Shure SE846 PRO Gen 2 Wired Sound Isolating Earphones, High-End in-Ear Earbuds with Four Hi-Def Drivers, Customizable Sound Filters, Gray (SE846-GR+2)

I've owned many "in ear" earbuds and I have to say that even though these are around $1,000, they are worth ever penny spent on them. By far, these are the best set of earbuds I have yet to purchase. I started my audiophile obsession with a pair of Shure SE215's and was quite impressed with the sound that I got from a pair of earbuds that where around $100.00 when I purchased these years ago. They sounded great when I got them and then years later they held me over until I finally bought these. More on that below. I then decided to try the others as well. I have a pair of SE315's that I ordered from a different site and I noticed more bass, but they seemed to lack the highs and mids of the 215's. The SE425's, in my opinion are the worst ones I have ever owned. Sorry for those out there who like them, I just think they have a pure sound, but they are lacking in the bass department. I don't use these too often. I usually use these to listen to my iPad when watching a YouTube video or a news clip or something when my better half is watching TV. I finally broke down in 2012 and purchased a set of SE535's. These sounded great and lasted for four years. When I was single, 16 years ago now, I always listened to music at night turned down very low. I now sleep with earbuds listening to music and my better half wears a CPAP machine. He started noticing that he could hear the music playing very slightly coming from the earbuds. I looked at them very closely only to discover that they where starting to separate at the seams. I tried to use superglue to repair them, but that only made a mess and they still where not sealed around the housing. I finally threw in the towel and bought a new set of earbuds. I own several other earbuds as well. I have a pair of Westone W40's that sound very good, they just hurt my ears after wearing them for long periods of time. I don't like the silicone earpieces and the foam isn't much better, they are also a different size if I remember correctly than the Shure foam earpieces. I also have a set of Bowers & Wilkins C5 Series in ear earbuds and they sound really good as well. My only issue with these are that they coil in your inner ear to keep them in place. Nice amount of both bass and highs, but I must have deformed ears as they will not stay in. Also they are a great value for the price now if you can wear them. I decided that in order to get the best out of my Astell & Kern AK100 3ohm edition portable DAC, I was going to have to buy a nice set of earbuds to complement this player. I considered buying a new pair of SE535's, but I decided on buying something different and newer. I first purchased a set of Westone W60's, which cost as much as the Shure SE846's. I started having issues with the right ear piece immediately after receiving them. I thought about how I did not like the fit of the Westones I still own anyway, so I sent them back. I finally decided to buy what I knew was going to be an exceptional set of earbuds and a reliable brand I have enjoyed for years now. The Shure SE846 with built in subwoofer. I did some research on these and read a few comments about them from AVS forums and was sold on another set of Shure in ear headphones. I have a Astell & Kern AK100II model with the dual Cirrus Logic DAC and a pair of special edition Astell & Kern Angie Special Edition balanced earbuds by JH Audio. This is a really nice sounding setup. I still tend to use my first edition AK100 (the 3 ohm version) more as it has a single Wolfson WM8740 DAC and it sounds so much better to me than the dual Cirrus Logic DAC in my Astell & Kern AK100II Player. It seems to really separate the sound much better than the Cirrus Logic chipset. Don't get me wrong, the newer Astell & Kern is very nice as are the Special edition earbuds. This was a gift from my partner for my birthday. But I still listen to my first edition player using these incredible new Shure SE846's as they sound so great together. I am using the inserts that came from the factory in my new Shure earbuds as they are providing plenty of bass for the type music I listen to. I like Rock, Alternative, and New Wave stuff. I listen to bands like Blur, Suede,and Oasis. I also like the Grateful Dead as well as CSN&Y. So my musical taste is all over the place. These are by far the best set of headphones I have ever owned yet. The Angie SE from Astell and Kern are very good as well, but not as comfortable as my Shure SE846 earbuds. I can wear these for hours at a time and have. I use the large black foam ear piece as it fits the best and is the most comfortable. These have the same size jacks as the rest of the Shure line of earbuds. I think it's 3.5mm gold plated and angled which I really like. The newer Astell and Kern models use the Trrs smaller tip. The balanced output of the player is an incredible feature and it sounds incredible as well, it stil doesn't sound quite as good as my first edition player. I'm also not a big fan of using my iPhone for music as it dosent have enough storage, you need a separate DAC and amp all which takes a toll on the battery life, and it dosent do High Resolution files. I bought an iPod and wish now I had not as it never gets any usage. iPhones and iPods also don't play Flac files without an app. It still only plays 24bit/44kHz files, so you need a very good external amp to get the full sound of high resolution. I prefer a separate portable DAC for my music listening and a phone for calling people. I have mostly 24bit/192kHz files on my Astell & Kern Player. It will also do other formats including DSD, but I have a nice set up at home for really high resolution music listening. In fact these Shure earbuds seem to have more bass response than my Beyerdynamic Tesla headphones that I use with my home set up. I have also decompressed a few Apple Music files and added them to my