Rediscover your music!

The Dilemma

After the cable on my Sony MDR-EX81LP started to loose its rubber coating and the wires themselves started fraying after 2.5 years, it was about time to start researching a replacement / upgrade. Although the cutting edge style of the V-Moda Vibes had first caught my eye, I decided to go with the Shure e2C' in the end because of the thicker wire, neutral sound characteristics, sound-isolating, and 2 year warranty.

The decision was not easy. The V-Moda Vibes tried their best to seduce me with their sex-appeal but I certainly don't regret my choice since I plugged the e2C's into my Powerbook and iPod.

Fit

However, before one can render a just opinion on these, it is crucial to find the optimal fit with the supplied silicone, rubber, or foam tips. These will determine not only the fit but also how well the headphones will be able to isolate sound, and how well you will be able to pick up sound frequencies across the spectrum. For example, if the fit is too loose, or otherwise not optimal, you will not be able to get the best bass experience.

When determining which tip offers the best fit and renders the best sound, I suggest comparing them to the same song (preferably same part of song) with the EQ turned off. This technique will allow you to enjoy both maximum comfort and sound quality. I finally settled on the medium black rubber tips. The medium silicon tips worked well too sound-quality wise but were not as comfortable as the black rubber tips. The foam tips were comfortable and offered great sound quality, but it was my impression that they did not isolate so well. As I will be traveling soon, I'm going to stick with the rubber mediums for now.

Also, before you throw on any tips don't forget to put on the ear wax protectors!

Sound

Simply beautiful. Clear, well-balanced pristine sound. Much more balanced than the naturally bass heavy Sony MDR-EX81LP and MDR-V700 DJ style headphones that I own. While there are times and styles of music where I prefer the big low frequencies of the MDR-V700's, they can sometimes be too bass heavy. I assume that many of the complaints (which aren't fit related) that the the e2C's do not deliver enough umph and bass, is because nowadays many mid-to-higher end headphones are bass heavier than the e2C's.

However, in my mind (ears) it's precisely the well-balanced (almost monitor quality) sound characteristics which make the e2C's a great experience. They allow you to hear so much more. Don't get me wrong, the MDR-V700 are great headphones and I love them as well but with the Shure's I have literally been rediscovering my music. They have made it much easier to hear the less discernible sounds and have let me enjoy a lot of my music to much greater depths! Also, don't forget, if they still don't deliver enough bass for your personal taste, you can always boost the bass through EQ.

I have used these headphones with all kinds of music, from rock to classical, and they handle such a wide gamut very well. However, you can hear their true phonetic prowess not in a specific genre, but with high quality mp3s or even better with lossless formats. The e2C's handled my 128 kbps mp3's well but with at least 192 kbps they were absolutely amazing. Although its not a surprise that a less or uncompressed file will sound better, the Shure e2C's really deliver on living up to that potential! The Shure e2C's make encoding with less compression very worth it!

Other

In addition to the extra ear fittings, the e2C's also come with a traveling pouch and a 2 year warranty.

Finally, their only potential downside that I have seen so far is that they may require some time and effort to find the optimal fit (which can take some time finding and getting used to) and sound experience. Also, some may be disappointed by the neutrally balanced sound characteristics. In my view, this is a plus, since I already own another pair of bass-heavy headphones (Sony MDR-V700 DJ), and I can always simulate more bass through the use of the EQ.

Disclaimer: I have never tried the V-Moda's, but a lot of the online reviews all found them to be bass-heavy. However, I did get a chance to get my hands on them and the e2C's at the same time and my impression was that the e2C's cable seemed a lot more durable.The cord of the e2C's is also thicker and that of the Sony MDR-EX81LP and will hopefully last longer.