i have both and can tell you the e500 really and truely are in another class when it comes to clarity,detail and punch,especially in the bass,the um2 have more bass,by this i mean more boom but i much prefer the precise detailed bass of the se530,as for detail shures also run away with that not suprisingly with astonishing mids! the highs are rolled,but not too serious,i think it makes for a nicer smoother sound but this is personal preference,dont get me wrong i love the um2 and think they are superb in the league they are in but that isnt the e500 league,some will prefer the sound of the um2 here on head fi they have somewhat of a following here as you know but shures sneak it all over the frequency range really,clearer less boomy bass,possibly the best most forward but clear clean mids an any iem and rolled but smooth clean highs,the um2 has good bass and punch but is boomier in pass and therfor that takes away from the mids and highs a bit (IMHO) but they are some great iems,a fairer closer comparison would be UM2 vs SUPER FI 5 vs E5 and then once again SHURE E500 vs TRIPLE FI 10 the westones have failed to land on planet earth as of yet but expect they will be out of this world!!! all this ofcourse is my opinion and yes i am a fan of the shures they give me MY perfect sound and earphones are very subjective,one mans earphones are another mans trash cans,hopefully many people will agree on my opinions but guys and gals at head fi do rate the um2's so they will be on some guys top spot over shures e500 as far as im concerned this post is a bit too obvious and uve sparked an unfair debate really if we go by the facts,but as far as opinions go they do both offer pluses and minuses in everyones ears and tastes
