Review on Shure AONIC 3 Earbuds: Wired Sound Isolating, Clear Audio, Single Driver w/ 🎧 BassPort, Secure In-Ear Fit, Detachable Cable, Durable Quality, Apple & Android Compatible - White by Thong Lopez

Many years ago as a college student, back in the early days of the iPod, I bought a very high quality pair of headphones from a company whose professional products were beginning to interface with the iPod, the Shure E4c. Shure has been making in-ear monitors for a long time, but they weren't sold to consumers, only to professionals. Of course, their purpose didn't matter, they plugged into headphone jacks just as easily as anything else, and after what felt like an eternity, Shure FINALLY released the E2c, E3c, E4c, and E500 consumer headphones around 2005. . . A while back, the E series was replaced by the SE series, but the E4c hasn't been updated as part of that line. And here we are, some 15 years later, many years after my beloved E4c's multi-year career ended due to an unfortunate encounter with a rowing machine. And now the SE has given way to the AONIC series, and although it's downgraded from '4' to '3', the single-driver design is back and looks eerily familiar. Shure released the AONIC 3, dubbed "Shure's smallest model." They seemed like a not-so-slim E4c reissue. And as incredible as they were then, they are now. While clearly not a direct reissue, they retain the soul of that old model and the sonic character is exactly as I remember it, which is really excellent. Why reinvent the wheel, right? I won't bore the reader with the details of the many-versus-one theory, but you should know that this argument is neither new nor has it been weakened in recent years. They use one driver per headphone (the $1,000 SE846 I also own, which is their top-of-the-line model, uses four). The result is a very clear and detailed sound. Shure's hallmark is that the part of our hearing where our ears are most sensitive (including all human voices and most instruments) is treated with a kind of finesse and engineering that makes them sound "expensive." Details and spaciousness are the best that money can buy. You also get very low distortion and no coloration. If you're not one of those people who frequent audiophile circles on a regular basis and your eyes glaze over, let me excuse myself and translate. The sound on them will be very clear, every single sound will be very clear, as if you have separate earphones for each sound. No sound interrupts another and does not disturb the overall coherence of the music as a whole. The audio will be an honest and accurate reproduction of what is being recorded. They won't add anything that the artist and engineers didn't put in there, and if they do, they'll make the same sound as in the cockpit when your favorite song was recorded. They have honest bass and high frequencies. They won't blow you away with bass (sorry, you need an 846 for that), but are more than capable of handling all but the lowest frequencies with ease. They have a natural and smooth drop in the first octave without a hint of heaviness, exaggeration or boominess, which seem to be design requirements from Beats, Bose and co. The sound is by no means flashy or flashy. The sound of the Shure line in particular can best be described as "noble" or "sophisticated". Your weird uncle who is good with audio? He loves her. In 2005, the E4c cost $349. Upgraded Chassis and Modular Cables for $199 in 2021? Sale. This means you can buy a TW1 adapter and get a true wireless connection at a price close to that of my original E4c. Is the top line 846 better? Sure, but you may or may not want to spend $1,000 on headphones. I am not blaming you. That's the sweet spot guys. If you want benchmark quality sound then this is a must and it comes at a cost. A little bit about noise cancellation, as having your own star rating is enough - you don't need or need active noise cancellation in your headphones. This is reserved for headphones, which have different issues than in-ear headphones. They fit like earplugs and also block outside noise. This is suitable for use in all but the most extreme environments such as cockpit or jackhammer use. A complete insult if you have any complaints about the way they sound. these are not headphones. You are that.