[bcwang]

I haven't used my two shure IEMs in a while, but in the past I remember the SE530 sounding much better than the E4.  However, recently I began trying them out again, and after noticing my E4 was clogged (sound softer on one side), I replaced the nozzles and got comply eartips.  Then I listened to the two headphones....
 
Hmm, why does the E4 sound better than the SE530?  It actually seems to have more bass than the se530 which is not what I remember.  It also seems so much more clear, while the SE530 seems very laid back and lacking detail.  The SE530 are using shure olives too, trying the comply made them much worse losing even more detail.  Maybe the nozzles are clogged just like the E4.  They don't have replaceable nozzles though so I start cleaning it to see nothing coming off.  Well a more aggressive attempt later I punched through the paper filter.  Great, now one side is louder than the other.  So I am forced to punch through the other one as well to balance it out.  Well, I'm not sure if the sound changed as I can't go back and compare anymore.  But what is still clear to me is the E4 still sounds better. 
 
So do you guys think my se530 is busted if it's being beaten by the E4?  I think the E4 fits me much better, especially with the comply tips.  The isolation is much better.  But nothing I can do can get the se530 to isolate the way the e4 does, I think the body might simply be too big to fit deep enough into my ear.  So maybe it's the fit that is causing the difference. 
 
But in any case, I'm liking the E4 a lot right now, the nice deep fit and great isolation which I don't get with any of my other IEMs, coupled with the clear sound.  I'm going to have to give the SE530 another chance later but right now it's beaten.

 

[Permagrin]

Quote:

I haven't used my two shure IEMs in a while, but in the past I remember the SE530 sounding much better than the E4.  However, recently I began trying them out again, and after noticing my E4 was clogged (sound softer on one side), I replaced the nozzles and got comply eartips.  Then I listened to the two headphones....
 
Hmm, why does the E4 sound better than the SE530?  It actually seems to have more bass than the se530 which is not what I remember.  It also seems so much more clear, while the SE530 seems very laid back and lacking detail.  The SE530 are using shure olives too, trying the comply made them much worse losing even more detail.  Maybe the nozzles are clogged just like the E4.  They don't have replaceable nozzles though so I start cleaning it to see nothing coming off.  Well a more aggressive attempt later I punched through the paper filter.  Great, now one side is louder than the other.  So I am forced to punch through the other one as well to balance it out.  Well, I'm not sure if the sound changed as I can't go back and compare anymore.  But what is still clear to me is the E4 still sounds better. 
 
So do you guys think my se530 is busted if it's being beaten by the E4?  I think the E4 fits me much better, especially with the comply tips.  The isolation is much better.  But nothing I can do can get the se530 to isolate the way the e4 does, I think the body might simply be too big to fit deep enough into my ear.  So maybe it's the fit that is causing the difference. 
 
But in any case, I'm liking the E4 a lot right now, the nice deep fit and great isolation which I don't get with any of my other IEMs, coupled with the clear sound.  I'm going to have to give the SE530 another chance later but right now it's beaten.

 
You punched through the screen!? That's a shame. I wouldn't think they would sound that great afterwards.
 
Anyway, I've always used the yellow foamies for their much touted best sound. Have you ever tried em?
 
And if the body of the 530 doesn't sit in your ear-well (or whatever that is called) I wouldn't imagine you're getting a good seal (you shouldn't be able to hear much of anything if inserted properly). Granted they barely fit in mine.
 
At least you're enjoying the E4s though.

 

 

[mvw2]

The filtering doesn't change the sound massively.  These are in part a debris guard for the drivers as well as a mild low pass filter quick modifies the high end a little.  the SE530 isn't dominant in treble, so not having the filters really isn't a big deal and could possibly be a slight benefit if you would prefer to have the highs brought out just a little bit more.
 
