satisfying enough, but listening to CDs is even better and beyond words. Overall I can't say enough about how the e5cs enrich the listening experience.The other main feature of the Shure e5c is the sound isolating feature of the earphones which completely block out all external noise without the need for additional noise-canceling circuitry. As with the entire Shure line this works to the point where all sounds other than your music are completely nullified. While it makes your listening experience that much more pure and enjoyable, please be wary of your environment and what you're doing at the time. You can't do much more than listen to music with these phones on. I use them mainly for my 50 minute train commute to and from work and also for listening to music at home, so they are the perfect fit for me. These earphones will not work well for runners, skateboarders, bike riders etc. however as the noise isolation not only makes you less alert and aware of your surrounding environment but due to the isolation effect the buds can often pick up the sound of your own footsteps and breathing. If you're one of the latter an open-air design headphone/earbud would definitely work better for you.If you're not used to wearing sound-isolating earphones like the Shure line you should also be aware that these take a little getting used to wearing comfortably. They come with a fit kit that contains different size and material "sleeves" that wrap around the earphones and fit directly into your ear canal, creating a seal which completely isolates the sound and injects it directly into your ears. In other words, be prepared to have something shoved directly into your ear canal :). These aren't buds that rest in your outer ear (e.g. iPod earbuds), so be prepared for some initial discomfort. Once you get used to them (which shouldn't take long) your ears will hear the obvious difference. The fit kit has a wide range of sizes and materials as well so you shouldn't have a problem finding the right sleeve that fits you comfortably. Most people seem to like the foam inserts or the triple flanges, but I prefer the rubber flex-sleeves. Whatever solution you use you should also be prepared to do more than usual maintenance as the sleeve part goes directly into your ear canal, so regular antiseptic/alcohol pad cleaning or foam replacement is required.The last thing that should of course factor into your decision is whether or not you're willing to pay the steep price for these earphones. As I stated earlier what drew me into buying these earphones was the need to have the best. I am admittedly not a die-hard audiophile with bat ears. What I can tell you, though, is that even my relatively uneducated ears can appreciate the quantum leap these earphones are over the standard iPod/PSP/DAP earbuds. The difference really is night and day. You should also factor in how much you spend on music. If you've filled up your 30GB iPod with music then you should get quality earphones, period. Why spend all that money on music and not hear your songs they way they were intended to be heard--full, free of distortion and completely accurate? Remember, your music isn't really worth anything until it's pushed through some type of speaker or headphone -- why not have the earphones that give you the best sound possible?Granted, $350 earphones are overkill for 99% of the population, but for those who truly enjoy their music the one-time price of admission in my opinion is worth the good 5 years or more (hopefully) of the best sound possible injected right into your ears. In the end, however I wouldn't recommend these earphones to casual listeners. Casual listeners should stick with Fontopias, or the stock buds that came with your DAP. And finally those who are interested in upgrading their stock buds without making the huge investment for e5cs can give the less expensive earphones in Shure's series a try - the e2cs and e3cs would be a good place to start. You'll get a lot of what the e5c offers. Be warned, however, the upgrade bug will be lurking :).
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