Canalphone Roundup
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Shure E3c Earphones
The Shure E3c is definitely going for the iPod crowd by painting its drivers in
that signature iPod white (you can also get them in gray).
However, the cord is a very non-iPod gray, so you won’t have the “I’m using an
iPod” sign on your chest. This can be good or bad, depending on the crime level
where you live. If you really want to advertise your iPod, you can always
get this shirt with the white cords screenprinted:
Style and Design
Style-wise, it matches the iPod style the best except for the Etymotic 6i which
was born for the iPod. You can also get the E3c’s with gray drivers if you
don’t dig the white. Overall, the E3c is the best looking Shure model.
Like the E2c and E5c, the cord sticks up and wraps around your ear, which is
great. And the cord itself is wonderful – as I mentioned in the E2c review, the
E2c and E3c have the best cords of the whole bunch. Also like the rest of the
Shure line, the cords have the integrated sheath, so you can hang them behind
your head. All good things.
Comfort and Fit
The drivers on the Shure E3c earphones are smaller than the rest of the Shure line, making them
very light and unobtrusive. More comfortable overall than the E2c, and the
smaller length of the earphone nozzle makes for an easier fit.
Sound and Listening Tests
The E3c sounded almost identical to the E2c. The difference was as if you had
taken the range of the E2c and shifted it up just a tiny bit. The Shure E3c produced
a slightly brighter, more detailed sound than the E2c. The Jazz song and New
Slang sounded a little more open and airy. However, on the low end, bass was a
bit softer.
I think the differences between the E2c and E3c are mostly cosmetic. If you
listen to more Classical, Jazz, Opera, and things on the higher end of the
spectrum, you may prefer the sound of the E3c however.
Update:
Someone told me that the E3c sounded a lot better after a heavy break-in period. (All speakers and earphones usually need some playing time before the sound-producing material vibrates and loosens up to operating specifications.)
I had already broken in all the reviewed earphones for a few hours before the listening tests, but I went ahead and broke in the E3c for a while longer just to make sure.
Much to my surprise, the sound improved significantly! The bass was just as good as the E2c, and everything sounded more detailed and crisp, almost on par with the E5c. So I adjusted the numbers on the test to compensate for the better sound. I now highly recommend these earphones over the E2c's due to their superior sound and smaller size.
