Shure’s new SE115m+ headset for the iPhone 3GS does its darnedest to become the next big thing for your iPhone. The “m+” in the name refers to the remote and mic attached to the cable below the right earbud. Like the headphones that shipped with your 3GS, the inline remote controls the volume and makes all the fancy track- and playlist-skipping moves we’ve grown accustomed to. The remote’s volume buttons protrude a bit more than the middle button, which makes it easy to navigate without looking. And its placement and mic sensitivity meant we didn’t have to do the whole “holding the wire up to our mouth to talk” bit. Overall, the headset worked fine for making calls on our phone.
Great highs, sad lows
The SE115m+ headset’s wires are fashioned to be worn looping over the front of your ear and down the back of the ear. This setup solves the problem of your earbuds falling out with just a slight tug. Shure also includes both foam and Soft Flex rubber ear sleeves in three sizes for optimal fit. The in-ear design offers passive noise isolation, effectively blocking out external noise for an improved listening experience.
As earbuds for listening to music, the SE115m+ has very crisp high-end frequency response. Cymbal crashes and snare drums are vivid and tight. The mid range is almost as impressive, but it suffers from a slight muddying of the audio. If you’re a fan of rock, it’s doubtful you’ll even notice the low-end muting, but to fans of electronic genres or hip hop, the SE115m+ headset will feel a little light.
While we love the comfort and great upper-range response of the Shure SE115m+ headset, fans of deep bass will be disappointed, especially considering the price.
SE115M+
COMPANY: Shure
CONTACT: www.shure.com
PRICE: $119.95
REQUIREMENTS: iPhone 3GS or 3rd generation iPod shuffle for voice control and Voice Over
Lots of extra ear foam and flex ear adapters for comfort. Nice high and mid dynamic range. Great for Rush and Muse.
Low-end bass sounds squelched. Not so good for Public Enemy and Jay-Z.
