[bobfoc]

Hey folks

Just wanted to throw something out there for discussion.

I've owned a pair of these for a good 3 years now and love them to bits.

IEM's have moved on in leaps and bounds since then (Sennheiser IE8, Klipsch X10).

Rather than simply purchasing another pair of these (E530), what would be a good upgrade from these in your eyes/ears?

Would going to a custom pair be the only real next step from what I believe are one of the best IEM's on the market?

Just trying to get some views on this as I may need a new pair soon and want to make a step up rather than a step to the side

Thanks for your help guys and let the argum...... I mean discussions begin

Bob

 

[Spyro]

As far as universals are concerned NOTHING has really passed them up by any leaps and bounds. They are still fine IEM's.

Having said that, one of the larger complaints (by some) are the rolled off highs. UM3X takes care of that while not taking any step back in any other area so it could be considered an upgrade. Westone 3 has larger bass and more treble but this is actually an annoyance to some. It's not quite as smooth on the ears IMHO but still a very nice IEM. So just out of boredom or a change of pace you may consider one of these two. I have not heard IE8 which is another possible option.

 

[mark2410]

well id not say there is anything better than the 530. there are things on a comparable level with very different sound sigs that you may like better, triple.fi, w3, IE8 or there is the supposedly similar sound sig um3x but ive not heard it yet.

at that level is just a matter of personal preference rather than any of them being "better" than any others, that said i like the 530 best

 

[Bigburger]

OP: Just interested to know...what is your reason for needing to replace the E500? Like are they broken or something? Because I got a pair just recently and I sure hope that they last more than three years for that price!!

 

[icel0rd]

I'd have to wonder in what ways you were looking for improvement over the SE530s. They are really good IEMs and I agree that at that level, you'll mostly be considering different signatures and it might be challenging to pick out an unequivocally superior upgrade.

I took a leap of faith on some Westone ES3X's and I'm very happy with them. I put my SE530 PTH set on Ebay tonight after thinking it over (my girlfriend also 'convinced' me to think it over too, lol). I like the very balanced, neutral sound, wide sound stage (for IEMs), and clarity on the ES3X. It doesn't have quite as much of what I like to think of as that 'warm' signature that the SE530 seems to have, which I enjoyed, but I came to realize that it seemed as though that some of that sound signature seemed to cover up (or make me miss) just a _little_ detail.

Be advised that custom = non-refundable, so you better like what you buy. It might be a good idea to see if you can find someone with similar music tastes and see if they have sets you were considering. I spent a lot of time contemplating my next set because I always look for the next best thing since I just can't help myself.

I hope you find what you're looking for out there.

 

[hockeyb213]

In terms of universals there is nothing terribly better then the 530's which are still contenders in the top tier. If you are looking for a real upgrade going customs is the only real alternative right now.

 

[bobfoc]

Yeah, I think the general gist of what everyone is saying is that unless I plan to spend mental

amounts of money, the only real direction of upgrading is to either side of the Shure E500/530.

Bigburger, to answer your question the left ear of my Shure's have gone a little funny and the bass seems to be lighter for some strange reason.

I thought this might have been a seal problem so replaced my black foamies with a new pair to no avail. Weird thing is, it's intermitent hence the 'sometime soon'.

Out of interest though, if I were to upgrade/sidestep to IEM's of similar price: which IEM's from your recommendations would offer a similar sound to my Shures but maybe with a little more detail?

And, would an upgrade to Ultimate Ears UE Custom 5, 7 or dare I say 10 Pros be a good step up to audio Nirvana?

 

[mark2410]

of the top tier the um3x is supposed to be most similar in sound sig to the 530, havent yet confirmed this for myself but if you want similar that would be the one to investigate

 

[bobfoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark2410 /img/forum/go_quote.gif of the top tier the um3x is supposed to be most similar in sound sig to the 530, havent yet confirmed this for myself but if you want similar that would be the one to investigate

Thanks Mark.

Will look into reviews and things for them and do some more research

Worse comes to worse... I buy another pair of Shure 530's!

They're just so darn listenable regardless of music genre.

Bob