iPod Shure E3c Tips..

James Philp · May 14, 2005

Just some tips for people new to these 'phones..

Don't put them on as it says on the Shure website all the time try this:
Put them in as normal, hook them round the ear as normal, but then thread them below the chin and do up the plastic thing just under the adams apple.
I find in this configuration I didn't get any of the "pulling" I experienced when doing them behind my head like Shure says to. Also, once fitted, lift the top of your ear up and out and push slightly on the bud again to het a better fit.
Another tip = they thread them inside your clothes to prevent snagging!

The next thing: I found the clear Flex sleeves uncomfortable at first, so I went with the smallest size of Soft Flex Sleeves (the greyish ones). These were fine for a while, but started to slip off the bud into my ear! I tried on the standard Flex sleeves (clear) again and it seems my ear has got used to it, and these are now comfy. They fit well, and THE SOUND ISOLATION IS BETTER! (I can't be having with buying the Foam sleeves all the time!). So go back and try the other kinds of fitting tpes every now and again to see if anything has changed!

I hope these tips prove useful for E3c users.

For anyone considering a purchase of these, or any other similar high-quality in-ear 'phones I say go for it - you'll never go back to the Apple buds again!

buryyourbrideau · May 14, 2005

so they are worth the 100 dollar tag and whatnot?

iGary · May 14, 2005

buryyourbrideau said:
so they are worth the 100 dollar tag and whatnot?

Try $179.00.

buryyourbrideau · May 14, 2005

iGary said:
Try $179.00.

no thanks

James Philp · May 14, 2005

buryyourbrideau said:
so they are worth the 100 dollar tag and whatnot?

I say so, but it depends on:
1. how much of an audiophile you are
2. how important isolating the surroundings is

For me they are brilliant because:
1. I can't hear busses/noises/the tube/people chatting on the train when they are in
2. I can listen at lower volume levels and hear more due to the isolation, thus saving my ear drums (which I have burst a few times playing rugby)
3. They are more comfortable in many situations
4. Once in, they are far more likely to stay in
5. Shure offer 2 year return warranty, and at this price you'll keep that!
6. I am somewhat of an audiophile, and these 'phones really give your entire music collection a new lease of life! (But if all your music is downloaded

you may want to reconsider as you may start noticing the variable sound quality and volume levels of the tracks you get.)
7. They are

and you're not a generic "iPod white earbud" user, you are so much more!
EDIT
8. The case you get with them is killer! Apple would probably charge $20 for that alone!

asif786 · May 14, 2005

i was so tempted to buy these phones yesterday!

i'f im right they have a pricetag of around £130 in london. the e2c's were £100 (i think..)

i almost decided on the etymotics (they're similar, around £100) but i was really worried about them being uncomfortable. i have a pair of the bang + olufsen a8's and they get really comfortable after an hours use..

are the e3c's as good as everybody says they are?

James Philp · May 14, 2005

asif786 said:
i was so tempted to buy these phones yesterday!

i'f im right they have a pricetag of around £130 in london. the e2c's were £100 (i think..)

i almost decided on the etymotics (they're similar, around £100) but i was really worried about them being uncomfortable. i have a pair of the bang + olufsen a8's and they get really comfortable after an hours use..

are the e3c's as good as everybody says they are?

Like you, i had to choose between the Etymotics (Er6p) and the Shure E3c.

Shure for me because:
1. I wanted to be able to wear them in bed, and the Etys stuck out of the ear.
2. The Shures were slightly cheaper
3. I could buy them in the Apple store (£119) and get a receipt and everything if they were bad and had to be replaced

The E2cs are around £70 as far as I'm aware. Probably still very good; What Hifi? Gives them best in class and 5/5 stars so....

buryyourbrideau · May 14, 2005

James Philp said:
I say so, but it depends on:
1. how much of an audiophile you are
2. how important isolating the surroundings is

For me they are brilliant because:
1. I can't hear busses/noises/the tube/people chatting on the train when they are in
2. I can listen at lower volume levels and hear more due to the isolation, thus saving my ear drums (which I have burst a few times playing rugby)
3. They are more comfortable in many situations
4. Once in, they are far more likely to stay in
5. Shure offer 2 year return warranty, and at this price you'll keep that!
6. I am somewhat of an audiophile, and these 'phones really give your entire music collection a new lease of life! (But if all your music is downloaded you may want to reconsider as you may start noticing the variable sound quality and volume levels of the tracks you get.)
7. They are and you're not a generic "iPod white earbud" user, you are so much more!

once i get 179 to spend on earphones. then believe me i will get them. living on my own in college however, 179 can be used in a lot better of ways as of now

James Philp · May 14, 2005

buryyourbrideau said:
once i get 179 to spend on earphones. then believe me i will get them. living on my own in college however, 179 can be used in a lot better of ways as of now

beer comes to mind!

I hate to think how much I spend that I end up pissing against the wall! (at a quick calc I would say around £6000 ($11,241) on drink while at uni! Ouch!

James Philp · May 14, 2005

Anyway - back to my tips, hope they're useful everyone!
I didn't intend this thread to be a "aren't high-end in-ear phones expensive" one!
Feedback from these tips/tips of your own would be great!

P.S. They do handle all types of music well, from classical to Hip-Hop. Bass is tight and well represented. - They don't kill the bass like sony buds - they do it just right for my liking!

crazydreaming · May 14, 2005

Good tips.

