Shure SE215 PRO Wired Earbuds - Professional Sound Isolating Earphones, Single Dynamic MicroDriver, Secure Fit In Ear Monitor, plus Carrying Case and Fit Kit - Black (SE215-K)

There are several qualities and features that go to make these earphones stand out from the crowd. Most important to me are sound quality, isolation, comfort, convenience and price.At this price point there is huge choice of different brands and designs. Most IEMs (In Ear Monitors) below £100 have dynamic drivers (the speaker) but a handful have single balanced armatures instead. These generally offer a flatter frequency response (theoretically a more neutral sound) and don't exaggerate the bass at all. A flat frequency response is exactly what you want from a full size loudspeaker but outside of a recording/production environment it isn't at all desirable in an earphone or headphone. We perceive sound, especially lower frequencies, by bone conduction as well as by hearing and when that experience is missing (as when wearing IEMs) it means a technically accurate reproduction seems lacking in bass, lifeless, thin and dull. It's no coincidence that those are the descriptions you come across in numerous reviews of cheaper balanced armature earphones. On the other hand many IEMs with dynamic drivers have hugely exaggerated bass. As well as colouring the sound this can induce the listener to crank up the volume in order to better hear the midrange, i.e. the singing, because the imbalance causes voices to appear recessed or distant, so the choice is too often between being overwhelmed with excess bass or straining to hear the rest of the music. I decided to avoid the low end balanced armature 'phones and look for a good quality dynamic driver IEM that hasn't succumbed to the mega bass fashion. On the strength of lots of reviews and previously owning quite a few different IEMs, including a pair of Shures, I bought a pair of Shure SE215s.I've been using a pair of Klipsch IEMs for a couple of years have become thoroughly bored of the booming, lumpen sound of a bass heavy 'phone whose deficiencies defy correction. I also have some Sennheiser IEMs which sound good but offer too little isolation. What I wanted was an IEM that offers very good isolation, a slightly or moderately emphasised bass, and a decent rendering of middle and higher tones. Also desirable is low impedance and high sensitivity so that the earphones can achieve a good volume without needing the player's volume to be set very high, as this impacts on a player's battery life. The Shure SE215 get within a whisker of being ideal in these respects. The bass is more emphasized than is ideal, but not grossly so, and not so much that it isn't easily fixed with a decent parametric equalizer, as found on some good players and in Rockbox firmware. The SE215s have an impedance of 20 ohms and sensitivity of 107dB at 1 KHz. That's fine for use with a portable player, but not so sensitive that plugging them into your home stereo will get your ear drums blown out when the music starts. The SE215s are quieter than my Sennheiser CX 95 Style - Headphones but louder than my Klipsch Image X1 Headphones (whose specifications in these respects should probably be taken with several pinches of salt). The SE215s don't need any kind of extra amplification and they work equally well with a tiny player such as SanDisk Sansa Clip+ 8GB MP3 Player with Radio and Expandable MicroSD/SDHC Slot - Black as they do with home hi-fi or a PC sound card. Overall the sound of the SE215s is enormously impressive. I had expected that the only advantage over my (very nice) Sennheisers would be improved isolation but in fact the Shures do sound bigger and better. I can happily listen with them for hours on end, bass response tamed or not, and I'm enjoying music in a way I hadn't thought even possible with small in ear monitors.Microphonics:This word is (mis)used, in the context of earphones, to describe the effect of contact with the cord producing a noise through the earphone. It's not the right word but everyone uses it, so I will too. With the Shure SE215s essentially there aren't any microphonics. I know when these 'phones first came out there were lots of criticisms of the detachable cable and its microphonics and also poor contact between the cable and the earpieces, combining lots of unwanted noise with interruptions to the music.....yuk! This is most definitely fixed, corrected and consigned to history. If you wear the 'phones as Shure recommend, with the cable going up and over the ears to the back of your head and held snug by the sliding keeper, then you can tap the cable, scrape it, hit stuff with it, do whatever you like: there is not even the tiniest noise transmitted. I've owned IEM's from Sennheiser, Klipsch, Shure, Sony, Panasonic, Razer and others. The SE215s are the only IEM's I've used that have completely solved this.Isolation:I used to have a pair of Shure E2C In-Ear Headphones which offered incredibly good isolation. I was expecting the same from the SE215s but haven't quite achieved it yet, though it's close. The size and shape of the tips is the same, as is the stem they sit on. But the connector of the SE215's detachable cable is bulky compared with the cable entry point of earlier Shures. This is just enough to keep the body of the earphone a fraction away from being completely snug with the shell of the ear and so prevents the foam tips being fully inserted. Many people won't have this problem at all but I know from various reviews that some do. Even so, the isolation is way better than that of IEMs like Sennheiser CX series where silicone tips sit at the entrance to the ear canal rather than in it. Shure include small,medium and large silicone and foam tips but they don't include a triple flange pair which seats deep in the ear canal. I've ordered some and if they do make all the difference I'll update this review.Comfort and Convenience:These can be quite fiddly to put on and take off, especially if you're wearing glasses and/or a hat or cap. If you do it in public don't be surprised if people gawp because you may unwittingly resemble a person with an unreachable itch, or perhaps a neophyte contortionist. These are definitely not the right IEMs for a person who needs to keep stopping and conversing with people. But once they are on they are very, very comfortable; it's no problem to wear them for many hours. The body of the 'phone sits right inside the shell of the ear and doesn't protrude at all so sleeping with them in is no problem. There's another benefit to the flush fit: no wind noise. Most IEM's stick out from the ear and anything more than the lightest breeze causes a whistling noise as the air swirls around the protrusion. Any cable flapping around can also add to the problem. The Shures simply don't have this problem. The cable length is 160cm. This is exactly right for a cable which routes beind the head and down your back to a player in your pocket or on a belt clip. Many earphones come with a 120cm cable which is just too short to do this without annoying tugging; some come with a cable so long that it's constantly getting snagged on things. Shure have achieved something many other companies resolutely avoid: the sensible and obvious solution! The cable is even replaceable but is substantial enough that it seems unlikely to fail.I can't comment on durability yet but these do appear to be very well made and built to last. My previous Shures were still going strong after two or three years and perhaps I'd still be using them now if I hadn't left them on a plane.I've had these Shures a few days and like them more and more as I listen. I love that the usual IEM deficiencies have been deliberately designed out. Shure have put a huge amount of intelligent thought and experience into the shape and fit and overall design of this series and, equally importantly, how and where people use them. There are no gimmicks or grandiose claims and the price in the UK is almost identical to the price in the USA, which makes me like Shure a lot. I've found these Shure 'phones to be really impressive in all kinds of ways. The best IEMs I've owned before were the Sennheiser CX 95 and the Shure E2c but the SE215s are unambiguously superior. While they do cost a bit more than any IEM I've bought before they are worth every penny.edit, 13 February 2013: It's almost a year since I started using these Shures and I now feel I can usefully assess their durability and say something about using them on a daily basis:These things are *extremely* well made. They have survived innumerable drops, being sat on by a hefty great lump (me), being trodden on (by the same weighty oaf), and numerous occasions when the cable was snagged hard enough to rip the cord out of the player or even the 'phones out of my ears. This is all stuff that has seen off many lesser earphones and headphones. They have even survived immersion in the sea when I fell in with them still in my ears. In terms of build quality (sane design, appropriate materials, competent assembly) I am impressed verging on delighted. In comparison my full size Sony headphones (similar price) died after the non-detachable cable was snagged a few times, and I have had two pairs of budget Sennheiser IEMs fail in less time. Here's the maintenance drill: occasionally snap off the detachable cable and give the contacts a wipe with a dry cloth and also give the main body of the earphones a wipe; if you use the foam tips then change them when they start to lose their shape. Silicone tips just need a wash and will probably outlast you or me.I'm as pleased with the sound as I was in week one, maybe even more so. There is some extra bass but it's not ridiculous, and the overall sound is pleasing and never gets wearing (which is a much bigger compliment and achievement than it first appears). If the foam tips don't offer enough isolation then the triple flange tips (not included) will do it, with the penalties of some microphonics and potentially lesser comfort (silicone tips deep in the ear can induce intolerable itching).After about a year of using these for many hours daily (and often falling asleep with them still in) I can say these are genuinely outstanding earphones in terms of sound quality, comfort and durability. I suspect that the sound quality is unmatched at the price, and a considerable way beyond, and I'm certain that more money can't buy you a more durable or practical product. This is one of those uncommon items whose good qualities become more apparent with extended use.

