Home > Consumer Reviews > Shure SE530PTH Sound Isolating Earphones with Push-To-Hear Control

I just got mine yesterday and I can honestly tell you this is a very
cheaply made product.

Very, very disappointing.

I researched these heavily on Amazon and thought I was getting a quality product.

I also have Bang & Olufsen, Apple and Bose headphones and ALL are vastly superior in terms of product quality.

The Shure product is very flimsy and cheaply constructed.

I will resell these if I can and go back to Bose.

I have no issues with the seller. They were 5*.

Unfortunately headphones are NON-REFUNDABLE because of hygiene issues.

Completely understandable.

NOTE TO OTHER BUYERS: Read the fine print.

These are quality earphones, don't get me wrong but you can get very similar sound quality for a lot less money. That is my only gripe. So, do your research and you will see what I mean. I returned mine and for a lot less got fantastic sound in another pair.

I had heard so many good things about these headphones that I just HAD to have them. Like so many other things in life, though, if it's not convenient and easy to use, it's often not worth it---that was the case with these headphones. They are not easy to insert in the ear and once in, are not particularly comfortable. That said, I realize that everyone is different---some folks are bound to enjoy shoving chunks of plastic in their ears; for those so inclined, this might be an interesting choice, except for the price and sound quality. My B&O headset is vastly more comfortable, easier to put on and take off, and has roughly equivalent sound quality for approximately one third the price. I didn't try these on the plane, since I couldn't get past the comfort issues and the weak sound; perhaps they are strongest in the sound isolation category. This was a disappointment for me and I returned it immediately.

It should not matter how good they are, $500 for headphones that cost twice as much iphone 3g is a complete waste of money. If you make a million a year or more, I could see spending that on these, but thats it, and to top it off they are not even wireless.

At my office, I sit in a really noisy cubicle environment, so I am in the market for some headphones or earphones to help me work in peace without any distractions.

My initial research led me to noise-canceling headphones. These headphones are good at blocking out steady noises, like a loud fan or the noise inside a plane cabin. But I read that they don't do a good job of blocking out sudden noises (like a door slamming) or people talking. Many people also don't find them to be very comfortable.

So then I came across the Shure earphones, which don't use noise-canceling technology, but instead use "sound isolating technology". At first I was really excited by this, because I read that they block out almost all noise, including sudden noises. They also fit in your ear and don't use batteries, so I found them to be more appealing than noise-canceling headphones in every aspect.

After doing some more reading about the Shure earphones, though, I have to say that I think they are a serious rip-off. The way that the Shure earphones work is that you have to stick them into your ear canal, and then the sleeve will create a seal with your ear canal to block all outside noise. Apparently this is what they mean by "sound isolating technology". I would hardly call that "technology". It's the exact same way that earplugs work, you stick them into your ear canal and they form a seal to block all outside noise. I can go to my local drugstore and pick up several pairs of earplugs for a few bucks. These Shure earphones don't seem to use any special technology to block out noise, they just seem like regular earphones, except they get embedded inside earplugs. I don't know why they are so expensive, it seems like all you're getting for the extra money that you pay is some earplugs.