[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

...and a smaller and thinner housing and a different placement of drivers to "tweak" the sound a bit...but still trying to figure out the sound tweak.
 

I love the look of the clear ones (luckily the ones my wife selected for me). You can see the flexible printed circuit that they use to help the miniaturization of the IEMs...sorry but working for a Flexible Printed Circuit Board manufacturer, I do get a kick out of these things.

 

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

I love the look of the clear ones (luckily the ones my wife selected for me). You can see the flexible printed circuit that they use to help the miniaturization of the IEMs...sorry but working for a Flexible Printed Circuit Board manufacturer, I do get a kick out of these things.

 

 
x2
 
For once i agree w/ you Mace!  Lol!!  

 

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

 
x2
 
For once i agree w/ you Mace!  Lol!!  

 

 
That wasn't so hard was it?

 

 

[tarek]

I'm also very interested in this thread, as I'm in the market for a new pair of IEMs. I was using SuperFi's for the last couple of years, but I lost them. Until now, I was put off by Shure, since I had cable issues on my e4c's after a year or so of use, so I have been quite hesitant to invest in a pair of SE530's despite being very very tempted (always loved the signature on my e4c's). Now that the cable can be swapped, I would be ready to pull the trigger on a pair of 535's, but the discounted price for 530's seems like a pretty sweet deal now. Other contenders are the new UM3x with detachable cable, as well as the Earsonics SM3. I'll wait for other reports and reviews on the 535's before I make up my mind I guess.
 

Thanks a lot Spyro for sharing your impressions. Avidly waiting for MacedonianHero's when he receives his pair.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

 
 

Thanks a lot Spyro for sharing your impressions. Avidly waiting for MacedonianHero's when he receives his pair.

As they are my Father's Day gift, I will have to wait until Sunday. I should have something up by early next week.

 

[tarek]

Well... Too late...
 
Earphone Solutions is running a 15% Father's Day discount. That was enough for me to pull the trigger. Will tell you my impressions when I receive them (next week hopefully).

 

[Spyro]

Okay, this is a reply I just received from the Shure Earphone Product Manager regarding what SQ changes I shoud be hearing.
 
 
Thanks for the question, and for being a Shure earphone supporter.  We really appreciate it.
 
Acoustically, the engine of the SE535 is almost the same as the SE530.  The SE530 has been praised since it reached the market a few years back, and we didn’t want to change it too much.  Most of the acoustic performance change was a result of mechanical changes in the front volume of the acoustic network.  These changes created a slightly different shaping to the high end response, which results in a little more clarity and a bit more separation for a wider soundstage.  Similar changes were also made to the SE425 (replacing the SE420)  The changes are a little more evident in the SE425, as this earphone only uses two drivers.  The SE425 has one high frequency driver and one low frequency driver, whereas the SE535 has two low frequency drivers and 1 high frequency driver.  Both of the earphone have a similar change to the high end performance, but the SE425 change to the high frequency is more obvious.  This is because the SE425’s high frequency driver is only paired with one low frequency driver, while the SE535 high frequency driver is coupled with two low frequency drivers.
 
In  a nutshell, the changes resulted in a slightly more defined high end, but the overall signature and balance is very close to its predecessor.
 
Thanks for your inquiry, and please feel free to contact us with questions or concerns in the future.
 
Happy listening, have a great day.

 

[blownaway]

I too couldn't pass up the Earphone Solutions deal, sold my SE420's. My first impressions are that these have a much more lively sound to them compared with the 420's. The soundstage is wider & deeper.  Bass is noticeably deeper.  I have no issue with a lack of treble, in fact the treble sounds crisp & clear and more pronounced than my 420's ever did.

 

[tarek]

Damn... FlavioT can't ship Shure phones outside of the US. Back to previous step then. Oh well...

 

[Bennyboy71]

Quote:

Damn... FlavioT can't ship Shure phones outside of the US. Back to previous step then. Oh well...

You live in Paris?  2 letters and a number:
 
SM3

 

[ericp10]

It certainly looks nice! but if the price was $300 or below I would be interested, but having the SM3 now, I'm sure the price is way bloated if it sounds very similar to the old ES530. I know the SM3 blows the ES530 out of the water, but the ES530 was still a very nice BA.

