Shure SE425 Earphone

Shure has definitely outdone themselves with this wonderful product. Never have I experienced more clarity in a pair of IEMs. For someone who listens to alternative rock, pop, and an assorted array of indie music, I say that few IEMs can do better. The amount of detail displayed is extraordinary. Vocals are crystal clear and forward, especially female vocals. However, the bass is lacking a bit in quantity, but they're by no means flat. It's still punchy enough to satisfy most listeners. No, these IEMs are not for bass-heads, but for those who want precision. If you're someone who prefer to have lows that accentuate exceptional mids and highs, these are the headphones for you. They're the quintessential headphone for the intimate listener.

I've been holding off the write this review because I wanted to give myself a good long time with these headphones before I broke them down. Starting off with look and comfort these are above par, the clear models give you the sense of technology added to the already quality given by them. At first I was skeptical about using IEM on a daily basis because my ears tend to be sensitive, but after just seconds of trying to figure out how to wear them properly they fit like a glow and with the right bit rated song these seemed to melt into my head, in other words I began to forget they were there. Although these are the least bass heavy of the SE models they create a very warming feeling sound stage even though there are pretty much flat response. I use them for about 2-3 hours a day and have so since the day I bought them, the burn in time was almost none existent and the build quality on these were quite remarkable. I'm very rough on my headphones and tend the throw them around and they've endured my torment for over a year. So overall I say for the right person who it's all about there heavy bass genres (ex. Techno, Hip-Hop, and Rap) then these headphones will serve there purpose and then some, they have yet to let me down and there level of quality blew me away with in seconds of wearing them. 

I'm not as experienced as other members here in headfi, but I can assure you that you won't be disappointed a single bit if you are coming from sub 200 dollars price range. I've been using earphones all the way from Apple's stock earphones, Audiotechnica sub 100 dollars, to Sennheiser sub 150. This SE425 just rocks. Of course, I got a deal for used pair for 152 USD, but that doesn't mean the sound quality degraded (actually, the previous owner burned-in, so it was a good sounding IEM from the beginning for me.)
 
One thing that I like about this design is that you can sleep while wearing these without a problem. It doesnt protrude from your ear, so no worries about them breaking.
 
Have a great listening experience!

I used the e4's for about 6 years, loved them, never had one problem until one day I was lazy, forgot to throw them back into the case and the cat got ahold of them. I emailed shure and they said they no longer produced them however that they would upgrade me to the 425 for the same cost as repairing my e4's would have been. 
 
I was a bit skeptical since the fit and design was completely different. 
 
My mind changed quickly.
 
After finding the right sleeve, and doing the weird over,behind my ear deal (shure iem users know what I mean) I was in love. Out of the box.
The isolation was the first thing I noticed, the world was just shut out. Such a great and comfortable fit.SQ was on par with my worn in e4's and have since got better. Nice meaty bass, creamy mids, and sharp but clear highs.Not much I can complain about in regards the sound. They are my go to whenever I leave the house, gym, or on the iPad.
 
Only complaint is the cable, its can get a nasty twist in it. Not a like spaghetti tangled but it almost looks twisted down to the solder. Replacing it for the mic'd version is a bad idea. The mic version does not have the awesome bendable cable that connects to the monitor.Maybe look at buying an extra cable just in case, like the cool clear model
 
I am not an audiophile by any means, however I have been through several in ear headphones over years from crap ear pods to custom fitted 535's and for the money the 425's are the jam.

Value
I got mine open-box off of ebay for 249.99 compared to other prices of 299.99. Couldn't tell the box was opened.
 
Audio Quality
Initial/Pre-burn-in
My other and only "high end" headphone was the bass heavy Turbines. Initially, I was disappointed by the 425's as they were really flat and lacked that bass punch.
 
"Burn-in"
My friend suggested I burn them in, though I doubt it would do any difference. What I did was listen to my favorite song by Leehom Wang - Forever Love and noted what it sounded like. Because I was still used to the Turbines, I didn't really remember how the 425's sounded like to an extremely accurate level. But I do believe my impressions after burn-in was same as my impressions pre-burn-in. Flat, didn't have the boomy bass.
 
Post-Burn-in
The cord of my Turbine was dying so I started using the 425's more and more. Like anything, time fixed my brain's inability to accept the new sound. Every instrument seemed to be played as if it had its own speaker, whereas the Turbines sounded like every spammed together.
 
Bass
On a flat EQ using Foobar, it sounds very ... natural. Simply put, the way it should be. It's there, but it isn't overpowering. Kind of cliche, but that's the best way to put it.
 
If you want bass, however, it can output bass like the Turbines can but more tonally accurate. Using my Samsung P2, the bass output was outrageous. Smooth, round, and free of distortion. BUT, if you want bass just go for Turbines and you will have bass no matter what device you use.
 
