Shure SE210 Photos & an iPhone Earbud Tip
March 21st, 2008
Some of you have written in the comments and through email to see photos of the Shure SE210 earphones that I bought and how they might work with Shure’s microphone adapter (Shure MPA-3C).
I have posted a full set of photos here with comments. So far, the microphone works just fine, but the clip design is weird with other earphones/headphones. Not a deal breaker at all, as I prefer the SE210s over the Bose for longer calls where I’d want to wear earbuds over just holding the phone to my head.
And a tip:
For those of you who can’t afford or don’t want to throw down for iPhone or iPod headphones, I saw how the stock earbuds fit in Heather’s ears and decided to try something. I turned the speaker part of the bud and rotated it toward the front of my ear, kind of counter-intuitively. Immediate improvement in sound. For awhile, this was how I worked out with my iPhone. Not too comfortable, but gets the job done:
Your mileage may vary. o
Tags: earphones, iphone, Shure SE210
March 21st, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Those stock ear buds hurt my ears so bad! I guess I just have little ear holes or something…
March 21st, 2008 at 2:00 pm
i hate the stock headphones too, even with EQ, no bottom!
Blurb - where did you buy your pair of Shures?
March 21st, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I listened to my ipod headphones until they were roasted - literally, very little sound came out of them. I use Philipp earbud ones now which are good enough…
Anyway, that’s my preempt to say ….. you have cute ears.
March 21st, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Your hearing has a death wish, I swear.
March 21st, 2008 at 5:28 pm
I do not understand ear buds. They just don’t work in my own ears at all. They fall out. They make me crazy and I feel like some child-with-issues (retard) who doesn’t understand the theory.
Am I the only one? Is this an anatomic issue or just a consumer-misunderstanding thing?
March 21st, 2008 at 6:11 pm
I do that turning thing too! I do need to invest in a better set, though.
March 21st, 2008 at 9:45 pm
I’m rokken the Sony MDR-EX81LP Bud-Style Stereo Earphones (White). I’m on my second pair (lost the first) and when my wife tried them after she got her iPod she had to have some too. They also come in “hey, I’m NOT using an iPod-black/silver”. Very comfy for my ears that aren’t as sexxxy as Jon’s. Only around $30 or so for these gems.
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:26 am
I use the Sony MDRs too. Much more comfortable!!!
March 22nd, 2008 at 11:18 am
Sony’s are pretty good, though i highly recommend trying out other headphones when a new pair is needed. I haven’t tried Shure yet but Etymotic ER•6Ps are about the same price as Jon’s and are cleeeear. I thought my ol’ EX71s were teh shitzsky until i used those. The 6Ps have helped me further appreciate Van Halen and great audio production.
Oh, App, check out Etronics.com or even MySimon.com for a great online deals. Etronics has allowed me to justify my repurchasing of 71s (got’em for $40 when they use to be $75 or so). :^D
March 22nd, 2008 at 4:56 pm
It’s hard to comprehend how much I hate iPods and the headphones. My first iPod (30GB) lasted two years and died. The headphones killed me - so uncomfortable - so I bought Sony headphones and they were great (now I have Sennheiser over-the-ear-phones and they’re even better). I’ve had a Creative Zen Vision:M for about two years now and I’ve had no problems whatsoever.
Damn iPods.
March 22nd, 2008 at 4:56 pm
My ears are way too small for any of these kind of earbuds. I prefer to wear proper big old-fashioned headphones at all times: partly because I can hear things through them, but mostly because they make me look like the DJ.
March 22nd, 2008 at 9:50 pm
My ears are way too small for the iPod earbuds, they always fall out. I had a pair of custom earbuds made by Westone that I pop my iPod earbuds into, and they are awesome. To get a pair you’ll need to get an appointment with either an audiologist or an ENT who can make silicone molds of your ear. I honestly don’t know how much they cost because I was an audiology grad student at the time, so mine were free. One of the few perks of being an ear nerd.
Here’s the model I have at Westone: http://www.westone.com/content/193.html
Mine are purple acrylic, with silver glitter. (Yes, very girly.)
I took a few photos when I first got them, here’s the first photo on flickr, click through to the right to see them close up, and then in my ear.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cphaurora/29829622/in/photostream/
They are a perfect fit, and the sound funnels directly into my ear. I’d highly recommend them for anyone who wants a better fitting earbud but doesn’t want to shell out the big bucks for a higher quality earphone.
March 23rd, 2008 at 11:07 am
Your ears are so clean. Coco?
March 23rd, 2008 at 12:19 pm
I am constantly rotating between the crappy Apple earbuds for my iPhone so I can go hands-free in the car (NJ now will whack you $100 bucks for not using a headset), Shure E2c’s, and Bose Quiet Comfort 2’s. What has always amazed me is that Apple still cranks out the white ‘buds when I don’t know of a single person who can keep ‘em in their ears for more than 10 seconds. Which is just -oh-so-lovely when I’m using them in the car, because no matter that I have a hands-free headset, I still need to put my hand up to my ear to keep the damn things in! I’ve been looking at the vibe duos, but am getting scared off after reading some of the reviews, i.e. they stop working for no reason, etc. I also don’t like the idea of having to use an adapter to make any headphones iPhone ready, or the fact that for my other two headsets I need to carry the little headphone adapter with me everywhere.
March 23rd, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Mary Moon, the earbuds don’t fit in my ears either! I say “I have big ear-holes.” Good to hear I’m not a freak. What a relief.
March 24th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
@Meghan - thanks for that link and the info
Like so many others here, the stock Apple buds do not work for me. I can’t seem to find a bluetooth hands-free set that works either.
I’ve got some previous generation Shure headphones and on Jon’s rec, I bought the adapter. It works great. I was pleasantly surprised by how clear it was.
March 24th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
@Meghan
I’m a current audiology grad student writing into say- yes, those Westone custom iPod molds are great! Especially for runners and others who have the buds fall out with movement. And they protect your hearing in the long run since you are more isolated from other noise and can listen to the music at a lower level.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Well that’s your problem, you have weird ears!
Weird ears! Weird ears!
Apple only caters to people with ‘normal’ ears. Specifically Steve Jobs No. 88484 ears. 1998 Standard.
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Two points from a former researcher in the hearing aid/audiology industry.
1. The ideal angle at which your ear buds should be directed is dependent on the geometry of your ear canal. Ear canals are far more variable from person to person than one might believe. Insertion type devices more naturally get oriented in the right angle.
2. Another supplier one should consider is Etymotic Research, who are leaders in the acoustics/audiology world (I am not, nor have ever been affiliated). They have a new product called the hf2 which should be excellent. Mine are being shipped to me at this moment.