Shure SE115 Black Ear-Canal Headphone

Review of the Shure SE115 by the Naked Reviewer

Background
Though not currently in the business, I have years of experience with personal audio and studio recording equipment. I also own numerous earphones and headphones so there is personal experience behind each review. I will later list all the gear I own, but I am too lazy to do so now.

Why am I naked?
Though you may not truly appreciate it until you try it yourself, listening to music while naked is a liberating experience. For some reason it just makes me connect in a very intimate level with my music. Again, don’t knock it until you try it yourself. Go ahead. You will thank me. Please make sure to listen to music naked responsibly. Make sure no children or small animals are nearby. If you look like or are Jessica Biel, please make sure the children and pets are gone and contact me directly. I’ll be happy to listen to music with you while naked.

The Earphones
I want to emphasize that this is my personal opinion. I am in no way associated with Shure or Earphones Solutions. I am writing a review to share my knowledge and help newcomers to the world of high-end audio. These newcomers are typically lost when deciding which earphones to buy. I will do my best to guide you and provide you with enough information to make an educated decision…or just enough to be dangerous. Please keep in mind that I own various $500+ earphones, so my review will solely relate to earphones within the $100 price range.

I will break down my review into commonly researched aspects of earphones. Most knowledgeable consumers already know what they are looking for, but may have questions on specific aspects of the product. Newcomers will benefit from reading about individual aspects of the product and how they stack up against the competition.

Let’s begin by saying that the Shure SE115 earphones were a pleasant surprise. I own just about every earphone made by Shure and I can honestly tell you that I am happy with the new Dynamic MicroSpeaker II design, and overall workmanship, and materials.

Bass
The bane of in-ear earphone has always been a lack of bass. Granted, a lot of this can be alleviated by using the correct ear tips, but historically these earphones have had a weak bass range, the Shure brand in particular. In my opinion, the best bass you can get is with Westone earphones, but we’re not here to discuss that.

Bass was relatively warm and rich considering the price range of Shure SE115 earphones. You really can’t ask for more with only spending $100, but there are alternatives available. I will write a comparison between these earphones and the competition in the coming weeks. Stay tuned. For now let’s continues with the SE115.

As I mentioned bass was rich and warm through the low range despite the various music types I threw at them. They handled everything from death metal through samba like a trooper. Even after an hour of continued use I couldn’t believe how good the bass was. I want to again emphasize that you NEED to have correctly fitted ear tip. If you don’t, you will not fully appreciate the richness of the bass and your whole listening experience will be compromised.

Treble
Treble has never been a problem with Shure earphones. In fact, their focus on this range has been the reason I don’t always rank their earphones higher than other brands. Some of Shure’s earphones have a somewhat “tinny” quality to the treble range, which is a big no-no in my book. Treble should be rich and full, but not overwhelmingly so. As I mentioned earlier, I was pleasantly surprised with these earphones. The treble was “just about right” for the price range.

Mid-Range
The mid-range has been, in my opinion, the failing of almost every Shure earphone in the market and this one is no exception. The mids were muddled, and in certain songs almost negligible. I had a couple of songs where the mids were almost non-existent. In their defense, these are $100 and not a triple driver, but I would expect more out of Shure, especially after a re-design. If your music preference relies heavily on mids you may want to look elsewhere.

Comfort & Fit
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of a perfect fit and “seal” when putting the ear tips on your earphones. Without the “seal” you will lack bass and the whole listening experience will be sub-par. Again, use the correct ear tips for the shape of your ear canal. Material is also a factor. Some ear canals seal better with rubber, while others require foam. Whichever you choose, please make sure you get a good seal, but not at the expense of comfort. The Shure SE115 is a big improvement over the old “E” series design. In my opinion the “E” series had a horrible design and I am glad that they took some cues from other manufacturers and designed earphones to be used on human ears this time around. The “L” shape of the old Shure earphones made some of the earphones unusable, especially if they were to be used on stage by professionals.

Materials & Workmanship
I have to say that Shure did a good job with the new series of earphones when it comes to workmanship. I always thought some of their older earphones, with the exception of the E5, were sub-par when pinned against the competition. Especially some that are made here in the USA with high quality materials. These earphones however are a far cry from the old days of the “E” series. Gone are the days of requiring a degree in engineering and heavy machinery to open the “bubble” packaging of the old Shure earphones. The new boxed design is nice and you can tell that some thought went into the design of the packaging. If they put so much thought into the design of the packaging, how much thinking you think went to the earphone itself? I am very happy this time around with the materials and workmanship.

Conclusion
Though not “the definitive best” earphones in this price range, the Shure SE115 are definitely a good buy for consumers looking to upgrade their crappy iPod earphones. They will not break the bank, but will definitely provide you with relatively “audiophile” quality sound at a fraction of the cost. This is also backed by Shure’s 2 year warranty, which in my opinion is one of the best in the industry. If we had just met and you asked me which $100 earphones you should buy, I will definitely recommend the Shure SE115 as a nice “all around” bang for your buck earphone. I may have other recommendations if you have specific ranges or product design you prefer, but I can honestly tell you that you can’t go wrong with the Shure SE115. Shure did a great job with this generation of earphones.