Mids
There were some tracks that sounded like the vocalist was singing right next to me. Guitar and other strings sounds decent, but because of my lack of experiment with other IEM, I cannot comment much.
 
Treble
Like many have noted, they could be a bit brighter. If you really want that treble, use the EQ or go for the UE's.
 
Pros
Hard to remove tips mean you won't lose them
Flat sound is preferred for most audiophiles, can produce bass if device is good
 
Cons
Hard to remove tips mean it's pain in the @$$ to remove
Most of my audio newb friends can't put these on without my assistance

I bought these at an online music store for a price much lower than elsewhere. This is my 3rd pair of Shure In ear monitors. The first pair where E2's which broke the tip when replacing the foam cushion, I tried to repair them but they lacked bass after this. The second pair where E310 in black, I loved these but unfortunately left them on a plane. I wanted to buy the SE325 but I found these 425's for the same price online 
 
Fitting
These monitors are (for me) far more difficult to fit then the E310 mainly because the angle of entering the ear canal is more or less predetermined and there is a limit to how far you can push them in your ear. Next to that they are quite thick outside the ear canal and that sets a limit for manipulating the ear canal fitting with your fingers. 
The 2 previous models worked best with the yellow foam cushions but I cannot fit the 425s properly with the yellow foams, basically in my case only the white triple layer tips would work.
As long as you don't fit them properly or you have not found the right earcanal-tips these earphones will sound terrible, almost no bass at all and hardly any treble. If this is what you hear, you have not found the right fit. 
I guess some might never find the right fit.
 
Sound
After they're fitter properly it will take about a minute more for them to settle but then the sound is completely different: they are extremely neutral, very detailed and they take out almost all ambient noise. The bass range is exceptional. I've read other reviews that say that the bass does not go deep but I totally disagree, the bass goes extremely deep. A lot of "modern" speakers and headphones emphasize frequencies around 100hz to make people think there is a a lot of bass but when frequencies go lower they lack bass pressure quickly. These earphones are in a different league; they seem to go all the down to 20hz and the curve appears to be flat. But again, if they are not fitted properly you will not hear any of this.
I have used several other earbuds and in-ear headphones for comparison and at home I use AKG-K240 Studio's or Sennheiser HD580 but sometimes I also use these Shures.
 
Design
The overal built quality is very good, the cable quality and the fact that this is detachable and rotates is also positive. The cable remembers its shape near the ear which is much better than the previous models I owned.
 
Comfort
The comfort level when wearing them is not as good as would like, after a couple of hours (I use them a lot on intercontinental flights) they sometimes start hurting or itching. That said I sometimes keep them in-ear during an entire cross-atlantic flight which might take 9 hours depending on the destination.
 
The only other thing I don't like is that there is not L-R indication on them, they have a a color dot which is different for left and right but I'm always trying to figure out which monitor go where when I'm on a flight.

Shure SE425 - Highly Impressed - Great Build, Great Sound
 
I received these as a replacement for my SE420 - which unfortunately had to be replaced due to the cable splitting at the relief (luckily inside warranty).  Kudos to the fantastic team at Now Sound in NZ for their prompt work replacing them.
 

 
Build
The biggest change from the older model has been the addition of a detachable cable - and the design for this is wonderful.  It now includes a memory wire (some love it, some hate it - I find it handy).  The housing is now hard plastic (the old one had a rubber cover which would keep splitting).  The hard cover makes it a lot easier to insert and remove.  The housing also seems smaller than the 420 - and once inserted fits flush to your ear.
 

 
Fit / Comfort
The new housing makes it very easy to fit - and get a great seal every time (for me).  I did have to change from medium to large olives.  The insertion is a lot shallower than the 420s - but the change in olive size ensures I get a perfect fit.  The housing fits flush to my ear, and I have no issues with discomfort.  These are comfortable enough to sleep in.  I've also been running with them - and have had no issues with them falling out.  The new memory wire makes looping over the ears very easy.  The memory wire on the 425 is not as stiff as on my 315s - and is very comfortable.
 
To remove the iem's, all I do is swivel the cable out of the way, then grip the body and gently twist.  It is very easy.
 

 
Isolation/Microphonics
The microphonics on the 425 are very much reduced compared to the old 420's.  I'm finding virtually no microphonics from the new cable.  The fit I have is amazing for isolation as well.  These isolate for me a lot more than the 420's did (and as I said above, the insertion is shallower).
 

