siddharthx64
A Droid in a Tux
Review of the SHURE SE215 CL (Clear) Noise Isolating In-ear monitors
Hi All!!!
About this review
I am no audiophile, but I love my music. I love listening to a variety of genres, and am not fixated on a single type. I like solid thumping bass but I do not shun treble. I like accuracy, and I love acoustic isolation. This is not my first earphone, and I've tried out earphones such as the EP-630. I do not believe in the merits of active noise cancellation, its passive all the way. I love clarity. In my music collection, you might find both instrumental and vocal performances.
If this describes you at least a little bit even, this review will really benefit you.
Specifications
Sensitivity: 107 dB SPL/mW
lmpedance: 20 Ω
Frequency Range: 22Hz – 17.5kHz
Cable Style:64” Detachable (at ear) with wireform fit
Colors: Available in Clear or Translucent Black
Speaker Type: Dynamic MicroDriver
Build Quality: 9/10
The build quality is excellent. In comparison, my old ep-630, and the samsung S3's earphones can't even hold a candle. The monitor is well designed, and the cables are kevlar reinforced. The connection points are well and thickly shielded, and the connectors are all gold plated. The audio connector is a standard 3.5 mm sterio jack with an L-bend. The only gripe I had was with the thin plastic cylindrical part of the monitor that the earplugs sit on. This part looks a bit weak, and looks like it may break off some day. Need to be careful with that part. Another annoyance is the pain one experiences when he/she tries to replace the earbuds. They seem to be stuck tightly, and I had to fiddle with it for quite a bit before I learnt the trick (use of finger-nails may be needed). The cable itself is amazingly thick and textured (Clear Edition has a texture feel to it, while the black edition does not, although shure assures us that the quality of these two cables and the materials used are identical).
Sound Quality: 9/10
For the price point that these sell (around USD 99) the sound quality is excellent. The Bass is clean and strong, but does not overpower the other frequencies. Mids and Highs are exceptionally clear. They sound warm, and the soundstage is quite wide (each instrument can be distinctly separated if you try to follow the tunes). I love listening to classical, rock and bassy numbers on this one, which makes it an all-rounder for me.
Noise Cancellation: Extreme. The foam earbuds block out over 70-80% of external sound even without any audio playback. With Audio playing at 15% volume on my S3, I couldn't hear a single sound from my very noisy surroundings (A large Food Court filled with hungry and chattering people, A Volvo AC Bus, and a Central Bus Terminus)
WARNING This Extreme Noise Cancellation brings with it great satisfaction, but also great dangers. DO NOT USE WHEN DRIVING/WALKING/CROSSING roads, or even generally moving around in your own home. Only use them when you are sure that you are in a safe environment that does not need you to be alert of your surroundings. I actually fell asleep with these in my ear, in a moving Volvo bus this evening. They are that effective.
Seal/Fit: When it comes to in-ear-monitors, the bass and sound quality is completely dependent on the level of seal that the buds achieve with your ear canal. In the beginning, adjusting to the cable going around-the-ear seemed to be quite a task, and the seal used to break off within a couple of minutes. But that was only because I wasn't wearing them right. A video online showed the correct way to do it, and after a few awfully irritating attempts, i learnt the right way. The seal is now unbelievably strong, and stays in the ear despite the over-the-ear-cable causing a bit of twist and shake once in a while due to neck movements. The monitor is designed in a way that allows it to fill up the cavity that your outer ear has, and it does not protrude out of the cavity, for most ear shapes. This negative profile allows you to sleep on the ear, without any discomfort, unlike other barrel-type earphones such as the SA C-12 or Creative EP-630.
Microphonics: Virtually absent during natural stationary movements. Slight noise is audible when moving around with the cable dangling when running/jogging. The cable separator does a great job of avoiding microphonics coming from the cable part between the cable's separator joint to the monitor
OVERALL COMPARISON: This is subjective, and you may not feel the same way, but here goes
Bose Sound Comfort Quiet Comfort 20i > Shure SE215 CL > Bose MEI2i > Klipsch Image S4 > Signature Acoustics C-12 > Creative EP-630
What's in the box?
> In Ear Monitors (Blue-Left, Red-Right)
> Nice long Kevlar reinforced detachable cable
> 3 pairs of Foam Ear buds (S, M, L)
> 3 pairs of Silicone Ear buds (S, M, L)
> EarBud Cleaning tool (tiny metal and pointy ends to clean the buds and monitor's hole)
> Carry Pouch (with a zip and a hooking clip) to carry the buds and the monitors
> Manuals, instructions and warrantee details
What I wish they also included
> A nice shirt-clip to relieve the monitors from the cable's weight
Burn-In required: Yes. I would recommend letting the monitors undergo a natural burn with the songs that you would normally listen to.
Pics
*i.imgur.com/PaAfpH5.jpg
*i.imgur.com/tnY9hUc.jpg
*i.imgur.com/NWqsMaX.jpg
*i.imgur.com/enwkKm1.jpg
*i.imgur.com/VHZhp4Q.jpg
*i.imgur.com/D69vdpg.jpg
Links to Un-boxing Videos
*www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsY2v2pazoE
*www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmjbhlZpVm0
*i.imgur.com/PaAfpH5.jpg
Hi All!!!
