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Shure 535 noise reduction vs QC15's?

post #1 of 8
11/28/12 at 8:26am
Thread Starter 

Hi All,

 

I'm looking at upgrading my old IE6's (& Comply tips) with the main aim of increased noise reduction. I had looked at the Bose QC15's but read around here and can't spend that much on something with so many question marks. I listen to a lot of bass heavy music and would love to be able to drown out the noise at work and when travelling as much as possible. I was recommended the Shure 535's and based on what I've read since I'm seriously close to placing the order.

 

Will the 535's give comparable everyday noise reduction to the QC15's? I don't have any preference for over/in ear phones and from everything I've heard the Shure will be the far better option for sound quality.

 

Thanks in advance for your help and apologies for any obvious questions...

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post #2 of 8
11/28/12 at 12:56pm

Well the shure se535 are one of the best isolating iem and i can confirm that. 

i dont have the qc15 but have the qc 3 and i prefer the shure 535 sound quality wise, comfort wise and isolation wise.

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post #3 of 8
11/28/12 at 2:06pm
I have both SE535 and the QC15. The Shures need the olive tips to isolate at their best for me. OTOH, the Bose are very good at noise reduction especially in aircraft, better than the Shures IMO. But they don't cut back speech as much as isolator IEMs. They are designed that way I understand.

But the rub is I use IEMs (I use the Shures and Westone 4r) more often for convenience and only take the Bose on long trips now.

For your use I'd recommend the Shures.
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post #4 of 8
11/28/12 at 2:43pm

The Heir Audio 4Ai, Westone 4R, UE900, PFE232 and ATH-CK100Pro are even better sounding than SE535 with great isolation in similar price range.

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post #5 of 8
11/28/12 at 2:55pm

I have both the Shure SE535 and the Heir 4ai, have owned the Westone 4 in the past, and I also have a pair of Bose on ear noise canceling.  For traveling, I would go with the Shures or the W4.  The Bose are bulky, so unless you are routinely traveling on long flights abroad, I would go with IEMs.  I love the Heir 4ai, but I personally would not travel with it.  It just feels more delicate to me than the others.  Between the SE535 and W4, I personally prefer the SE535.  And for traveling, its mid-forward, smooth sound is nice.  It is frequently my choice for traveling.  I also travel with the Earsonics SM3 v2, but its sound is a bit more of an acquired taste.  The W4 will be a bit cheaper than the W4R, so if you don't anticipate needing the switch cable, the regular W4 is probably the best value.

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post #6 of 8
11/29/12 at 10:19am
Thread Starter 
Thanks very much for the replies, it's really helpful to get some first hand comparisons. Voice reduction is a big one for me so that's made my mind up on going for iem's especially as I've noticed that pressure on my ears when i tried the qc15's. I'll read around about the other names mentioned now, but I'm leaning towards the Shure's.
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post #7 of 8
11/29/12 at 12:14pm

Now it's a matter of deciding what IEM you REALLY need. Maybe the SE535 will fit your criteria, maybe it won't. Considering the PFE232 costs a smudge more than the SE535 and sounds better on tops and bottoms, I can definitely recommend the PFE232. Many will compare the PFE232 vs the W4, but to my ears the PFE232 is superior. Think of it as this... The PFE232 is considered one of the best and most fine tuned universal IEMs out today while the SE535 is considered a well performing IEM. Buuut as with every product, there are drawbacks. For one, the PFE232 costs more. And for two, it doesn't block out sound as much as the SE535 or W4. The insertion isn't deep enough for it to block out that much sound, but with that said, I can conclude the isolation is slightly above average while the SE535 is very good at blocking sound.

 

To me, it just seems logical to buy the better performing IEM. The PFE232 is still a favorite for me and really makes every song flawless, while the SE535 was limited. The PFE232 has the bass and treble extension the SE535 wishes it had. The SE535 may have very satisfying mids, but in most cases, the PFE232 will sound better on a variety of genres while the SE535 sounds great for, literally vocals. I'm not saying the SE535 has no bass or treble at the extremes, but compared to the PFE232 it is really that noticeable. Unless you get the SE535 LTD Red edition, the SE535 loses in sound production IMO.

 

What kind of sound are you after? That would help a lot.

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post #8 of 8
11/29/12 at 1:23pm
Thread Starter 
Music wise, DnB (mellow and intricate to heavy) and dubstep probably account for 80% of what i listen to with the rest being made up of punk and some metal. As i mentioned before sound isolation is a priority which is why the Shure's got my attention. Although this feels like stabbing an old friend in the back, I'm guessing any of the sets we're talking about will be a big upgrade in sound quality from my IE6's, even with the comply tips. The upper end of my budget is £350 / $500.
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