Graalians - View Single Post

Talon · 10-27-2013

Music Used
Can't Hold Us - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: I know in advance I'm going to get hate for this song, but holy **** - this song is excellent for auditioning headphones and its one of the first ones I look to for testing, and damn, does the SE215 sound amazing on this. The intro of the song sounds alive - the bass thumps at the beginning can be felt, and the subtle percussion elements really bring out the fantastic soundstage of the earphones, and to a close listener, will really kick in the "wow!" factor these earphones have. Macklemore's voice sounds incredibly realistic and when I closed my eyes, it did indeed simulate the voice being in front of me better than my M50 could.

Canon Rock - Funtwo: The infamous classical song reorganized into a rock piece that went viral on YouTube - the guitar, as opposed to other electric guitars, sounds great on the SE215. It doesn't bring out the intricate detail as well as my M50 or HD25, but it sounds lush and forward. The kick drums felt rather recessed - I'm not Shure (ha, ha) if the recording was to blame or the earphones themselves, but they didn't sound awfully great. The snares and other percussion sounded decent, however. The song didn't bring out any of the SE215's strengths in soundstage, but the recording is definitely to blame on this one. Other instruments sounded neutral, not worth noting but not necessarily bad.

Crossing Field - LiSa: My typical audition track for female vocals, as well as other subtle electronic elements and busy sounds. The beginning of the track and the verses feel particularly flat when the higher-pitched electronic samples blend in, but otherwise, the track is wonderful instrumentally. As for the voice, it's quite lackluster when compared to "Can't Hold Us". It, too, sounds flat but the voice gets decent extension and doesn't distort at the highest pitches at the end of the chrous, which tended to split my ears on my HD25 due to the sibilance and sparkle. It's rather laid back and lets the instruments take priority in the recording, which doesn't account for a bad sound - I like it.

In One Ear - Cage the Elephant: Another song similar to Can't Hold Us in that it has so many elements that can be tested on a headphone - soundstage and drums in particular stand out for this track. The intro and outro of the track sound extremely real and you can easily pinpoint where the sonic cues are coming from. Each and every instrument was recorded from a different position in relativity to a binaural microphone (different places in the room), and the SE215 does a stellar job of reflecting it. The soundstage is just unparalleled. The vocals sound nice - they're lush and lifelike, but they do seem recessed in comparison to the instruments. The separation between instruments is also unmatched.

Pompeii - Bastille: One word to describe this song: detail. The SE215 retrieved so many bass details that even the HD25 couldn't capture. The bass extends very, very deeply on this song and the instruments sound amazing. Similar to Can't Hold Us, the vocals are excellent and forward - very smooth, very lifelike. The drums do sound flat on this song compared to my M50, but I'll have to recheck since I haven't done an A/B with them.

Predator - Chrispy Remix: Another amazing song in the bass department. Exactly like the song above, refer to that. It is notable that the song begins to sound muffled at the chorus, but I haven't compared to my other sets so I'm not sure if it was always like that.

Zelda's Lullaby (Orchestrated) - Skyward Sword OST: Wow. Just... Wow. This track is stunning on the SE215. Every. Single. Instrument. Is wonderful. The low notes hit deep with good decay, and the brass instruments pass by fluidly and powerfully without sounding either flat or overly aggressive - even the treble sounds excellent on this track. There isn't much to say - it's almost perfect. Soundstage isn't showcased as well, but it's definitely there. I can't rave enough about how great this track is on these earphones.

VERDICT
The Shure SE215 is an amazing earphone that will only run you $99, offering some of the best soundstages in class and easily sporting the best bass I've heard in any set so far. It's a very warm, lush earphone that's extremely well suited for genres such as rap, hip-hop, EDM, and most instrumental genres such as classical or jazz. While it performs exceptionally well at rock, I feel there are better options out there for it: the ATH-CKM500 comes to mind. This is definitely a well-justified purchase at just under $100, exhibiting quality in bass and soundstage of that worthy of a $300 price tag. While the treble lags slightly behind, at this price range, it will not disappoint. Highly recommened to almost everyone looking for IEMs under $100.

Note: I originally wrote this for Head-Fi, but I figured I'd share in case anyone showed interest in IEMs.

