Shure SE215, SE315 or SE425?
Discussion
A short while back I annoyingly left my Shure SE215 earphones on a BA after landing in Gibraltar. I knew exactly where they were left however the ground staff were completely useless and claimed they were not on the plane. Basically, they found a nice set of earphones and stole them.
Unfortunately my insurance wouldn't cover them so I now need a new set of earphones as I'm currently using some crappy iPhone 5 ones given to me by a very kind friend.
The choices are the same (Shure SE215), which I liked very much. Very comfortable and the sound was clear and detailed. They're really a great set of earphones.
However now I have the chance to upgrade, I'm thinking of the SE315 and perhaps even the SE425.
As a wild-card I'm also thinking of the Klipsch X10i however I've heard the cable quality is iffy and I find the Shure's very comfortable in my ears so I'm moving away from that for now.
As I can't try any of them and I've read all the reviews and still can't make my mind up, I'm curious as to what you chaps think and if anyone here has any of these phones. Is the SE425 worth the £190 price tag? Would I find the SE315's too flat? Should I just save my pounds and buy another set of SE215's?
For reference, my music tastes are quite vast, but I enjoy a depth as well as detail. I listen to a lot of classical piano and strings but there are days when I will listen to Deadmau5 or some rock or total trash. Depends on the mood I'm in.
Here's a summary of the earphones:
Unfortunately my insurance wouldn't cover them so I now need a new set of earphones as I'm currently using some crappy iPhone 5 ones given to me by a very kind friend.
The choices are the same (Shure SE215), which I liked very much. Very comfortable and the sound was clear and detailed. They're really a great set of earphones.
However now I have the chance to upgrade, I'm thinking of the SE315 and perhaps even the SE425.
As a wild-card I'm also thinking of the Klipsch X10i however I've heard the cable quality is iffy and I find the Shure's very comfortable in my ears so I'm moving away from that for now.
As I can't try any of them and I've read all the reviews and still can't make my mind up, I'm curious as to what you chaps think and if anyone here has any of these phones. Is the SE425 worth the £190 price tag? Would I find the SE315's too flat? Should I just save my pounds and buy another set of SE215's?
For reference, my music tastes are quite vast, but I enjoy a depth as well as detail. I listen to a lot of classical piano and strings but there are days when I will listen to Deadmau5 or some rock or total trash. Depends on the mood I'm in.
Here's a summary of the earphones:
I had a pair of SE215s and moved to the Klipsch Image S4. I have never looked back. They are amazing and a lot more comfortable (i never thought it possible as i loved the Shures).
I've also tried the X10s and i found they didn't go well with a mobile phone as a source, they were too good for a phone essentially. I've got a headphone amp too and even that didn't do the justice.
The Image S4is are £50 on amamzon at the moment too. I'd highly suggest you take a look.
I've also tried the X10s and i found they didn't go well with a mobile phone as a source, they were too good for a phone essentially. I've got a headphone amp too and even that didn't do the justice.
The Image S4is are £50 on amamzon at the moment too. I'd highly suggest you take a look.
Definitely a good choice and huge value for money at just £45, but I really would like something more detailed. My music is generally 320kbps on the iPhone so it's pretty detailed.
I also get the feeling the S4's would sound a little muffled with some classical tones.
Annoyingly this is all guess work on my part as I can't find a shop that will let me try the Shure's in my ears which is the most important thing but not possible.
I've heard the SE425's are very flat and natural with not so much depth which is great for lossless music but I think it may be a bit flat for my liking. It's pushing me more towards the SE315's which deliver more detail than the 215's but with about the same depth.
Again...guess work
Any hints would be appreciated.
I also get the feeling the S4's would sound a little muffled with some classical tones.
Annoyingly this is all guess work on my part as I can't find a shop that will let me try the Shure's in my ears which is the most important thing but not possible.
I've heard the SE425's are very flat and natural with not so much depth which is great for lossless music but I think it may be a bit flat for my liking. It's pushing me more towards the SE315's which deliver more detail than the 215's but with about the same depth.
Again...guess work
Any hints would be appreciated.
Not sure I can offer a great deal of help, but I was looking at the 215's but read lots of reviews they were quite bass heavy. I then decided on the 315's although I was a little concerned as some reviews said they were too bass light 
I thought about the 425's and they had great reviews (possibly a bit bass light) but were more expensive.
In the end I decided on the 315's, however they were out of stock to I just got the 425's, they are great. Really natural sound, great detail and amazing texture on vocals, as you'd expect for Shure. They could maybe do with a bit more top end, but I don't notice this when I'm listening to music, as opposed to critically listening to the IEMs if that makes sense.
I haven't listened to any other decent IEM's but I did try a little A/B comparison with my previous Sony in ears the other day, and wow, the Sony's were lacking in everything compared to the Shure's. I'm very happy with my purchase 2 months down the line. I use mine with FLAC's on my Nexus S BTW. Also I don't think you can really tell the difference between FLAC and 320bit MP3, especially on the move.