 
SQ
Well I guess this is the main sub topic.  Couple of disclaimers - I really like the Shure sound - I started on SE102's, went to SE420's - then got a set of 315's while my 420's were being replaced.  I haven't heard much in the way of high end iem's - so can't really give a comparison / benchmark.  So the following is solely based on my thoughts of the SE425 in isolation.
Bass - while the 425 is not an overly bassy iem, the bass is present, it extends well (better than the 315 or 420), and is tight and controlled.  The best thing about the bass is that it doesn't bleed into the mids.
Mids - the Shure strength.  Silky sooth and absolutely fantastic for vocals.  Also great with acoustic guitar.  Nils Lofgren's Acoustic Live album is simply blissfully enjoyable.  The mids are very present  - probably even accentuated, but they don't seem overly forward IMO.  They are just really well balanced.
Highs - probably the only thing that I wish there was slightly more emphasis on (it can be achieved with a touch of EQ though  ).  The highs do roll off quicker than I'd like - and IMO this is the 425's only real weakness.  They just need a little sparkle to make them great.
Clarity - another strength.  Instruments are well separated, and the music is very well detailed and clean.  I love listening to acoustics and picking up every nuance - fingers moving on a fret board etc
 

 
Summary
The 425's are a really good iem - well designed and built (these will last for years), superbly comfortable and really smooth and detailed.  The mids are the strongest point - but the entire sound to me is balanced and relaxed.  The one weakness (for me) is a slight lack of upper treble - but easily fixable with EQ.

These are my second pair of Shure IEMs. I had enjoyed the SE210s for a long time before taking the plunge on these. Since these are meant to be worn up only and the cable rotates freely where it attaches to the monitor, it took some getting used to the new cable design. Sound quality is definitely leaps and bounds above the SE210s. The bass is IMO much more substantial on the 425s but very fitting to the music I listen to (all shades of rock). I tried sampling some electronic music with these IEMs and was quite impressed but I will warn that these IEMs do not produce "Pounding" bass.
 
Design and Fit
The new modular cable design seems almost perfectly executed - The cables break free from the monitors easily but will never remove themselves. The added memory wire adds some comfort and assistance when putting them on and helps them stay in place. The cable has a bit more weight than that on the SE210 but it is more flexible and microphonics are almost nonexistent.
 
As expected from Shure IEMs supplied are a pair of triple flanges, three pairs of silicone tips sized S M L and four pairs of Shure's signature foam "olives" again in size S, M, and L but with an extra medium set preinstalled on the earphones. I prefer the large Olives on this set while the medium Olives provided me with the best fit on the 210s. With some trimming I'm sure I could get some more enjoyment out of the triple flange set, but the large olives have a slightly more warm sound quality to my ears and are more comfortable for extended listening.
 
Sound
My biggest worry when buying the 425s without hearing them before hand was that the bass was going to be under emphasized but that is surely not the case. I was pleasantly surprised that the bass response was everything I could have wanted out of a pair of IEMs; Present, detailed, but not all-consuming.
Like everyone says, the mid range is clearly the most emphasized. Very smooth midtones that lend to amazing vocal clarity. There is roll off on the high frequency but its not distracting, nor do I feel like it takes much from the listening experience. I personally like a little added brightness to most headphones so with a touch of the EQ these IEMs are very moldable to my tastes.
 
Final Thoughts
The SE425s quickly made themselves my new favorite pair of earphones. The sound quality fits my musical preferences very well and with a little acclimation they are quite comfortable for extended listening. I managed to pick up a set for $230 before tax which in my opinion is a steal. I was however more than prepared to pay $300 for and at that price I still feel like these are money well spent.

I use these when exercising next to cars. I used to use sealed closed back headphones which didn't block out noise well, but these definitely do. When outside in a loud environment and wearing these, I set the MP3 player's volume to the same level I use when listening to these IEMs in a quiet room. The isolation is that good (I use comply sleeves, but the sleeves included were also pretty decent).
 
However, I was definitely disappointed by the sound quality, relative to a $300 over the ear headphone. I will never choose this over a headphone if listening to music in a quiet environment. The selling point on these isn't sound quality, but rather noise isolation. I won't take more than 1/2 point off for sound, though, because I imagine all IEMs are like this and that this is good IEM sound for $300.
 
One other problem is that the wires are really stiff, a design feature I don't understand. Lastly, putting these on isn't as simple as putting on a pair of regular headphones, you'll have to spend 15 seconds or so seating them correctly to get a proper seal.

First of all, I don't think we should be comparing these to anything else but in ear monitors (IEMs), and generally in the price range.  However, my only experience is with Sure SE 110s that I used for over 5 years.  Those were about $99, and I got the 425s for about $270.  I've now had them for about four months, and have gone through the slightly disappointed stage which seems to occur for a lot of people with a lot of headphones.  No matter how much you read before purchasing, it still takes time for your brain to get used to a new sound signature.  These really blow away the 110s in every way.  They have energy, speed, focus and simply amazing imaging.  I can't say the last part enough.  It's not soundstage, per se, (because there's not much air) but rather the ability of these phones not to get bogged down with complexity.  They just keep up, keep up, and keep up.
 