portable player as well and they sound much better than playing them through my iPhone, iPad, or my iPod with an Oppo DAC/Amp combo. This set of headphones has unbelievable bass response as well as highs, mids, and things I was never even able to hear with my SE535 earbuds. I just can't figure out how Shure engineered these earbuds to get this much bass from such a small earpiece. It is a true subwoofer sound and it blows away any set of midrange priced earbuds away. I have always been under the impression that I needed to "break in" my earbuds as well, but if you go to Shure's website, they say that there isn't any difference in sound after the first day or after one hundred days on their earbuds. They only recommend "breaking in" over the ear headphones. They sounded incredible right out of the impressive packaging. These are top notch and come with a set of different inserts for listening taste. One high range, the preinstalled mid range, and a lower range which neither of the other two I have tried yet. The preinstalled inserts are phenomenal in soundstage and everything I have on my player sounds like it's 10 times better than with my older SE535 earbuds. Them come with an attached 60 inch cable, but you also get a shorter cable (40") , a set of various tips, the extra inserts with a tool to change them, a square hard shell case, and a cleaning rag. Everything is all packaged in a really nice magnetic closure cardboard box with the instructions in a slot inside the lid and the product is in a water tight plastic case. Similar to a Pelican case. I'm not sure if it's waterproof, but it appears to be. I have already ordered another square case, one for my earbuds and another for my accessories. I would not hesitate to buy these again and would highly recommend these to any audiophile who is looking to replace their earbuds or is looking to buy another set that has an incredible sound stage that is customizable for less than $1,000. My Angie Special Editions also are customizable by turning a set of screws on the cord, but I want be changing these for awhile if they continue to perform as perfectly as they are doing know. Some user have complained about the comfort of these as opposed to the others in Shure's line up, but I haven't had any comfort issue, in fact these are more comfortable over long periods of time than my SE535s. My only possible regret is that I'm thinking that I should have bought the black or blue model, as clear plastic tends to yellow with age, but if this is their latest flagship in ear headphones, I can't wait to see what in store in the next couple of years. My only other advice is to make sure that the seller you purchase from is an authorized Shure dealer, or your warranty is already no good.

I have listened to many earphones, over the ear "cans", including Bose Noise Cancelling, and nothing, I mean nothing compares to this experience in good listening. I was happy with them when I first received them, but then I started to look up the interchangeable sleeves, and was curious as to what were the differences. The ones that come with the earphones are a neutral, yet tremendous sounding sleeve, but then I curiously looked at the black sleeves, which were labelled "warm". I took about 20 minutes to figure out the way to change them (took my time, since small parts involved and didn't want to break them, or lose anything). I just put them on with the warm "black sleeves", and these bad boys came to life so well, that I had to write my review and not miss the opportunity to describe them to others. I am hearing things on live recordings that I never heard before, including a live "Croz" show that I bought when I went to the NYC Winery on 1/31/13, and I hear him talking to the crowd, the crowd responses, and the clicking of the silverware on a plate, it is that crisp and clear! The base came to life, and the highs are high, mids just right, and I am only at half volume on my player. I am actually playing these on an Astell and Kern AK100, modified by Vinnie of Red Wine Audio when I first bought it. I am amazed at the clarity and again this is on a high bit mp3 album, and when I put this on the original flac file studio album, I got shivers down my spine. Sheer enjoyment, and the old ear canals can't stop thanking me enough! Shane Fontanes leads are crisper than ever.....and Marcus Eatons accoustic riffs sweet as candy, Crosby vocals like he was in the room with me, and the base/Drum bottom of the band incredible. WOW! I am happy that I bought them, and recognize that they are a small fortune, but if you love good music, good sound, and clarity, with a comfort that I have not experienced before in my ears, then these are the earphones for you. I would do this in a heartbeat now, after hearing them, and looking back is 20/20 vision always. But I read review after review, after review, and none said anything bad about these. Nothing bad....excepting for a once off this (comfort) and a once off that (one side fitting different than the other, and the solution was to put the different size tips on). Again once off, kept me digging and every time I did, I was overjoyed to hear more and more great things about them. Nobody on the downside was right about these phones, nobody. I don't work for Shure, and actually don't like the earlier earphones from them. I have had two pair, and still keep an older pair as a spare. I have owned Ultimate Ears, Bose (still have the noise cancelling for trips), Koss Portaphones (several pair and like these for the beach over the ear), and many many others. Never did I find anything that I liked that was "totally satisfactory"! Now I did, and Shure outdid itself with the SE846-CL. One last thing, I didn't listen to these on an Ipod yet, and doubt they will be different, excepting for the fact that with the Astell & Kern AK100, it is an experience in good listenting! Shure SE846CL = Ear Candy for the Heart and Soul. Hope this helps and start saving, they are worth the spend.

