My SE530s were my first high-end universal IEMs, though I had deviated to other IEMs over time. Today, after many trials, I came back to the Shure sound signature, my original sound and the one I realized I loved the most after trying out the IEMs listed above. UM3Xs were just too analytical (too cold for vocals), the SM3s were sometimes too playful (though I'd probably swap between the two), the Superfi.5s were too muddy, the Audeze LCD-2s were not portable enough and reminded me of the SM3s.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
My first impressions of the SE535s when I first put them in my ears were that the treble was definitely much more apparent and the soundstaging had been improved. My SE530s, I felt, had an okay soundstage, but the SE535s have expanded this soundstage and there seems to be more air to the SE535s. The old SE530s, in one of my reviews, I described as having a very solid sound. Though I didn't personally mind it, after being introduced to the UM3X and its capabilities, I came to admit that the 530s needed a little bit more air. Now, with the SE535s, they have a little more air.
The bass, I feel, is a little boomier than before. On the SE530s, they were very controlled but sometimes a little underwhelming. With the SE535s, I feel they have inched a little bit toward the bass sound of the SM3s, but still remain very controlled. A lot of people find Shures bass anemic, but I believe with the 535s, they strike a very good spot for listeners who are not bass heads. For comparison, the UM3X probably has the best, most accurate and punchy bass I have heard. The SM3s are a little floppy and too boomy for my own tastes. The SE530s need more of that punch that the UM3Xs have. If you are a bass fanatic, I do not think the SE535s will be for you. Even for non bass heads, the bass can sometimes be really disappointing. I've tried every single tip that comes with the SE535s, and none of them truly improve the condition significantly. The olives cause more bass but at the expense of clarity and the rest of the sound quality.
AT THE EXPENSE OF THE MIDS?
I thought that this all came at the expense of the mids. When I first put in the SE535s, I was using the stock medium-small olive tips that came pre-attached. The mids were definitely not as forward, and I was kind of disappointed. I turned on some of my vocal tracks (the ones my old SE530s acted as a reference with), and they just weren't as alive as I used to hear them. However, this all changed when I replaced the tips with the now included yellow foamies and made sure to push in the headphones and get them to sit well in my ears. Oh, the mids are there all right; they're incredibly textured, apparent and so realistic. I might even venture so far to say that they are a tad more textured than on the SE530s, probably because more of the high end is shining through in singers' voices. I still stand by the opinion that Shure's vocals are just top notch; the closest I have heard to them are the SM3s.
HIGHS COMPARED
High roll off and highs detail were quite noticeably lacking with the 530s, especially when you would compare them side by side with the likes of the UM3X. Even the SM3s, which I personally think aren't as articulate in the highs as the UM3Xs, trumped the 530s in this area. The SE535s definitely show a great improvement at this end of the spectrum. The articulation of the monitor has definitely increased, but not enough to make the old Shure signature seem totally alien. It's still the Shure sound (supreb mids, aristocratic bass), overall, just better at the top.
INSTRUMENT SEPARATION
I still think the 535s present a relatively solid sound in that each distinct guitar string doesn't hit with the same visceral impact that the UM3X renders, for instance. Guitar strums on the UM3X were mindblowing sometimes; the punch behind each and every string was remarkable. There is no such thing on the 535s. That is, instrument separation is not as good as you would hear on the SM3s or especially the UM3Xs, but they definitely do a better job than the SE530s (which I felt muddled the instruments a little too much). Guitar strums (which come out articulate and as bright as day on the UM3Xs) are more discernible with the 535s compared to the 530s, but not earth-shatteringly so.
OVERALL PRESENTATION & WOW FACTOR
The 535s are still pretty neutral overall. That's why a lot of people, when hearing 530s or 535s normally say "There was no WOW factor," or that the 530s or 535s are the least impressive of all the top universals. A lot of people expect to be floored by a product of this price, but that's just not how the 530s work. It takes time to appreciate them because they don't exaggerate anything. This is upsetting at first, but look what happened to me: I ended up coming back full circle to them, though I would probably trade between the SE535s and the SM3s depending on how I was feeling. The 535s will definitely wow you more than the 530s, though. Perhaps significantly so. However, if you like bass, you should turn away from these IEMs; I really think these are designed for people with very vocal and mid heavy music. I liked my UM3Xs a lot more for electronic music (DnB, Dubstep, electro), while I like my 535s the most for R&B. My SM3s were good at everything but were a little unnatural for me, though some of Kanye West's stuff sounded pretty good on the SM3s compared to how they do on the UM3Xs and, depending on track, the SE535s.
TIPS & FIT, etc.
The best tips, so far, are the yellow Shure foams, followed by the olives, then the white triflanges. The yellow foams create the most intimate sound for instruments and make for the highest level of clarity. They degrade really really really fast though, so they'll start having gaps in the seal (sometimes even in a few days if you wear them a lot). I just ordered 5 more extra pairs from Shure. I'm suprised at the difference between the olives and the foamies; I don't think anyone should be reviewing the 535s unless they do it with the yellows. The olives reduce clarity and seem to round out some of the crispness, but the vocals can sometimes sound warmer and smoother. However, the difference may be minimal or nonexistent with brand new yellows (that still have all their size and plumpness).