About this review
I am no audiophile, but I love my music. I love listening to a variety of genres, and am not fixated on a single type. I like solid thumping bass but I do not shun treble. I like accuracy, and I love acoustic isolation. This is not my first earphone, and I've tried out earphones such as the EP-630. I do not believe in the merits of active noise cancellation, its passive all the way. I love clarity. In my music collection, you might find both instrumental and vocal performances.
If this describes you at least a little bit even, this review will really benefit you.
Specifications
Sensitivity: 107 dB SPL/mW
lmpedance: 20 Ω
Frequency Range: 22Hz – 17.5kHz
Cable Style:64” Detachable (at ear) with wireform fit
Colors: Available in Clear or Translucent Black
Speaker Type: Dynamic MicroDriver
Build Quality: 9/10
The build quality is excellent. In comparison, my old ep-630, and the samsung S3's earphones can't even hold a candle. The monitor is well designed, and the cables are kevlar reinforced. The connection points are well and thickly shielded, and the connectors are all gold plated. The audio connector is a standard 3.5 mm sterio jack with an L-bend. The only gripe I had was with the thin plastic cylindrical part of the monitor that the earplugs sit on. This part looks a bit weak, and looks like it may break off some day. Need to be careful with that part. Another annoyance is the pain one experiences when he/she tries to replace the earbuds. They seem to be stuck tightly, and I had to fiddle with it for quite a bit before I learnt the trick (use of finger-nails may be needed). The cable itself is amazingly thick and textured (Clear Edition has a texture feel to it, while the black edition does not, although shure assures us that the quality of these two cables and the materials used are identical).
Sound Quality: 9/10
For the price point that these sell (around USD 99) the sound quality is excellent. The Bass is clean and strong, but does not overpower the other frequencies. Mids and Highs are exceptionally clear. They sound warm, and the soundstage is quite wide (each instrument can be distinctly separated if you try to follow the tunes). I love listening to classical, rock and bassy numbers on this one, which makes it an all-rounder for me.
Noise Cancellation: Extreme. The foam earbuds block out over 70-80% of external sound even without any audio playback. With Audio playing at 15% volume on my S3, I couldn't hear a single sound from my very noisy surroundings (A large Food Court filled with hungry and chattering people, A Volvo AC Bus, and a Central Bus Terminus)
WARNING This Extreme Noise Cancellation brings with it great satisfaction, but also great dangers. DO NOT USE WHEN DRIVING/WALKING/CROSSING roads, or even generally moving around in your own home. Only use them when you are sure that you are in a safe environment that does not need you to be alert of your surroundings. I actually fell asleep with these in my ear, in a moving Volvo bus this evening. They are that effective.
Seal/Fit: When it comes to in-ear-monitors, the bass and sound quality is completely dependent on the level of seal that the buds achieve with your ear canal. In the beginning, adjusting to the cable going around-the-ear seemed to be quite a task, and the seal used to break off within a couple of minutes. But that was only because I wasn't wearing them right. A video online showed the correct way to do it, and after a few awfully irritating attempts, i learnt the right way. The seal is now unbelievably strong, and stays in the ear despite the over-the-ear-cable causing a bit of twist and shake once in a while due to neck movements. The monitor is designed in a way that allows it to fill up the cavity that your outer ear has, and it does not protrude out of the cavity, for most ear shapes. This negative profile allows you to sleep on the ear, without any discomfort, unlike other barrel-type earphones such as the SA C-12 or Creative EP-630.
Microphonics: Virtually absent during natural stationary movements. Slight noise is audible when moving around with the cable dangling when running/jogging. The cable separator does a great job of avoiding microphonics coming from the cable part between the cable's separator joint to the monitor
OVERALL COMPARISON: This is subjective, and you may not feel the same way, but here goes
Bose Sound Comfort Quiet Comfort 20i > Shure SE215 CL > Bose MEI2i > Klipsch Image S4 > Signature Acoustics C-12 > Creative EP-630
What's in the box?
> In Ear Monitors (Blue-Left, Red-Right)
> Nice long Kevlar reinforced detachable cable
> 3 pairs of Foam Ear buds (S, M, L)
> 3 pairs of Silicone Ear buds (S, M, L)
> EarBud Cleaning tool (tiny metal and pointy ends to clean the buds and monitor's hole)
> Carry Pouch (with a zip and a hooking clip) to carry the buds and the monitors
> Manuals, instructions and warrantee details
What I wish they also included
> A nice shirt-clip to relieve the monitors from the cable's weight
Burn-In required: Yes. I would recommend letting the monitors undergo a natural burn with the songs that you would normally listen to.
Pics
*i.imgur.com/PaAfpH5.jpg
*i.imgur.com/tnY9hUc.jpg
*i.imgur.com/NWqsMaX.jpg
*i.imgur.com/enwkKm1.jpg
*i.imgur.com/VHZhp4Q.jpg
*i.imgur.com/D69vdpg.jpg
Links to Un-boxing Videos
*www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsY2v2pazoE
*www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmjbhlZpVm0
Last edited:
