[spook76]

I will chime in with my two cents.

First, other than the customs, all Westone UIEMs are now made in China.

Second, Shure's problem may stem from the fact that according to media reports the difficulty in manufacturing the low pass filter and the fact only one engineer at the Shure owned factory in China can make the 40 micron wide holes for the low pass filter.

Last and most importantly, the problems hardly mattered to me because as an initial owner of the SE846 whose unit failed, it took a total of FOUR days for me to get a brand new replacement from Shure. Yes, I paid the $20 for overnight return but on a $1000 IEM, I did not care and I wanted my baby back.

 

[Monty Burns]

  Exactly. There should be absolutely no excuses. Quality control should be 100%, nothing else. 

Yes and Politicians should be honest. Oh and life, Life should be fair....But it is not life is just life.
 
Everything including TANKS has a failure rate (I believe the Sherman's used to blow up or catch fire). Rx drugs they fail. Cars, Planes, Jets  - Yup you guessed it sometimes they fail AND there people die that is just part of life.
 
$100 steaks come overcooked sometimes too (too sarcastic?)
 
The standard as in everything is how failure is managed. To demand 100% perfection is one thing to expect it 100% of the time is IMO beyond unreasonable and will ultimately lead to disappointment.  
 
And for the record I am more than just a little "particular" and demanding. I am certain that SHURE Customer service personnel as well as CS personnel from a myriad of other companies from electronics to exercise equipment must, after dealing with me, assume (incorrectly) that I am one of those "Mystery customers/shoppers" sent to test them.
 
Plan for the worst case, hope for the best case and all is good. Life is too short But that is just me.

 

[burtomr]

 
No, Shure has always been stellar in their customer service. No complaint there. I just think these things should have been bulletproof.
 
If I were them, I'd sell three different flavors rather than replacing filters. That seems like it would just be asking for problems.

 
There's nothing very little about the replaceable filters that seems related to the cutting out issues reported here. Also, the 'replaceable filters' are a (great) design and advertising feature which has definitely lead to greater sales and buyer satisfaction. Just think of the complications of figuring out which of the (3) different flavors would be best for you when you can't hear them first...

 

 

[milford30]

I will chime in with my two cents.

First, other than the customs, all Westone UIEMs are now made in China.

Second, Shure's problem may stem from the fact that according to media reports the difficulty in manufacturing the low pass filter and the fact only one engineer at the Shure owned factory in China can make the 40 micron wide holes for the low pass filter.

Last and most importantly, the problems hardly mattered to me because as an initial owner of the SE846 whose unit failed, it took a total of FOUR days for me to get a brand new replacement from Shure. Yes, I paid the $20 for overnight return but on a $1000 IEM, I did not care and I wanted my baby back.

 
The westone UM line is still made in USA, just did a search on the um pro 50. The w series line has always been made in China

 

[spook76]

Thank you Milford, I stand partially corrected.

Here is another tid bit told to me back in August of 2013 by an unimpeachable source who asked to remain nameless. Shure Asia tried to persuade the parent company to charge an MSRP of $2000 (instead of the $1250) for the SE846. Thankfully for us all Shure US did not heed that suggestion.

 

[romnation]

Have you any of you gotten a chance to compare the SE846 with the AKG3003I? Someone in a local audio shop said they preferred them a lot more than the SE846. Was curious if any of you have done a direct comparison.

 

[spook76]

Have you any of you gotten a chance to compare the SE846 with the AKG3003I? Someone in a local audio shop said they preferred them a lot more than the SE846. Was curious if any of you have done a direct comparison.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/681956/a-brief-comparison-review-of-the-akg-k3003i-vs-the-shure-se846/0_20

 

[RexxarCHL]

Thank you Milford, I stand partially corrected.

Here is another tid bit told to me back in August of 2013 by an unimpeachable source who asked to remain nameless. Shure Asia tried to persuade the parent company to charge an MSRP of $2000 (instead of the $1250) for the SE846. Thankfully for us all Shure US did not heed that suggestion.

So glad that did not happen. :mad:

I don't think Made in China is that big a deal.
We use MIC products every day, even if the thing's not labeled MIC. And there are of course great products from China.
Unique Melody is well praised brand here in HeadFi which based in China. Noble produces some of the most adorable CIEMs, in China.
To me it's the brand and the reputation behind the name that matters.
I can expect Shure, or local distributor, to act promptly to my problem should my product unfortunately failed. That's why I keep buying Shure and even recommend friends to buy Shure.

 

[Eugguy]

 
Yes and Politicians should be honest. Oh and life, Life should be fair....But it is not life is just life.
 
Everything including TANKS has a failure rate (I believe the Sherman's used to blow up or catch fire). Rx drugs they fail. Cars, Planes, Jets  - Yup you guessed it sometimes they fail AND there people die that is just part of life.
 
$100 steaks come overcooked sometimes too (too sarcastic?)
 
The standard as in everything is how failure is managed. To demand 100% perfection is one thing to expect it 100% of the time is IMO beyond unreasonable and will ultimately lead to disappointment.  
 
And for the record I am more than just a little "particular" and demanding. I am certain that SHURE Customer service personnel as well as CS personnel from a myriad of other companies from electronics to exercise equipment must, after dealing with me, assume (incorrectly) that I am one of those "Mystery customers/shoppers" sent to test them.
 
Plan for the worst case, hope for the best case and all is good. Life is too short But that is just me.

That is funny...failure and disappointment may be acceptable/tolerable in some situations/instances...however, I prefer not to take it in a bent-over prone position. Hoping for the best is a passive approach at best for a situation like this. I am getting my warranty card ready just in case.

