Review: Shure SE110 Earphones Cut Static, But Look Stolen From Airplane
7:32 am, July 17th, 2009, Nicole Martinelli
Shure SE110 plugged into an iPod Nano
If you’re looking for sturdy earphones with good sound isolation, the Shure SE110 may be a good swap for your Apple earbuds — if you don’t mind the bulky, three-foot cord.
First the good:
The Shure SE110 headphones come with a two-year warranty for materials and workmanship, the first thing you’ll notice after unboxing is that are built to withstand a lot of wear.
The cord and jack are thicker and more solid than regular Apple earbuds and, even after a short trial, I’d be willing to wager they last the warranty. If they do, at $79 per pair, the price is decent for the overall quality.
I like to think I’m a lover not a fighter, but the beating my iPod earbuds take indicates otherwise: a pair lasts about six-to-nine months, if that, in the cycle of gym bag to computer bag to handbag. (My old Apple pair in the pics below have been glued back together, note the sad fray around the buds).
So sturdy is a big selling point for me. Over the years, I’ve waffled between getting Apple replacements or versions that cost about half of the $30 Apple price, since they seem to last about as long anyway.
More pics and full review after the jump.
Another big selling point: sound isolation. If you wear your headphones in situations where you want to cut some of the static but it would be dangerous to drown it all out, these work well.
They claim to block 90% ambient noise, here are a few practical examples: they cut through store muzak (a pet peeve of mine) but you can still hear people talking to you, or catch every word in an audio book while riding a screeching subway car and hear music while vacuuming — all with the volume at reasonable levels (less than half the bar).
If you have fit issues with earbuds, the Shures come with a selection of five sleeve pairs — soft flex in small medium or large or soft foam that you can mold with your fingers to fit. (The out-of-the box foam ones, though a little but bulky, worked fine for me).
Now the bad: Using these Shures is like walking around with something nicked from airline inflight entertainment.
The thick base cord is short — just long enough to reach a breast pocket. Then there’s a three-foot extension cord (included) that plugs in via a very awkward jack, itself over half the length of an iPod Nano.
So the result is rather Easyjet, which, again aesthetics aside wouldn’t be so much a problem but the full length is way too long for a bag or backpack and, no matter how you tuck the extra cord in, it seemed prone to escape and get caught up in handles and doors, on your knee while biking etc. Not good.
Shure suggests you loop the first short cord behind your ear — which might be ok for running, although the extension cord jack then hits mid-chest — but they were fussy to put on/take off and easily tangled in hair, glasses, scarves, clothing etc.
As for the sound, this is the least expensive model in Shure’s line and some of the subtlety you’d expect in high-end headphones was sacrificed for price. The sound quality is about equal to Apple earbuds, but the sound isolation and better fit quality give Shure’s a slight edge.
Verdict: If you’re looking for sturdy replacement headphones that will last and find the short cord suits your needs, Shure SE110 are a good bet.
Posted by Nicole Martinelli in News | Comment on this article
I’ve got a pair of E530s, which is at the top end of their line and love them to bits.
Personally, I don’t mind that the cord is in two parts as it were – I always used to find that the cord on things like the standard iPod earphones was just a little too short for things like having my iPod in my back pocket when I’m walking.
I think that part of the reason for the short cord/long cord design is because Shure’s earphones are designed be monitors (for performers and musicians) as well, so they’re often plugged into things like wireless receivers with the cable hidden somewhere, so being able to use any length cable in the middle is a plus.
I’d have to say that Shure’s customer service is pretty great as well. I got my first pair of the E530s from the US, via eBay. When there was a problem with one of the wires beside the earpiece wearing out, after I’d had them for about a year, Shure UK replaced them with no problems what soever – I just mailed them the defective ones and the eBay receipt and a couple of weeks later they sent me a whole new boxed pair. Same thing happened the the new pair after a year (though the wire wore in a different place), and they replaced them again with no problems. This last pair has lasted for about two years now, so I guess it was a flaw that’s been corrected, but still – three pairs for the price of one!
Ed, on July 17th, 2009 at 7:53 am
ilounge gives these a C+
Barry Johnson, on July 17th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Ed — you’re right about the why of the cord, but it’s a little deceptive they aren’t marketed just to musician/professional users…From the way they come boxed and in the manual, your Jane/Joe user has no real clue about the set-up…
Nicole Martinelli, on July 17th, 2009 at 11:09 am
here’s what I mean — the box says “developed for the pros” but you just see the buds, not the cord…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23546556%40N04/3569868544
Nicole Martinelli, on July 17th, 2009 at 11:11 am
I have a set of older “professional” Shures. They’re fantastic for noise isolation. They will actually cut noise such that provide hearing protection roughly equal to basic ear plugs.
So for listening to music in the metal / machine shop, or as a personal monitor on stage (what mine were designed for, and it’s children inherit) they’re flawless.
Ironically, for Nicole’s Headline, the one place I never wear them is on an airplane. The plugs work so well, that the compression and decompression cycle of the airplane makes them very uncomfortable.
Leigh McMullen, on July 17th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Guitar Center sells the previous versions of these as well as the current models. I use ‘em hard, and have had a pair replaced under warranty. Some of the previous versions are heavily discounted, and a great buy.
They are truly “monitor” quality, with great noise reduction if you take the time to fit the foam earpieces properly. You’ll hear parts of your favorite music you didn’t pick up before. Well worth the money.
Erin's Dad, on July 19th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Thanks leigh — I’ll hang on to my frayed Apple earbuds for the plane!
Nicole Martinelli, on July 19th, 2009 at 3:33 pm