Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Recommend earbuds for around $100

So it seems to be a matter of choosing between Shure and Ultimate Ears. Hmmm..

I'm going to be at the airport tomorrow, so I'll have a look what's available there tax free.

Thanks for the help!
 
mfacey said:
So it seems to be a matter of choosing between Shure and Ultimate Ears. Hmmm..

I'm going to be at the airport tomorrow, so I'll have a look what's available there tax free.

Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...

It may be different in the Netherlands, but here you pay a premium to buy stuff at the airport.
 
mariahlullaby said:
Yes, BB will take them back. I bought the e2Cs, e3cs, and some Sony headphones (bought one pair, returned them, bought another returne them, etc) and they refunded me no questions asked. I was trying to find the perfect headphones like you :)
Click to expand...

I returned my e2c tonight - no problem at all with the return. I was thinking about getting the e3c for $180 with a $30 Best Buy gift card but decided against it at the time. The fact that the same sleeves are the same size has me thinking they probably won't much better. I guess my ears are just wierd. Anyways, I'm looking at the Sennheiser PXC Headphones. My dad has them and they worked well on the plane. Circuit City has them for $150, but Amazons $101 price w/o tax makes them very tempting.
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Shure E2C's you can get for around 60
E3's around 100

they are good, if you dont like the over the ear headphone design after the 3rd week, there's no point to keep fooling around with it...

if you somehow hate shure...i recommend Etynomics or B&O A8

if not Grado is good...

BOSE IEM's are throwing money away...
 
I too am looking for a good pair of in ear headphones. I just got a new black Nano and a set of the Lanyard Headphones which are the same buds as are included. Haven't opened them yet so I can return them.

I like the look of the Bose in-ear, the Shure e2c and e3c, the V-Moda Vibe, the ue Super.fi, and the etymotic.

But my main use is snowboarding (as well as at the gym) and I had a pair of those Apple in-ear buds and found that they didn't stay in my ear very well with my hat and helmet on. Some of those look like they stick out a bit. So I am wondering from those who use them if you think that may be a problem?
 
roland.g said:
I too am looking for a good pair of in ear headphones. I just got a new black Nano and a set of the Lanyard Headphones which are the same buds as are included. Haven't opened them yet so I can return them.

I like the look of the Bose in-ear, the Shure e2c and e3c, the V-Moda Vibe, the ue Super.fi, and the etymotic.

But my main use is snowboarding (as well as at the gym) and I had a pair of those Apple in-ear buds and found that they didn't stay in my ear very well with my hat and helmet on. Some of those look like they stick out a bit. So I am wondering from those who use them if you think that may be a problem?
Click to expand...

The E2Cs are flush with the outer ear and I can lay on my side comfortably with them in. Also, pretty sure the cord would break before these things could be pulled loose. They stay in pretty darn good.

1 thing to note: In-ear buds have a tendency to make a drumming noise while exercising. It has to do with the earbud coming into contact with the bone in the ear or something. Anyway, they make a thud every time you land a hard step (eg. running), so be warned. I think this is a problem common to most in-ear buds.
 
The e2's would be the best bet, you can't tell a large difference between the 100 dollar price difference, the way that the e2's are shaped they cover the ear so that it would be a flat surface so they would fit on flat against the ear better for the helmet. they also i have found are better shaped for activeness than the e3/e4's. That's all i can speak about is shure's but iThink thats a better bet because if you rip a chord (which on the shure is VERY thick and strong but im sure snowboarding would do it...)
 
I'll put my vote in for the Shure e2cs. I bought a pair with some Christmas money I received, and I really like their sound and fit. They also come with several 'buds' for you to best fit your ear with. If you read their directions and find the right fit, they really sound fantastic. Mine were $100 at Best Buy. I wish I could have found some for $60 or $80 like some people quote on this thread. I might have bought some e3cs for $100!
 
iSaint said:
I'll put my vote in for the Shure e2cs. I bought a pair with some Christmas money I received, and I really like their sound and fit. They also come with several 'buds' for you to best fit your ear with. If you read their directions and find the right fit, they really sound fantastic. Mine were $100 at Best Buy. I wish I could have found some for $60 or $80 like some people quote on this thread. I might have bought some e3cs for $100!
Click to expand...

im not sure if best buy will do this but they have that price guarantee and they back it %110, so if you find a seller on amazon that offers them, you could try taking it to them and they would refund %110 of the difference (i.e. you would get $44 back)
 
thegoldenmackid said:
im not sure if best buy will do this but they have that price guarantee and they back it %110, so if you find a seller on amazon that offers them, you could try taking it to them and they would refund %110 of the difference (i.e. you would get $44 back)
Click to expand...

The Best Buy price match applies to other retail store offers and does not apply to any internet offers.
 
My only contribution, besides really liking my ultimate ears studio.3s and shure e3cs, is that "friends don't let friends buy bose."

Check out earphonesolutions.com, sometimes they chuck out a good price on the e3c and studio.3

I don't like the vmoda vibe at all, think they sound worse than the E2 and the E2 is more comfortable.

