Are Shure SE535's No longer top tier / high end IEMs? - Page 10

On the topic of multiple BA drives and distortion I present a few Headroom graphs...

I've never actually heard the Ety, but it gets its ass handed to it in every department here.  It would appear to support the hypothesis that a single BA driver will run itself ragged trying to cover the whole spectrum.  Because these results look so atrocious and Etys are know for their detailed treble I'm assuming that these tests would look a lot more even at higher frequencies.

Yes, listen to those graph and the SE535 already sounds much better.

+1 Their cables have become their selling point in the e535 model

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClieOS 

Yes, listen to those graph and the SE535 already sounds much better.

Lol.

I, who have the E4's/E5'/and the E500's really enjoy the output of the Shure house sound. The only thing that I didn't like about the aforementioned headphones was the cable and the lack of memory wire. The PTT was a feature that I felt was totally unnecessary, I could just as easily use the pause button.

People could just dump the PTH and use another 3' of extension from another brand of male on one side and female on the other and that is that (which is what I did). The 535's don't have this problem so I just used it as is.

I was really fortunate enough to have won the 535's in the Canjam raffle, and in less than 3 weeks they were 'aknockin' on my doorstep..

I lent them to my wife this summer (sorry if I'm repeating myself), and somewhere between her and I (as long as I'm on this forum I blame her, of course) they became the missing sock in the drier. We tore the apartment apart for 2 months and found french fries that have been missing for years, along with 49¢. But since I enjoy them so much (and I own a pair of UE-10's and JH-13's) and since I won them in a raffle for free, I called Shure and ordered a brand new pair for myself (there's no way in h-e-double-toothpicks that I'm ever allowing anyone else to borrow these....not even for a second). With a pair of Etymotic baby blue tri-flanges (big head, small ear canals), they are perfect for business travel (planes, trains, and automobiles...sans the latter). Also great for the hotel when my carry-on space is at a premium when you include a checked in tool bag, and a carry-on computer bag (with every cable, floppy and zip disk know to man). I find them vastly superior to my MTPC's.

Moral of this long-winded story? Had them (for free), lost them (wife's fault), and paid msrp for a replacement pair.

I like them a lot.

I think the SE535 cable is overkill.  Granted there is a certain amount of people that abuse their gear and that cable will certainly give a person some piece of mind but I much prefer the Westone cable.  Plus it has way less microphonics. 

Nothing against Etys for the pricepoint but it is my opinion that the single driver Grado IEM's have clearly made the ER4 a dated product. The Grado's dynamic range blows the Etys away, no question.

Think you mean Moving Armature.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anaxilus 

Think you mean Moving Armature.

 I don't care what it is.  The Etys are outdated....still relying on early 80's technology.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyro 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anaxilus 

Think you mean Moving Armature.

 I don't care what it is.  The Etys are outdated....still relying on early 80's technology.

Uh, EVERY balanced armature iem is based on outdated technology, from the cheapest ones all the way up to the JH-3A. The essential balanced armature technology hasn't changed very much in decades. You can slap a new name on a new armature, but inside it's pretty much the same as the ones before it. Modern dynamic drivers are far more innovative, by comparison.

Having said that, it's a little weird to call personal audio outdated. There are classic headphone designs that are decades old and will remain classics for decades to come.  You may not like etymotic, but are you really sure that the label "outdated" really applies?

^ Well, that's the point about MAs, they are clearly not the same inside as the BAs before them. Yet even though I'm extremely impressed with the MAs I've heard, I wouldn't claim that BA is outdated technology. A multi driver BA based phone can still cover a wider frequency range than single driver MAs (those I've heard don't do much below 30Hz).

Moreover, Final Audio's new vented BA IEMs (FI-BA-A1, FI-BA-SB and FI-BA-SS) convinced me that a clever single BA design still can sound every bit as brilliant as MAs and even surpass them in some aspects.

No, bad choice of words on my part.  What I am saying is that the ER4 has indeed stood a long test of time with competing with ANY other IEM's up until the last 2-3 years specifically.  Not only do most multi-drivers sound superior but even the latest single drivers do as well.  There was a time when ER4 was still arguably among the best.  When I arrived on Head-Fi in 2003 it was all about Shure E4 versus ER4 with other consideration given to E5 and Super Fi Pro.  All the other manufacturers have moved forward with other better sounding products except Ety.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sambo60 

My se535s are arriving on Friday. I just couldn't resist the ~$300 price tag, so I will be selling my se530s. Before I do, I will tell you guys as much as I can about my perceived differences between the two (despite the fact that I can hardly be called an audophile or an expert of any sort).

$300?!? Lucky...

Does anybody have any idea about any upgrade cables that I could use for my SE535's to improve the quality?..

I just felt that the high end of the 535's are a bit distorted... and would like the er4- type high end notes..

Can anybody help?

Quote:

Originally Posted by music_4321 

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark2410 

i disagree, iv heard a few things and ive yet to encounter anything that is better than the 530.  many may not like its flavour, in particular its treble.

 

however i am increasingly disturbed by the notion that because head fi is now becoming more mainstream that to sound good you have to have a V shaped sound with bass so exaggerated it must turn your brain to mush and treble to make you ears bleed.

x 2

 

BTW, hi mark2410 (and Spyro!)
 

x3 I also agree to this notion

Reading the threads at headfi everyone is apparently seeking strong bass and sparkling highs and forgot the most important frequency range where most instruments comes from

*I sometimes think a lot of threads are looking for headphones/earphones a aptly described as skullcandy and bose sound signatures