A better pair of earphones

Last year, I bought some EarJams for my iPod.

They were passable, but I was getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of accuracy or balanced frequency response. In fact, I reverted to using just the naked Apple-provided buds, since at least they were more or less faithful to the original sound (if a little tinny unless manually held firmly in ones ear).

So for my recent birthday, thanks to some cash from my mum and dad, I splashed on a pair of Shure E2c in-ear ‘phones. And it’s probably the best technology purchase I’ve made in a while. They feel “serious” (solid is probably not the best word to describe in-ear head phones), the cable is substantial without being too stiff, and they look pleasingly “techy”. But most of all, the sound.

A friend had told me about a pair of Etymotics he had tried, how he could hear all sorts of things in recordings he’d never noticed before… and it’s the same with these Shures. The level of detail I can now hear, especially the live sound of classical recordings, is incredible. Of course, with some artists, like Glenn Gould, this is not necessarily a good thing. ;)

The overall balance is great, and the sound is lively and crisp across all musical styles–from thumpathumpa bass to an orchestral sound stage. I’m a happy camper. :)