First things first $1000 for a pair of iems or “earbuds” is insane beyond belief…. people will look at you like you have five heads so I don’t advertise the cost of these ever. Is it worth it though? Let’s get to that. Accessories: I am not going to spend much time going over this as the accessories are listed here in detail on amazon and on shure’s site. To put it simply there is everything you need. You get a bunch of ear tips, a case to carry the headphones, adapters, two different length cables, case to carry all the accessories etc. There is nothing else you need to buy, the cables are fantastic, there is no aftermarket cable needed. I didn’t need comply foam tips, there are lots of tips included here. Design/build quality: Build quality is rock solid. Much, much better than the 535. There is no weak part to the iems. The iems fit over your ear with memory wire. I have oddly shaped ears and typically have trouble with over ear iems however these fit perfectly. I was able to get a tight seal with the middle size included rubber tip and the sound isolation is unreal. There is no disruption from outside noise at all and with music playing I can’t hear anything. I have never seen isolation this good, just make sure you get a tight fit. One thing very important to point out is the nozel inserts. These iems come with three nozel inserts, bright (slightly geared toward higher frequencies), neutral (balanced), warm (slightly geared toward lower frequencies). When I got these I immediately changed them to the warm inserts based on reviews. It wasn’t very difficult to change them but definitely take your time and have an open work space. Shure’s directions are very detailed. Comfort: These are very comfortable and stay put in your ears. By comfort I don’t mean like pillows for your ears or forget you’re wear them sort of comfort but there is no pain or discomfort caused by them. I have worn them for hours with no issues. These do NOT need an amp. To be clear with a 9 ohm impedance (the lowest I’ve ever seen) you will likely damage your ears, your amp, and these iems trying to use an amp. Using an ipod, phone, or anything with a quality internal dac is all you need. The incredibly low impedance is the result of essentially a built in amplifier which pushes the 4 drivers incredibly well. Sound quality: Unreal, magical, pure bliss. To give a little background I am a studio headphones nut. I don’t claim to be an audiophile because there are people far more qualified to use that term than I am but I am an audio enthusiast and I have, for a very long time, loved headphones. My go to line of headphones is Sennhiesers HD line (600/650/700/800). These headphones have massive drivers, require a quality amp/dac setup/aftermarket cable, and are not portable but to me it is worth it for the unbelievable sound and soundstage they put out. I have never been a huge fan of iems or earbuds aside from convenience because they will never deliver the wide-open soundstage, layering, or detail that a pair of studio headphones will…. until now. The soundstage and layering of these iems is unbelievable. If you could not feel them in your ears you’d swear you had an open back pair of over ear headphones on. The spatial soundstage here is unreal. There isn’t a word to describe how large and spacious it is. There is so much open airiness to these and again the layering and separation, dreamlike. They are incredibly balanced, crystal clear treble, perfectly present mids and the bass. I am not a fan of bass heavy anything, the bass should be replicated naturally and not give you a headache. The bass here is deep, very detailed, and punches deeply when the song calls for it. Warm, beautiful, open. Not a detail is missed, nothing is rolled off, nothing is overemphasized. Even at low volumes these things project an insane amount. Unreal. The sound quality here is honestly like a 15/10. This may just be the first flawless sounding headphone I’ve ever heard. So is it worth the money? Well IMO it is well worth it if you love your music and are thoroughly dedicated about your headphones. It is a lot of money to spend and I heavily questioned buying these for awhile before I took the plunge and continued to question while I waited for them to come however I can safely say I have no regrets. They’re incredibly portable and more than driven by your portable device. No pair of headphones is worth going broke over but if you have the money I can’t imagine anyone not being thrilled with these. Hope this has helped anyone deciding on whether or not to buy these. Cheers.