I thought about the 425's and they had great reviews (possibly a bit bass light) but were more expensive. In the end I decided on the 315's, however they were out of stock to I just got the 425's, they are great. Really natural sound, great detail and amazing texture on vocals, as you'd expect for Shure. They could maybe do with a bit more top end, but I don't notice this when I'm listening to music, as opposed to critically listening to the IEMs if that makes sense.
I haven't listened to any other decent IEM's but I did try a little A/B comparison with my previous Sony in ears the other day, and wow, the Sony's were lacking in everything compared to the Shure's. I'm very happy with my purchase 2 months down the line. I use mine with FLAC's on my Nexus S BTW. Also I don't think you can really tell the difference between FLAC and 320bit MP3, especially on the move.
laingy said:
I bought mine a couple of years ago, but then I found the cheaper shure headphones a better sound than the more expensive ones. But the main criteria being to get a good seal in the ear (lots of experimentation) actually made the most difference.
Which ones did you buy?I've had the 215's for a couple of years without any issues so I'm leaning more towards the 315's as a bit of an upgrade.....even the 425's are looking favourable but the price is a little off-putting.
I originally had the old Shure E5C's and subsequently upgraded to the newer 535SE including the "push to hear" module (which is excellent, but which i very rarely use). The SE535's now go everywhere with me (at my desk at work, travelling, at the gym etc), and are very much a "do it all" solution - they seem to serve most types of music well (my tastes are varied) they pick out high notes/treble accurately without sounding splashy or harsh, mids are full enough to give good vocal range and power, and the low frequency end is sub heavy enough.
I went with these as I find cans too big and obtrusive to wear at work, and most in ears i tested lacked bottom end weight or didnt sound "big" enough to me. I realise they are stupid money, comparatively speaking and that gains are not linear at the top end of this sort of market - but to me after i had heard the SE535s I knew I would regret buying anything else.
I agree with a previous poster too, make sure you take some time to get the foam tip correctly sized for your ear and try out the various options for it - the sound from Shures relies on the headphones being sited correctly and a seal being formed in your ear canal.
HTH,
R.
I went with these as I find cans too big and obtrusive to wear at work, and most in ears i tested lacked bottom end weight or didnt sound "big" enough to me. I realise they are stupid money, comparatively speaking and that gains are not linear at the top end of this sort of market - but to me after i had heard the SE535s I knew I would regret buying anything else.
I agree with a previous poster too, make sure you take some time to get the foam tip correctly sized for your ear and try out the various options for it - the sound from Shures relies on the headphones being sited correctly and a seal being formed in your ear canal.
HTH,
R.
If you want to try the Shure's I tried them out at a What Hi-Fi show a few years ago....they had a stand there. Bit of a long shot, isn't the Bristol show at this time of year....if you happen to live nearby.
Or ring Shure and ask them if they can recommend a dealer that can demo them. You can't expect someone to drop £400 without hearing them first.
Or ring Shure and ask them if they can recommend a dealer that can demo them. You can't expect someone to drop £400 without hearing them first.
I had the 425's until I trod on them (upgrade from some lesser Shures) and I thought they were excellent. Noticably better than the others.
Depending on what device you are using, it is worth noticing that the 425s are good enough to emphasise the s
t qualities of MP3s as well as the goodness. So suddenly I found that 20% of my music was a bit hissy and crackly in teh quiet bits. THis was on an iphone.
Anyway I thoroughly recommend them and fully intend to buy myself a replacement.
Depending on what device you are using, it is worth noticing that the 425s are good enough to emphasise the s
t qualities of MP3s as well as the goodness. So suddenly I found that 20% of my music was a bit hissy and crackly in teh quiet bits. THis was on an iphone.Anyway I thoroughly recommend them and fully intend to buy myself a replacement.
blindswelledrat said:
I had the 425's until I trod on them (upgrade from some lesser Shures) and I thought they were excellent. Noticably better than the others.
Depending on what device you are using, it is worth noticing that the 425s are good enough to emphasise the st qualities of MP3s as well as the goodness. So suddenly I found that 20% of my music was a bit hissy and crackly in teh quiet bits. THis was on an iphone.
Anyway I thoroughly recommend them and fully intend to buy myself a replacement.
Good point - with my 535's I rip all my CD's to Itunes at 320kbps minimum - I am considering re-ripping everything to lossless as you can really hear the difference in quality. Also my laptop doesnt provide a great signal, so I have added a Fiio E7 DAC Amp for listening when at work - if you do get a set of Shures (or another brand of high end headphones) Id defnitely recommend the Fiio E7 if you intend to use them primarily for listening from a laptop. Depending on what device you are using, it is worth noticing that the 425s are good enough to emphasise the s
t qualities of MP3s as well as the goodness. So suddenly I found that 20% of my music was a bit hissy and crackly in teh quiet bits. THis was on an iphone.Anyway I thoroughly recommend them and fully intend to buy myself a replacement.
Best Regards,
R.
