[Lobe]

Hey everyone,

I thought I would share my experience with the se530's that I picked up on the BST forum. I am a noob when it comes to headphones and IEM's, picking up my first semi-decent headphones (denon d1001) less then two months ago, and I thought I would take the plunge into a higher end IEM. After reading around, the consensus would be to buy the se530 or IE8, however I took the cheaper se530.

On the whole they are good, and should be great if I can sort out a few problems. In terms of the sound quality, I quite like the signature. At first I struggled from a lack of any bass, however experimenting with different types of tips helped out, the bi-flanges are currently the best, however aren't very comfortable. Due to the size of my ears, only the flanges and foams fit, while all the others just sit in my ear canal without creating a seal. Once the seal was in place, the sound was balanced to my liking. The bass was nice and strong without being too bloated. The mids seem to have a much more defined separation, just crisper. The highs were the same, however they do have the clear roll off as expected. This is all in comparison to my Denon D1001's.

The biggest thing for me was how forward the music was. One gripe I had with my Denon's was the sound was not as forward. On occasions this was annoying, however after listening to a much more forward sound, there are times I prefer it to be the other way, however it just depends on my mood. Most of the listening is done through my headroom total bithead, from an ipod or laptop as source.

There were a few problems. When I first inserted the IEM's into the bithead, there was an unbelievable amount of static and hissing. It took me a while to realise it was on high gain, however even now on low gain there is still a small hiss, but that seems to disappear after 10 minutes or so of playing. The other issue is the tips. Using the bi-flanges, they are only bearable for short periods of time. The only other option is foam tips, however they can get pricey if you don't live in the US.

So, summing up:
+ Nice sound signature for my music
+ They look awesome
+ Forward sound
- Tip choice; bi-flange uncomfortable, foams pricey
- Noise through bithead amp
- Can take a few tries to get a good fit

I have a few Q's:
1. Will a better amp designed for IEM's reduce the background hissing noise?
2. Would it be worth looking into custom tips, or is the better choice to sell them and buy something like the JH-5's if I am looking for an upgrade?

Overall I am happy with them, however if I can work out the ideal tips and resolve the hissing through an upgraded amp, they would be great.

 

[qusp]

I would not say JH5 would be an upgrade over SE530 with custom tips. olives are actually not that great on the shures IMO muddies the bass a bit (although I do like them on UM3X) but they are not expensive; they can be cleaned with a warm damp cloth and used for a long time. that being said the custom tip angle is a good one IMO; extends the bass further as well as the highs and the soundstage gains increased width and depth. the bithead is not a very good example of an amp to use with the shures IMO; in fact I would say there are some DAPs that would do a better job straight out of the headphone jack. SE530 against popular opinion, and IMO at least, do improve noticeably with a good amp; gaining more power and finesse. not as dramatic as some less efficient IEMs though. if you like the sound though and want an upgrade, I recommend the UM3X as they do all the things the SE530 do, but better IMHO

 

[Lobe]

Thanks for addressing my questions. I've actually got a second hand ipod LOD made by you that I was wanting to get to use with these, however my bithead wouldn't be suitable to get much from it. As you said, I actually prefer the sound straight out of the ipod classic rather than through the bithead. The next step for me would be a decent amp, and at the moment I am looking at some from the RSA line up. Although given that I have spent a lot (for me) on audio equipment, it may have to wait a while.

 

[DeusEx]

quick question - Can you confirm that your SE530 comes with a built-in iPhone mic? Like in the cord itself? (Not talking about PTH or MPA devices, but a 4-contact point cord). Does anyone know when they started getting those? This year? Last year? Is that the only change the SE530 has gone through?

Quote:

The iPhone version has 4 contacts at the mini, not only 3. The new cable has a little microphone built in. Therefore there are four contacts, Left + Right + Mic + Ground. This way, it allows you to listen to your music and if you are using your phone, you can still have the same earphone on and talk.