I'm not surprised by the e4c beating the SE530.  Really this comes down to personal preference.  You want a certain presentation.  The SE530 is unfortunately a bit specialized.  Doing so, Shure sort of tunes out the mass market and focuses more heavily on a niche market looking for that kind of sound.  The e4c is geared differently and seems better suited to your preference.  The bigger number and higher price tag isn't always the better option.  The one that best fits your taste and goals is the best option. Yes, bass on the SE530 is light.  It rolls off early and rolls off a lot.  People tend to call them bassy because there is high bass there and its quite heavy with certain music with the earphone's very high dynamic range.  However compared to a lot of other products, they really just don't go deep at all.  It seems you started noticing the other issue with the SE530, the lack of note thickness and resulting lack of articulation/texture.  This can make the SE530 almost weak, hollow, laid back, or any other similar descriptors depending on the music and your perception.

 

[straden]

e4c sounds clearer to me as well. 530 has fuller sound with much more bass which is making less clear to my ears.
also e4c is much lighter on ears, i still use e4c over 530 sometimes.

 

[priest]

I like them both too, and give the SE530 the slight edge for soundstage and fit. But it is something of a toss up. I poked through an SE530 filter too, but it was still under warranty, so Shure has them at the moment.

 

[bcwang]

With my fit, the e4c has much more of a soundstage, and everything has more detail, but I did finally notice the se530 does have more bass.  I still wonder if my fit with the se530 just isn't working out or if maybe the missing paper filter throws off the balance so much that it just doesn't sound so good.  The comply are definitely more comfortable than the shure foams for me.
 
I wonder if the SE315 maintains the e4c kind of sound but even better.  I'm worried about my e4c breaking since it's earloops are hardened already.

 

[IpodHappy]

When I got my E500cs, I never went back to the e4cs as a primary IEM since I liked the fuller sound of the E500cs and their higher level of detail.  Four or five months ago, I put the e4cs back on and noticed a mild resonance or emphasis at about 400Hz which I hadn't noticed before, making them sound a tad boxy.  IMO, the e4cs are currently outclassed, but each listener has their own preferences.  I'm glad you're enjoying the e4c since that's what really counts.
 
I use the olives on the e4cs, e500cs, and SE530s.

 

[bcwang]

I forced myself to try the se530 again, this time I moved to the smallest olive tips, and I used a mirror and made sure to rotate the headphone so the shure logo was level.  I guess this helps create an even deeper fit and now it sounds better.  I forced myself to only bring my se530 with me so I would have to listen to it exclusively for a couple of hours and I'm enjoying it this way.  I guess it's better than my initial impressions of it.  I don't feel the recessed highs anymore, either I got used to it after listening for so long or the better insertion helped. 
 
Now I have to decide if these are good enough to pay to replace.  I've got both cables cracked now, one side showing copper, it's going to go one of these days I think.  It'll cost me $145 to do shure repair for a new set and now I'm liking it enough that it might be worth replacing.  But the problem is the cable might let go 2-3 years from now again, maybe it's worth it to go 425 or 535 and have durable cables and not have to worry about this breaking again.  The 535 I heard might also have better highs.  Such a dilemma.

 

[IpodHappy]

You could try some Loctite silicone adhesive from Lowes smoothed over the exposed metal.  Use isopropyl alcohol to clean off any oils first.  Smooth the silicone down with your fingers and wipe off any excess with a tissue.  Full disclosure; I have not tried this type of repair on a wire which will be flexed a lot.

 

[bcwang]

I have to update that I got a new shure medium olive and that improved the sound back to how I remember the se530 being.  So apparently the other medium olive was too old.  The old one was much softer and maybe thus made the seal not tight enough.  Once I got the new olive on it sounded better than the e4c in pretty much every way.  So even with missing filters, the se530 sounds really good again.  Wow, it's really hard to tell when a foam tip has degraded.  They pretty much look the same, just squeeze a bit differently.  If you have one and it is gradually degrading you might not even know you aren't getting optimal performance.
 
Now about those wires, maybe they will be ok if I don't put any stress on them.  Internally they are probably insulated too, and the internal wires haven't cracked.  I just have to make sure not to bend them at the crack joint.  I don't want to put any chemical glues on it since it will be sitting on my ears for hours at a time.