I really think I need to find a dealer.....unfortunately Cheib, I live in Spain so no chance of popping up to Bristol 
Unfortunately where I live is a bit scarce for this kind of dealership. I'll see what I can find in Malaga but Gib dealers are a bit crappy.
Still leaning towards the 315 purely from a price perspective but I really do need to find a place where I can try them out so I can try the 425's....just in case...
Unfortunately where I live is a bit scarce for this kind of dealership. I'll see what I can find in Malaga but Gib dealers are a bit crappy.
Still leaning towards the 315 purely from a price perspective but I really do need to find a place where I can try them out so I can try the 425's....just in case...
beanbag said:
I really think I need to find a dealer.....unfortunately Cheib, I live in Spain so no chance of popping up to Bristol
Unfortunately where I live is a bit scarce for this kind of dealership. I'll see what I can find in Malaga but Gib dealers are a bit crappy.
Still leaning towards the 315 purely from a price perspective but I really do need to find a place where I can try them out so I can try the 425's....just in case...
I cant remember where I got mine but I do remember that shopping around the 425s were much much less than RRP. I wanted 535s but tehy are significantly more expensive in the real world and good deals were few and far betweenUnfortunately where I live is a bit scarce for this kind of dealership. I'll see what I can find in Malaga but Gib dealers are a bit crappy.
Still leaning towards the 315 purely from a price perspective but I really do need to find a place where I can try them out so I can try the 425's....just in case...
beanbag said:
laingy said:
I bought mine a couple of years ago, but then I found the cheaper shure headphones a better sound than the more expensive ones. But the main criteria being to get a good seal in the ear (lots of experimentation) actually made the most difference.
Which ones did you buy?I've had the 215's for a couple of years without any issues so I'm leaning more towards the 315's as a bit of an upgrade.....even the 425's are looking favourable but the price is a little off-putting.
So after much deliberating, I thought I should update this thread and let you know I ended up with the SE215's again.
I walked into a store in Spain with my spare set of buds and asked if I could try them and the chap was very obliging.
Comments on the 315's were spot on. They sound tinnier and more detailed on the treble but with less depth. Not what I want. It makes it feel as though I've just turned up the treble and feels as though something was missing.
The 425's however were superb. They had a little less bass than the 215's but knocked a powerful punch which the 215's lack. I'd say it's a more defined bass which is lovely. Not boomey yet with stacks of depth like a good set of speakers. The treble was also spot on and lovely with stacks of detail and clarity that the 215's simply don't have.
BUT! It's that price! £200 for a set of earbuds that I will most likely loose as I did my previous 215's. I was gutted when I lost my last set of 215's so imagine if I lost a pair of 425's at more than twice the price!
It's a shame I never got to try the 535's however but it doesn't matter as I simply can't justify £400 for a pair of buds right now.
Let me win the lottery first and I'll be back with that review.
In the meantime, I'm dead chuffed with my new 215's again.
They are superb value for money and simply superb in sound and character.
I walked into a store in Spain with my spare set of buds and asked if I could try them and the chap was very obliging.
Comments on the 315's were spot on. They sound tinnier and more detailed on the treble but with less depth. Not what I want. It makes it feel as though I've just turned up the treble and feels as though something was missing.
The 425's however were superb. They had a little less bass than the 215's but knocked a powerful punch which the 215's lack. I'd say it's a more defined bass which is lovely. Not boomey yet with stacks of depth like a good set of speakers. The treble was also spot on and lovely with stacks of detail and clarity that the 215's simply don't have.
BUT! It's that price! £200 for a set of earbuds that I will most likely loose as I did my previous 215's. I was gutted when I lost my last set of 215's so imagine if I lost a pair of 425's at more than twice the price!
It's a shame I never got to try the 535's however but it doesn't matter as I simply can't justify £400 for a pair of buds right now.
Let me win the lottery first and I'll be back with that review.
In the meantime, I'm dead chuffed with my new 215's again.
They are superb value for money and simply superb in sound and character.
beanbag said:
So after much deliberating, I thought I should update this thread and let you know I ended up with the SE215's again.
I think you have done the right thing. I have lost a couple of pairs of expensive earphones and my first thought is always buying something different to soften the low of the original loss.I usually always end up getting the same ones or regretting that I didn't.
kingston12 said:
beanbag said:
So after much deliberating, I thought I should update this thread and let you know I ended up with the SE215's again.
I think you have done the right thing. I have lost a couple of pairs of expensive earphones and my first thought is always buying something different to soften the low of the original loss.I usually always end up getting the same ones or regretting that I didn't.
I'll get my custom ear-buds done though. Just need to find a place in Spain that does them. Works out at €100 but I've been told they're so comfortable and the fit is so perfect, you could wear them all day whereas right now I find the fit gets a bit tight with the medium foam buds and the small ones are just too small and don't give a good enough fit to isolate for bass.
Either way, I'm so glad to put away the iPhone 5 earphones. They were fine for a back-up but not a shred on the Shure SE215's.
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