Shure SE530 Metallic Bronze Sound Isolating Earphones

1. ( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jul 14 2008

   The top 2 models of SHURE earphones SE420 and SE530 are meant for those who want to fully appreciate music from their MP3s, and are willing to pay quite a bit extra for that quality. What are the major differences? To me, the 530s mid-highs are much more detailed without being tinny, base is not boomy but "tight" - meaning the start and stop of drums etc are much better controlled to give you more slam. The 420s are superb earphones in their own right, that is until you hear the 530s. With the 530s the same music sounds much more 3-dimensional, natural and warm. I hear so much more detail that were not quite as evident before. The difference is not subtle and I found I did not have to switch back and forth between the 2 earphones. 3 tips when testing: 1. always use the same MP3 player and the same track (it helps to compare apple with apple (no pun intended!)) 2. make sure the demo earphones have been run in (used) for at least 12 hours otherwise they do not sound great straight out of the box and will sound quite shrill and thin 3. make sure the earpieces fit snugly into your ears or the bass will sound weak. Whether it's worth paying that much more is up to you. For me the difference was too big not to go for the 530s. If you use your MP3 every day and love your audio, then the 530s should be a no brainer.

2. ( 2 of 3 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jul 6 2008

   The sound on the Shure 530 earbuds is very good, but the wires are very bad, especially for the price. After less than 10 months the wires became stiff, even a little brittle. After 11 months the connections at the earbuds and wires became frayed, even without mistreatment. I would not buy these earbuds again. Very disappointing, given what I paid for them.

3. ( 1 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jun 22 2008

   I started looking for an exceptional pair headphones after purchasing a new itouch and assumed over the ear noise canceling full size headphones would be the best option. I tried model from both Sony and Bose and found them to be adequate but rather flat sounding and difficult to travel with. I then decided to try in-ear sound isolating models based on feedback from experienced users. I have now had the opportunity to test 3 different in-ear type headphones. The Shure SE530, SE310 and Sony MDR-EX700LP. In order to get right to the point, I won't waste too much time talking about the SE310's. For the money, they just don't stack up well against the other two models for full bandwidth sound reproduction. For $300 bucks you have the right to expect the type of performance that brings a tear to your eye. Needless to say this does not happen. Spend $50 - $100 and you will be much happier. The Shure SE530's purchased from Amazon arrived on time and beautifully packaged in an aluminum cube. Well done and a very nice marketing job of creating an out of box experience better than any other headphone brand. I have to admit, I was expecting that type of presentation for $449.99 so my expectations were met. Overall build quality is mixed. The drivers are plastic and oddly shaped with obvious seams in the plastic where the 2 halves are joined. The Shure logo as well as the "L" and "R" are paint screened on and looks cheap. The cord is heavy duty and I love the around the ear cord design. It adds a secure fit and discreet look that works great on the plane. Sound quality is very good and extremely accurate. It was the first in-ear model I tested that actually produced bass frequencies below 50hz. The highs are good with a slight bit of roll off at the very high end which has a dampening effect on cymbals. Soundstage is deep and tonal quality very accurate. Fit is good and Shure's sound isolating claims are real. They do work better than noise canceling for airplanes and public places. So here is the grading: Presentation = A, Fit = B+, Build Quality = B, Sound Quality = A, Value = D OVERALL GRADE is a C+ because the sound quality and build quality does not justify the price. If you are a pro athlete or CEO and want the exclusivity, have at it. Next I tried the Sony MDREX700LP from Sony Style after a friend told me about them. I would not have figured Sony would have a model to compete with a boutique type manufacturer - but they do. I was unable to find them anywhere but [...] so maybe they are new. Price is $299.99 and they also come with an interesting case. Different from the Shure models that come with an oval zippered semi-hard nylon clam shell, the Sony uses a real leather jackknife type case that allows you to wind your cord. Also, unlike the SE530 that uses 3 distinct drivers, the Sony uses a single 16mm driver that they claim has a multilayer diaphragm. Regardless, it sounds great. Out of box was surprising mediocre given the $300 price and I would have expected this to be Sony's strong suit. Typical cardboard box with anonymous packaging. A customer would have no idea they were buying a product of this calibre. Build quality was again mixed. Driver units were nicely finished but the cord was very thin (presumably to reduce weight since these headphones will dangle directly from your ear). As with the SE530's, Bass was awesome. Test tracks using a 20Hz note gave me a big smile. Good for bass heads. Sound quality was excellent with both high and low frequencies extending better than the SE530's but with a slightly more colored sound. Where the SE530's reproduced sound clinically, the Sony's seemed to have a bit more attack. They sounded slightly more forward with a bit better detail and more spacing. To be fair, this is crazy nit picking based on hours of technical listening. The extra detail of the sony's can really expose bad MP3 players and poor recordings, especially in the higher frequencies. Fit was good and while a bit more comfortable than the Shure's, I prefer the SE530's wrap around the ear and slightly better sound isolation when using the foam inserts. Grading: Presentation = B-, Fit = B, Build Quality = B+, Sound Quality = A, Value = A Overall Grade is an A- due to the value. You can't find headphones this good for this price. Final note- Efficiency is very important in headphones being used with MP3 players. Particularly APPLE models due to their mediocre battery life and low output. Compared to over the ear models, both of these were superb. Much lower volume levels are required than with any other headphone I've tried (and I've tried many). The SE530's did have a slight edge in efficiency but I found that to be irrelevant since they were both so good.

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