Shure SE210 Headphones Review
By Mark Brezinski
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
Published on April 08, 2008
The Shure SE210 headphones are a set of in-ears with an unusual design. The earbuds curve inwards, and are meant to be worn with the cord slung over the back of the ear. If you wear the cord in front of your ear, the SE210s' buds will stick straight out, which might look a bit silly. Another unusual feature is the 3.5mm plug just after the neck split. This separation is meant to accommodate an optional headset adapter, which converts the SE210s into a cell phone headset.
The SE210s were comfortable in use. There are three different types of sleeves (the soft part that actually goes into your ears): triple flange, foam, and soft flex. The foam and soft flex sleeves each came in three different sizes; there was only one pair of triple flange. Seven different pairs of sleeves should allow most users to find a comfortable fit for the shape of their ears. During a long wear session -- six or more hours -- they did tend to get a little uncomfortable, but this is par for course with in-ear headphones.
In-ear headphones usually have to sacrifice some sound quality in order to maintain portability. The SE210s are no exception, but performed well when compared to other in-ear headphones. We found the SE210s underemphasized higher-frequency sounds, which could result in higher-pitched sounds, such as cymbals or spoken sibilance, sounding a little lost in the mix. They had very subtle distortion spread evenly throughout the aural spectrum, though not enough for most users to notice. Tracking -- which deals with both ear pieces producing the same level of sound -- was great, although there were again problems towards the higher-pitches. The headphones were good at blocking outside sounds, though it was much better at blocking out higher frequencies than low; active noise cancelling headphones like the Bose QuietComfort 3s are more effective at blocking low-frequency rumbles, like airplane engines. Lastly, the SE210s hardly leak any noise, which is great for those who wish to keep their music to themselves. The SE210 headphones are priced at $179.99; a little on the expensive side.For a more in-depth review, visit the Shure SE210 Review at our partner HeadphoneInfo.com
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