Aside from a few exceptions, this is the pinnacle of IEMs guys. This is it. It comes at an astronomical price that might even make you pass out at just one look, but sometimes if you want the best, you do whatever it takes to get it. Also, I got these in early June of this year, so I've had about 6 months to form my opinions. I got the box from the mail and I didn't even realize that it was my earphones. I opened the cardboard box to see the initial packaging. It is the biggest box I have ever seen for earphones. I opened it and saw the clear pelican case. I opened that and found a micro-fiber cleaning cloth on top of the earphones and the smaller case they come with. Many of the accessories are in the case such as the ear tips, extra cable, airplane adaptor, quarter inch adapter, and tuning filters. I ordered the Black color and I'm so glad I did because they look "all business". Right off the bat, I pick them up and I can immediately tell that these are no joke. The cable is thick with really good strain reliefs on the y-split and on the jack. The metal nozzle on the housing leaves me feeling a little better about long term durability. The comfort of these is really good. I use the yellow foam sleeves and have had no issues with fit, sound, or comfort. From walking to class to class, to when I'm at home, to being in any loud environment, these things block out so much noise. The sound of these is expected when paying $1000. After paying that much, expectations are near impossible to exceed. Did it exceed my expectations? No. Did it reach my expectations? Yes it did in a big way. Before I start, I want to say that I am listening to ALAC files and Spotify 320 kb/s and listening through the Oppo HA-2SE. Also my opinions are based off the white filters because they sound the best to me. The bass is tight, punchy, and it has "true subwoofer performance". It's actually my favorite part about this earphone. I can hear every nuance and every detail in every bass note. I can't say that with anything else I've listened to. The mid-bass doesn't interfere with the midrange with the help of the Low-Pass filter. The midrange is forward compared to the bass and treble. Listening to Pop, Country, Alternative, and some Rock is a pleasure to listen to. The treble is my least favorite part of the sound. It's detailed and it's clear, but it doesn't extend high enough for my liking. It's not a bad treble response, it's just not what I prefer. Some enjoy this, but when I'm listening to Classical, Soundtrack, and some Rock music, I want a treble that has more of a presence to increase the soundstage. One aspect that stands out in the sound of this earphone is the vocals. They are the best I've heard bar none. Male and female vocals are well presented. They are natural, full, and clean all at the same time. I bet there are a few other earphones that sound better than this, but the combination of the sub-bass, midrange, and vocals is downright addicting to listen to. This and the Sennheiser IE800 are often compared to each other, but in reality, they are more different than they are alike. They are so different it's hilarious that these are even being compared against each other. They are aimed for different types of buyers. I'll make my recommendations here. If you are active and listen to music mainly on the go, then SE846. If you listen to music more at home or in bed, then IE800. If you listen to Pop, Electronic, Hip-Hop/Rap, Country, and/or Alternative music, then SE846. If you listen to Classical, Singer/Songwriter, Soundtrack, R&B/Soul, and/or Rock, then IE800. Overall, if you listen to any genre and all you care about is sound in an earphone, then IE800. If you want a earphone that comes with everything and has little flaws, then SE846. If you want the best overall experience for a universal earphone in this price range, this is probably the best you can do. It has a nice presentation, stellar build quality, top tier sound, and accessories to go along with all this. If you're thinking about getting these, take a while to think about it. You're spending $1000 on earphones. You have to be completely insane to spend this much on an earphone. Spend time to decide and whatever you decide to do, enjoy your music and live your life to the absolute fullest.

I got this highly revered set of in-ear headphones as a "backup" and secondary set to my custom fit Jerry Harvey Audio Layla IEMs. Being that the Layla costs almost three times as much as the SE846, my expectations weren't all that high. The SE846 is very good - certainly a lot better than some Sony, Bose and Klipsch in-ears I've had in the past that were in the $300 range. I do agree that the SE846 doesn't *need* a separate DAC amp compared to other in-ears I've tried, including the JH Audio Layla. It sounds very good connected direct to my iPhone running the Onkyo HF Player app and high-res audio files (ALAC, FLAC and DSD). For this reason alone I plan to keep the SE846 - mainly for listening while exercising and doing other outdoor activities like hiking. When compared to the JH Audio Layla, the SE846 exhibits much less soundstage and bass. After having read how big of a bass the SE846 is, I was somewhat disappointed how meek the bass sounded compared to the Layla. So when I use the SE846 I use an EQ preset on the Onkyo HF Player app specifically tuned to boost the low-mids and the bass. Only then does it get somewhat closer to the Layla. I'm not a bass head at all and have the bass circuit set fairly low on the Layla as well so the lack of a strong punchy bass on the SE846 surprised me. This being said, it's really not fair to compare a $1000 set of in-ears to a custom IEM that starts at $2700. I certainly wouldn't say the JH Audio Layla is almost three times "better" than the SE846 but it really is a lot better in terms of soundstage, definition, audio "density", clarity, and cohesion across the entire spectrum. The Layla is considered a studio mastering grade reference set of IEMs so it is on a different level altogether. Overall, I like the SE846 a lot. I normally use the JH Audio Layla with Chord Electronics Mojo DAC/headphone amp but use the SE846 only with the iPhone when I'm on the move and I'm not being too critical about the sound. In that context, with its lightweight and portability, the SE846 really shines. It wasn't quite as good as I expected based on all the rave reviews I've read but it's certainly good enough and I've decided it's a keeper.

