[me7]

Hello,

I own a pair of Shure SE310 that is broken now and needs replacement. I liked the isolation they offered and found them to feel comforting in my ears. I also liked the sound signature but I never had the chance to compare them to more expensive IEMs or similar priced IEMs from other manufacturers.

What I need is good isolation (because I will use them in the subway avery day) and comfort (for long travels). The sound should be neutral and balanced since I dislike bloated bass and treble and intend to use them without any equalizer on a neutral sounding DAP.

My first idea are the SE420 from Shure since I expect them to be similar to the 310 in isolation and fit, but I welcome any other sugestions for IEMs that sound more balanced then them - I'm a purist when it comes to audio.

 

[kevin828]

Looks like westone um3x is a good candidate for your needs.
They are comfortable, good isolation, and the most important one, neutral sound.

 

[james444]

Can't help but quote mark2410, "well im sure i sound like a broken record but ill say it anyway", if you can live with slightly less isolation than the Shure's (but IME still sufficient for the subway), the Ortofon e-Q7 are amazingly balanced and transparent IEMs.

 

[mark2410]

id say go 530

 

[me7]

SE530 are 290€ for me while the Ortofon e-Q7 are 230€ (including shipping from Japan), that's a considerable price difference.

 

[james444]

^ SE530 have better isolation and 2 year warranty versus 1 year Japanese warranty for the Ortofons. In all other aspects the e-Q7 are IMO equal (midrange) or superior (highs, bass, transparency,...).

 

[me7]

How would you describe the difference in isolation? 290€ is more then I intended to pay so I would rather save 60€ if the e-Q7's isolation is still enough to enjoy music to in the subway.

 

[mark2410]

that seems a rather high price for the530

 

[james444]

Quote:

Originally Posted by me7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif How would you describe the difference in isolation? 290€ is more then I intended to pay so I would rather save 60€ if the e-Q7's isolation is still enough to enjoy music to in the subway.

The SE530 block almost everything out, especially if I use the olives. With the e-Q7 I can still hear subdued background noise and understand loud announcements if I concentrate on the speaker. But overall the background noise is not loud enough to bother me or distract me from the music.

Edit: one thing that just came to mind, be careful if you have narrow or very curved ear canals fit might be tricky with the e-Q7.

 

[me7]

Where can I find the SE530 for a lower price?

EDIT:I just found some eBay sellers from the US who sell them new for 220 € (including shipping to me). Now it's getting really hard to decide

mark2410, why do you recommend the SE530 over the e-Q7?

 

[ZARIM]

UM3x, SE530, ATH_CK100.....

 

[james444]

Quote:

Originally Posted by me7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Where can I find the SE530 for a lower price? EDIT:I just found some eBay sellers from the US who sell them new for 320 € (including shipping to me). Now it's getting really hard to decide

Amazon Germany sells them for €288,- here. You'd have to check whether they ship to your country.

Advanced mp3 Players uk have them for £249 here. AFAIK they ship worldwide.

BTW both are the cheaper version without the push-to-hear device which is utterly useless IMO.

I don't think Mark has the e-Q7 to compare. Both are very good phones and should be a significant step up from your SE310. The SE530 have more emphasis on the midrange and slightly rolled off highs, but I would also call them reasonably balanced. However as a purist I'd prefer the e-Q7 but like I said there's a bit more risk involved.

 

[Aevum]

i just dont see the SE530 as a neutral earphone, the bass is a bit loose and theres a high roll off, for that you go to the IE8 which costs around 200 euros, has deeper bass and dosnt have the trable roll off,

 

[james444]

^ Of course you're right, but as the OP likes the Shure sound signature I'd say they're reasonably/fairly balanced. BTW neither is the IE8, just look at the frequency curve. Out of all IEMs I've heard e-Q7 is the most neutral.

 

[Azathoth]

Westone UM3X or Klipsch Image X5.