[Alec E]

These two were compared more than once in the recent e-Q7 threads, usually to the detriment of the elder. I'm curious if anyone actually thinks the SE530 is better. I'm about to buy one of the two.

 

[mark2410]

i do, not that it wasnt very close. for me they are impossibly close to each other with the 530 being the most 530 like and the eq 7 taking that sound but edging towards towards the tf10 and ie8.

the eq7s mids are a little dryer and airyer, bass has a litte more bloom and fullness to it and the treble is more dry and shimery.

the 530s trump card is its liquidity though, its lush and so fluid in a way that nothing else is. like butter and clotted cream slowly oozing over your ears.

really neither are "better" sound wise but the eq7 had a terrible fit for me and some others too, the 530 doent have this problem

 

[goodvibes]

Alec, your impressions of the Monster helped me cancel as I was worried about the bass. I also like 530s but in your position I'd hold out for the upcoming 535. They are supposedly being slightly revoiced. I can't however compare as I've never heard the Orto's.

I personally think the Shures have a slight lower trebble emphasis that masks a bit of extension more than actually missing it and I've heard the Ortos have the same in the upper mids which probably cools(dries) them a bit and makes them appear quite detailed. I suspect it's a sig and fit issue between 2 very good phones.

 

[Alec E]

I've never seen a frequency chart dive straight down the way the SE530's does. I don't know whether or not that correlates to something that can really be heard, but it's the one thing that worries me. I like my treble.

 

[goodvibes]

No one has ever said that an etymotic HF5 lacked top. You can see the slight lower treble bump also. Pretty minor. Those curves are almost the ideal IEM relative to target past 15k.

 

[lucozade]

I dont think one is better than the other between the se530 or eq7 as personally i think they sound totally differrent

, both are very good iems in there own right and i like them both,but the way they present the music is too differrent to say one is better than the other,in the end it just comes down to which sound signiture you prefur

 

[lucozade]

the 530s trump card is its liquidity though, its lush and so fluid in a way that nothing else is. like butter and clotted cream slowly oozing over your ears.



@mark2410, love the colourfull discription

 

[james444]

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodvibes /img/forum/go_quote.gif No one has ever said that an etymotic HF5 lacked top. You can see the slight lower treble bump also. Pretty minor. Those curves are almost the ideal IEM relative to target past 15k.

Sure, but you must not disregard the curve below 1KHz. The SE530 have way more bass and lower mids, so the overall balance is vastly different from the HF5. Granted, if you listened to both with a low cut filter at 1KHz the Shures might even sound brighter. But with that much more emphasis in the low range than the HF5 they'd benefit from a bit more treble to compensate.

 

[Father Schu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alec E /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've never seen a frequency chart dive straight down the way the SE530's does. I don't know whether or not that correlates to something that can really be heard, but it's the one thing that worries me. I like my treble.

I think this could be a problem for you. I like a more sparkly treble and the 530's do not accent the treble like other phones.

 

[rawrster]

From that chart from 1k and down the SE530 and higher anywhere from around 5-10dB

@goodvibes: I really wouldn't worry about anything at15k or higher. I don't think the majority of people here can hear 15k at regular listening levels.

 

[goodvibes]

Totally agree and I can't believe that a couple DB of bass is coming into question when it's 10db lower than any Monster or an IE8 for example. It's a couple of DB more than a IEM that is considered lean, even by those that like it. Of course, there's more to this than response and you can like it or not but it's not over frequency response when your talking about a 530.

 

[rawrster]

^ really? I would not be surprised if the golds were higher but the bass on the MD's don't sound that overly done but don't know about the coppers.

 

[Pianist]

I still prefer SE530 over all other IEMs I've heard so far. It is simply has the smoothest, most dynamic, most effortless sound I've ever heard in an IEM and better than most full sized headphones I've heard as well. e-Q7 is not bad at all, but it's just not as liquid, doesn't separate sounds as well and doesn't have the soundstage depth of the SE530s. I think I'm gonna sell my e-Q7 and get SE530 with custom tips instead.

 

[Inks]

Did you not find the treble lacking in the shures?

 

[Alec E]

Got the SE530. I'm never putting the foam tips on again, because I've twice almost broken the earphones trying to wrest them off. Heard a rather scary *CRACK* sound once, but I can't see any sign of what cracked. I really don't know how anyone who likes foam tips is able to cope with the SE530. I don't like foam tips.

Treble isn't an issue so far, except insofar as I'm not really getting the soundstage I expected, and treble or "airiness" seem to be a big part of what creates the illusion of soundstage in an IEM. Otherwise, they sound how I expected them to. Certainly not a bad buy for $254 (B&H Photo), but I'm having some slight fit issues. They seem determined to stick out a bit, though they've got plenty of room to lay flat inside my ears.