Riffster's VTX - Shure E2c Earphones for helmetless motorcycle riding

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After using the earphones that came with my Samsung PDA, I quickly learned two thing: the headphone output on the Samsung i700 is dreadfully anemic and that the stereo earbuds that came with it are crap. As bad as this scenario was, I continued to use them both on a constant basis and not upgrading from shear laziness. I used them for listening to music at the gym and for answering cellular phone calls. I have always wanted something I could use while riding a motorcycle without them flying off my head. Since I ride without a helmet and, most of the time, without a windshield, what i'd replace them with would have to be pretty durable and clingy. Being a musician there was an added bonus that these new earphones were created by a very well known company, Shure.

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Different Earplugs - Shure E2C

What makes the Shure E2c's different from the rest are the fact that they do this sound insulation thing where these units go so far in your ear while sealing off the leftover space with either foam or rubber. This makes for incredible sound isolation, better bass response and less amplification to the phones because they are closer to your eardrums. I know that some guys ride with earplugs all the time, these E2c's do just that and provide decent sound to boot. My motorcyle is a Honda VTX 1800 equiped with a Roadhouse Shorty and I have no problems at all with hearing the music over the pipes and wind. I assume it would be just fine for other louder aftermarket pipes as well.

While it is a bit tricky to get them set up using the supplied assortment of foam and rubber endpieces the results are pretty darn good. These earplugs sounds leagues better than your average run of the mill earphones. Good high end, ample midrange, and fair bass response. The midrange sounds a little bumped but that might be because the bass is lacking - this is fine. In my opinion, earplugs can never compete with real headphones especially in the bass department because c'mon... they're earphones. But you're not going to be dragging your Sennheiser HD 650's to the gym or on a bike trip either - this is a compromise - sound quality for portability. They come in a well built round carrying case that has a spool to wind up your phones when not in use. The E2c's are perfect for those on the go.

Orientation & Use

The orientation of putting them in your ears is also a bit different, the cord leaving the earphone goes over your ear rather than straight down by your lobes. This method takes some time but it is worth it as they are harder to accidentally pop out of your ears. Also the cords meet at the back of your body, not the front. Since the cord does go over (behind) your ears, they're might be a little conflict with your riding glasses. Not a biggy though as you just need to make some slack on the cables. All these things are really great for the motorcyclist because there is wind always at the front of you and since the setup of these earphones are oriented to the back of you, there is less resistance. These earphones have stayed in my ears at some extreme unprintable high speeds and have performed very well.

Bottom Line

These Shure E2c's are an excellent sounding set of earphones at a not so bad price. They do not sound like high end headphones but they do sound very good for earphones. They easily provide decent sound for riding and much more. An excellent durable product for motorcyclists using no helmet that wish to have their earphones stay in their head while riding. Now that's what I've been looking for! Since these are essentially earplugs with speakers, they are excellent for the biker. On top of all these good things, they look cool. Go get some.