hockeyb213
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The first thing I want to say is NO this is not asking for a comparison between the two as I own both and I am writing up a review of both as I found them both to be. All testing was done with a ibasso d2. If anyone needs me to I can post pictures up but I have nothing to really show that would make you understand my review better.
I will first start off with the Shure's
Comfort:
I will not even attempt to attack the shure's in any bad way as the shure's are very comfortable IEM's and compared to most it is not even a competition in comfort.
the pros:
They have many different size tips and styles to try to achieve the most comfortable fit. I personally prefer the foams or olive's for their great comfort and isolation factor. When you have a good seal it is like you are in your own world separate from anyone else.
the cons:
Well for me I had a major issue with the foams. The medium sized ones were too small and gave a poor seal and sometimes would fall out. The large ones (which I ended up using) were in reality too large and gave me a stuffed feeling and became uncomfortable after a period of time. This was a very frustrating issue but I was willing at the time to sacrifice comfort for a better seal and sound quality.
The cable:
Although Shure has had notoriously bad issues with there cable splitting I have yet to have an issue with my cable and it is working fine.
the pros:
The cable is modular so you can change the length to what you need it for during the specific application (such as listening to your computer, listening to a ipod, or jogging with a ipod or mp3 player on your arm). The cable is thick and solid and has very little to none micro-phonics.
the cons:
First off there is no memory tubing on the cable. I have found that the memory tubing makes it much more comfortable to wear over the ears and has a great effect of the comfort of the iem. Secondly the cable does not store that great and can get tangled in the shure case pretty easily. Finally I will say that the non replaceable cable seriously scares me knowing the tendency of cable issues and the fact I cannot replace the cable myself.
Sound Quality:
The 530's are known for their great bass which is absolutely great. But unfortunately the highs do not live up to the great lows.
the pros:
Like I said the lows are sick and have great presentation along with the foams. The sound is not very fatiguing and compared to my triple fi's they are easier to drive and get to a adequate volume though a Ipod is capable of driving either. They have a fairly large soundstage with a laid back feel
the cons:
The highs have a famous roll of which at times is extremely apparent and distracting for the rest of the music. The Shure's have a great bass but the triple fi's in my experience go lower and are better on the low low bass. At times the vocals can seem a little distant and off in the distance.
overall:
You can not go wrong with the Shure's they are awesome Iem's and will not fail to satisfy. My major issue is that they are 100 dollars more then other triple driver IEM's and there is not advantage that the 100 dollars gets you.
The Ultimate Ears
comfort:
it seems a lot of people around head-fi feel that the tf10's are uncomfortable. While using the comply foams now supplied with the tf10's I could not disagree more
the pros:
I find that they are extremely comfortable and fit my ears perfectly using the comply's. I can barely tell they are in my ears and really allows me to focus on the music I am listening to. They are big and stick out a lot but besides cosmetics they have no effect on the comfort of your iem's and do not make a difference.
the cons:
UE's stock tips are not too comfy and are not great compared to the shure's. For those with tiny tiny ear canals I would not recommend the tf10's using the comply's since those are probably going to be a little big for you. But besides those I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the comfort
The Cable:
some have said that the cables are not great but compared to the shure's I would take the tf10's any day. I am ordering a cable from null audio to see if I can get a difference with a 3rd party.
the pros:
MEMORY TUBING! I love the stuff and it has greatly helped me with discomfort of having cable run over my ears. User replaceable cables, nice feature and makes me feel safer if something goes wrong with them knowing 35 bucks and I am good to go. Finally I the mini connector being a lot smaller then the shure's can be a benefit for plugging it into certain things.
the cons:
Non modular cable. You are stuck with the base length of cable. For my intensive purposes this is not an issue but it may be for other people? Not the best stock cable compared to the westones but they are way over the shure's imo.
Sound Quality:
The Tf10's are much more balanced then the Shure's are. No noticeable faults with any particular piece of the audio spectrum.
the pros:
Spectacular highs crisp and clean. Lows have a very deep sound and are crisp and tight. The snare drum has an extremely sharp snap which I love and have only experienced while listening to drums in my band and were non apparent in the shure's. The mids are grand and lovely but do not drown out the high's or low's in any way shape and or form. There is not fatigue for me at all I could listen to these things all day and have minimum to none discomfort.
the cons:
Honestly not much comes to mind when I think about the sq cons. I guess the lows are not as prevalent. For me they sound just perfect and are exciting and not to laid back at all.
CONCLUSION!!!
For me if I had to keep one it would be the triple.fi 10's which seems to be my perfect IEM match. Both are great IEM's and I would not regret recommended either of these great cans. Therefore, for less money and better value I would have to give me hands off to ultimate ears.