The triflanges definitely reduce impact and bass and leave a thin sound, unlike when they're on the SM3s, where they control everything from going crazy and present a great sound overall. The olives seem to pull back the mids a little bit, but also seem to just make everything sound worse and less intimate (by a few shades). This all depends on the shape of your ear canal, though. The 535s are of a different size/shape, so they fit differently.
The swivel heads and the shaping wire are kind of a hassle. However, after a little learning, the wire becomes manageable, but the swivel head is still annoying at times. However, you'll over time discover a technique to put them on where you can make use of the swiveling. Also, the 535s seemed were downsized; I was surprised with how small they were. Also, I do not think the wire is overkill. The wires definitely look a lot thicker and bigger in pictures; they're very acceptable in person. The fit is above average. I actually found the 530s more comfortable, but the 535s seem to stay in place better during movement. They are definitely much more comfortable than Ultimate Ears IEMs, and I they don't hurt as much as the boxy SM3 V1s. The IEMs are very beautiful, however, in my opinion. They are much more attractive than the previous iteration, and perhaps the most attractive IEMs I have seen to date at this caliber. I own the bronze colored ones.
PICKINESS & REVEAL
I'm surprised: The 535s aren't that picky when it comes to music. You definitely hear a drastic difference in dimension and depth at lower bitrates, but overall, they're tolerable. On the SM3s, although I don't find them that revealing of IEMs, the difference was night and day. I couldn't even stand listening to lower bitrates than 320kbps or at minimum 256kbps (for mp3s); the artifacts would just eat the sound up.
CONCLUDING AND SUMMARIZING THOUGHTS
In short, the SE535s definitely have improved in the treble. I thought it would be a placebo effect compared to the SE530s (when reading other reviews), but I can personally attest that they're definitely more apparent. In all, the 535s, compared to the 530s, in my opinion, are a slightly brighter version of the 530s with a slightly expanded soundstage. They sound very full and rich.
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APPENDED:
Here are some updates as I listen further to the SE535s:
Bass: 6/10
They're simply too weak most of the time. I know there are some people who say "If there isn't enough bass on the SE530/5s, there won't be enough bass for you with anything!" This isn't true. I am not a bass head by any means (I listen for Taylor Swift for goodness's sake). However, the bass is just too weak on most of songs (that is, controlled and overly proper or "aristocratic"). If you turn up the volume, you can get some better bass response, but then everything else sometimes becomes too harsh and loud to listen to. I tried every single tip in the box and the olives give the best bass but at the expense of SQ.
On some songs that are normally overbearing with bass, though, the 535s can rein them in and make the song sound very balanced.
Mids: ~9.5/10
The mids are great as usual and do not need much of a supplemental explanation.
Vocals (specifically): 9.9/10 (comparatively)
Vocals are phenomenal and textured. They sound more dimensional because of the slightly expanded soundstage. This is where the 535s excel.
Lows: 8/10
Are good, but do not extend to any mindblowing depths nor are they very profound and earthshaking. They're highly above average.
Highs: 7/10
Better highs response with these compared to the SE530s, but I do not think the original drivers (same drivers in 535 as 530) were designed for good highs response. Even when they shuffled them around and put a new cable on the 535s, which brought out the highs and treble, it isn't rendered as beautifully as it is on the UM3Xs, for example. In short, the highs sound unnatural. In many cases, even on ALACs, at high volumes (I tried different recordings on different albums of different artists), there is harshness and, I dare say, some distortion. It's a little bit unsettling, but the highs are better than on the 530s. Perhaps it's time for Shure to update the drivers themselves.
Impact: 6/10
One thing that the SE535s lack is impact (also why people aren't impressed when first listening and need to appreciate the sound in the long term). Bass impact is not there most of the time, and because instrumental articulation is not very clear on this IEMs, you don't get the impact of each individual string or note. There seems to be a lack of power to everything else except the mids. In my opinion, when we call the 535s mid centric, we mean really mid centric. Mid centric as in, that's its specialty, and it doesn't fare as well in anything else. The SM3s, for example, are a better IEM across the spectrum (except mids) and have better bass response. I am not sure the price tag (apart from build quality) warrants the steep price. The sonic qualities are matched by slightly less expensive flagships from other familiar IEM brands.
The Shure's, however, have a very specific sound signature that is just better for some people (me a lot of the time). They are not too playful and not too analytical either and have stellar vocals (I mean, sometimes they sound so warm, intimate and right beside you, especially with new foams or olives). Some songs, the Shures really shine, on others, they are lack force and energy. It's truly a test of sound signature, but I do think it's time for Shure to do a significant upgrade to the drivers themselves to bring their IEMs up to speed with some of the achievements other IEM companies.
Edited by Pepper - 12/10/11 at 8:23pm
