Shure upgrades eminent SE earbuds with new Bluetooth cable
The Award-winning SE425s and their siblings get longer-lasting wireless connectivity
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Shure is offering future buyers of its SE (‘Sound Isolating’) in-ear headphone range the best of both worlds by bundling a Bluetooth cable in the box, allowing them to switch between wired and wireless listening.
The four-star SE125 (£149), Award-winning SE425 (£299), four-star SE535 (£449) and five-star SE846 (£899) now come with Shure’s new Bluetooth 5 Earphone Communication Cable (RMCE-BT2), which supports aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, AAC and SBC codecs and has a transmission range of up to 30 feet.
A wireless cable option has previously been available for the SE models, but this new one has a 25 per cent longer battery life (10 hours) and fast charging (two hours from 15 minutes).
When the juice runs out, owners can simply replace the Bluetooth cable with the wired one, which features an in-line remote compatible with Apple and Android devices. All but the priciest model can be bought without a Bluetooth cable too, the wired-only SE215, SE425 and SE535 priced £79, £169 and £299 respectively.
The difference between the four pairs lies largely in driver configuration, ranging from one driver in the SE215 to four drivers and Shure’s low-pass filter in the SE846.
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Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of the brand's sister magazines Down Under – Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica. During her 11+ years in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices. In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.