Shure’s Newest Canalphones Are Almost As Affordable As Apple’s Buds [CES 2014]

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Shure's new $50 SE112 IEMs. Photo: Eli Milchman

CES 2014 bug

LAS VEGAS — Shure has hit the extremes lately in terms of how much they think music lovers are willing to pay for headphones and earphones, but their latest in-ear monitors cost just $50.

The new SE112s are just half the price of Shure’s previously cheapest IEMs, the SE215, and only $20 more than Apple’s iconic, earbud-ish EarPods. It’s quite a change for Shure: Earlier this year, the company came out with the ultra-high-end, $1,000-plus SE846 canalphones. And their exotic, carbon-fiber SRH1540 headphones arrived just a few months ago at a robust $624.

Shure is adamant that the more-affordable ‘phones sound great, especially in the bass department. But you’ll miss out on the gold treatment — literally: The SE112 forgoes the SE215’s detachable, gold-plated MMCX connectors.

The new SE112s also come with only three sets of eartips, which is half the complement included with the SE215. Finally, the SE112 gets smaller drivers (6.7mm, compared to 8mm in the SE215).

But if they sound good, who cares. Just be careful with those hair-thin cables.

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