Surprising clarity, excellent fit

After many years of faithful use from my set of Sony earbuds, I had gotten to the point where I was ready to try a slightly more sophisticated set of in-ear headphones (read: the rubber on the right cord was worn to the point where there was over an inch of copper wiring exposed).

I restricted myself to a firm top price of $100, and then began an exhaustive search which ended tentatively with the Shure E2c Consumer Headphones. I had heard much about the Shure company, and a friend of mine who works in a recording studio assured me that anything them make must be quality.

COMFORT
The first thing that was markedly different with the Shure E2c from my Sony earbuds was the fit. Most earbuds slip into the ear canal and then hang straight down, while others (like my Sony pair) have one ear cord that is longer so that you can loop that part around the back of your head, thus keeping the cord out of your way.

The Shure E2c go one better. Each earphone has a separate, angled channel from the base of the unit that sits comfortably inside the ear canal, while the unit itself rests flat along the outside, at the top of your ear. It is tricky the first few times to get the settled, but you get use to it fairly quickly. Once positioned, the cords actually wrap over the top of your ear, meeting in the back with a plastic sleeve that can be tightened or loosened behind you back. This has proven to be great when running, as the cords can be secured tightly to the back of your head, and with the cord running behind my neck, my arms don't get tangled in it.

Also, there are nearly a dozen different types and sizes of earphone sleeves, ranging from very thin, soft rubber to collapsible foam made from the same material that earplugs are, so once inserted properly they expand for a nice, snug fit.

CONSTRUCTION
The design of the headphones, as mentioned above, is a definite improvement and can be worn for many hours without discomfort. Also, the cording is noticeably thicker then my old Sony earbuds and feels like it could stand up to a good deal of abuse.

CLARITY AND SOUND
Initially I was a bit put off by the sound range when I first began using the Shure E2c. The clarity was astounding from the very first chord, but the sound was slightly tinny and the baseline seemed rather flat. The same friend who initially pointed me in Shure's direction assured me that this was normal and that I should give them a few weeks to break in.

He was right, of course, and I am now enjoying a rich array of sounds and instruments that went unheard with my Sony earbuds. I am simply amazed that such tiny speakers can produce such a rich field of sound.

NOISE-CANCELING
The Shure E2c are not true noise-canceling like the Bose QuietComfort ones are, but when fitted correctly, then do create a sort of "noise vacuum," similar to the effect you get when plugging your ears with your fingertips. This means that while much of the outside noises are greatly reduced, any internal noises from your body are amplified. This is most noticeable while eating, or from the jarring of your footsteps if you are running on a hard surface.