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment and ask questions. Remember this is all in my opinion and may vary for others.
I will first start off with the Shure's
Comfort:
I will not even attempt to attack the shure's in any bad way as the shure's are very comfortable IEM's and compared to most it is not even a competition in comfort.
the pros:
They have many different size tips and styles to try to achieve the most comfortable fit. I personally prefer the foams or olive's for their great comfort and isolation factor. When you have a good seal it is like you are in your own world separate from anyone else.
the cons:
Well for me I had a major issue with the foams. The medium sized ones were too small and gave a poor seal and sometimes would fall out. The large ones (which I ended up using) were in reality too large and gave me a stuffed feeling and became uncomfortable after a period of time. This was a very frustrating issue but I was willing at the time to sacrifice comfort for a better seal and sound quality.
The cable:
Although Shure has had notoriously bad issues with there cable splitting I have yet to have an issue with my cable and it is working fine.
the pros:
The cable is modular so you can change the length to what you need it for during the specific application (such as listening to your computer, listening to a ipod, or jogging with a ipod or mp3 player on your arm). The cable is thick and solid and has very little to none micro-phonics.
the cons:
First off there is no memory tubing on the cable. I have found that the memory tubing makes it much more comfortable to wear over the ears and has a great effect of the comfort of the iem. Secondly the cable does not store that great and can get tangled in the shure case pretty easily. Finally I will say that the non replaceable cable seriously scares me knowing the tendency of cable issues and the fact I cannot replace the cable myself.
Sound Quality:
The 530's are known for their great bass which is absolutely great. But unfortunately the highs do not live up to the great lows.
the pros:
Like I said the lows are sick and have great presentation along with the foams. The sound is not very fatiguing and compared to my triple fi's they are easier to drive and get to a adequate volume though a Ipod is capable of driving either. They have a fairly large soundstage with a laid back feel
the cons:
The highs have a famous roll of which at times is extremely apparent and distracting for the rest of the music. The Shure's have a great bass but the triple fi's in my experience go lower and are better on the low low bass. At times the vocals can seem a little distant and off in the distance.
overall:
You can not go wrong with the Shure's they are awesome Iem's and will not fail to satisfy. My major issue is that they are 100 dollars more then other triple driver IEM's and there is not advantage that the 100 dollars gets you.
The Ultimate Ears
comfort:
it seems a lot of people around head-fi feel that the tf10's are uncomfortable. While using the comply foams now supplied with the tf10's I could not disagree more
the pros:
I find that they are extremely comfortable and fit my ears perfectly using the comply's. I can barely tell they are in my ears and really allows me to focus on the music I am listening to. They are big and stick out a lot but besides cosmetics they have no effect on the comfort of your iem's and do not make a difference.
the cons:
UE's stock tips are not too comfy and are not great compared to the shure's. For those with tiny tiny ear canals I would not recommend the tf10's using the comply's since those are probably going to be a little big for you. But besides those I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the comfort
The Cable:
some have said that the cables are not great but compared to the shure's I would take the tf10's any day. I am ordering a cable from null audio to see if I can get a difference with a 3rd party.
the pros:
MEMORY TUBING! I love the stuff and it has greatly helped me with discomfort of having cable run over my ears. User replaceable cables, nice feature and makes me feel safer if something goes wrong with them knowing 35 bucks and I am good to go. Finally I the mini connector being a lot smaller then the shure's can be a benefit for plugging it into certain things.
the cons:
Non modular cable. You are stuck with the base length of cable. For my intensive purposes this is not an issue but it may be for other people? Not the best stock cable compared to the westones but they are way over the shure's imo.
Sound Quality:
The Tf10's are much more balanced then the Shure's are. No noticeable faults with any particular piece of the audio spectrum.
the pros:
Spectacular highs crisp and clean. Lows have a very deep sound and are crisp and tight. The snare drum has an extremely sharp snap which I love and have only experienced while listening to drums in my band and were non apparent in the shure's. The mids are grand and lovely but do not drown out the high's or low's in any way shape and or form. There is not fatigue for me at all I could listen to these things all day and have minimum to none discomfort.
the cons:
Honestly not much comes to mind when I think about the sq cons. I guess the lows are not as prevalent. For me they sound just perfect and are exciting and not to laid back at all.
CONCLUSION!!!
For me if I had to keep one it would be the triple.fi 10's which seems to be my perfect IEM match. Both are great IEM's and I would not regret recommended either of these great cans. Therefore, for less money and better value I would have to give me hands off to ultimate ears.
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment and ask questions. Remember this is all in my opinion and may vary for others.