Small, neat and sounding good: Shure E3c

Shure's E3c's are tiny canalphones that are light and comfortable to wear (but we found the E500s were even more comfortable). The drivers are set at an angle so you need to loop the wire round your ears to get the right placement but once you do they stay in very securely. The cables are light and flexible so they don't drag or tangle with robust and reinforced connectors but we'd like to see a clip on the cable to give you the option. They come with almost as many sleeves as the E500s (missing only the triple flanged set), plus the cleaning stick and a round rigid case with plenty of room to fit everything in. That's just as well as you have to completely destroy the plastic case to get them out; the E500s come in a stylish metal box but you only unpack your headphones once, after all.

The E3c case will take plenty of travel

If you haven't heard the E500s you won't be disappointed in the sound quality of the E3cs. There's plenty of detail and clarity in midtones and the top end and the bass and midtones sound punchy, though not especially rich unless you crank up the volume a little. There's more definition than weight to the mid-tones and bass, but the treble is well balanced. Sound isolation is good, although again you need more volume than with the E500s to shut out as much background noise.

Conclusions

Both Shure models are excellent portable canalphones that are streets ahead of anything you're going to get bundled with any media player you buy. With the E500s you get what you pay for; simply superb sound. The E3cs are still good headphones; light, comfortable and with a pleasant sound. But pop the E500s in straight afterwards and the difference is clear. You'd be spending more on the headphones than on many MP3 players, but you'll get headphones that get the best from your music - and they'll probably outlast your player too. Save a little by skipping the Push To Hear unit unless you really need it.