Settle in with some coffee or tea cause this is going to be a long one... ;-) Shure IEM's have been my mainstay daily listening choice for quite a few years now. I bought my first pair of Shure IEM's back in 2007, a pair of E4C's that I (amazingly) found for $100.00 at my local circuit city. From the get go, the Shure house tendency towards neutrality and not over emphasizing any particular frequency really sat well with both my inner music producer, as well as my inner listener. I'm not a fan of exaggerated or unnaturally affected music in regards to any frequency range, really and if given my druthers, I would always have gear that tends towards neutral but that still responds well should I decide to use equalization. Therefore, at least in regards to IEM's, I've always stuck with the Shure brand as the engineers (and ears) there, those behind the design process of their headphones, IEM's and even their microphones (I own several), seem most concerned with a natural, mostly unaffected presentation. From the E4C's, I rather quickly moved on to the SE500's, then the SE530's and then the SE535's. I've enjoyed them all immensely and for mostly the same consistent reasons: solid performance, nothing exaggerated, clean detailed presentation and excellent build quality (not to mention their excellent service department). Here come the SE846 --------------------------------------------------- And so when the SE846 was released, especially with the accompanying “hoopla” around the considerable amount of new technology that went in to the production of the IEM (in-house engineered balanced armature drivers, a miniature ported sub woofer of sorts with 4 inches of acoustic pathway, etc.) … admittedly, I was over the moon and just hell bent on the need to try them. But when I saw the price of $1000.00, I realized this was an item that most likely would not end up as part of my regular, daily arsenal. And, for all intents and purposes, it has not. Something about spending $1000.00 on an IEM just throws some internal checks and balances that have simply not allowed me to actually try (or buy) a set. But lately, I was lucky enough to get to spend a couple weeks with a brand new pair of SE846 IEM's and as a long time and quite devout user of the various 500 series IEM's, I figured I'd take a moment to write a bit about my experience with them. Solid ---------------------------------------------- When listening to non-equalized music, The SE535's have always been just a tad to much on the “flat” side of things, a bit too “middle of the road,” a bit to “straight-laced.” This is fantastic from a music production point of view as it allows me to hear music for what it is and without any affectations brought on by the IEM itself (should I care to have a “clinical” listen to any given sort of music). But in daily use, I have always insisted on using equalization to bring the default, somewhat subdued presentation of the SE535 more in to focus in regards to what I enjoy insofar as recreational music listening is concerned. It's true as well, as you've most likely read or heard, the SE535 has fairly rolled off, stunted highs that I can only imagine were decided upon to make the IEM most palatable with the most sorts/genres of music. But in the final analysis, I enjoy a bit more sparkle than the SE535's naturally provide and too, I like a bit more sub bass and bass presence in general. Therefore, I've always used equalization with them. Currently, I use a Cowon J3 with it's formidable Jetaudio EQ to fine tune the SE535's and prior to the Cowon, a Teclast S:flo 2 with an Arrow amp's bass/treble boost. And so the primary difference I would note between the SE535 and the SE846 is that the SE846 requires NO equalization to sound “right” to my ear. In fact, at all default/non-EQ'd settings, the SE846 sounds about like my SE535's with equalization applied. And yet, for various other reasons discussed below, the SE846 still sounds markedly more impressive for several other reasons. SE535 vs SE846 … a general breakdown --------------------------------------------------- The SE535's, in general, sound a bit more “flat line” or “homogenized” than do the SE846's. I think this has everything to do with the rather dramatically better instrument isolation/separation that the four drivers of the SE846 provide. The two IEM's are without a doubt from the same basic tuning camp, they are both somewhat neutral and neither overly accentuate any given frequency; with the SE846, I never found myself thinking, “wow, those highs are too bright,” or … “that bass is totally unnatural (think Bose)” … but Shure really took things to the next level with the SE846's and they are a fantastic successor to the ubiquitous SE535 if only for the fact that they solve two of the most obvious issues with the SE535 (to my ear, mind you): first, the rolled off highs and second, the lack of a visceral sub bass. I just wish they'd have released them at a closer price point to the SE535's instead of basically doubling the price, but that's just my limited income and other interests (that require my money) talking. :-) But it's true. Take every criticism you've heard regarding the SE500 series IEM's and just imagine them all rectified. That's what the SE846 brings to the table. It's not just the superior bass performance of the SE846 (which is significant), it's the high frequency presence, the sound staging, the instrument separation and micro detail retrieval, it's everything really. The improvement over the SE535, really is that significant of a thing. I have listened to the various 500 series Shure IEM's nearly every single day for 4 to 6 hours a day and for the past six years; I am intimately acquainted with them and the above comments are made with a good deal of confidence. The SE846 is a real evolutionary step away from the Shure SE535's. But as mentioned, they definitely hail from the same sonic camp... The one area I think the two IEM's are most similar is in regard to mid range frequencies. Upon first listening to the SE846, I was very happy to hear that Shure decided to stay with the (my opinion) utterly brilliant, somewhat forward