As mentioned before Shure is for musicians, before Shure was making headphones they were making microphones. Oddly, it’s not Shure’s experience in microphones that makes the Shure MPA one of the must have accessories for anyone who wants to listen to music on their iPhone, rather it’s the fact that it’s simply without question the best. Many users who enjoy a nice set of headphones and the ability to use their iPhone for calls found that there was really not an option, but Shure quickly solved the problem and ended the discussion with its SE Line and Shure MPA.
Why Mic?
It’s fairly simple, if you have a pair of third party headphones (especially any of Shure’s SE line) chances are you don’t like unplugging them to answer calls. If you live in the state of California, this might also make some sense as it’s illegal to drive and talk on the handset while holding it, but then again driving with headphones is not the most compelling reason to ditch your designed in California buds. And if you want superior call quality on top of convenience it’s time to hook your headphones up to your iPhone via the Shure MPA.
Out of the Box:
This is about as easy as it gets. Plug into iPhone on one end, plug headphones in on the Mic end.
Looks:
It looks great with any Shure headphone (I mean they are family), would it look great with your pink Skullcandy’s, not so much, but goes well with hot pink fuzzy headphones. This product is not really made for style, but it’s not ugly. If you are really going for looks, drop the clip that comes with it. If used with Shure SE earphones the microphone sits around your chest (give or take depending on height) and is able to pick up voices as good as the Apple standard headphone. If you ever need to be louder or clearer, just crab the mic and move it about an inch to two inches away from your mouth.
Why the this product?
If you own a pair of Shure SE earphones and you are looking to talk with them on, this is a no brainer. If not, remember that Shure is the top of the line when it comes to both mics and earphones, it’s seems like a logical choice. Call quality was improved thanks to the isolation on my Shure SE530 and the mic did wonders picking up sounds. I did not have to worry about my face oiling my screen or pulling my iPhone out of my jeans. One last note, for original iPhone owners the Shure MPA features a recessed jack. One might ask, why not take your third party buds, cut the wires and sodder them on to your iPhone cable? Not only is the positioning of the microphone much more convenient on the Shure, but it comes down to the cable. The Shure features a thick cable that over the past two years had no problems. The iPhone features a white cable that not only is flimsier and more susceptible to staining; but more importantly, the iPhone Headphone’s cable break in a multitude of ways much easier then a standard cable. I feel comfortable dangling my iPhone via the Shure MPA, I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you ever need to play tether ball with an iPhone.
It Just Works.
Push once to pause, twice to skip, once to play again. Push once to answer or push once to end call. The simplicity of the single button design is not necessiarly ingenius, rather logical. For me the biggest factor was that not only did it match the look and performance of my Shure SE530s, (like it does with all of the SE line-up, because of the design of the earphone) but the Shure MPA doesn’t add any extra length making it the near perfect cable for this. Did I mention call quality improved on both sides of the line?
Cons:
Two very simple ones. First the thing cost $50 in the Apple Store. Is it pricey, yes; does it work, absolutely; is it worth it, I thought so. Second, if you don’t own a pair of earphones similar to the Shure’s in that they can be unconnected very close to the earphone, in the area that would leave a plug by your chest, this thing is going to add some length.
Overall:
If you have a set of Shure SE earphones and an iPhone, you can’t go wrong. If you don’t you have some options as their other companies that will take your third party buds and add a cable similar to the one Apple makes for the iPhone with mic and controlls. This product’s simplicity and performance garners nothing less then 5 Stars from TheMacFeed. You can purchase it directly from Shure for just under $50 and be assured of your warranty.
Two last notes: While we absolutely loved the SE530s, Shure offers the Shure MPA and any of their other SE Model earphones in an incredible package. Secondly, if you don’t have an iPhone, but would like all the same features, they make it for Palm Treo Smartphones.
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Categories: Audio, TheMacFeed Reviews:, iPhone Accessories
