Shure SE215 PRO Wired Earbuds – Professional Sound Isolating Earphones, Clear Sound & Deep Bass, Single Dynamic MicroDriver, Secure Fit in Ear Monitor, Plus Carrying Case & Fit Kit – Clear (SE215-CL)

A serious alternative to lesser earbuds
These earbuds may not be for everyone, and using them has some drawbacks, but after going through several sets of buds over the last few years I had some clear goals for my next set, and the Shure SE215 met those goals. Durabilty is my primary goal for this latest purchase, but only time will tell if these earbuds are durable. But that is how I became interested in the SE215, because I found it recommended on several Net review sites listing durable buds. They have a detachable cable, and the cable is probably where most earbuds eventually fail, although it isn’t always clear where the failure occurs. Usually, I just hear that one side starts cutting out or goes dead completely. Unfortunately, replacement cables for these are as expensive as a cheap set of buds, but even with regular cable replacement, the cost of ownership of these buds may turn out to be less than frequently replacing cheaper sets.One thing that people may want to know about this product is that it was apparently designed as an in-ear monitor for musicians and not necessarily an earbud designed for use with an iPod or cell phone, although that is probably how most people use it. As such, it has several design characteristics that are different from most earbuds. There are no flashy colors or aggressive shapes. The cable is comparatively long, and it lacks the rubbery flexibility of other earbud cables. The base model also lacks in-line controls, although a model with inline controls is available at extra cost. I opted for the base model without inline controls and bought an aftermarket cable that has the controls. The combination is about the same cost as the one with inline controls but I get two cables instead of one.In use, the SE215 is the best sounding and most comfortable set of buds I have ever owned. Some people describe the sound as bass heavy, but I only found that to be the case if the sleeves are of the silicone flange variety and are very tight fitting. In my experience, these buds are best used with the compressible foam style of sleeves, and I am currently using the largest set of these that came with the set. The compressible foam sleeves tend to de-emphasize bass, as well as being more comfortable. With the foam sleeves, I would characterize the sound as balanced, but still with excellent bass. I have no doubt that a big part of the perceived sound quality of the SE215 is due to its sound isolating qualities. Without some degree of sound isolation, the listener simply won’t hear a lot of detail and nuance in the sound. The best comparison I can make is that using the SE215 is close to the experience of using a good set of over the ear head phones. That is high praise, but over the ear head phones are also designed for sound isolation, hence the similarity. Because of the sound isolation and the detail that comes through in the music, the experience of using these buds is immersive and strangely addictive. Using the SE215 has become my favorite way of listening to music.These buds are also the most comfortable I have ever used, especially for long listening sessions. They don’t fall out easily because of normal body movements like walking, and because of the over the ear cable routing, small tugs on the cable don’t yank them out either. The downside is that getting the buds properly inserted and the cable properly routed is a fiddly and time consuming process. Because of the detachable connector, the cable rotates freely on the earbud and everything has to be held in just the right position to get them properly placed. Another small quibble is that the set does not come with a cable clip. I had to scavenge one from one of my dead earbud sets. This is an omission that should be rectified.It remains to be seen if I can list durability as Pro instead of a Con, but here is my Pro and Con summary of the SE215:Pros- Sound isolation and sound quality make for an immersive listening experience- Nice bass, but not too heavy as some others claim- Very comfortable for long listening sessions- Replaceable cable- Once properly placed, they tend to stay putCons- Price- Getting inline controls for portable devices is an additional cost- Fiddly earbud placement and cable routing- Stiff cable- Lack of a cable clip

I like using wired earbuds with my motorcycle helmet. I’ve used cheap bullet style earbuds for years and they worked well enough, but the last pair I had kicked the bucket so I decided to try these out for their low profile.All I have to say is that these are excellent for this application, my only complaint is that they can be hard to get in your ears with the cord under your chin. I’ve started making sure I have the left and right on the correct sides and then flipping the cable over my back to make the wires fall down behind me. It’s more comfortable to get them inserted this way, but the cord can then get pinched between your neck and jacket collar.Otherwise, the sound quality and noise isolation are excellent and I’d replace them with the same thing if I somehow managed to break or lose these. Got them on sale for about $90. Will probably buy another pair for my passenger if I see them at this price again.

The sound out of these is great and the fit in your ear actually work not like some earbuds that just fall out. They also wrap around on the top of your ear.