Home > Consumer Reviews > Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones

Comparison: Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pro Earphones Gun Metal Blue

The best thing about SE530 is amazing lack of listening fatigue. It's got clarity of resolution, robust midrange etc to be sure, but what puts this in an entirely different league from other top earphones such as UE Triple.fi 10 is smoothness of sound, comfort/fit and lack of fatique. I can listen to this one many hours straight; I cannot to others. With SE530, sound is alive and kicking, but silky smooth at the same time. I repeat: NO FATIGUE NO FATIGUE NO FATIGUE.

You don't have to be a sound engineer or a musician to feel the difference. Any layman can tell immediately. My sister who listened to my super-expensive Goldmund audio system (Mimesis+Eidos) told me that she actually prefers simple I-Pod/SE530 combination. It is that good.

It is an expensive earphone, but once you listen to it, you simply cannot listen to any other earphones. Your ears will be too pampered for anything else. This is the BEST because it delivers super resolution in such a comfortable way.

Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones
I travel 46 weeks out of the year and spend a lot of time on planes. I love them. I own a pair of Bose QC3 Head phones. My opinion, these earbuds out perform the Bose. Use the foam ear pieces so they form fit to your ear. The sound is spectacular! The only piece that you need to get used to is having them in your ear for extended period of time. I still use my QC3 when I want to drift off to sleep. These ear buds are an investment so keep track of them. They are worth the investment if you travel a lot or just want spectacular sound.
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These headphones definitely have a split personality. If you can sit still and listen, they are superb. The distortion is very low, there is strong but natural low bass and you will hear amazing details you had not noticed before. However, if you are looking for a set of active headphones, forget it - the cables are bulky and heavy and they won't stay sealed in your ears when moving. It would be really great to see Shure add some type of ear surround that would hold them in place because they sure sound great otherwise!

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 is my second set of Shure IEC 'phones. Before the SE530s, I was using the now discontinued E4C model.

Like the e4c, Shure has enclosed a wide range of varying earplugs. The original yellow foam pads, which were my favorite, have been replaced with a more aesthetically pleasing black cone-like foam (the black foam also comes in three different sizes.) The black foam not only looks better, but the tapered design makes fitting them in the ear much easier.

Instead of having one long cable, the SE530s are extremely short (the plug hangs about six inches below my neck.) Two, different sized, extension cables are included, decreasing the amount of cable slack you have to deal with.

While the E4Cs, while absolutely incredible, tended to highlight the middle to high range. Bass was still well represented, but it just didn't have the same "kick" to it. The SE530s cover the full range, and it all comes across as extremely balanced.

I would recommend the SE530s to anyone who simply wants the best their music can offer. If you want high end, but the thought of spending this much on headphones makes your head explode, the SE530s are definitely the way to go.
If you want the next best thing, grab the E4Cs while they're still around .