Etymotic ER-6 and 6i are very accurate headphones so if you're not used to hearing accurate sound reproduction you may not like the sound at first, however, I've grown to really like it, though I don't currently own a working pair and haven't felt the need to run out and get others since I have these two pairs I like so much.

I'm just waiting for the day I can throw down the $400 for the new triple driver ultimate ears...mmm.

Westone UM1 is very good but there are other options for a little less money that may suit your needs just fine.

I paid $134 for my shure e3c during apple's black friday sale, and $80 for the ultimate ears from earphonesolutions.
 
one note: IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR BASS...the e4 is NOT THE RIGHT OPTION...jst one note...great for those who love the piano and acoustics....but if you listen to hip hop save the benjamin buy the E3 or the SuperFi's
 
Westone all the way

Westone makes a pair called the UM-1 that are sick!!!!!! Westone is one of the most trusted brands in performance earbuds. They are $100 un ebay. Shure e2 are amazing also, and they're $69 on amazon. DON"T go with the bose. Anything BOSE under $400 sucks. I know people who have the bose buds and hate them. They threw them out.
 
Hi guys. First time poster, long time lurker. So, I would like to toss in my two cents. I did not like the Sure E2c and ended up selling them and purchasing the Etymotic 6i. They are MUCH smaller, fit better IMO (have small ears), and have a sound quality a little different from the E2c that I enjoy. Also, I couldn't get the wires to "lay down" properly on the E2c because they were so thick. Enjoy whatever you decide on!
 
Just out of curiosity to those that said the e2c/e3c's were too big for their ears.. have you worn apple's? Just trying to get an idea for size.. because Apple's stock phones fit well in my ear, and I was just curious if that would translate to a good fit by the Shure's (though I know it's not a totally accurate comparison).
 
xfiftyfour said:
Just out of curiosity to those that said the e2c/e3c's were too big for their ears.. have you worn apple's? Just trying to get an idea for size.. because Apple's stock phones fit well in my ear, and I was just curious if that would translate to a good fit by the Shure's (though I know it's not a totally accurate comparison).
Click to expand...


Hi, I did use Apple's stock earbuds with my 1st gen. Shuffle. They stayed in alright, (Only fell out on occasion, during lots of activity) much better than Creative's earbuds, if you've ever worn those, but they obviously aren't as stable as the in-ear buds. The Shure's come with a "fit kit", so you may be able to find something you like in there. Etymotic will send you several different sizes if you just call and ask. They're very helpful. :)
 
If you have the earbuds, what about ear-canal molds

This is a related question. I have a pair of Shure E3c buds, given to me as a gift. They seem nice, but the accessory sleeves are really uncomfortable and downright painful after awhile. With all size, you really have to jam them down into your ear canal to get good isolation, but jam a little bit too much and you block the canal entirely and get only dull sound. The foam sleeves work pretty well actually, but they quickly gunk up with ear wax and become disgusting. Plus they're pricey at $2-$3 a pop to replace.

So what about ear-canal molds. I'm not sure what you call them, but I've heard people talk about them before. Apparently if you go to an audiologist (what's that?) they can make molds of your ear canal and then you can have these turned into sleeves for your shure earbuds. They're supposed to work really well and may be a good option. And though they're expensive, they may be cheaper in the long run, both in personal comfort and in amortized cost.

However they may be more expensive than I realize--I don't know much about these molds at all. Can anyone offer advice on them? How much do they cost? How do you get them? Where do you get them?

When I search for this online I mostly come up with hearing aid manufacturers, not exactly what I'm looking for.
 
xfiftyfour said:
Just out of curiosity to those that said the e2c/e3c's were too big for their ears.. have you worn apple's? Just trying to get an idea for size.. because Apple's stock phones fit well in my ear, and I was just curious if that would translate to a good fit by the Shure's (though I know it's not a totally accurate comparison).
Click to expand...

The Apple earbuds also are too big for me; they are nearly impossible to get them to stay in my ears, and they are uncomfortable. The E2c's felt better in the ear, but I could not get them to seal in my ears, so the sound was not right.
 
thegoldenmackid said:
one note: IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR BASS...the e4 is NOT THE RIGHT OPTION...jst one note...great for those who love the piano and acoustics....but if you listen to hip hop save the benjamin buy the E3 or the SuperFi's
Click to expand...

From what I understand, the e3cs have considerably worse bass than the e4cs. So if you go Shure, go all the way. The e4cs need to break in, however, and they also need a correct fit, which either means pain or expensive to replace and annoying foamies. You probably won't be impressed right off the bat, regardless.

Personally, I would describe the e4cs as precise. Take that as you will. But I like them a lot for hip hop; they reveal the complexities of well produced tracks quite nicely. But yeah, as good as What You Know sounds with e4cs, the bassline would probably be better louder, even if it meant it weren't so ultra-clear and well defined. Timbaland tracks sound nice, though. Sufjan sounds unbelievable, as does most indie rock. Anything sub-192kbps sounds horrible, worse than stock buds at 96kbps.

But...I really like them. A lot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back