Before I start, here is the disclaimer:
This is based on my personal experience as a result of wondering if it is truly worth upgrading from the stock Apple Ipod earbuds. Many people bash the stock earbuds as horrible pieces of crap (*cough Gurck *cough)...I personally am no audiophile but I do appreciate quality sound reproduction (I am guessing most of you are in the same boat).
The Shure E3C's
I tried these in the Apple store since the associate was kind enough to allow me to try an open box set. Now these were selling there for $149 so I started off with the prejudice that these better sound DARNED GOOD for something that costs nearly as much as my Ipod. So I stood there in the store listening for a good 5 minutes or more to various kinds of music: techno, classical, rap, and r&b....
The verdict: These earbuds do an excellent job of isolating sound (during the middle of the day at the Stanford Shopping Center too!) However, while they do sound clearer than the stock Apple earbuds, they are nowhere near what I'd expect for $150. Now, I can understand if you're a frequent flyer and thus have a need for sound isolation, but I prefer not to be deaf when walking around campus.
The Sony MDR-EX71SL's
I bought these at Best Buy for $50 just to try them out. Now, $50 is a lot less than $150 so I set my expectations accordingly. People over at ipodlounge.com seem to love these, so naturally I was very curious.
Also, with earbuds that go halfway into the ear canal, whenever the music stops, my ears produce this strange buzzing sound that I never get with external earbuds. Not unbearable, but unpleasant nonetheless.
The verdict: These do a good job of isolating sound as well, but somewhat less than the Shure's. The biggest thing I noticed about these earbuds are their greatly enhanced treble and bass compared to the stock Apple earbuds. Now, this is excellent for techno music and, in some cases, rap. If I listened to those two genre's exclusively, I would buy these in a heartbeat. However, these perform less well for r&b and flat out horrible for classical music. In the end, I returned these to Best Buy.
The In-Ear Apple Earbuds[/i]
OK, I'm just going to be straight here: DON'T GET THESE. For every type of music, it sounds it's being produced at the end of a 10-yard long metal tube. In other words: TINNY.
My opinion
In the end, I am still using the stock Apples because I just couldn't find a good reason to pay $50 or more for other earbuds that don't give me a good bang for the buck.
OK...now I'd like to hear your opinions
Keep it rated PG people!
This is based on my personal experience as a result of wondering if it is truly worth upgrading from the stock Apple Ipod earbuds. Many people bash the stock earbuds as horrible pieces of crap (*cough Gurck *cough)...I personally am no audiophile but I do appreciate quality sound reproduction (I am guessing most of you are in the same boat).
The Shure E3C's
I tried these in the Apple store since the associate was kind enough to allow me to try an open box set. Now these were selling there for $149 so I started off with the prejudice that these better sound DARNED GOOD for something that costs nearly as much as my Ipod. So I stood there in the store listening for a good 5 minutes or more to various kinds of music: techno, classical, rap, and r&b....
The verdict: These earbuds do an excellent job of isolating sound (during the middle of the day at the Stanford Shopping Center too!) However, while they do sound clearer than the stock Apple earbuds, they are nowhere near what I'd expect for $150. Now, I can understand if you're a frequent flyer and thus have a need for sound isolation, but I prefer not to be deaf when walking around campus.
The Sony MDR-EX71SL's
I bought these at Best Buy for $50 just to try them out. Now, $50 is a lot less than $150 so I set my expectations accordingly. People over at ipodlounge.com seem to love these, so naturally I was very curious.
Also, with earbuds that go halfway into the ear canal, whenever the music stops, my ears produce this strange buzzing sound that I never get with external earbuds. Not unbearable, but unpleasant nonetheless.
The verdict: These do a good job of isolating sound as well, but somewhat less than the Shure's. The biggest thing I noticed about these earbuds are their greatly enhanced treble and bass compared to the stock Apple earbuds. Now, this is excellent for techno music and, in some cases, rap. If I listened to those two genre's exclusively, I would buy these in a heartbeat. However, these perform less well for r&b and flat out horrible for classical music. In the end, I returned these to Best Buy.
The In-Ear Apple Earbuds[/i]
OK, I'm just going to be straight here: DON'T GET THESE. For every type of music, it sounds it's being produced at the end of a 10-yard long metal tube. In other words: TINNY.
My opinion
In the end, I am still using the stock Apples because I just couldn't find a good reason to pay $50 or more for other earbuds that don't give me a good bang for the buck.
OK...now I'd like to hear your opinions
Keep it rated PG people! 
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