I have had a pair of E3C's once for 2 weeks... but I took them back. I wasn't that impressed with them that they were worth $179 to me. Maybe $100.

I have seen them open box in Apple Store's for $100 before, but I haven't been lucky since. Darn it.

Blue Velvet · May 15, 2005

James, this might sound like a weird question but I'll ask anyway.

What are they like when you're lying down on your side with your head on a pillow? Do they dig into your ear and make it uncomfortable?

It's just that sometimes I like falling asleep listening to music over headphones and with my closed-cup headphones, it's a bit hard to get comfy. I'll also be cooped up and bedridden soon for medical reasons and will need music to make life easier while I'm recuperating.

ham_man · May 15, 2005

Blue Velvet said:
James, this might sound like a weird question but I'll ask anyway.

What are they like when you're lying down on your side with your head on a pillow? Do they dig into your ear and make it uncomfortable?

It's just that sometimes I like falling asleep listening to music over headphones and with my closed-cup headphones, it's a bit hard to get comfy. I'll also be cooped up and bedridden soon for medical reasons and will need music to make life easier while I'm recuperating.

Seeing as I have fallen asleep (just a nap

) with my E3cs on, I figured that I could answer your question. Since the buds kinda fold into your ear canal and the size of the wire is negligible, falling asleep is not a problem. However, I do not know what anatomical implications there are with leaving those buds in your ear canal are. Didn't hurt my ears really...

James Philp · May 15, 2005

Blue Velvet said:
James, this might sound like a weird question but I'll ask anyway.

What are they like when you're lying down on your side with your head on a pillow? Do they dig into your ear and make it uncomfortable?

Not a weird question at all - an important consideration for some.
The answer is somewhat specific to the fitting solution, and, of course, your shape or ear, but in general the multiple ends you get out of the box should allow you to get comfortable in some way.
Just tried it now and there's almost no noticeable difference in comfort with them on the pillow or off (as long as you thread them under the chin as i described in post #1)

James Philp · May 15, 2005

ham_man said:
Seeing as I have fallen asleep (just a nap ) with my E3cs on, I figured that I could answer your question. Since the buds kinda fold into your ear canal and the size of the wire is negligible, falling asleep is not a problem. However, I do not know what anatomical implications there are with leaving those buds in your ear canal are. Didn't hurt my ears really...

just wondering if you found my tips useful at all (threading under chin etc) as i have had no feedback as yet?!

ham_man · May 15, 2005

James Philp said:
just wondering if you found my tips useful at all (threading under chin etc) as i have had no feedback as yet?!

Can't say that I have. Most of the time, I just loop the wire back, and, depending on where my pod is, I just thread the wire under up neck, down my back, or some other way. I may have to try some of yours though - they sound like they could work...

James Philp · May 15, 2005

ham_man said:
Can't say that I have. Most of the time, I just loop the wire back, and, depending on where my pod is, I just thread the wire under up neck, down my back, or some other way. I may have to try some of yours though - they sound like they could work...

in the ear, over the backs of the ears, down below chin and under t-shirt. do the plastic up to adam's apple, they never come out, and are a lot easier to take off/put on - you don't have to thread the wire down your back - and then it dig in when you have a pack on!

brett33 · May 15, 2005

I've had my E3c's for about six months and must admit that it took a bit to find the which of the sleeves (or whatever they're called) were right for me, but once I found the right combination I must admit that they do rock.

On the price side, I think I paid about $115+S/H, don't think that I would have done it for $180. Just saw that there a few places online that have about the same price that I paid right now.

sjw · May 16, 2005

I have a pair of these and I could never go back to wearing regular 'phones,

I *love* the total sound-isolation and being in my own little world.

However, they took me a good three months to get used to them and be able to wear them for extended periods of time without them making my ears hurt. And I can't sleep with them, any slight pressure on my ear causes the sound to become muffled (as the ear canal gets compressed I suppose).

Thanks for the tips, btw.

russed · May 17, 2005

i have a pair of E2c's and i love them, they are DEFINATLY worth the money. they are so crisp and clear.

i agree with what you said, they take a while to get used to but after say once a week they were fine. i have found that if you suffer from them poping out of your ear, try turning the hear of the earbud once (until it gets back to how it should be) and then i will stay in.

iGary · May 19, 2005

Mine just arrived and I'll definitely be using the foam sleeves.

The sound is clear, sharp, balanced and almost as if you were right in the recording studio. Takes a bit of adjusting to get used to the fit, but once you have mastered them, it's a snap.

Pricey? Yep.

Worth it - for someone who has their music playing about 12-hours a day, damned right they are.

jared_kipe · May 19, 2005

What about the new E4c?? Those look to be really good.

James Philp · May 21, 2005

iGary said:
Mine just arrived and I'll definitely be using the foam sleeves.

I hope you can afford the few pairs a month you'll get through!

James Philp · May 21, 2005

jared_kipe said:
What about the new E4c?? Those look to be really good.

Probably just tweaked E3c - looks like one with just improved response (Kinda like the Grado SR80 vs SR60s)
They made them look the dogs bol**** too, so people will buy them. More "iPoddy"

Duff-Man · May 21, 2005

Duff-Man says....I just got my pair of E3's yesterday. I'd been using the Sony EX71's for a long time and while they are pretty good I wanted something with better isolation for the frequent long flights. I got a pretty good deal on them - about $130us shipped - and had the extra cash so decided to spring for them. I'll keep these tips in mind when i take them out for their test run next week....oh yeah!

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