 

[LFC_SL]

The internet and modern consumerism. More sensationalism then anything. It is rightly dissapointing when things go wrong but perspective is important. Have read nothing that justifies the allegations being made that the entire iem is compromised - mostly coming from newer members it seems.

What is the point being made about quality control. No-one is saying a set is dead on arrival. Are headphone and speaker manufacturers now to run-in sets for 100-hours before selling?

Had 3x pair of Sony EX71 10-years ago that suffered driver failure within weeks. Shure reply much better here.

Westone UM2 suffered left cable failure on one side after six-years. Would I get Westone again? Hell yes, but learnt a lesson to go for rc.

The Roxanne threads contains countless posts of cracking connectors and waits for a replacement after JH went for the new proprietary connector design.

Yet here in this thread there are disappointed first batch owners - who are getting later manufacture dated replacements within a week turnaround - calling into question the entire product.

Headphones are front-line consumer electronics. Virtually every manufacturer has been tagged with an issue in head-fi history. I ain't new to the game which is why I sought assurances from cs before buying in Tokyo.

There have been 'worse' product issues in headphone history (not my personal examples above). The response by Shure and replacements being fine makes me confident.

 

[e30ernest]

So is there a sure fire way to tell if a pair of SE846s on a shelf was from the first batch or from the newer more reliable batches?

 

[burtomr]

  So is there a sure fire way to tell if a pair of SE846s on a shelf was from the first batch or from the newer more reliable batches?

 
Box has a date.

 

[Monty Burns]

  That is funny...failure and disappointment may be acceptable/tolerable in some situations/instances...however, I prefer not to take it in a bent-over prone position. Hoping for the best is a passive approach at best for a situation like this. I am getting my warranty card ready just in case.

I am not in anyway passive nor would I EVER suggest a passive approach to anything. PLAN FOR THE WORST CASE (in case you missed that the first time).
Then you can hope for the best case.
IF you have a problem don't wait Call the toll free number (that is the plan for the worst case scenario part) and return the product. You will be sent a new one promptly.it really is just that simple.
 
I am not suggesting you accept disappointment bent over and prone (or in any other position). On the contrary I advise you stand up and actively take actions to rectify the matter to your satisfaction . That is why Toll free numbers to CS exist. What could be easier
 
You have a product by a company that will rectify ANY issue you have (Unless your dog chews them into 100 pieces - I had to at least try) Again knowing that should be (IMO) part of your purchase decision. Just part of planning ahead
 
In fact in the time it has taken you to complain here your defective 846s could have been enroute to SHURE with turn around in days. If you bought from a Brick and mortar store. Take them back and get a new pair on the spot
 
It is in large part( for me) SHURE's commitment to their end user, their efficiency and dare I say it Humanity (yes real and patient humans at SHURE CS) in dealing with the end user be they Indusrty professionals, musicians or lowly members of the general public such as myself that engenders (for me at least ) Brand loyalty (Oh and that SHURE sound) . (wow that is one long sentence - nursing a concussion grammar gone)
 
FAILURE/MISTAKES is/are NEVER Acceptable but it does and will happen. It is how Failure is dealt with that is ultimately important.
 
In the case of other Hi End Brands (such as JH judging by all the problems on the Roxanne thread) Failure is real yet solutions are neither simple or quick..
 
SHURE (from my experience) not only Talks the "Talk", they Walk the "Talk" as well  
 
Don't mean to be testy - Computers and concussions don't mix well

 

[Eugguy]

   
Box has a date.

I don't think it matters too much. The newer batches have been known to die as well. Someone else purchased from the same site, same date as me. Theirs died, mine did not. (yet... )

 

[Eugguy]

 
I am not in anyway passive nor would I EVER suggest a passive approach to anything. PLAN FOR THE WORST CASE (in case you missed that the first time).
Then you can hope for the best case.
IF you have a problem don't wait Call the toll free number (that is the plan for the worst case scenario part) and return the product. You will be sent a new one promptly.it really is just that simple.
 
I am not suggesting you accept disappointment bent over and prone (or in any other position). On the contrary I advise you stand up and actively take actions to rectify the matter to your satisfaction . That is why Toll free numbers to CS exist. What could be easier
 
You have a product by a company that will rectify ANY issue you have (Unless your dog chews them into 100 pieces - I had to at least try) Again knowing that should be (IMO) part of your purchase decision. Just part of planning ahead
 
In fact in the time it has taken you to complain here your defective 846s could have been enroute to SHURE with turn around in days. If you bought from a Brick and mortar store. Take them back and get a new pair on the spot
 
It is in large part( for me) SHURE's commitment to their end user, their efficiency and dare I say it Humanity (yes real and patient humans at SHURE CS) in dealing with the end user be they Indusrty professionals, musicians or lowly members of the general public such as myself that engenders (for me at least ) Brand loyalty (Oh and that SHURE sound) . (wow that is one long sentence - nursing a concussion grammar gone)
 
FAILURE/MISTAKES is/are NEVER Acceptable but it does and will happen. It is how Failure is dealt with that is ultimately important.
 
In the case of other Hi End Brands (such as JH judging by all the problems on the Roxanne thread) Failure is real yet solutions are neither simple or quick..
 
SHURE (from my experience) not only Talks the "Talk", they Walk the "Talk" as well  
 
Don't mean to be testy - Computers and concussions don't mix well

Sorry buddy, sounds like you need to "stand up" and ice those knees, lol. If you've read anything at all, my 846 are perfectly fine, for now. However, I do feel empathy for those who have been shorted. And not everyone has had a pleasant experience with Shure's CS. To accept and expect a product to malfunction/die is just unacceptable. The JH situation is a whole different problem entirely. I'm sorry if you have had a concussion. Rest, Ice, Compression, Empathize.