I'll be honest, never really been in to music, but that doesn't mean I don't like music.
 
I thought maybe what I was listening to music with was the problem.
 
So a few days ago I bought my self a pair of Shure's SE535s. I plugged them in to my desktop and I think they sound just like my dell speakers a little, but I think maybe it's my on-board soundcard or the crappy mp3 quality. 
 
Any tips?

I'm not understanding why you splurged on such an expensive set of IEMs when you have never used them before. I find my enjoyment of IEMs come from  being able to fully immerse myself in the music, without any outside distractions. In fact, I prefer my laptop speakers (they have a built in sub woofer) for just casual listening, or when I'm doing homework. I only ever use headphones when I'm out or when I want to drown out outside noise.
 

Well... To be honest, they aren't really comparable. I could never compare a set of triple fi 10s to a full set amped sound system. True you won't get same sound, but you surely do get a different set of sounds with the benefits of portability, sound isolation, and reliability. There is definitely a difference between the two. I can guarantee that there is. I'm not exactly sure what set up you have in your laptop, but it must be a good one to stand par to the 535s. Many individuals can vouch for that. Do some research on this forum. I'm sure you can find many alternatives to help with your SE535 experience. Amp, DAC, wire materials, source, file format. Its not just the IEM, it can be many other things. More than likely your source is definitely a MP3 or a WAV file. Research lossy file format and switch to lossless file format (Such as Apple Lossless or FLAC or Lossless WAV) these affect the details in your songs. Some chunks are taken out of MP3s that you can notice with the 535s. Listen closely. Just a few pointers. Getting the IEMs is the first part. Unlocking its potential is the next...

While I too am somewhat mystified as to why you would buy such expensive IEM's without any idea what to do with them, there's one thing I can suggest for how to learn to appreciate them, and that is to pay attention to DETAIL.  Listen to the vibration of individual notes from individual instruments, listen to the way they relate to each other and suck in the texture of the sound.
 
Maybe you would appreciate your music more if you sent those Shure's to me for awhile, I'll send you a pair of my mediocre buds, then we can exchange back after you've listened to the junky earphones for awhile to see what you've been missing.  Or we could just not bother exchanging back  

Quote:

bazirker said:

 
Maybe you would appreciate your music more if you sent those Shure's to me for awhile, I'll send you a pair of my mediocre buds, then we can exchange back after you've listened to the junky earphones for awhile to see what you've been missing.  Or we could just not bother exchanging back  

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LOL. That's pretty funny. That is a good suggestion though.
 
Although buying the 535s is a start, it is a fairly BIG step to take. Its like having a high school student take on a graduate level college course. Its a lot to take in. It doesn't mean that the high school student can't pass it, but if he/she has no enthusiasm in the subject, what interest is it to them, besides a good gold star on their resume. Attempt to do a side by side comparison of the apple stock Ipod buds and the 535s. You will notice the difference if you listen to the details (like Bazirker has stated). 

Your system is being limited by something other than your headphones if they truly sound no different than your speakers.

Quote:

mfranzen said:

Your system is being limited by something other than your headphones if they truly sound no different than your speakers.

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Meh, or his ears are turned off.  I have friends who can't tell the difference between 96 kbps mp3 and flac...I actually got a free lunch off a bet with one of them over it when I could distinguish both consistently and instantly between the two in a listening test.
 
EDIT:  Which is not to imply that once can't turn on their ears...you just gotta learn how and make an effort.  It seems most people HEAR their music instead of LISTENING to it.

Sounds for all the world like someone who doesn't know how to properly insert IEMs.
 
526, my guess is that your previous experience is with earbuds (Apple iPod type). This is different.
 
In-ears are designed to create a closed audio listening room inside your head. You need deep insertion and a complete, full seal. Totally block out the outside sound (within the limits of the fit kit). It takes both technique and a bit of nerve to get it right the first time. And when you do, you'll know. The difference is obvious. Even on MP3s

If there is a clear lack of bass then you should listen to this guy
 
Quote:

jackkontney said:

Sounds for all the world like someone who doesn't know how to properly insert IEMs.
 
526, my guess is that your previous experience is with earbuds (Apple iPod type). This is different.
 
In-ears are designed to create a closed audio listening room inside your head. You need deep insertion and a complete, full seal. Totally block out the outside sound (within the limits of the fit kit). It takes both technique and a bit of nerve to get it right the first time. And when you do, you'll know. The difference is obvious. Even on MP3s

Click to expand...

 
Quote:

jackkontney said:

Sounds for all the world like someone who doesn't know how to properly insert IEMs.
 
526, my guess is that your previous experience is with earbuds (Apple iPod type). This is different.
 
In-ears are designed to create a closed audio listening room inside your head. You need deep insertion and a complete, full seal. Totally block out the outside sound (within the limits of the fit kit). It takes both technique and a bit of nerve to get it right the first time. And when you do, you'll know. The difference is obvious. Even on MP3s

Click to expand...

This dude speaks the truth! I thought IEMs sounded like crap when I first tried them, then I found out I wasn't putting them in correctly. When I DID get them in correctly, it enhanced my music-listening experience to the umpteenth level.
 
If you ARE putting them in correctly, and they still don't sound like $550, then something might be wrong with either the IEMs or your ears.
When I upgraded from the SE110 to the SE210, I noticed the difference.
 
Also, I read somewhere that the SE535s really make the music sound crystal-clear so the imperfections in the files sound that much more obvious.
This might be the case if you're listening to 128kpbs (or lower, ew) files.
 
And hey, if you don't like the SE535s, forget about returning them, just send them to me! I'm still saving up for my pair, hehe.

Online audio seal test to determine if you have a proper seal:
 
http://www.sensaphonics.com/test/index.html
 
Works with any IEMs.