[tarasis]

Hi everyone, new here though I have been reading posts for the last couple of weeks. I have a problem with a new pair of Shure SE530's and I am not sure if it is the headphones or my ears.

Previously I had a pair of E3C's which I quite enjoyed but found slightly lacking in bass. When they broke recently (my own fault and not in a warrenty fix sort of way) I looked at various options for new IEM's.

Unfortuantly where I am in Germany there wasn't anywhere to audition anything other than the Shure's. I tried out the SE530's in a Gravis store and like the sound. It fixed the bass problems I had and had lots of cool extra detail which for film scores / classical is great. So I purchased them.

Now 4 days on after getting them I am getting ear ache while / after listening to them even at low (and I mean very low) volume levels from either my iPod or my hifi.

I am not sure what the problem is, whether there is a defect in the phones that my ears are picking up or whether my ears are simply to sensitive to the extra detail, or my ears are to sensitive to the multiple drivers.

It is possible that my ears don't like the phase of the drivers. A long time ago when I bought my hifi I got a power amp and an amp. I find that I simply cannot use both, my ears would get a slight ache and pop a bit, it has been sitting usused for years now. Again this was without the volume being high.

So rather than enjoying my purchase I am cursing myself. I don't know if the place (Gravis, Germany) that I bought them from has a returns policy on IEM's.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Anyone had similar problems before?

 

[ken36]

Yes, anything is possible. Maybe you need to clean your ears carefully and then clean them again. Earaches happen, but lots can be done.....

 

[carlosgp]

Maybe the new sleeves are pressing the inside of your ears too much? Have you tried the old sleeves?

 

[tarasis]

I forgot to add that I already have some tinnitus and find loud concerts to much. For a couple I have been to in the last 5 years where simply to loud / jarring for my ears and I had to leave.

 

[tbonner1]

You are doing too much critical listening.

Put the Shures away for a few days and they will sound better, magically.

 

[Arjisme]

Have you tried EQing out the treble? If adjusting the sound to diminish treble fixes the ear ache, then you know you are hyper-sensitive to higher frequencies and equipment that reproduces those reasonably well will likely give you this symptom.

 

[lostbobby]

you didn't say which tips you are using. My last pair E500s didn't come with the black olive-shaped foamies, did you try those? Maybe you're sensitive to the 5k-8k range.