 

[tarek]

Quote:

You live in Paris?  2 letters and a number:
 
SM3

I do live in Paris. I'm considering SM3s, as well as Ws UM3x alongside the SE535s. My preferences are a bit unusual, because my listening sessions are usually very long and I have an ear condition that make me very prone to fatigue. I need headphones that will work well at very low volume, with a "laid back" kind of sound. I always loved the sound signatures of my Shures (whether the e4cs or the E530's I borrowed in the past). Going the Shure way seems safer to me, as I never had the chance to try Westones or Earsonics for long periods of time. I had bought my qJays based on reviews, but ended up using them only occasionally as they were too fatiguing to me. Very curious to hear the SM3's though. If a proud owner lives in Paris, I'l love to borrow them for a couple hours

 

[Spyro]

"Blownaway"....Great pics.  Yea, they sure look and fit like customs to me.  I definitely think there is a more spacious sound and a bit more treble (than SE530) but it could be the different fit I am getting with the different tips.

 

[MacedonianHero]

So we just got back from our early Father's Day dinner at the Boston Pizza...busy weekend opening the pool on Sat/Sun necessitated moving things up and as promised I was presented with my new SE535s...am I a lucky guy or what? My 6 year old was disappointed I couldn't really play with them

.
 
Moving onto my initial impressions (I did get the clear ones as blownaway did and I really like being able to see their interior...really cool IMO) and construction wise...holly snarkees! The cables are solid! I can use them as a bike chain when needed! The housing on the IEMs themselves are a bit smaller and don't stick as far out of my head as my old SE530s. They have to be the most solidly built IEMs I've held/owned. The packaging was very impressive too with a metal holding box...very nice and solid (unlike the "cheap" packaging I feel I got with my Westone 3s (my one and only complaint about the W3s...so not much really).
 
So, the big question...How do they sound?
 
Well, first off, there is no doubt these are Shure IEMs and quite similar to the SE530s (one of my top 2 favourite IEMs of all time). The mids are still there and seem presented in the exact same way...which for me is perfect as I felt they had the best mids out there. They (the mids) are forward, clear, and just as seductive.
 
The bass also seems very similar. No these aren't the IE8s...the bass here is not coloured, but balanced, deep and controlled and when called upon by the recording present and impactful. So if you're a basshead, I would steer clear of these balanced IEMs and look at the IE8s or Monster IEMs. But if you're after a neutral/balanced sound that is incredibly clear with deep/controlled/taught bass, look no further.
 
As an added bonus to the fabulous construction, the sound stage is definitely improved. I always felt that the Shure IEMs made the music come from the center of my head when compared to the IE8s/W3s. While the sound stage imaging is not up to par with the IE8s (the best out there IMHO), they are now more on par with my Westone 3s...so there is a definite improvement there which I am thankful for.
 
Now time to address the pink elephant in the room...the one big question I had next to the pain in the butt cables...is the treble rolled off?
 
Answer: Surprisingly NO! The cymbals are present with a bit of sparkle now (not Westone 3 sparkle...which you might consider boosted and not balanced), but more of a balanced presence. So after 1 hour I am thinking the rolled off highs have been improved on. NICE!
 
So should you buy them? The difference between these and the SE530s (sonically) is not huge by any means, but if you really disliked the treble roll off, small sound stage, and you where worried about the cable construction on the SE530s, well all three appear to have been fixed on the SE535s. But is that worth $200 more than the SE530s? I'm not sure if I would have shelled down the $$$ for them, but I didn't have to.

It would depend how much you would value them personally. But the SE530s are now discontinued and were initially priced in this range...so who's to say?
 
Hat's off to Shure! Well done. (I just wish a MSRP of $399 instead to be more inline with the W3 and IE8s).

 

[Spyro]

(Pianist...are you checking this thread out?)  Your beloved SE530's have gotten even better!
 
Macedonian Hero....nice review!
 
So it is not my imagination!  A bigger soundstage and a bit more treble.  That's exactly what SE530 needed.  It made a great IEM even better.  Can no longer say that W3 is a "better"  IEM...only different.