Shure SE110 sound-isolating earphones review

Shure SE110 sound-isolating earphones Review

Reviewed by: Nate Lanxon

Reviewed on: 12 October 2007

Weaknesses
Every silver lining has its cloud and it's the high end that rains on the SE110s. There's a slight muddiness noticeable in the mids and highs. While this is justified by a low price, it may upset fans of acoustic music that their £70 doesn't give them the clarity they require in the higher end of the audible spectrum.

The dream-like quality of Glósóli from Icelandic art rockers Sigur Rós is a product of the crystalline sound of strings, glockenspiel, bright cymbals and bowed guitars. To do this beautiful and truly harmonious track justice, clarity in the high end is paramount.

Notably, the tambourine hidden throughout the duration of KT Tunstall's Little Flavours is barely audible through the SE110s. This high-frequency sound requires earphones capable of significantly greater definition in the high end.

For the above reasons, we feel the SE110s are more suited to rockier and more bass-driven recordings.

Shure could put spin on our final point as in many ways it isn't a weakness. The method of coupling the earphone to your ear requires some fiddling. The 'phones loop up the back of the ear, over the top and is inserted into the ear canal in a way that may seem upside down to Shure newbies. This is the way professional earpieces are worn and it does feel very natural after a while. Some may be initially put off by the level of effort needed here.

Conclusion
Considering their power, bass and professional build quality, Shure has produced a very decent pair of earphones for £70. The SE110s will utterly destroy the bundled earphones that come with most MP3 players these days. However, if you pride yourself on being able to hear the subtle intricacies embedded in well produced music, you may find the SE110s don't quite offer everything you want.

For those that demand crystal-clear definition for the same price, prepare to sacrifice a good deal of bass; the similarly priced Etymotic ER-6i earphones offer tremendously detailed audio but at the cost of the deep rumblings needed to fully appreciate dance and pop.

Available from AdvancedMP3Players. 

Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday