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Shure E3 are headphones designed to insulate their wearer from environmental noise by providing a seal in their ear canal. They work much like an ear plug, by insulating the speaker driver with a selection of sleeves. To ensure a good fit, Shure E3's include one pair of disposable foam sleeves, 3 pairs of Flex sleeves (small, medium, large), and 3 pairs of Soft Flex sleeves.

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Shure E3C doubled
MSRP $179.00
Release date --
Brand Shure
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Pros & Cons4
Reviews2
Details
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Competitors1
Comments5
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Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
2 reviews
100
negative
mixed
positive
2 positive
0 mixed
0 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

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Pros:
Do you agree?
•
Passive noise cancelling with fitted sleeves
+2agreedisagree

•
Good value for the price. Less expensive than competitors
+2agreedisagree

•
Comfortable foam inserts
+2agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
Wires near the ear tend to wear down over time and become exposed
0agreedisagree


2 people added to this review by submitting or voting on pros and cons. Add your say!
See individual votes »

Details

They are made from studio-grade components and feature a high-power mini speaker, with balanced armature technology, for an extended frequency response and increased audio clarity. These earbuds weigh only 0.9 oz (28 g), making them one of the lightest pairs on the market. They include a carrying case, and a cable spool to keep the cable organized. Shure E3 earphones are considered a more expensive set of earbud-style headphones, and retail for around $179. While this is a high price for earbs, it still is a cheaper alternative to high-end models such the Etymotic ER-4P that retail for $299. Justifying this cost are the improved components, and sound isolating technology that result in a higher level of audio clarity than cheaper pairs.

  • Transducer Type: single low mass/high energy
  • Sensitivity (at 1 kHz): 115 dB SPL/mW
  • Impedance (at 1 kHz) 26 ohms
  • Output Connector: Gold-plated stereo, 3.5 mm (1/8-inch) phone plug
  • Cable Length: 1.52 m (60 in.)

Shure E3 earphones come branded as Shure E3, Shure E3C, and Shure E3G with the only significant differences being their color (grey, white, and black respectively). The E3G earphones are marketed as the Gaming Edition, for use with the Sony PSP and Nintendo GameBoy, but do not contain an noticeable differences other than their color and a slightly shorter cable.

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This report was started January 4, 2006 at 3:37 pm by Erik
with the last edit occurring May 17, 2009 at 4:41 pm by Alvin Cheung
This page has been viewed 1463 times, with 38 edits by 8 contributors.
See the full report history »

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Competitors

Shure E3 is ranked 2nd among it's competitors.  See the top picks in Headphones »
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5

Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5

MSRP  $169.99    Released  June, 2005
Pros
  • extremely light
  • good for a wide range of music genres
  • reasonable price considering the sound quality
Cons
  • not as full sounding as the SuperFi 5 Pro
  • quite expensive
  • isolation can be potentially dangerous in some environments
ProSCORE
2 reviews
67
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Shure E3 0% vs. vote Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 100%

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Comments

1.  avatar Erik said:

I am more of a fan of a big pair of over the ear headphones. However, if you're doing a lot of travelling, prefer the small footprint of earbuds, but don't want to sacrifice sound quality I think you should consider these.
Mar 14, 2007 3:22pm
2.  avatar gezortenplotz said:

I own a pair Etymotic earbuds, but have cut down consistent use over the past few months. When I took a sound engineering course, my instructor warned against earbuds vs headphones, citing hearing loss. I disregarded this, thinking this was more of the digital vs analog type of argument -- where only people with super hearing like dogs would notice. But I did notice a difference in my ability to hear certain frequencies after consistently wearing the earbuds day after day in the office. I still use the earbuds when I work out, but at a lower volume and have switched to headphones for working in the office
Mar 15, 2007 8:26am
3.  avatar Erik said:

Thanks for the info, gezortenplotz. I never knew that about earbuds.
Mar 15, 2007 10:03am
4.  avatar christal said:

hey so cool i want it in real live
Mar 16, 2007 2:15pm
5.  avatar Sammy said:

I have owned the Etymotics ER-6's and they just dont compare to the Shure E3's. I own the E3c's and love em. I definitely recommend using the yellow foam covers as they are better at blocking out external sound (such as airplane noise). Worth every penny for sure.
Mar 27, 2007 2:21pm
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Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

Alvin Cheung

avatar
May 17, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
0 cons
have ithave it

Pros

  • Passive noise cancelling with fitted sleeves
  • Good value for the price. Less expensive than competitors
  • Comfortable foam inserts

Cons

Did not agree with any cons

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Erik

avatar
September 4, 2007
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
0 cons

Pros

  • Passive noise cancelling with fitted sleeves
  • Good value for the price. Less expensive than competitors
  • Comfortable foam inserts

Cons

Did not agree with any cons

Comments

"I am more of a fan of a big pair of over the ear headphones. However, if you're doing a lot of travelling, prefer the small footprint of earbuds, but don't want to sacrifice sound quality I think you should consider these."
"Thanks for the info, gezortenplotz. I never knew that about earbuds."
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

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This product is also known as:

E, 3, E3