So, as others have noted, the bass tones are all there, and in fact I've noticed these IEMs are great for rhythmic music based mainly on acoustic instruments and vocals ranging from jazz to funk, reggae, to many kinds of "world" music.  Also baroque music and small to medium sized classical ensembles sound great.  This is because they really neatly lay out the different textures well.  Marvin Gaye's remastered "What's Going On" for instance, is fun to hear.  On the other hand, music that tends to be a bit dull and lacking in rhythmic or tonal variety to begin with might sound even more dull on these.  
 
Moreover, the mids are great: smooth, musical and accurate whether you're listening to vocals or basically any other acoustic instrument.  After all most acoustic music takes place in the mid-ranges.  The main thing lacking is the sparkle on the high end, but even there, I would hesitate to say they have no highs.  They can make some music sound pleasant though, where my Grado 80s (old version) become grating. 
 
I think technically they lack some treble, but the roll off is nothing like the 110s, and since the sound is going directly to your eardrum, the dampening of piercing highs is not such a bad thing.
 
If you're really into genres that use a lot of what I call 'artificial' highs and lows, you would probably want to avoid these phones.  They are also not amazing for large-scale orchestral work, and can at times be a bit boring for non-acoustic rock.  I don't listen to any of these genres much, except for some hip-hop** and orchestral music.  In both cases, you still have a great musical experience, but not to the level of good $300 over-ear phones, that's for sure. 
 
They sound significantly better, as can be expected, with lossless and high bit rate tracks, but are very sensitive, and so don't do well straight out of the computer jack, even making amping a bit difficult.  I use the Fiio e10, which is fine when listening at moderate or high volumes, not necessarily low volume though, as I get buzzing from the computer (Lenovo thinkpad) when it's charging.  I also have a Music streamer ii dac and schiit magni amp, which do open them up a bit, and especially on high bit rate tracks show off what these IEMs can do.  They are elegant and have excellent instrument imaging and separation, for example.  This combo also brightens them up, which is good.  You still can't listen on very low volume, however, as you'll probably get some channel imbalance.  
 
They are a bit annoying with phone calls, because as they don't have phone capabilities (without a cord upgrade), you have to take them out and reinsert them each time you get a call.  It can affect your relationships negatively if every time you answer the phone you are annoyed--both that you had to stop listening to the music, and because it takes a few seconds and some effort to put them in and remove them each time.  
 
Conclusion: These are fine for acoustic music, which in my opinion, is essentially what music should be.  The imaging might make them good for electronic music, too, but bass heads won't like them.  But the advantage of these is the external noise attenuation, portability, and sensitivity, making them great for portable devices.  With these on my daily bus ride in Tel Aviv, I can block out virtually everything except the vibration that comes up through the seat from the bus itself.  Plus, in a hot climate you don't want anything on your ears when you're on the go, not to mention that some phones are just plain heavy, and as a backpack carrier, I also don't need extra weight.  I briefly thought about selling these and getting Sennheiser 25ii headphones, but backed out due to my own portability concerns.  Probably a toss up, with the se425s coming out a bit on top with respect to mids, imaging and balance, but 25iis, to my experience, having more bass impact (but not more bass tonality) and better high extension.
 
**If you actually want to hear the words of the hip-hop, these can help you with that, as they're quite detailed and can show you where there are several voices going on at the same time.   They just won't give you anything like a club feeling because of the lack of air in the bass.  

     Now, I own Sony MDR-EX800ST, Etymotic Research ER-4S, and Ultimate Ears Triple fi. 10PRO as daily use IEM. But still SE425 is my all time favorite for its accurate relaxing sound. I am a guy who always like to have music. I need music for walking, working, reading and forget about daily life. This is open like canal earphone. Sound is not too closed, bass is weak but deep, treble is transparent and relaxing. 
 
     I believe this SE425 has the best cost performance as your life partner through my 6 years of experience with this IEM. Of course, if you can afford over 300$, that is different story, but I know not many people can really dare to pay that much from their very first time to start expensive IEM. SE425 will be the good start for the wonderful audiophile world for who has first try high end model, and it will be the great reference IEM for all audiophile too.
 
     Ultimate Ears Reference or Reference Remastered have slimier sound tendency. They are all flat, accurate, and boring (with not negative meaning) . SE425 is just like them. It has typical referential sound with easy, and highly qualified beautiful mid sound. Probably I should paraphrase boring as relaxing or referential sound. I have learned a lot through this IEM about the sound of music itself. This honest IEM told me how quality of the audio source affect to my listening experience and overall satisfactions. This is the great IEM overall.
 
     I will still update in later when I get good word to describe this my favourite item.

Ok, I've had these for a while now and decided to leave some feedback on these. First thing, the sound from these IEM's (earphones) are nothing short of excellent with a few minor dislikes.
 
