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Today's Bonus:
- Frequency Range: 22Hz - 17.5 kHz
- Sensitivity (@ 1kHz): 105dB SPL/mW
- Impedance (@ 1kHz): 16 Ohms
- Weight: 30grams (1oz)
- Includes a Fit Kit, Carrying Case, and Wax Removal Tool
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Shure tried to pack a lot of performance into the SCL2 earbuds, and, in general, they succeeded. In sound isolating (as opposed to noise-cancelling) phones, the design challenge is to create a seal between the wearer's ear canal and the unit such that a minimum of ambient sound "gets by" the seal and interferes with the sound being generated by the miniature set of diaphragms housed within. From a sound-isolating standpoint, it's difficult for the seal to be "too tight." The tradeoff on seal effectiveness is usually wearer comfort.Shure has done a good job with these SCL2's. They are light, but that's to be expected, even desired. They are a little wierd-looking, protruding from the ears about 1/2 inch, but if you've paid your dues seeking sonic excellence, you've seen plenty of wierd over time. These are not offensive in that regard. Besides, they sound good, so what's the complaint?
When they arrived, I decided to put them to a serious listening test. My iPod has over 7,000 songs and 30 feature movies in a highly eclectic collection, so I have plenty of opportunities for a challenge.
I've always thought that solo piano, well-recorded, was a supreme test for speakers. If they could reproduce the full range of sounds without noticeable response peaks and valleys, they were probably pretty good speakers. The same criteria, I believe, apply to earphones as well.
I used my collection of Angela Hewitt recordings of J. S. Bach's piano works to take the phones to the gym, and to my great pleasure. The response was clean, transparent, and, as far as I can hear, linear. In short, an A on that count.
At this point, it's probably the right time to address another reviewer's complaint about the bass response of the SCL2's. I can understand how someone might declare these phones inadequate. All I can say about it is that I like bass, but I like it the way it was recorded (you can't easily make a case that you expect it to sound like live music, because not all sound engineers attempt to make it sound like it does fifth row center in a sonically pure concert hall; also, it depends on where you sit in that venue as to the kind of sound you might hear.) In my opinion, these phones are not inadequate. They just don't overemphasize bass tones like some phones are designed to do. Excess bass inthese phones might well be painful.
After about four hours of listening to classical piano and a playlist of Tschaikowsky symphonies, I was ready for some rock, pop, and jaaz. The Shures really shined here. They brought out nuances that I've never heard in recordings that I've listened to for 40 years. As Martha Steweart might say, that's a good thing.
Setting up the product is not a chore, but requires a few minutes of your undivided attention. Shure packs three different sizes of three separate designs of sonic seals. There are clear silicone gels, black extra-soft rubber seals, and some orange memory foam ones. I can't say they've covered all bases, but I found one that creates the desired seal without too much of an effort. You have to be gentle puching the seals over the sound tube of the unit so as not to tear them. I found that a tiny bit of saliva helped to ease them into position -art imitates life. Once set up properly, the phones create a seal that is comfortable yet complete enough to cause some minor discomfort during an unexpectedly loud portion of the music. The good news is that you won't need quite as much of your player's volume control to ahcieve loud sonic levels with these.
The only drawbacks I noticed are these: (1) the tiny bagel-shaped hard carrying case could be, say, a cubic centimeter (!) larger, allowing greater ease in stuffing in the phones and cord, with maybe a folded-up postage stamp occupying any remaining space. A tiny complaint to be Shure. (2) In listening while lying down (I'm an occasional insomniac and can sleep easier with some music playing), the earbuds protrude a bit more than you might be used to. By teasing the pillow into position, I was able to overcome this issue.
I have noticed that the phones continue to evolve and "open up" as I use them. That's OK, since they've only improved so far.
I'm pleased with this purchase. They're worth the added money over the junk that mostly accompanies players. Shure still makes good stuff.
One last note to Shure -PLEASE do something that allows your bubble packaging to be penetrated by common household tools. That's really unnecessary as well as dnagerous.
Buy Shure SCL2 Sound Isolating Earphones - Clear Now
This is my third pair of these in the past 5 or so years. To be more exact I have had two pair of Shure E2Cs and now my first pair of Shure SCL2s, but there basically the same earphones. The fact that I keep buying them at $75 tells you that I like them. The sound is just fine and the sound isolating is great. I use them on the subway most days and on airplanes when I travel. They are great for that.I have also owned noise cancelling headphones and I much prefer the sound isolating style. If you're in between the two types, here is my view. The noise canceling headphones are more comfortable. But after you use the sound isolating headphones for a while, you'll get used to them. The two big advantages to the sound isolating are they are much smaller and they don't need batteries. The size is an obvious advantage, but don't discount the importance of batteries. I can't tell you how many times I forgot to switch off my sound isolating headphones and had dead batteries Monday morning on my way to work.
Now for my one gripe about the Shure headphones (causing 4-stars instead on 5). The cords are too wimpy. The reason I am on my third pair of these is that the cord had frayed away right next to the ear bud. Eventually they fray to the point that they just break. For $75 they should make the cord sturdy.
Read Best Reviews of Shure SCL2 Sound Isolating Earphones - Clear Here
I just got these recently as a replacement for Shure E2C phones which, after 1.5 years of daily use, broke. Well, not really broken to the point of being non-functioning, but the plastic wire insulation to one of the earbuds separated and it was right where the wire crossed the top of my ear. It was very irritating, but the wire itself didn't break. Shure replaced the E2Cs with these SCL2 buds, and the first thing that struck me is that they didn't really look much different than the E2s. When I plugged them into my iPod I was pleasantly surprised by the bass response, which I think is an improvement over the older model. They sound great, but the E2s did too. Just improved bass response. Some folks knock the fit of the earphones, and to them I would say to go online and look at a cross section of an ear, see the anatomy of the canal, and try to put your earphones where they will fit, not just where you think they should go. the design of these is the same as the E2 and I wore mine very comfortably on a daily basis. So, yeah, these are a great buy, especially for the price. I tried Bose and some higher end Shures, as well as a pr. of Sennheisers that were out of my price range, and I didn't really hear any more on them than on my Shure earphones. Maybe my hearing is bad I'm 53 years old but I think my auditory acuity is actually very good. You can spend a lot more money for very, very little improvement on the sound. I would say buy these. I already did the research and the shopping for you, and this was the best buy. And you can't beat the 2-yr. guarantee.Want Shure SCL2 Sound Isolating Earphones - Clear Discount?
I loved the sound and the fit more than any other pair I've ever owned. They lack in bass but not a big deal to me. Loved them EXCEPT!!!! Within 6 months without fail the wires' insulation rots, gets brittle, and breaks. I've owned 3 pair because I like them so much, but without fail they short out. I'm nice to them too!! Sad because their fit design is SO GOOD! And sound isolation is the best I've experienced. If I was rich I'd just but 20 pair and go through them like toilet paper, but I'm not.VERY NICE..............SHORT LIFE.
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