Shure SE115 earphones

Few portable music players, however good, come with a decent set of earphones, which means it’s important to buy a good pair to get the best results.

A decent set today can be bought for £25, so at £100 Shure’s in-ear SE115s seem prohibitively expensive. But for people who want the best from their personal audio player, spending the extra money makes a lot of sense.

The earphones are available in four colours (blue, pink, black and red) and come with a set of different-sized attachments that allow a snug fit and seal them against background noises. There is also an extender cable and soft carry case.

The attachments work very well, though were fiddly to attach. The extender cable is not so clever. While it is designed to allow users to customise their earphones, it also highlights that the main attached cable is too short.

Gripes aside, the SE115s compared well to a good set of over-the-ear headphones, delivering sparkling audio response in the bass, and treble ranges that didn’t degrade when we increased the volume.