At times, some music demands a bit more low end although to be fair that is what an equaliser can be used for. Like any good quality headphones, they will reveal any bad traits in your music source; so often, what sounds exceptionable on more tuned earphones will sound flat out trash on these. The fit can be a bit fiddly and it takes a bit of time to locate the best buds for your own ears although the supplied kit is plentiful. 
 
After using these for a little while, you may start to notice small nuances in familiar music you never with cheaper or alternative earphones. It's a dual-driver design with one mid/treble and bass driver each ear. One thing that occurs to me, the lacking bass power can lead vibrant mids although with a declining treble starting under 17Khz could explain the highs not being as present. Once the drivers have been run for a while, you notice your ears will warm into the detail produced by these.
 
By comparison with my older Sennheiser CX880 which also did a commendable job, they also had problems with "too much treble" in some modern music or badly mastered digital. So often this was corrected by using an equalizer on the Creative Zen player. 
 
Listening to soundtrack music on the SE425 shows how detailed and the soundstage of the IEM by the way instruments are panned & placed virtually "in your ears".  In direct comparison to AKG K702 they put up a good fight. Which is ironic because the retail more now and have a lesser output.
 
For the moment, they will do the job although I do hope to get an extra higher grade pair at some stage.

Hello fellow head-fi members. This will be my first official review of a product that I have published. As such, I would appreciate any input you can provide to allow me to make my review better. Likewise, if you have any questions regarding the SE-425’s. Let me know, as these are my daily IEM’s at the moment, I can usually answer the question or at least find out. With that said, let’s begin the review!

INTRODUCTION:



The Shure SE-425 is one of Shure’s higher tier IEM products, having only the SE-535 and SE-846 above them. The 425 uses a dual balanced armature setup with passive crossover. They also sport one of my favorite features, the detachable cable. This means that the cable can be replaced if damaged, or simply upgraded if you want a better cable. Before we begin the real review, let’s take a look at the specs.

UNBOXING:



The box for the SE-425 is your standard windowed retail box. Nothing hugely fancy, but more than enough information for someone to make an educated decision on the phones and have the real specs (You know, that information Bose doesn’t include). Inside, you will find the following:

1. Warranty card
2. Instruction manual
3. Hardened fabric style carrying case
4. Ear wax picker
5. A plethora of different eartips (more on this later)
6. 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter (gold plated)
7. And of course, the headphones
   

BUILD QUALITY/COMFORT:

The Shure SE-425 is built in the same type of housing found on pretty much the entire SE line. The plastic seems hard and resilient, but is still plastic regardless. It doesn’t feel as durable as the RHA 750’s. nor is it as sexy as the JVC FX850. But it does the job. The cable feels very durable, which is ironic as one of the big selling points for me was the detachable cable in case the cable was damaged.

There are two main worry points for me on this device. The first being the nozzle or tube that the ear tips are attached to. In fact, I managed to break the nozzle on my first pair when trying to remove the originally installed ear-tips. There are a number recommendations on how to properly and safely remove the ear tips. However, I did not read these recommendations and proceeded to grip with all of my might to remove them. This resulted in a cracked nozzle and a 2 week exchange period without my new toy ☹.

Shure recommends a few methods, including putting the headphones in the freezer for a bit to break the seal from the factory tips. I found this helped remove the tips. Once the originals are removed, things are easier (but not too easy) to change. As a personal recommendation, if you know the factory tips are not going to work for you, simply cut them off with an x-acto knife. This is an easy way and allows you to avoid the headache.



My other concern is easily avoidable. This concern is with the detachable cable, or rather the connection. I love that these cables can be replaced easily. But, the type of connection leaves the male connection on the monitor. This means you have a tiny pin that can easily be bent (and not so easily put back in place). To avoid this, simply avoid detaching the cable. If you need to detach the cable, make sure you are attaching the cable completely straight. Issue avoided!

Some people report that the design of the Shure’s just simply do not fit, either not making a complete seal or they have a short length of ear, making the IEM not fit completely. For me this is not the case. If you find that the seal isn’t getting it done, try a different tip. If they simply don’t fit… They just don’t fit. There isn’t much to be done.

SPECS: (from the box)

Speaker type: Dual Hi-Def Micro Drivers (Balanced Armature)

Frequency range: 20 Hz-19kHz

Sensitivity: 109 dB SPL/mW

Impedance: 22 Ω

Noise Attenuation: (sound blocking) Up to 37dB

Cable length: ~63.75 inches (162 cm)

HOW THEY SOUND:

I’m going to split this portion into a few categories to make this a simpler read. It is worth noting that before writing this review and testing, the headphones had roughly 100 hours of burn in. If you find something missing here that you wanted to know about, please let me know and I will try to add it into the review.