and very present take on mid range that just about all of their headphones/IEM's are known for. I like my bass and I like my highs but I think somebody once said that the music is in the mid range and I for one, would tend to agree. The SE846 mid range is nearly indistinguishable from the SE535 mid range, if not just a tad more refined around the edges. Couldn't be more happy about that and the huge improvements in overall frequency retrieval and separation make the SE846 almost a perfect headphone for me. Lows --------------------------------------------------- And as most every review will mention, the bass performance of the SE846 is rather astonishing. However the Shure design team came up with that ingenious (and gorgeous) sub woofer-like “porting” system, whereby they give the bass frequencies, literally, four inches of metallic path to trace before exiting the tiny IEM's sound tubes, is beyond me but I can say they've worked a minor miracle with it as the bass performance is the best I've heard from any IEM. It is not an overwhelming, huge, constantly present bass like one might hear in some of the “bass head” cans out there on the market; unless the particular track calls for it, you will never even know such potential is dormant there, but should any given track need it? The bass comes and it comes in just that amount that the track/recording calls for and is always in perfect relation to the high frequencies and the mid range frequencies. That last bit is perhaps the most astonishing facet of the SE846, the fact that at any volume, from the subtlest of settings to the loudest, the SE846 remains absolutely well behaved, with everything in it's place. The bass never bleeds into or drowns out the highs/mids and the mids, though generally always the backbone of the Shure IEM sound (any of them), never dominate in a way that seems outside the requirement of the given track/recording. I sat one day for over an hour just turning the volume way down and way up, marveling at how in the world they kept the relationship between highs/mids/lows so consistently perfect no matter how loud or soft the volume became, truly a feat. But the bass is ridiculously good and miles beyond anything the SE535 is capable of. I consistently use equalization to give my SE535's just that little bit of extra something at both ends of the frequency spectrum as they are just so “flat line” that at times I find them to be a bit boring … not so with the SE846, though. Straight out of the Ibasso DX90, with no equalization, the SE846 are pretty much perfect sounding to this guys ear and I had no need or desire to equalize them in the slightest. Highs --------------------------------------------------- Another quality often discussed regarding the SE535 is the obviously rolled off high frequencies. I don't think it is debatable at this point, either for reasons of sounding the best with the most types of music or otherwise attempting to make them non-fatiguing, the SE535's are designed with a rather pronounced “roll-off” of the upper high frequencies. This isn't altogether bad as they can be easily massaged with a decent equalizer if one prefers more sparkle (I do); should one have a player with a decent equalizer (think Cowon J3) then that can be remedied; or worse case scenario? Should one be stuck with an exceptional player that has a pretty bad equalizer (think Ibasso DX90), then it can become vexing. But again, as a person who has lived with the SE535's for many, many years and many thousands of listening hours, I can happily say that the SE846's are much more resolving and have far more sparkly, ­more detailed high frequencies. Everything about the high frequencies is more resolving and more detailed. I would put a section here discussing the mid range but suffice it to say, the SE846 come with the same, rather pronounced and “confident” mid range presentation that the SE535's and most other Shure headphones count as hallmark. I for one was very pleased to hear this as I'm a big fan of a leading mid range and nothing else can really be said about it other than the fact that the SE846 presents that same mid range in an even more detailed, articulate manner (most likely having everything to do with more drivers). Otherwise? --------------------------------------------------- Sound staging is a bit more out of the head than the SE535's … the increased number of drivers and perhaps the design of the housings, give one the impression of the music coming from a slightly greater distance (in a pleasant way). The SE846 is a noticeably more detailed/resolving IEM than the SE535, presenting music with a much greater, more discreet separation among the various instruments in any given bit of music; this is not a subtle thing, either. There is more “silence” between the various players and overall, one finds one's self more intimately experiencing the sonic landscape. An interesting thing is that as I would switch from the SE846 back to the SE535, I had a very intense and nagging desire to keep turning the SE535's volume up, thinking that if I did so, I would be able to hear the same sort of details I was getting via the SE846; but increasing the volume thru the SE535 just didn't assuage that nagging itch; in the end, I realized it was simply a matter of the SE846 being a much more resolving listen and there was no issue or discrepancy with the volume setting when switching between the two IEM's. Apparently, the number of drivers and overall design differences inherent to the SE846, really do make a very positive difference. -- Using the Shure “black olives” the noise isolation was identical between the two IEM's (and quite remarkable, as always with that particular tip). -- The fit of the SE846 was approximate with that of the SE535's, even though the SE846 is without a doubt a bit larger of an IEM; still, I had no issue with the fit (my ears are what you might call “medium” sized). -- The build quality of the SE846 is something out of an Engineering or Industrial Design periodical, I mean it's a freakishly gorgeous bit of gear to look at with a magnifying glass. :-) … the cables are ridiculously tough and