Shure SE846 In-Ear Headphone

You guys know Shure; it's best known as a microphone manufacturer, but millions of vinyl lovers have had long-term affairs with Shure's phono cartridges. The company jumped into the earphone market in 1997 and focused on pro users-musicians and sound engineers-but audiophiles quickly got the word.

Four balanced armature drivers; Customizable frequency response; User-replaceable cables

Not as good at isolating outside noise as custom in-ears

Shure SE846 Bluetooth

With the Shure SE846, the premier model from the US manufacturer enters the ring to showcase its Bluetooth credentials. It brings back all the favourite flavours of the wired original, including the user-friendly controls and interface.

Shure SE846

Last week, Shure invited me to audition 2 of their premium earphones, the SE846 and the KSE1200, at the Stereo The Headphone Concept Store Westgate outlet. While this was a special invite, anyone can walk into the Stereo Store, sit down and test any audio…

Shure SE846 Review

The $1,000 price range for earphones is not a realm most consumers visit—if you're reading, however, you're either one of the few who might, or you're at least curious. Do the high prices truly bring a euphoric audio experience? In the case of the Shure SE846 ($999 list), the answer is a resounding yes. Considering that most earphones in this high price range are customized, ear-molded pairs, this is no small feat, but the SE846 can hang with the giants from JH Audio and Ultimate Ears. Its four balanced armature drivers per ear bring some of the clearest audio, and some of the most lifelike, rich bass, you're likely to hear in an in-canal pair. The SE846 wins our Editors' Choice, meaning that if you have the money, you now have some tough decisions to make between this model, the fantastic Sennheiser IE 800($799.00 at Amazon) (read on for a head-to-head comparison), or a custom-molded option. Nice problem to have, my friend. DesignShure will never be accused of phoning it in on t...

There are few in-canal earphones available that offer the stellar sonic experience of the high-end Shure SE846.

Stellar sound quality; Includes two detachable cables; Tons of accessories, including hard shell case, multitude of eartip options, inline volume adapter; Includes ear nozzle pieces to adjust sound signature to personal tastes

Extremely expensive for a non-custom molded pair; No inline remote or phone controls for mobile devices