Shure
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Shure Incorporated is a consumer and professional audio electronics corporation. Shure Incorporated mainly produces microphones and other audio electronics, but also produces in-ear monitors (earphones) for a variety of audio applications including MP3 players.
Background
Shure was founded in 1925 as The Shure Radio Company under an audio magnate named Sidney Shure. The company is based in United States, and has been a Chicagoland company since its founding, when Sidney Shure worked out of an office in downtown Chicago. The company moved to Evanston, Illinois in 1956. In 2002, Shure Incorporated relocated to an award-winning [1] office building in Niles, Illinois. The building was designed by renowned architect Helmut Jahn, and was originally the headquarters of HA•LO Industries.
The company's products including their wireless systems and microphones are ubiquitous in well-known music award events, such as the Grammy Awards.
Brief history and milestones
Up until 1933, The Shure Radio Company strictly made radio systems. Since then, the company has expanded its audio horizons to microphones, phonograph cartridges, discussion systems, mixers and digital signal processing, and recently headphones, including high-end earbuds.
Shure introduced a stylus force gauge, which eventually became the industry standard. The SFG-2 Precision Stylus Phono Gauge (essentially a balance) can measure the tracking force of a cartridge to within a tenth of a gram. It is useful in setting up the configuration of a record player.
Phonograph cartridges
In 1958, Shure introduced one of the first phono cartridges designed to play stereophonic discs. Shure produced numerous cartridge series as well as replacement styli, in many cases continued offering dedicated 78-rpm styli as an option for its cartridges.
Shure continues to produce fine cartridges, but the highly-acclaimed V15 Type V-MR has been discontinued.
Microphones
Shure has produced a vast array of microphones for decades, among which are the well known SM and Beta series of dynamic and condenser microphones. The series includes the SM58 (the standard and most-used microphone worldwide for live vocals), SM48, SM86, SM87A (primarily for vocal reproduction) and SM57 (used to mic guitar amps, drums, brass instruments, etc...), SM94 and SM81 (often used for strings, pianos, overhead drum mics, large choirs). The Beta 52A and Beta 91 are two of the most common microphones used for kick drums. The SM57 and SM58, and their more modern variants, the Beta 57A and 58A, are some of the most widely used microphones in the world, particularly for live sound reproduction.
The elite line of Shure microphones is the KSM series. These mics are primarily used in studio recording, but do have some applications to live sound, such as overhead drum mics or for use with guitar and bass amplifiers. The KSM series includes the KSM27, KSM32, KSM44, KSM109, KSM137 and the KSM144. The new KSM9 microphone recently debuted. It is the first microphone in the KSM line made for use with live vocals, and features both cardiod and supercardiod polar patterns.
Shure's dynamic mics are popular because they are relatively inexpensive, sound good, and are extremely durable. For example, in the 1970s Roger Daltrey of the Who often used industrial tape to secure a Shure SM58 to his microphone cord, then swung it around in huge arcs from the stage. On occasion, it would strike the floor or PA equipment, yet kept working.
Shure's 55SH Series II microphone is a fifties-era iconic mic that is still popular today among musicians and radio personalities.
Other Shure microphone series include the Performance Gear (PG) introductory professional series, Specialty Consumer Microphones, and Microflex and Easyflex installed conferencing systems for commercial installed applications.
There is also a full line of wireless microphones, most of them wireless versions of their wired models.
Personal monitors
Shure introduced their personal monitoring systems in 1997. These systems enable musicians and professional audio producers to fine-tune all music and its related background notes with minimal distortion and clear frequency. Shure's personal monitor library are tailored differently to fit different budgets and recording needs of many musicians and professional audio producers.
A pair of Shure's sound-isolating earphones (called in-ear monitors in the professional audio channel) can be included as a part of a personal monitor system—prior to its earphones being available through consumer channels, Shure's sound-isolating earphones were only available as a part of a personal monitoring system package.
Earphones
Marketed as "sound-isolating earphones" for the personal audio channel, the demand for Shure earphones grew rapidly with the rising popularity of portable audio devices such as the iPod and when musicians, professional audio producers, and even audiophiles utilized the company's earphones (initially included only in personal monitor systems) utilized the earphones on devices other than Shure's personal monitor/mixer systems. As of 2007-01-01, Shure has a vast library of earphones and headsets for the personal audio market.
Shure expanded their consumer earphone line with dedicated earsets for use with cellular telephones initially (Shure sells 3 types of cellular earsets as of 2007-01-18), and opted to combine their cellular telephone earset components with premium audio components found in the E2, E3, and E4 to form the "I" series, a band of two-purpose earphones that can be used with both music and cellular devices. A trim for the Treo smartphone has only one connector.