well put together (microphonic free, BTW) and overall the entire package screams quality. -- I did not experiment with the various nozzles that reportedly can be used to change the sound; I found the default, “neutral” setup to be so perfect that I didn't have any desire to try the other options and so I can't speak towards that. -- I did not test the SE846 with any sort of amplifier; they sounded brilliant straight from my Cowon J3 and even better, straight out of the Ibasso DX90. Why I won't be keeping this $1000.00 pair of IEMs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- First and foremost, I simply cannot drop a grand on a bit of gear that only has a 2 year warranty. Despite my appreciation of Shure Inc. … their microphones and headphones alike, both of which I have used extensively over the past two decades … I still feel that such a device as the SE846's should come with a warranty that more syncs with the rather heady price tag. Again, I have nothing but love for Shure and their business methodology; for chrissake, they sent me a completely free pair of brand new SE530's once ... simply because I wrote an honest letter to their service department, but that's another thread … But the fact remains, a 2 year warranty is basically the same as Shure saying, “Hey .. we think that these might very well fail after about two years of regular use and if so, your either going to have to buy a new pair or pay for repairs.” And, for a $1000.00 pair of inner ear monitors, this is simply unacceptable for me as a consumer. I'll just EQ my SE535's, thank you very much. ;-) Something I didn't write anything about in the above little essay is that throughout my listening session, I was also swapping in a set of Koss Portapros for even further comparison and I have to say, they are damn near the sonic equal of the SE846's; and, to my ear, a decent bit more exciting of a listen than the non-equalized SE535's. Very similar bass/high freq performance as the SE846's but without the lovely isolation of the latter, and of course not nearly as discreet/portable. And if folks feel that paying $1000 bucks for the 846's is better than $40 bucks for the Koss Portapros or even $500 bucks for the SE535's (both of which I consider fair) … then more power to them. Technically and to make sure the above comparison is understood, the Koss Portapros are not nearly as detailed as the SE846; further, the highs and lows of the Koss' are tipped just so much more towards the “unnatural” … but they are coming close to the sonic performance of the SE846 and so at $40.00 and change, and with a lifetime warranty? It makes dropping a grand on the SE846's sort of hard to justify (even though I still want them real bad) … ;-) But again, can't say it enough … the Portapros, even at a mere $40 bucks, still have a life time warranty (which I've used more than once). Hell, even the $1000 dollar Koss ESP-950 kit comes with a life time warranty, which I've also used on more than one occasion. Ultimately? ------------------------------------------ Shure has done a genuinely remarkable thing with the design/engineering behind the SE846 and I certainly feel the price is okay for such work and especially the resulting performance; if you have the coin to spare and want pretty much the best sonics one can find today in the market of universal fit IEM's? Then buy the Shure SE846 immediately and feel good about buying them. I certainly would if I could and I might still, anyway ... if I can just find somebody who might want to buy one of my kids (just kidding, I don't have any kids but selling one still comes to mind and as I try and juggle responsibilities in an attempt to justify buying the SE846's for real) If the SE846 IEM's had a life time warranty? I would buy them happily, immediately and without hesitation. Hell, even if the warranty was five years instead of two, I'd still buy them. Shiza! Just look at Blendteq blenders! They build a remarkable product as well (Blendteq is like the Shure SE846 of blenders!) and they back it with a very respectable 8 year warranty and those only cost about $500.00 bucks! But I digress .. Much of this last bit of playful vitriol is just my annoyance at not allowing myself to keep the SE846's (really, I'm bugged to hell). It's been a couple weeks since I returned them to Amazon and every time I put my SE535's in, I'm immediately reminded of how superior of an IEM the SE846's are. The pain is real... Further, the sonic differences between the SE535 and the SE846, though quite significant, simply do not warrant a $1000.00 upgrade when considering my other interests that require financing and my relative income level as well. I really enjoy the SE535's and combined with a clean, capable EQ, they can be made to quite nearly approximate the general frequency performance of the SE846, though the better separation among frequencies and the better isolation of individual players that are hallmarks of the SE846 sound, simply cannot be matched by the SE535 with any sort of hardware or software equalization; it is a simple matter of better physical engineering and design (great job, Shure!!). So yes. I will pine for the SE846's for some time and yes, I sorely wish that Shure had released them closer to the price point of the SE535's or even so, a much better warranty term when priced at their current $1000.00. But at the same time I'm hugely pleased with Shure's innovation and the quality of the product that they chose to make and introduce to the audio market, both for those of us making the music and for those of us who listen. Keep up the great work, Shure. I remain a fan.... ... ;-)