Ok first of all, i must stress that the ONLY reason for this not being a 5 star review is because the right hand side bud has started to cut out. I am in the process of getting it replaced.Apart from the faulty bud, these are FANTASTIC!I use a portable Headphone amp (Fiio e7) with these and the sound is nothing short of amazing. I have previously owned more expensive earphones and still own more expensive headphones. These are not totally neutral - but this is a good thing i think for general usage. For monitoring I use more neutral headphones, but for listening to my music for pleasure, i use these. Took me a short while to get used to the fit or style of fit, but they feel very comfy. They never fall out and it is amazing how well they Isolate the sound. My Fiancee cannot hear any sound from them even when VERY loud in my ears. The bendy end of the cable is very sturdy and every part of them feels well made. They come with a great range of buds to best fit the ear - i use the memory foam style ones and they are not too tight, not too loose. Minor complaint is that the foam buds are hard to remove, but i suppose you dont need to once you find the ones that fit the best.These are obviously not the best that money can buy, but for their price, they are easily some of the best available.If you are happy with this price range, get them. You wont regret it.

I've been using Shure SE210 headphones for many years and very satisfied with the quality and design. They proved to be durable, comfortable and great sounding. I was hoping for the same from their replacements, the SE215s, but they are a huge disappointment.The first hassle is that the cable length is now well over a metre rather than the short tangle free length of the old model. Considering that the SE215s have modular cables Shure could have given users the option. I can't be alone in liking the shorter length cable but searching the shopping I cannot find any in-ear headphones these days with a short cable. Why don't Shure offer a short cable accessory?The second issue I have is with the design and comfort of the headphones themselves. The SE 215s have an angled design which I found didn't sit well in my ear. I have been using them for three week and haven't achieved noise isolation once.The sound quality is still good but without being able to isolate sound I'm now looking for an alternative and will checkout Wireless Headphones.

Absolutely brilliant! I purchased these with the purpose of being sound reducing and flush to my ear. Both of my use cases have been met flawlessly. Simple drivers with no technology to get in the way, plugging into my DAC and they're away.There are many options for fitment that come with the package, short of getting custom fit that are £200 this is as close as you'll get for the price point. The base and sound stage is good without being to heavy on either side making clarity the main purpose of the earbuds.They claim up to 33db reduction and I fully believe it. I didn't consider these as an option to compete with Plugfones or Eglin but they do and I'd say is worth the price vs the alternative due to the sound quality received from these compared to alternative products. I've worn these for well over an hour and I cannot find any discomfort or pressure. I think in heat however, due to the quality of the seal, they may cause sweating in the ears.For my use case, the cable length is good, as I only need them to connect to my phone. However, for someone using a lot of equipment and may require movement/space from their devices, you don't have too much room to work with. Especially as they appear to be designed to run at the back of your head.I will say, I purchased Amazon Resale "like new" offering £30 off which made the product under £70. For that price point, they are amazing value.