Features
The innards of the SE310 aren't much different from those of the E4c. In fact, the technology is the same. Shure has just changed the name from High-Definition Driver to Hi-Definition MicroSpeaker to clarify that it is indeed a piece of hardware, as most people think of 'drivers' as software. Unlike the V-Moda Bass Freq, which uses an inexpensive coil speaker (hence the low price), the tiny units in the SE310 are balanced armature speakers, which allow for more precise sound.
There is one internal factor that differentiates the SE310s from the E4cs, and that's the size of the port. That is, the size of the hole where the music comes out is larger on the SE310, which means the earphones offer an enhanced low-end response. Truthfully, we expected it would be pretty hard to tell the difference, but we could indeed detect a noticeable difference: the SE310's bass response is weightier and more encompassing than that of the E4c headphones.
Performance
As far as overall audio quality is concerned, the SE310s sound as you might expect from a £170 pair of headphones: fantastic. We experienced excellent response, range and warmth across all genres of music.
The triangle in Jem's Finally Woken pinged away with excellent clarity, and the underlying bass in The Chemical Brothers' Block Rockin' Beats made us feel rather as if we were inside a speaker. We did notice one potentially negative quality: the bass can overshadow other low-end sounds in beat-heavy tracks. In Kanye West's Gold Digger, for example, there's a blues piano accompanying the rhythm. The piano is quite clear with the Shure E4cs, but slightly less so with the SE310s.
Conclusion
So the question remains: should you upgrade from the Shure E4cs to the SE310s? Well, that depends. The E4c earphones offer a more balanced sound spectrum overall -- as a result, you get a bit more detail in your music. If, however, you want to experience more bass response, the SE310s will please your ears the most.
Available from AdvancedMP3Players.
Additional editing by Kate Macefield
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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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