Perhaps it's the fact that I'm a semi-professional musician and have heard music through fantastic (and massively expensive) studio monitors as well as my own high-end headphones, but I've never understood people that will spend hundreds of dollars on an iPod or other MP3 player but listen with the cheap, horrid sounding, and uncomfortable earbuds that typically come with them. That's why after my last set of (upgraded) earbuds literally fell apart while working out that I found the found the Shure SCL3 Earphones at a massive discount here, sprang for a set for both myself and my equally music-loving Wife, and have been ever-so-happy since.

The sound quality from these Earphones are the absolute best I've ever heard from a set of earbuds, and come amazingly close to my high-end Audio-Technica studio headphones. A good deal of that comes from the sheer amount - 7 - of differently sized and designed (several different type of foam to soft and molded plastic) sleeves that can be interchanged to both fit inside your ear canal as tightly as possible and thus increasing all areas of Frequency Response as well as sealing in the music and sealing out the outside noise. That might be the only negative as well: they shut outside noise out so very effectively that your safety while bike riding and other outside activities could be compromised. As a musician, I'm considering purchasing a second set for use as IEMs (In-Ear Monitors) for performing on-stage using the set of sleeves the specifically block out the vast majority of outside sounds.

These are a great deal compared to other brands of earbuds, give sound quality very close to studio-level headphones, and are outfitted with a large number and type of sleeves that allow you to make them the most comfortable for the user to wear... typically the bane of earbuds. I'm ecstatic that I purchased the Shure SCL3 Earphones, and would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking to massively upgrade their Portable Music Player experience.

I spent a good amount of time researching IEM's to decide which direction I wanted to go. I didn't want to spend a small fortune just to find out if I liked wearing the things on stage or not, so I was being budget minded. The brand and inclusion of many differently sized fitments sold me on these.

I used them in the studio for one session and on stage for a 4+ hour improvisational session (where you have to, you know, actually hear the other instruments) within 3 days of getting them and I've been exceptionally pleased so far.

I honestly couldn't believe how much noise they blocked out. If someone isn't speaking into a microphone (which goes into the board, through the aux and into my headphone amp) then I don't hear them. Even drums are almost completely blocked out to the point where I had to have them added to my on-stage mix just to keep up with them.

At the end of the show I had no ringing which is a new feel for me... and I love it!

I'll never go back to floor wedges if I can help it. While I can't speak towards what the higher dollar IEM's may provide, I know that for the money these things have been an unbelievable introduction into the world of IEM's for me.

I read some people's concerns with bass output. I know in my case I'm a keyboard player so while I'm not usually as low as our bass player I do depend a LOT on being able to hear the bass from the keys. I have NO complaints in that department, I found the bass to be extremely accurate and well proportioned to the rest of the sound.

Okay, two problems with these in-ears. 1. They will NOT stay in. Even if you can get the buds to stay in your ears, good luck trying to get rid of the pull on the back of your neck caused by an extremely large, heavy plastic piece where the two wires meet from the buds. Maybe if you got custom molds, but out of the box, these do not stay in. 2. Sound quality: if you like tinny, no-bottom in-ears, these are for you! It says these in-ears start at 25Hz. NOT. Try 300Hz... if you want any depth or bass from ANY instrument coming through, don't get these earplugs.

These came with a Shure PSM 400 system I bought, and I can't believe how bad they are. Do yourself a favor, and save up your cash for a dual or triple driver in-ear set.

Since i bought them nearly 3 years ago, I have gone through 3 pairs. All of the sets had shorts in the cable and lost sound to either the right or left earbud. On my second pair the tube that the foam sleeves sit on, broke off completely while removing a sleeve the "proper" way. Each pair was replaced via a two year warranty that came standard. I took very very good care of every pair, but they managed to break no matter what I did to protect them. The sound was okay, good mid's and hi's but they lacked bass. I used them for casual listening and as in ear studio monitors, so the lack of bass made it hard to mix tracks. excellent noise cancelation as long as you had a tight fit. Some discomfort after long periods of continuous use.

keep in mind that value score is based on the price that i paid for the white ones on sale -- otherwise it's a 3.

for those who whine that "there's no bass" -- yes there is, it's of good quality, and it does extend low enough. the thing that many lose sight of it that it is _accurate_ bass, not the bloated, boomy, loose bass that it so popular -- like the noise emanating from the car next to you at the stop light. the fit kit is a great inclusion, but just about everyone who i know who uses shure products uses the small foam eartips (the black ones, not yellow). they are relatively expensive to replace, but that's the way it is. i bought these simply for casual listening, and i have been very impressed. they are not quite as good as the megabuck iem's, but you get 90%+ of the performance of the very best for just a small fraction of the price of the very best. they do need some time to break in, and like any iem, a proper seal is de rigeur. if you don't get a good seal, any iem will not sound very good.