Home > Consumer Reviews > Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones

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.

The Shure SE530 are the ultimate earphone I have ever listened to! They are so good I cannot believe why I waited till now to buy them...

-PACKAGING-

It is Shure's top of the line model and they want you to feel like a king for purchasing the best they have to offer currently! There is a plastic box and upon removing that you can see on the bottom wrapped in a silver folder an instruction manual and other saftey information. Taking the top off the box you notice the metal case with a nice thin layer of bubble paper to protect the frame from scratching and Shure's logo on the lid of the box. Inside there is another box made of cardboard which when opened holds the earphones themselves which are packed in a foam mold. Below this is the travel case or accessory case whichever you perfer. Overall the quality is amazing just for the pack job! I am already getting the sense I am in for a treat!

-BUILD QUALITY-

Upon unpacking them they shine in the light and feel very light weight and the cord has a nice texture which is rugged and thick! Depending on how the light hits the earphones can make them look more black then slightly bronze. Shure's logo can be seen on the outside of each earphone and on the inside is the L and R logo's. All the other accessories and travel case are sturdy and very well made! I can feel and see the beauty in these but how do they sound! I did hear some people saying that the wire near the earbud would break after use but I never find that an issue as I take them out grabbing the earphone bottom piece above the cord. If you take care of them they will last.

-SOUND QUALITY -BASS-MIDS-HIGHS-

WOW! That is all I could say after spending an hour with these babies! The bass is thumping and punchy and not overpowering the other sound elements but is present and rich! The midrange is very well done it never gets overpowered by the bass or highs and is crystal clear! The highs are very strong and crystal clear as well! Neither area overshadows the others and I found these to have perfect replication for my music! When I switched back to my Shure E3C's I could hear the difference immediately. I cannot believe how well these earphones sound! The sound is balanced and to my ears perfect!

-VALUE-

Well for the MSRP of $450 - $500.00 you get what you pay for! I was always wanting to try out the top of the line from Shure and after trying the SE420 which lacked bass and some details I decide to go out and buy them and I am glad I found my perfect earphone! The packaging and quality of sound and construction along with the accessories makes this price spot on! You get what you pay for with sound quality and Shure delivers!

-VERDICT-

If your in the market for triple driver earphones look no further than the Shure SE530. I LOVE THESE EARPHONES! The only other earphone I got my eye on is the Westone 3. That is probably the only rival Shure has and then again is what is next to come from Shure... For now my SE530's are my ears best friends! Congrats once again Shure for making a wonderful earphone!

I have a few sets of Shure headphones and so does my co-worker so we did a test and the SE530 headphones are were far above the rest for sound quality. I suggest if you are not willing to part with the cash it takes to get these do not even try them out. Once you hear them you can not ignore how good they sound.

The cable is the perfect length for using the Shure MPA cable for my iphone, leaving the microphone and clip in best position for talking on the phone.

I love these in-ear phones. They are not quite as good in the sound isolating department as the cheaper SE 210s, but they are a leap forward in sound. These are the best sounding in-ear phones that money can buy IF they are married to the proper players.

For example, when I use these with my ipod 120 gb classic, the bass sounds a bit muddy and cluttered to my trained ear. Bassheads will probably like this, but it drives me bonkers. I have to to turn down the bass or pump up the treble, and although this improves things a bit, it doesn't sound as natural and vivid as I wished it would.

But matched with my less expensive Sandisk Sansa Clip, these phones sound unbelievably fantastic. I can't believe how crisp and clear the trebles and mids are, and how pristine and powerful the bass is. I've had these buds for two months and all I can say is that I love them. Even my family members who have been coerced by me to try them with my Sansa Clip agree they sound fantastic.

The SE 530s come with 5 or 6 kinds of sleeves you can put over the speakers. I prefer the thicker black ones, and I like to lube my ear holes with a little lotion so that the buds slide right in.

If you have an iPod, I would recommend trying out other in-ear phones before buying these. Maybe the Sennheiser 8's or the Westone 3 True-Fit Earphones. But for most other mp3 players, you will probably love these phones. Make sure you download mp3s at 256k rather than 128k songs.

This headphone is simply amazing. Since many people have touched on details about the headphones, may I just say that this IS the BEST one I've tried so far! I've owned isolating headphones as follow; Etymotic ER-6 > Shure SE200 > Ultimate ears Pro 5 > then finally Shure SE 530!!! and yes, it is THAT nice...I feel like I'm in heaven when I have these cans on me outside! lol I don't need any other headphones but my AKG K701 for home, Shure SE530 for outdoor! Thanks to technology!