This is Tech

Good and Bad Experiences in Sound:

Earphone manufacturer Shure makes top of the line in-ear headphones for musicians and their listeners. I have used their E2 and E3 models and they sound so good it is like the music is in your brain. My E3’s broke a couple weeks ago, and Shure’s customer service was fantastic. I called the number on the Shure website and was connected to a real person in Shure’s Chicago location. I explained that the earbuds had broken and how, and they told me to send them back and they would take a look. I mailed the broken headphones to Chicago and a week and a half later a new pair arrived. Shure’s customer service is outstanding.

Sensaphonics makes custom sleeves for Shure earbuds and in-ear monitors for musicians. These supposedly take the Shures to a new level by exactly fitting to the inside of your ear. My understanding is that they are more comfortable and block outside noise even better than the standard sleeves that come with the E3’s. In January I visited an audiologist to have molds made of my ears and placed an order with Sensaphonics. I wish I could give you a sense of how good they are, but after close to two months they still haven’t arrived. The customer service reps at Sensaphonics are very nice, and are easy to reach, but the company as a whole doesn’t seem to have its act together. If the Sensaphonics ever arrive, I will post here to let you know if they were worth the wait, but for now I wouldn’t recommend them unless you are prepared to wait.