Shure SE102 review

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Verdict:

Review Date: 19 Dec 2008

Price when reviewed: £69

Buy it now for: £42
(see more store prices)

Supplier: http://www.pixmania.co.uk

Reviewed By: Alan Lu

Our Rating 5 stars out of 5

User Rating

ExpertReviews Award

Shure's SE102 sound-isolating earphones look unusually bulbous. Unless you're exceedingly self-conscious, though, they're worth putting up with, as their rubber sleeves seal off your ear canal to block out unwanted noise.

Everyone's ear canals are shaped differently, so Shure includes four sets of rubber sleeves in various sizes to help you get the best possible fit. While travelling on a Tube train, we were able to hear fine details in music that were barely audible using many other sound-isolating sets. The 41cm cable is very short, but an extension lead is included in the box, along with a carrying pouch.

Although Etymotic's hf2 earphones do an even better job of blocking out background noise, the SE102s sound far superior. We were pleasantly surprised by their clear, precise and detailed sound, although the bass wasn't nearly as thumping as we would have liked.

Shure's SE102s are among the best sound-isolating earphones we've tried. Shure's more expensive SE210 earphones sound similar, but with far more intense bass. Although £40 including VAT may seem like a lot for a set of earplug-style headphones, the SE102s are great value for a sound-isolating pair, so they deserve a Budget Buy award.

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