LOWS:

Being that these are dual driver IEM’s, they have a dedicated woofer for each ear. Provided the fit is right (more on this later) the Bass is well placed. It is tight and concise, and usually extends well enough. On my computer the Bass is fantastic, but for some reason when using my Fiio X1 the bass is almost non-existent and needs to be EQ’d to show. Even then, the quality of the bass is not as expected. This issue, does not seem to replicate with my Zenfone 2. Perhaps this is due to issues with the Fiio X1?

MIDS:

As far as I’m concerned, Shure is god in this arena. Details are clear and crisp, making for a weird experience when you didn’t realize a specific background instrument in songs you have listened to for years. You can hear the subtle breaths in between lines, Vocals are fantastic, Guitars are all on point, to a scary level almost. Overall, practically perfect, with a forward lean on the mids.

HIGHS:

Probably the weakpoint in the phones. Not enough to complain in my opinion. But some people will want more here. Highs are theye, they sound proper, but with a lack of proper extension. The highs don’t carry (last) as long as I feel they should. To me it still seems to capture the life of the highs, just not to a degree where a song full of mainly highs will be replicated properly. This isn’t so much an issue with me, as most of my songs live in the mid with some high details.

MISC:

While the following doesn’t have to do with the product abilities to reproduce music, I feel it needs to be in this section. The first is Microphonics (noises from the cord rustling), this is practically non-existant. This is likely due to the over the ear style, but is almost not worth mentioning.

Isolation is FAN-TAS-TIC… BUT!-only if the fit is right. This is key! Not only to isolation, but for the proper sound. Perhaps this section should be at the start of the sound section, but it’s too late for that. This IEM can go from sounding superb to sounding terrible due to improper fit. Find the right size, and stick with it. I find that the Shure olive mediums are the winner for me (Ironically, the ones that come pre-installed). The grey tips didn’t seem to get as good of a seal for isolation. The yellow foam are actually great (possibly better than the pre-installed for me), but they tend to pull a lot of ear wax from me and are more difficult to clean… To me they are not worth the hassle. There is also the white triple flange that like to violate my cranium. Ultimate seal from these, giving even more bass, but I just cannot handle the cranial invasion these provide. Your mileage may vary…



Regardless of which tips you choose, make sure they are right, and that you get a proper seal. During the burn in period I had to take a four hour flight. As luck would have it, I was placed on the wing, next to the engine, with a crying two year old behind me. So I prayed and squished down the foam of the Shure olives and placed the IEM. After getting both in it was incredibly quiet. Then, after hitting play the world went mute. No crying baby, no engine. Just the soothing sounds of music and a smile across my face.  I particularly enjoyed watching the increasingly frustrated face of my neighbor as he attempted to deal with the baby with an infinity lung. It will take time to really figure out how to get the phone in properly, if this is the first of the style you have owned. But once you figure it out, it’s a simple installation for plenty of comfort and sound!

SOUNDSTAGE:

Soundstage has always been something of a difficult thing for me to understand when using IEM’s. For me, almost every IEM has a very close soundstage. This is not to say that it is non-existant, more that I cannot comprehend the stage. Musical separation is fantastic, and each can be picked out separately. Vocals from multiple people is easily distinguished. But for me, when using IEM’s I have always had issues visualizing an actual stage to them. I don’t think this is an issue for the headphones, but more an issue that I have. In the end, the things important about a soundstage are all present and fantastic. Sorry I can’t help more with this portion.

CONCLUSION:

The Shure SE-425 is a great all-round IEM. The bass is tight and concise, musical separation is superb, and the mids are solid gold. The bass can be lacking if the seal is not correct, so make sure your using the right tips. The treble may leave some things to be desired. But overall, for the price these can be obtained at (can be found regularly at about $249.99 despite the $349.99 MSRP) they are a great deal for me.

 
SONGS USED:

MP3:

Axel F – Harold Faltermeyer  (320kbps)
Believe – Mumford & Sons (320/192/128kbps)
Let the Road – Rixton (320kbps)
Space Age – Library Voices (320kbps)
The Impression That I Get – Mighty Mighty Bosstones (320kbps)

FLAC:

Believe – Mumford & Sons (96/24bit)
Crazy (Live – A Little South of Sanity Vinyl Rip) – Aerosmith (44.1/16bit)
Give Life Back to Music (Vinyl Rip) – Daft Punk (96/24bit)
New Beginnings – Noah Guthrie (44.1/16bit)
Give It Away (Blood Sugar Sex Magik Vinyl Rip) – Red Hot Chili Peppers (96/24bit)
Ashes – Embrace (44.1/16bit)
 
Hardware:
 
Fiio X1
HP Pavilion DV6T-QUAD with HD audio
ASUS Zenfone 2 (Z550AD) using Spotify premium/Tidal

