Canalphone Roundup
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Canalphones Roundup
Shure E2c
The E2c is Shure’s current “entry level” canalphone model. It has a lot of
design similarities to the E3c and E5c,
so a lot of what I describe here will apply to those as well.
The "c" in E2c is for "consumer". Shure also sells products
called E2, E3, and E5 that are identical to their "c" twins. The
non-"c" brands are marketed towards audio professionals instead.
Style and Design
The E2c’s look fairly nondescript. You can tell the right earphone from the left
because the left earphone is all black, and the right one is half black, half
transparent. This is annoying to remember – where’s the simple L/R indicator?
Comfort and Fit
There has clearly been some innovation here over the Etymotics in terms of
comfort. One significant improvement in the Shure line is the way the cords
wrap around your ear.
Instead of hanging down and necessitating a little clippie thing in the middle
to prevent them from pulling out, the Shure models are designed with the cord
sticking up. This way your ears serve as a natural foil for keeping them held
into place. It works very well.
The Shure line is also designed to be optionally worn with the cord hanging down
the back of your head so it doesn’t hang in front of you and get in the way.
When doing this, there is a little plastic sheath that you can slide up and
tighten the cord together right at the back of your skull, keeping them firmly
in place.
Furthermore, the cords on all the Shure models are a breath of fresh air –
finally, nice thick cords that don’t transmit sound when they touch things!
This model and the E3c have the nicest cords in the roundup.
There is one curiously annoying feature about this particular model however. The
nozzles where the earpieces are inserted are much larger than the rest of the
models in the roundup, including Shure’s other models. Perhaps they did this to
make the earpieces incompatible between Shure’s higher-end models?
Unfortunately, the bigger nozzles make the earphones more challenging to insert
into your ears. Also the longer length of the foam earpiece means you might
pick up some more gunk than usual.
Sound and Listening Tests
The E2c’s have some really great bass. They did a superb job with the Coldplay
tune, really superb. The low end and midrange are very rich and smooth, and
provide a very pleasant listening experience. There is never any distortion or
over-brightness. The bass is definitely emphasized, but not too much so.
However, I found myself wishing the E2c’s had a little more treble to them. They
weren’t as good at showing detail in New Slang and the Jazz song as the
Etymotic line.
Overall, the E2c’s were better matched to the kind of music I usually listen to,
which is Alternative, Rock, and Pop. When that bass kicks in it puts a smile on
my face every time.
