When a company creates a product that's sufficiently remarkable to garner a spot among CNET's testing equipment, chances are that's a good direction to look for further quality products. Such is the case with Shure, whose E4c earbuds quickly became our headphone of choice for MP3 player audio testing.
In fact, the entire E series is impressive, which is why the company didn't stray far from that blueprint when it created its new Sound Isolating line, the SE series.
Shure's latest earphone collection, which offers new sound signatures and an improved design, includes the SE210, SE310, SE420 and SE530 (just a renamed E500). The £170 SE310 headphones are the subject of this review.
Design
On first glance, you might not notice the design tweaks that Shure has made to the SE line. But closer inspection will reveal that the SE310s have a more curvaceous earpiece than that of the E series. The material is also slightly different, giving it a more tactile feel.
The model colour -- black or white -- also applies to the colour of the earpiece, rather than that of the cable. In the case of the white, the colouring is more silver than white, but we actually prefer the pearlescent sheen. These are subtle changes to be sure, but welcome.
Less subtle is the new modular cable. The main Y cable is just 0.5m long to accommodate listeners who carry their MP3 players in a shirt pocket or clip them to a bag strap. But Shure also includes a 1m cable extension for those who still prefer to stow their devices in a jeans pocket or bag.
The rest of SE310's Deluxe Fit Kit includes a sturdy canvas case, a 'wax guard' (for cleaning the earpieces) and various ear tips -- one triple flange, three sizes of soft flex and three sizes of foam. The latter is now tapered for an easier fit, coated for easier cleaning and black rather than yellow.
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Stuart Lloyd 14 November 2010
Good: Sound is amazing!
Bad: Cable fracturing and customer service
Comment: I DID buy the £480 SE530's.
The cable DID fracture - just like MAD's
Shure DID indeed treat me like an inconvenience - I was actually amazed how rude they were!
Shure DID also refuse to replace/refund even though they admitted it was a design fault
Shure DID offer me a 20% discount on a new pair - but with the same design fault
Shure HAVE lost me as a customer
Even though Shure have apparently addressed this issue with the new SE535's - do you really want to spend the thick end of £500 on a product that comes with no customer service or ownership of any design issues...
MAD 17 August 2010
Good: Remarkable sound for the price
Bad: Cabling is "very" poor quality
Comment: You've probably read a lot about the sound reproduction of these headphones; that I have to agree with is outstanding, especially for this price.
The only problem, and this is in fact a Real-life problem, is that the cabling degrades seriously over time. The headphones come in two parts. These were in fact a replacement set that Shure provided me with after the internal wiring on my SE4's went leading to the left channel not working.
As a safety measure I heat shrunk the joints of the wiring to prolong the life of these headphones. To much disappointment the only part that I did not heat shrink, as it was physically impossible to do so, has ended up with the same problem, just outside of my warrantee as well. The lower 1/2 of the cabling (the section closest to the music source) has also cracked in several places. The cable has been usually stiff for a long time, you'll probably notice this on your new pair in cold conditions, e.g the winter, but you'll soon notice that the cabling becomes permanently stiff. The copper wiring is now exposed in 2places!
I phoned Shure and although I understand the view of one does not represent the company, the lady on reception was very unsympathetic - she should have given some condolence, but I assume she has absolutely no passion for music or appreciation for good sound quality. Instead she simply spoke to me with a hurried and authorative voice, blurtung that the units are sealed and "I'd have to buy another pair". Thanks Shure for looking after your customers.
I was considering a pair of closed back phones from Shure but will now have to stray to Denon or B&W (B&W look after me very well in fact)
I honestly hope that this type of cabling is not used in the higher end models let alone any type of other model. If I bought the £300+ 5series in-ears to have this happen I'd probably cry.
These would have got a worthy 4stars for their audio performance but the cabling has made the earphones barely usable, especially in motion. Other users have reported this issue on Amazon.
I can't wait to hear the sound reproduction of the Denon AH-D5000s. I probably won't buy anything Shure that has wires ever again.
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