It was a big investment for me. I was very pleased with the fit of my SE215 not so much with the bloated bass section and the warmish signature.
At first, I was disappointed, switching from Tenore's, the shy sound appeared muled and even more worried by tweaked timbres (Only classical music in my Fiio X5II).
After 2 weeks, my judgement had to be revised.
First of : don't push the volume ; they don't like it. They have enough details to cope with it.
Anyway now, I rather like them, especially when music has complex messages like, let's say, a Bruckner's symphonie. The bass are so clear they never interfere with the rest, they are precise and tight, just the way I like. The rest of the spectrum is well defined never fatiguing with no sibilance. It's very refined, the instruments are well placed and well balanced.
What remains from my first impressions are the timbres. Hard to describe but let's say I know how a cello sounds and I am not convinced the IEM's are fully accurate. On big ensembles, it's not a problem but on a Bach's partita for solo violin it's a bit more annoying. It's smoothed out and veiled at times.
It all depends on the recording, as usual...
Whatever, the more I use them, the more I like them. Four hours of Wagner Siegfrid ? No problem, the message is clear, articulated. I might not have found my perfect IEM's but I get Shure's intentions.
I wish I could compare them with dozens of others in the same price range to be more precise on my impression, the music lover rather new in the headphone world. 
I didn't find the Graal but will try hard.

Excellent IEMs for detail, clarity, and flat response across the whole sound spectrum. Love them, especially with the stock yellow foams. For a factual reprsentation of your music, really,really good. Not recommended for low bit files. For "fun" listening, it lacks a bit of bass.

I use an AK100. AK100 comes with a very slight v-shaped EQ. When making the V-shape more pronounced I could get more bass from these things, at the expense of some detail. Still, very satisfactory.

I tried third party cables and these changed the signature somewhat. Some added a bit of bass. Others added some soundstage. Satisfactory, but never quiet sold on the changes, so for now I settled back on the stock cable, because it still has a great sound signature and is Kevlar reinforced.

As mentioned best results were obtained with the stock yellow foams, but later switched over to ultra-soft, ultra-isolating Comply foams (I tried many, many third party tips along the way, never quiet sold on them). I alternate between these and the yellow foams nowadays. I'm finally content, it seems. I couldn't get along with any of the other stock tips. The shape of your ear canals and how much isolation you can get will be different from person to person, and Shure has to be commended for including as many tips as they do.

Compared to the SE535 LTD - J, I found the sound on the more expensive IEMs to be a little less detailed. For some reason, voices sounded as if coming from a tube, although bass and treble extension seemed pretty good. I eventually sold these off and kept my SE425s.

Latest mod is having added Knowles 1000 OHM (brown) filters. This, coupled with a completely flat EQ on the AK100 gives a warm sound with full bass extension and detail. Incredible! Other filters exist and reportedly give the sound signature other characteristics, but I haven't tried them.

This is the story so far with the SE425. Hope you enjoy them!

I was looking at some high-end in-ear monitors when I stumbled upon these, I directly pre-ordered them for 235 euro, only going by what I heard about the SE420s and having no idea what to expect. 
 
Design
The design is great and very intuitive. When selecting the right tips, the IEMs fit very snugly in your ears. However, they start to get uncomfortable to me after an hour or so. I must note that, except for the bose in-ears, I have never owned an IEM that I could comfortably wear for more than an hour. 
The concept of the detachable cable is really great and so is it's execution. The first thing to break with a IEM is from my experience always the cable and this makes for a very handy, low-cost solution. These are definetily some earphones that will last you for years when treated right. 
Their isolation is also wonderful, You'll be able to still enjoy your music while in a very noisy enviroment. I personally wear the medium-sized olives. 
 
Sound
I would describe the sound of the Shure SE425s as very natural. There is no artificial bass added, nor is there to much treble or mids. However, and this is a very small complaiment, I would like for the bass to go a tad deeper. The mids are great, all sorts of instruments shine on these. The highs are great too, though I do miss some sparkle in them sometimes.
I personally enjoy all sorts of music on them, from jazz to rock to hip-hop and I find all of these genres very enjoyable on the SE425s. 
 
Conclusion
The Shure SE425s are very enjoyable for anyone looking for a pair of honest, true sounding IEMs. Plus, they stick with you very long thanks to their intuitive design, their detachable cables. I would recommend these to anyone.

Bluf: save your money and buy Tin T2s.

I know this has been around for a while, and I've owned my pair for a while, but I pulled them out of the drawer recently to re-evaluate and thought it useful to share my impressions and explain why it is that I've ended up reverting to using the IEMs I bought the Shure's to replace.

I listen to classical music 90% of the time. There is bass in classical music. Not a lot, but it's there, and it matters. Besides obvious examples such as when there's a big pipe organ at work, orchestral or chamber music frequently has at the very least cellos that are beating out a rhythm, using their lowest notes. Sometimes they're doing much more. And of course there might be actual upright bass instruments, or basoons, etc. What they are doing should seldom be center stage, but it needs to be present.