10-27-2013	276
Talon don't call it a comeback Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 8,268	Music Used Can't Hold Us - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: I know in advance I'm going to get hate for this song, but holy **** - this song is excellent for auditioning headphones and its one of the first ones I look to for testing, and damn, does the SE215 sound amazing on this. The intro of the song sounds alive - the bass thumps at the beginning can be felt, and the subtle percussion elements really bring out the fantastic soundstage of the earphones, and to a close listener, will really kick in the "wow!" factor these earphones have. Macklemore's voice sounds incredibly realistic and when I closed my eyes, it did indeed simulate the voice being in front of me better than my M50 could. Canon Rock - Funtwo: The infamous classical song reorganized into a rock piece that went viral on YouTube - the guitar, as opposed to other electric guitars, sounds great on the SE215. It doesn't bring out the intricate detail as well as my M50 or HD25, but it sounds lush and forward. The kick drums felt rather recessed - I'm not Shure (ha, ha) if the recording was to blame or the earphones themselves, but they didn't sound awfully great. The snares and other percussion sounded decent, however. The song didn't bring out any of the SE215's strengths in soundstage, but the recording is definitely to blame on this one. Other instruments sounded neutral, not worth noting but not necessarily bad. Crossing Field - LiSa: My typical audition track for female vocals, as well as other subtle electronic elements and busy sounds. The beginning of the track and the verses feel particularly flat when the higher-pitched electronic samples blend in, but otherwise, the track is wonderful instrumentally. As for the voice, it's quite lackluster when compared to "Can't Hold Us". It, too, sounds flat but the voice gets decent extension and doesn't distort at the highest pitches at the end of the chrous, which tended to split my ears on my HD25 due to the sibilance and sparkle. It's rather laid back and lets the instruments take priority in the recording, which doesn't account for a bad sound - I like it. In One Ear - Cage the Elephant: Another song similar to Can't Hold Us in that it has so many elements that can be tested on a headphone - soundstage and drums in particular stand out for this track. The intro and outro of the track sound extremely real and you can easily pinpoint where the sonic cues are coming from. Each and every instrument was recorded from a different position in relativity to a binaural microphone (different places in the room), and the SE215 does a stellar job of reflecting it. The soundstage is just unparalleled. The vocals sound nice - they're lush and lifelike, but they do seem recessed in comparison to the instruments. The separation between instruments is also unmatched. Pompeii - Bastille: One word to describe this song: detail. The SE215 retrieved so many bass details that even the HD25 couldn't capture. The bass extends very, very deeply on this song and the instruments sound amazing. Similar to Can't Hold Us, the vocals are excellent and forward - very smooth, very lifelike. The drums do sound flat on this song compared to my M50, but I'll have to recheck since I haven't done an A/B with them. Predator - Chrispy Remix: Another amazing song in the bass department. Exactly like the song above, refer to that. It is notable that the song begins to sound muffled at the chorus, but I haven't compared to my other sets so I'm not sure if it was always like that. Zelda's Lullaby (Orchestrated) - Skyward Sword OST: Wow. Just... Wow. This track is stunning on the SE215. Every. Single. Instrument. Is wonderful. The low notes hit deep with good decay, and the brass instruments pass by fluidly and powerfully without sounding either flat or overly aggressive - even the treble sounds excellent on this track. There isn't much to say - it's almost perfect. Soundstage isn't showcased as well, but it's definitely there. I can't rave enough about how great this track is on these earphones. VERDICT The Shure SE215 is an amazing earphone that will only run you $99, offering some of the best soundstages in class and easily sporting the best bass I've heard in any set so far. It's a very warm, lush earphone that's extremely well suited for genres such as rap, hip-hop, EDM, and most instrumental genres such as classical or jazz. While it performs exceptionally well at rock, I feel there are better options out there for it: the ATH-CKM500 comes to mind. This is definitely a well-justified purchase at just under $100, exhibiting quality in bass and soundstage of that worthy of a $300 price tag. While the treble lags slightly behind, at this price range, it will not disappoint. Highly recommened to almost everyone looking for IEMs under $100. Note: I originally wrote this for Head-Fi, but I figured I'd share in case anyone showed interest in IEMs.