The SE310 have been blessed destined to join the modular system – stroke – concept you can read all about it in my SE210 review and why I hated it so much, oh yes read my tips on how best to fit these earphones as well – as you will need to know!
On to some listening tests, initial testing was surprising. Listening to the SE310 back to back with the SE210 really highlighted the shortcomings of the SE210.
The SE310 had a better defined sound stage wider and more open – less claustrophobic. Sound was much flatter – the humps and troughs in the frequency response were well hidden. I would also like to welcome back detail – not much as the door is only partly open but it’s welcome never the less.
Dynamic range is still very stifling, you do have some headroom to push the treble adjustment if you want a brighter sound, sadly that does not apply to the bass knob – the low end can quickly degrade in to a mush of distortion. The low end headroom seems more limited than on the SE210 and is probably due to the lack of damping from the Tuned BassPort. In practise the SE310 do have better low end response and the bass notes are deeper and have greater presence so the need to push the bass may not be there, but the issues of headroom still are present if you just like to listen to your music loud.
Generally the sound is neutral by nature, slightly warm – which is the biggest fundamental improvement over the SE210, where the mid range has been pushed off a cliff to oblivion. The SE310 allows the mid range to flourish putting some of that life back in to the music which is crudely robbed in the cheaper sibling.
The sound has good detail but not as much as other comparable transducer based earphones. The highs are not very sharp and don’t expect to find overly bright earphones here.
Conclusion
I will not go in to my usual genre by genre commentary as the difference between the SE210 and SE310 is easily definable. From the SE210 review you will notice the main issue with all the types of music was the lifelessness and missing mid range, thankfully this is present in the SE310. This has the effect of giving you a good all rounder like the SE210 but with improved mid range, extended low end, and more detail.
Highlights for me are the much better handling of Classical and Electronic type of music, these genres did sound good with the SE210 but with the SE310 they just feel unleashed – detail is cleaner and a joy to hear.
All that is left to say really is the price, are they worth £55 ($100) more than the SE210 – yes easily. The real question should be are they worth £140 ($280) that is the sticking point. The SE310 are a nice set of earphones but they are not the dramatic improvement I was expecting over such older models like the Shure E3c. The E3c may not have the extended low end but they make it up with the endless amounts of headroom and detail and at the current retail price being just shy of £100 they would make a better buy.
Ideal For
- Upgrades’ from standard earphones
- Electronic Music
- Metal
- Punk
Not For
- Everything else
- Value for money types
Hi,
The 210 and 310 are not that bad, I would say they are an improvement over the stock ipod earphones – they are better fitting and sounding. My reviews for the SE420 and SE530 will early January 2008.
HI TARKAN.
Are these 210s & 310s that bad. How do they compare to stock ipod earbuds. Will i hear a difference? Also when will u review the other two SE earphones i.e. SE420 & SE530. Hope u review them soon.