Anyway, the Shure 425s, though excellent in many ways, are adequate in the bass department when it comes to rock or pop. There, there's a lot of bass, and the 425s capture it, though the sound might not satisfy bass heads. For example, I just threw on Bjork's Homegenic. Got Bass? Yes. Enough? Maybe? But when the quantity of bass in the music is small--like in classical music--the 425s come up short. So the music feels flat and anemic. Just slightly, but enough.

I recently was listening to Handel's Concerti Grossi. It's chamber music. There are cellos and at least one double bass. The 425s just don't do them justice, leaving the music without a measure of texture. The cellos and double bass need to bite.

Then I switched to my old Fischer DBA-2 MK2, which I bought years ago to replace the MK1s, which I bought because they were heralded as "neutral kings," and a great value for money proposition. At the time I thought neutral was what I wanted. Anyway, the Fischer's sound better, to my ears. What's the difference? The bass. No one's ever thought the bass on the DBA-02 was noteworthy, but relatively speaking, it's better than the 425, and it makes classical music more enjoyable; it also reveals what's lacking with the 425s.

I'd still like to up my game and improve on the Fischers, which have served me well. But the 425s aren't it.

Update: I recently bought a set of Shure bt adapters to attach to the 425s to use running. So now I'm listening outside, where there's more noise. On the positive side, the comfort and fit are great, a result of having well made behind the ear adapters that are tailor-made to fit Shure IEMs. But where TF is the bass? There's the body? And I'm not listening to Bach, I'm listening to stuff with a beat, like Aurora and Bjork. But it's just not there. So, I switched out the Shure 425s and attached the adapters to Tin T2s. Ahhh....That's better. There's the truth: 425s are good but outclassed by $70 Tins. Take note, Shure.

Coming from headphones such as the sennheiser HD25-1 ii and HD650 I was expecting much better SQ from these in ears.
 
They sound cold, really cold. It sounds as if you're listening to music through a tin can.
They are detailed however, but it makes everything sound cheap.
I haven't listened to these for long, just a day. But I'm pretty sure I will never get used to the sound signature, nor do I want to.
For the price they offer little SQ, I will be going back to the headphone world...
 
They do fit beautifully in the ear, they look rather like customs, and the isolation is terrific.
So just get the SE215 for on stage use etc.
 
 

These are great with comply tips. They look a bit flimsy build quality wise, and a couple of people on amazon have broken off the stems, while replacing the tips - which is a bit of a worry if you buy them used as I did.

The bass is nice and deep but not boomy, but the mids are relatively emphasized and the highs are somewhat recessed (again relatively). This makes them sound somewhat thick and congested compared to say SM3v1/2 or UM mage or aero. Bass texture is pretty good, but again, 3-4 BA IEMs can do it better. Same goes for mids resolution and texture. Unlike the 12-18 ohm higher end multidriver BAs, these are 22ohm and do ok with even my bad musiland amp 3ohm output. (a lot of lower impedance IEMs sound dreadful with it)

Comfort wise, after a few hours (or 30-40m) they start pushing on the bottom part of the ear where they sit and it becomes a bit annoying. After a few months light use, the cable near the strain reliefs is starting to look a bit strange (worn and maybe leading to failing). (the place where the memory cable ends, the braided cable inside the sleeve flexes too much and by the looks of it twists and tears a bit)


If you can get them for about $200 and don't mind the build/the bass/mids emphasis - go for it.

Pros:
 
Comfortable: Coming from a few different buds and a few different IEMs these felt like a dream to wear for more than 4 hours at a time. That's my biggest complaint with headphones and IEMs is the fatigue that comes with wearing them for long periods of time. The around the ear shape shifts the weight from the canal to the back of the ear, making them infinitely more comfortable. Because I have two different sized canals, I had to use to different tips on each side. It does help in recognizing which way to put them in . 
 
Clean Sound Stage: Nothing sounds bloated to me in one way. They're not as clean as my ER4PT, but I like these better due to the comfort. (I thought the ER4PT were the most uncomfortable headphones I had ever used). Because I am no longer in pain while listening, I can really grasp the strong lows and mids that were absent from previous headphones.They can be a little bassy, but I just compensate with the EQ.
 
Cons:
 
The Tips: I thought I actually broke the headphones trying to heman the tips off. I also thought ripped every pair of tips that I tried to get off. Neither of which are true, but man did they make it hard. I ended up using the glide style tips because I could never get the foam ones in before they had already reformed -_-.
 
Putting them On: This is my first time with IEMs that go over the ear, and I spent about 2 hours trying to get them on right. Lots of youtube videos and fiddling. I found the right way and got the isolation that I needed to make these headphones shine.
 
Overview: They don't sound nearly as good as the ER4PT for the price, but for the comfort, the tradeoff worth it for me. If I had the money I would have jumped to the 525, which I recommend, but se la vie. Hope this helps someone a little bit.