Quality of sound, elimination of background noise, bass, clarity, and soundstage.

I guess if headphones with this quality were available that did not require one to stick them into your ear, I would buy them, but they would have to be portable, light in weight, sound as good and eliminate the sound level of background noise. I don't see or "hear" that happening right now.

I love these headphones. At first, I was concerned about shoving them into my ear canal, but I got over that after about 10 minutes of listening. The sound is wonderful: rich, deep, clear, and NO background noise when I am jamming to my rather hard, alternative rock while working out at the gym. I even asked my doctor -- an ENT -- if these types of headphones are okay, and he said yes (I was going to say "shure", but that would have been awful). I have used Koss portapro's at the gym over the years, and they just do not compare to the Shure E2c's. I bet Shure's higher level phones or Etymotic Research's higher grade phones would sound even better, but my budget was for $100, so here I am. I also got my recommendation on the Shure E2c's vs. the bottom line Etymotic Research from Headroom, the lords of the headphones. Given the type of music to which I listen, they recommended the Shure E2c's. I am most happy. As others have indicated, one should use the foam sleeves for a custom fit, and wiggle them into one's ear canals. It is critical that they fit and are secured in your brain (ear canal, it's not anywhere near your delicate ear parts). It does not hurt me at all to wear them, and it does not take but a minute to put them in/on after you have done it a few times.

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Koss portapro (probably an unfair comparison)

Beautiful - In Sound and Style Great Build Quality - I don't think these things are going to break anytime soon. Complete Instruction Manual - I know it isn't much, but it just says a lot about the company - You are buying quality.

Some will find it uncomfortable ... you know.

In my last review, about the Grado SR80s, I told you (if you read it) that I would never have to buy another set of headphones again. Of course, I was very happy with them and I still am. I bought these shortly after I wrote that though. Why? I needed something, well, more attractive and portable. The Grados aren't the best looking peice out there. These Shures aren't that bad at all. Really, they are pretty cool, although some could compare them to hearing aids. Still, it is the music quality that it really boils down to. The Shures produce sound very comparable to the Grado SR80s, at least without an amp. I myself do not have an amp so I'm not sure how much of a difference this would make, but my portable source, the Rio Riot produces quite a bit of sound, a really underrated device. My mp3s are all recorded at very high bitrate (high fidelity, 320kbps), although that technicality wouldn't matter to much audiophiles, they do sound excellent. These 'phones do have great range. Although some have said that the bass is lacking, I disagree. The bass is very present and tight -- I guess some of the other reviewers do not have a good seal and it is leaking. There is great clarity also in the mids and highs. I tested these with my alternative/rock albums (e.g. Puddle of Mudd, Eve 6, Matchbox 20, and many others). The sound was reproduced very well -- you gotta love that acoustic guitar strumming. To test softer, maybe more classical, instrumental tracks, I listened to my mom's (heh) Enigma CD -- which I did find very soothing and also well produced. Then I listened to some rap - which I don't really like - so I turned some Eminem up. Really, this sounded amazing. Not only is his cd a great test subject, as it is well recorded, but it shows how well the vocals are done. Just Vibrant. If you are looking for sound isolation, these provide very well. Although some figures have said they reduce ambient sound by ~ 15db, I don't exactly what that means hahaha, but I can say that these really limit what you hear --- outside of the great sound quality. Comfort: eh.... I found myself inbetween the small and medium tube covers, closer to the larger side. This made my lobes slightly stretched, not by much, but I can FEEL it. The only thing that can fix this is time. Your ears will, at least mine did, adjust to the size. Some of you will fit right into them though.

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My equally great Grado SR80s and other 'phones-which were crap.

Sound quality, price.

It takes some getting used to fit them properly the first couple of times.

These earphones are the best! They are comfortable and very well made. The audio quality is outstanding especially for a $79 item (Shure sell these directly for $99.00 but I got mine from MicrophoneSolutions.com factory sealed for $79).

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cheapo sony earphones and bose noise cancelling

Great, great sound. I've actually been surprised by noises that I though were coming from somewhere else...turns out that they were part of the music that I've been listening to for a long time and just never heard. Incredibly clear, great sounding headphones.

Minuses -- they do take a little getting used to in the ear canal. Definitely more than your standard earbuds. I'm pretty used to earplugs and earbuds, and I still don't like the silicone sleeves. The foam sleeves feel OK. The cord feels strange behind my ears -- every time I turn my head or adjust, they seem to get caught on something and feel a little uncomfortable. Hopefully I'll get used to that, otherwise I'll try to figure a way to route them to feel more comfortable.

Just got them in the mail yesterday and I'm very happy. These are replacing my Koss PortaPro's, which I've been very happy with. Overall -- 5 out of 5 for sound, 4 out of 5 for comfort and usability. Definitely great headphones!

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I also use Koss Porta Pros (the Shures have less bass and overall frequency but sound a little muddled) and a pair of high-ish end Audiotechnica studio monitors which have more range but these headp

Quality, built, sound.

Some might find the cable too lenghty.

Awesome in-earphones! Excelent quality, comes with several different sleeves so you can try and see which is going to fit your ear better. I bought this from www.MicrophoneSolutions.com for $79.00 ($20.00 LESS than directly from Shure!). Product sealed from the factory, and delivery was mighty fast.

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HD580

Terrific in ear headphones. I use these at the gym (with my mini disc player) where its really loud and hard to hear music. These earphones allow me to hear all the trebel and bass I'd expect from very expensive headphones in a compact form. You have to get a good seal in your ear canal but they cut out all the background clatter and isolate you in a room of sound. When using these it is important to be aware of your surroundings as you probably wont hear a warning / someone yelling at you / car honking etc. All in all great earphones well worth the low cost ... sound isolating earphones are the answer to great sound in loud environments!