Shure catered to the mobile gaming market with the G variation of its E2, E3, and E4 earphones, although only cosmetic differences and the branding are different. Shure pursued to provide more variety towards the consumer-grade audiophile with the release of its first three-driver product, the E500 (which was shown at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show in las Vegas. [2]). At the same time the E500 was released, Shure's push-to-hear accessory was also introduced (included with the current E500PTH).
All of Shure's earphones have the same performance as the only difference between the professional audio trim and the consumer trim is the packaging, cosmetic appearance of the earphones, and the naming. For example, the E5 and the E5C have the same sound detail performance although they are marketed differently. Shure states in its solutions database that all sound isolation earphones with the same number in the name, regardless of the labeling and packaging, have the same sound performance. For example, Shure claims that the E4, E4C, and E4G (for the gaming audience) have the same level of performance. The only exception to this is Shure's i series, which was tailored for both stereo jack and cell phone usage.
Shure's upcoming SE earphones are NOT the same as their current E series line. There have been claims that the SE420 has the same sound as the E5 or E5C. This is simply not true in any way. Both the SE420 and E5/E5C have dual drivers, however, they sound very different. The SE420s are specifically designed for personal listening, whereas the E5/E5C were specifically designed to meet the needs of onstage live performance. This is reflected in the sound signature of both earphones as well as appearance.
All of Shure's earphones and/or earsets utilize a unique closed-canal sound isolation technology — blocking outside noise from interfering with the audio without active noise cancellation, which requires batteries. This makes the earphones lighter and more portable while also blocking out more noise than noise cancelling headphones. [3] In addition to its canal-blocking noise isolation technology, Shure earphones utilize a variety of foam and plastic sleeves to ensure a good fit on all ears. [4] Getting the proper fit [5] when inserting these is key to getting the best sound and blocking out the most noise.
While non-audiophiles sometimes find the canal fit intrusive and critics have hit some Shure earphones with negative criticism (i.e. this Headroom review), audiophiles and professional audio specialists who rely on Shure earphones have no problem with them.
Products
Phono Cartridge Series
- M44 series starting in the early 1960s,
- M91 series in the early 1970s,
- M95 series in the mid-1970s,
- V15 series beginning in 1965, followed by the V15 Type II in 1968, V15 Type III in 1973, V15 Type IV in 1978, V15 Type V in 1982 (discontinued).
- M97 series in 1990s.
- Whitelabel Spin/Mix
- M44-7 Turntablist
- M44-G Club/Spin
- M35X House/Techno
- M25c General Use
Microphones
- Performance Gear Series
- SM series, starting in the 1960s
- Beta series, starting in the 1980s
- KSM series condenser studio microphones
- KSM9 cardiod/supercardiod live performance microphones
Wireless Microphones
VHF Technology
- T Series
UHF Technology
- UT Series
- PGX Series
- SLX Series
- ULX Professional Series
- UHF Series
- UHF-R Series
Public Address / Vocal Amplification
- Shure Vocal Master PA mixer & speaker columns (1960s - 70s)
Earphones
| In-Ear Monitor | Also Known As | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| E2 | E2C/E2G | One miniature dynamic high-energy magnet on each earside |
| E3 | E3C/E3G | One Low-Mass/High Energy Balanced Armature on each side |
| E4 | E4C/E4G | One Low-Mass/High Energy Balanced Armature with Tuned Port (Shure's Tuned Port technology allows air to flow through the armature, allowing the armature to perform more efficiently) on each side |
| E5 | E5C (Even though it is dual driver, it is in no way similar sounding or looking to the new SE420) | Two Low-Mass/High-Energy Balanced Armatures (one for treble, one for bass) on each side with cooperative Inline Crossover |
| E500 | E500PTH (Will be renamed SE530PTH in the future) | Three Low-Mass/High Energy Balanced Armatures (one armature for each range of notes—highs, mids, and lows [1]) with pre-emptive (in-ear) inline crossover[6], and tuned port on each side[2] |
| I2C | I2C-T (for Palm Treo models) | One miniature dynamic high-energy magnet with VoicePort Microphone |
| I3C | I3C-T (for Palm Treo models) | One Low-Mass/High Energy Balanced Armature with VoicePort Microphone |
| I4C | I4C-T (for Palm Treo models) | One Low-Mass/High Energy Balanced Armature with Shure's Tuned Port with VoicePort Microphone |
SE Series Works Cited can be seen by clicking here
The SE incarnations of the E3, E4, and E5 will undergo a major facelift, while the E500, when renamed to the SE530, will retain its design. [7]
Works cited
- ^ Source: E-Mail discussion between Mark Kim and Chris Siuty of Shure Customer Service—the discussion lasted from 2006-09-05-2006-09-13
- ^ Source: Shure E500PTH Multi-language instruction booklet included with the Shure E500PTH Consumer-grade IEMs