ShureShure SE215 PRO Wired Earbuds - Professional Sound Isolating Earphones, Clear Sound & Deep Bass, Single Dynamic MicroDriver, Secure Fit in Ear Monitor, Plus Carrying Case & Fit Kit - Clear (SE215-CL)

Man where do I start on these. These are some quality IEM's. For me, isolation is important because that's part of the whole point of IEM's. If I just wanted quality, I could use my headphones or studio monitors. IEM's are designed to be small and lightweight. Read: portable. If I could sit in one place I'd use my studio monitors. Anyway! On we go:I first got into the IEM scene with some VSD1S's which were highly recommended by several websites and many reviews, saying they were worth way more than the asking price. I bought them, instantly didn't like them -- they seemed fatiguing to listen to, weren't very comfortable, and transmitted a lot of sound. Sitting in a library, I could still hear everything, even people whispering. Tried burning them in for 100 hours, still no better.I bought some more "isolating" IEM's -- the Meelectronics M6 Pro's, attracted by the price. I couldn't get those to seal in my ear canals very well and they were not comfortable at all. They sounded decent. But then again, what good are they if they don't isolate and aren't comfy?Enter these SE215's. First time I tried them on, they were noticeably way more comfortable than both other IEM's I'd had. Also, instantly (no burn in) they sounded way better. Other reviewers have said that the bass is "heard, not felt" -- which is true. The bass is there but not "forward" or muddy by any means. Very balanced. Highs are detailed and the imaging is fantastic. Vocals and mids are there but not prominent in any way. I like my music 'flat' and these do that wonderfully. They aren't fatiguing to listen to, and oh BOY do they isolate! In fact, that deserves a whole new paragraph.The isolation is unreal. It's like wearing earplugs, that play music. It's great. I have a video of my cousin trying out these earbuds, and I ask him, "Hey, how's the isolation? Hello? Must be good" and his face the whole time screams 'bliss' with no care in the world. He definitely did not hear me. I was on the plane, and even with the music paused, I still couldn't hear the flight attendant ask, "Chicken or beef?" These definitely are the most isolating earbuds I have ever used. The only place these MIGHT be beat is with droning noises like the jet engine on a plane, where active noise cancelling headphones might beat them. But that's because of how ANC isolates versus how these isolate. (ANC is better with constant noises like droning engine sounds, and these are better where sounds are more 'random'.) In a busy city center, or a subway, or in a loud area, for example, these are hands down superior.tl;dr: These IEM's are wonderfully comfortable (wore them on a 12 hour flight with no issue), have great sound, and isolate better than anything I've ever tried. Definitely worth the money.

These earbuds may not be for everyone, and using them has some drawbacks, but after going through several sets of buds over the last few years I had some clear goals for my next set, and the Shure SE215 met those goals. Durabilty is my primary goal for this latest purchase, but only time will tell if these earbuds are durable. But that is how I became interested in the SE215, because I found it recommended on several Net review sites listing durable buds. They have a detachable cable, and the cable is probably where most earbuds eventually fail, although it isn't always clear where the failure occurs. Usually, I just hear that one side starts cutting out or goes dead completely. Unfortunately, replacement cables for these are as expensive as a cheap set of buds, but even with regular cable replacement, the cost of ownership of these buds may turn out to be less than frequently replacing cheaper sets.One thing that people may want to know about this product is that it was apparently designed as an in-ear monitor for musicians and not necessarily an earbud designed for use with an iPod or cell phone, although that is probably how most people use it. As such, it has several design characteristics that are different from most earbuds. There are no flashy colors or aggressive shapes. The cable is comparatively long, and it lacks the rubbery flexibility of other earbud cables. The base model also lacks in-line controls, although a model with inline controls is available at extra cost. I opted for the base model without inline controls and bought an aftermarket cable that has the controls. The combination is about the same cost as the one with inline controls but I get two cables instead of one.In use, the SE215 is the best sounding and most comfortable set of buds I have ever owned. Some people describe the sound as bass heavy, but I only found that to be the case if the sleeves are of the silicone flange variety and are very tight fitting. In my experience, these buds are best used with the compressible foam style of sleeves, and I am currently using the largest set of these that came with the set. The compressible foam sleeves tend to de-emphasize bass, as well as being more comfortable. With the foam sleeves, I would characterize the sound as balanced, but still with excellent bass. I have no doubt that a big part of the perceived sound quality of the SE215 is due to its sound isolating qualities. Without some degree of sound isolation, the listener simply won't hear a lot of detail and nuance in the sound. The best comparison I can make is that using the SE215 is close to the experience of using a good set of over the ear head phones. That is high praise, but over the ear head phones are also designed for sound isolation, hence the similarity. Because of the sound isolation and the detail that comes through in the music, the experience of using these buds is immersive and strangely addictive. Using the SE215 has become my favorite way of listening to music.These buds are also the most comfortable I have ever used, especially for long listening sessions. They don't fall out easily because of normal body movements like walking, and because of the over the ear cable routing, small tugs on the cable don't yank them out either. The downside is that getting the buds properly inserted and the cable properly routed is a fiddly and time consuming process. Because of the detachable connector, the cable rotates freely on the earbud and everything has to be held in just the right position to get them properly placed. Another small quibble is that the set does not come with a cable clip. I had to scavenge one from one of my dead earbud sets. This is an omission that should be rectified.It remains to be seen if I can list durability as Pro instead of a Con, but here is my Pro and Con summary of the SE215:Pros- Sound isolation and sound quality make for an immersive listening experience- Nice bass, but not too heavy as some others claim- Very comfortable for long listening sessions- Replaceable cable- Once properly placed, they tend to stay putCons- Price- Getting inline controls for portable devices is an additional cost- Fiddly earbud placement and cable routing- Stiff cable- Lack of a cable clip