846 (stock blue/white tubes) vs W60 vs M-Audio IE40 (a tweaked and rebadged UE TripleFi) I bought a W60. Its faceplate cracked in two days. I sent it back and got an 846. It's a happy accident that the W60 broke. I like the 846 much better. I was lucky enough to try both, so I thought I'd try to compare them. So here's what I thought: Soundstage: W60 - OK width. Not very deep. The vocalist sometimes felt too close, sort of vaguely placed. I couldn't quite pin down the instruments in space. It didn't feel like there was a band in the room. But very airy. Good instrument separation. 846 - Wider and deeper. More natural consistent instrument placement, like they were in the room. Excellent instrument separation. Percussion: W60 - Cymbals are clear and shimmering and distinct, not harsh. So detailed I swear I could hear the individual thingies in a tambourine, the texture of the skin on the drum. Awesome for piano (which is a percussive instrument, I think?). I never cared for Elton John before, but on these his piano playing sounds awesome, wrenching. Good crisp bass drum. 846 - with stock blue tips: Cymbals are kind of a splat. It's not unpleasant, but in comparison... The high end rolls off so much you don't get the details. Lower pitched percussion - blocks, hand claps - are handled beautifully. Drums aren't bad, but they're better on the W60. Piano isn't riveting. 846 - with white tips: much, much better than blue tips for percussion. Vocals: W60 - I wasn't impressed. I thought these were supposed to be good for female voices, but kd lang sounded blah. Not much of an improvement over my triplefi's. Some women sounded great - Shirley Caesar, Patty Loveless - just not as many as I would have expected. Men not as good. Chanticleer doing renaissance a capella was blah. 846 blue tips - Spectacular. Warm, detailed, realistic. Good separation, placement. Great on harmonies. I think Shure tunes for vocals - their warm signature sound. 846 white tips - You sacrifice a little bit of warmth for tons more detail. I strongly prefer it. Guitar: W60 - Not much of an improvement over the triplefis. 846 blue tips- Rich, detailed, warm. Noticeable improvement. 846 white tips - Even more detail. Bass: W60 - Better detail 846 blue tips - Goes lower, more ummph when needed, murkier 846 white tips - Same, just eq'd down a little bit. Synths: W60 - meh 846 blue tips - much better, more alive, good 3D effect 846 white tips - even better. More detail Brass: W60 - sax sounded great 846 blue tips - horns sounded great 846 white tips - now sax sounds amazing Styles of music that I think would work best: W60 - piano, orchestral, orchestrated pop, jazz 846 - rock (prog rock, neo-psychedelic, country rock...), synths, country, bluegrass (banjo is probably better on the W60s), dance music, gospel Improvement over my old triplefi's (an old $400 three BA iem) W60 - I heard new details in surprisingly few songs. Hugely disappointed at how flat Pink Floyd and the Dandy Warhols sounded. So little of my favorite music sounded better I wasn't sure the improvement was worth the $600. (If I preferred piano music, it would be different.) 846 - Lots of new detail across genres. Finally figured out what some lyrics were! (Very clear vocals) So much more detail it was definitely worth the upgrade. Comfort/build: W60 - Very small, light, and comfortable. Better for small ears. Will the all-plastic build last over time? 846 - Fits me comfortably, but I'm 6'2". Sturdy. Metal nozzle. I like it fine. Edit: I switched to white tips. What a HUGE improvement - for my tastes. Big improvement of instrument detail and separation - which is my favorite thing. A little less bass, a little less warmth, but worth the trade-off... for me.

My write up will be split into 2 parts, the first part is meant to give you my high level sincere impression about the SE846 (I will not go into the details, since some other reviews in here are very informative), and, the second part is aimed to give you my personal opinion in terms of the product value for money for generic groups of buyers. 1) This is the message I sent to Shure through their Facebook account: "First of all, I sincerely thank you and thank your engineers for the Shure SE846 creation... They are a real joy to listen to!!! Well, a couple of days ago, my colleague brought it to me from the U.S., I am not joking when I am telling you that, when I first listened a couple of my reference tracks; I was smiling with joy (don't recall I ever had such reaction with my other IEMs) while walking... (someone probably thought I was crazy...:-P). Nevertheless, my pet peeve of this pair of IEM, are the stock cables. I am sure Shure have its reasons for including such cables, but I do not find them too comfortable (rigid). I am wondering whether you can recommend any aftermarket/upgrade cables that goes well with the SE846 sound signature." 2) The following is my take in giving you my sincere suggestions to those people who are interested in the SE846. After all, they are a pair of expensive Universal In Ear Monitor (UIEM), the perceived value for money for these is really important. - Non-audio enthusiast with little disposable income - suggest to look elsewhere, these are not worth your hard earned money (to me it's like buying a really expensive bottle of wine, but unfortunately I don't know how to appreciate the taste of it) - Non-audio enthusiast with moderate disposable income - suggest you to save some more money and start with some cheaper UIEMs (maybe Shure SE535 or Westone 4R) before venturing into high-end UIEMs - Non-audio enthusiast with a high disposable income - suggest to buy them, even if you might not appreciate them, as much as, the audio enthusiasts. After all, the SE846 is one of the best UIEMs in the market now, and, you can replace the 3 included sets of nozzles to slightly adjust the sound (it is like having 3 slightly different sounds in 1 IEM, every time you replace the nozzles). - Audio enthusiasts - if you can afford them, they are worth the money. From the first time you slowly unbox the SE846 to the time you check all the included accessories, it oozes quality and luxury (and it is not the best part yet). The best part is when you start listening to them, going through those reference tracks you always listen to with your other UIEMs (knowing there were some shortcomings or wishing something a little bit more/less, in certain parts of the songs); and finding out that the SE846 can handle your expectations (with the 3 replaceable bright/balanced/warm nozzles). I hope the above will be helpful to potential buyers. Apologies for the long review, I got carried away :-). Cheers