Shure SE425 or SE535?

Dr-Atrocious, welcome to Head-Fi.  I just wanted to say that, and great name!

I'm also curious to see what others recommend as well.

I am very curious about this too. I see the 425s everywhere and I am curios how they sound compared to the 530/535. I had the 530s and liked the smooth mids.

Had the SE210 and if you're fine with the bass it produces, the SE420/425 would be fine. Mind you I haven't heard the SE420/425's but the SE530/535 (own them) definitely has more bass than the SE210. If clarity is what your after, check out the ER4P/S, DBA-02, and the UM3X.

You're welcome. Yeah, the wires are made incredibly well but they are prone to cable noise. I waited for a used pair of SE535's to be on for sale forums because I didn't want to pay msrp. Westone and Sennheiser also make very durable iems.

I wouldn't worry about the bass quantity if I were you either. The major criticism I have of the SE420/425 is the roll-off of both the highs and lows. I haven't listened to SE530/535, but my experiences with the SE420 have been uninspiring because of the roll-off. With that being said, the SE530/535 are said to have a similar, but less prominent problem.

In terms of midrange, I didn't find any issues with the SE420 in terms of the Low/High crossover range. Shure is great with mids, and the SE420 is no exception; the SE530/535 are supposed to be even (well, much) better.

As a prior owner of the 530s, I absolutely LOVED their silky smooth mids. If it weren't for their gargantuan size (at least for my ears) shoddy cable, and severe roll-off, I wouldn't have sold them...

   I have been very intrigued reading about the new 425s/535s, particularly with their smaller form factor and stronger cables. The lower price point and cool silver color of the 425s have been calling to me, as it seems they're at every other store I go to. I have come close to biting the bullet, but I think it would be a complete waste if they lack the great mids that made the 530s special.

   So anyways, this post is both an inquiry and a warning to the poster above. The 530s (and I assume 535s) have a really special character, a smoothness unlike anything I've heard before. I've never heard the 420s/425s before, so I don't know just how MUCH of a compromise they are. From a lot of what I've read here, I have a suspicion that they are perfectly ordinary in comparison to the 535s...which is one of the reasons I haven't picked them up!

dr-atrocious have you checked electronicsforless - they're here in Canada and do on-line (I just bought my 535s for $450 all included). Shipping was free and they got my units to me in 2 days

There's also a longish thread here on the 535: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/497285/shure-se535-reviews-and-first-impressions-thread

I think one can only conclude for oneself but it seems like a lot of good things are being said about the 535.

PS: I have not listened to mine yet - holding out until Christmas!

Quote:

Originally Posted by takoyaki7 

I am very curious about this too. I see the 425s everywhere and I am curios how they sound compared to the 530/535. I had the 530s and liked the smooth mids.

The SE535 sounds exactly the same as the SE530. The main difference is the replaceable cable (a HUGE plus considering you're spending $500+ on IEMs).

The cable is really the only thing that can break on most IEMs. Most Shure IEMs are built like a tank. My E2cs took quite a bit of abuse before they died (it was ultimately a...you guessed it...cable failure). Now with the replaceable cables, I bet they'll last forever 

So to answer your question, the durability should be about the same for both sets. Choose the one that looks the best.

The nozzle can break in shure iems, there've been a few threads about it.