[brilliantidea]

Hello Head-Fi!
 
I've been lurking on this forum for a few weeks after dropping my old Koss Plug headphones in water. Amazingly those still work fine after being dried out, but I found myself suddenly interested in an upgrade from their bass-heavy sound.
 
I recently got an iPhone 6 and am looking forward to using it on the go as a source. I re-ripped a few of my favorite CDs using Apple's lossless format and seemed to notice an improvement in sound quality through the Koss Plugs. Maybe just my imagination though. I have also been trialling the included Apple EarPods and have concluded that they have a more open sound, especially in the top end and much less of a bass bias, but sometimes disappoint for details.
 
Anyway of course I read a million online reviews and next thing I know I'm looking at the Shure SE535 and thinking about buying them. I'm drawn to the descriptions of amazing sound across any genre and superb fit. My thought is they're going to be easy to drive right out of an iPhone or MacBook and if I really get into this whole thing I can add a DAC later and really get them going. I enjoy the fit of the Koss Plugs and expect the Shure's will be similarly isolating, etc. I also am drawn to the idea of buying the 535s since I won't be tempted to upgrade again for quite a while at their normal price... instead of spending money going through the product line it makes sense to me to jump in the deep water to start with... maybe I'm crazy.
 
So I thought of a few questions for the group:
Has anyone kept their Shure IEMs for years and years... do they still sound good 5+ years after you bought them?
Does anyone regularly use the SE535 right out of their MacBook and/or iPhone 6, or am I crazy for thinking I don't necessarily need a DAC to enjoy them?
Has anyone purchased any of Shure's mid- to upper-range IEMs used? Anything I should watch out for if I feel I want to go the used route?
 
Thanks for being a great resource so far on my headphone shopping journey!

 

[SteveHiFi]

Shure's warranty of 2 years is worth bearing in mind when considering used models; of course you won't benefit should there be a problem later on. The cable, although a strong design will usually be the weak point, but replacements are available for the models higher up in the line.
 
With 535s you're at that point where the earphones may serve to show up flaws in the rest of the audio chain but it won't be too bad - depending on file quality. It would make that DAC upgrade worthwhile.

 

[gotak]

I use the se535 with a nexus 4 at work and my iMac at home. And the nexus 4 drives them just fine but I find I do need to use the included volume attenuator because the volume control on the nexus is not fine gain enough for the IEM. That and also the nexus 4 has some weird drop off at lower volume settings. On the iMac I do also use the attenuator because without it you hear some noise due to the interplay between the rather high output impedance of the iMac and the low impedance of the Shures. They are quite critical of source noise so if you are going to use any amp best to find one that has low output impedance and low noise floor. For that purpose I purchased a Leckerton amp from a member on this forum, hope to test it tonight after picking it up at the post office.
 
Personally I find it quite hard to tell the difference between 256kbps itune files and 320 kbps streams off streaming services. I think you are fine with your iPhone and files. The se535 will make you realize certain things about the tracks you are listening to. I find myself drawn towards older recording where less processing was done because most modern tracks I find have more reverb added to the vocals than they should. On the se535 you will clearly hear that reverb effect and frankly I want to know what the performer sounds like not what a computer can make them sound like.
 
Basically it will show the flaws in recording and mastering but you wouldn't necessarily know if you are listening to a high bit rate track and a higher bit rate or lossless track.
 
As for used and longer term there hasn't been too many complains. There has been cases of the output sprout breaking off and some oxidization in the copper flex circuit used internally. But as mentioned there's a 2 years warranty and I have read that Shure will even reduce cost replace with newer models or give you an upgrade out of warranty. They are a good company in that aspect. But of course your mileage varies. I don't personally know as I got mine new and they are working fine and still in their warranty period.

 

[brilliantidea]

Thanks Steve and gotak, really appreciate the information from both of you. Glad to hear I'll probably be fine driving them right from my iDevices as you suggest, at least until I decide to really get crazy and get an amp and/or DAC. Of course when and if I get a pair I'll have to play the different bit rates and file types and see if I can differentiate.
 
And everything I've read about Shure as a company seems to suggest they value a loyal customer base and take care of their customers, so I wasn't really expecting any problems with that.
 
gotak, hope you enjoy your new amp! I've been eyeing up the classifieds as well... and I'm starting to realize why people introduce themselves and then say "sorry about your wallet".