 

[mark2410]

the mic is in the long cable, they are modular

 

[DeusEx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark2410 /img/forum/go_quote.gif the mic is in the long cable, they are modular

So this is true, then? There IS a mic in the cord? (not MPA or PTH or volume)


Also, was thinking of getting UM3X along with SE530 (I want a technically neutral phone along with a laid-back "enjoy the music" one)....is the JH13 a much more accurate/better version of the UM3X (since they're both classified as neutral? If so, then I'll skip the UM3X and get the JH13)

 

[mark2410]

well the mpa is in a cord too as is the pth

 

[Berlioz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lobe /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey everyone, I have a few Q's: 1. Will a better amp designed for IEM's reduce the background hissing noise? 2. Would it be worth looking into custom tips, or is the better choice to sell them and buy something like the JH-5's if I am looking for an upgrade? Overall I am happy with them, however if I can work out the ideal tips and resolve the hissing through an upgraded amp, they would be great.

To answer your first question:

Yes, a better amp will reduce the background hissing noise, although in my personal opinion an amp for IEM's is unnecessary. Having tried a variety of portable amps with my SE530's, I still prefer them unamped. This is just my own opinion; plenty of people here will disagree with me, so take t with a grain of salt.

For your second question:

It depends on your budget and your level of satisfaction with what you currently have. I suppose the same could be said for any audio product. In my own experience, it's not worth getting an entry level, or even a mid level custom IEM.

If you go custom, go all the way, and JH Audio offers some amazing IEM's for a very fair price, IMO. I plan on getting a pair of JH13's in the future, after I sort out my home system.

I would stick with the SE530's for now, and save and save and save. You will appreciate your new, better customs that much more, should you choose to get them.

The Shure foam tips do muddy the bass a little bit, but the isolation that they provide is unmatched in the universal IEM world, again, in my own opinion. I believe that this is the strength of the SE530's, and it is the reason that I choose them over the IE8's, which I find to sound better.

I would think it counter intuitive to throw away what is possibly the SE530's greatest trait: their isolation. As someone who spends a good 3 hours on a noisy train and bus going to school everyday, I appreciate the isolation they provide.

I'm not sure I understand your problem with the tips. You said that the foam tips are pricey, but at the same time, it seems that you have at least one pair. You will not lose them; in fact they are pretty difficult to manually remove. The flanges are horribly uncomfortable, but if you MUST have that sound signature, there are threads on this forum that detail how you can trim them a little bit to make them at least bearable.

 

[aamefford]

I find the Comply T-400 tips to be the best for me. Much better comfort, seal and sound. I have used both an RSA Tomahawk - ZERO background noise - really the perfect compliment for the Shures, but a bit underpowered for my other headphones. I also have used a Pico with the Shures - it also works well, but with a bit less volume knob travel for me, anyway. I listen at the lowest levels I can, and still get decent sound quality. Enjoy the new toys!

 

[Logman]

I agree with the previous poster - I find the comply tips to be very comfortable while still producing great sound (YMMV).

I use a line out cable from my iPod into a Voyager amp and have no hissing. These are very sensitive (low impedence) earphones and it sounds like they are picking up noise from your source.

 

[noinimod]

About the hissing, it's normal if you're using the HP out from an ipod classic - i have the same exact combo and the hissing is there. It is, however, no fault of the IEMs; it's entirely the ipod at fault.

I personally find ety tri-flanges with the best balance between isolation/fit/convenience. The shure tri-flanges are kinda small for me.

 

[aamefford]

I use the attenuator thingie that came with my SE530's when I use an ipod that hisses (interestingly, my new little ipod min 2nd gen with flash card doesn't hiss). Sure it changes the SQ a bit, but not enough to get excited about. Much better than the hiss to me. It is the same deal as the fixed attenuator that comes with (or used to?) Ultimate Ears.

 

[ABathingApe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by qusp /img/forum/go_quote.gif SE530 against popular opinion, and IMO at least, do improve noticeably with a good amp; gaining more power and finesse. not as dramatic as some less efficient IEMs though.

I find this as well. I first used my SE530's with a FiiO E5 and boy were my ears punished. But using them with my D10 adds that bass punch at lower listening volumes that normally I have to crank up for. And the D10 isn't even a great amp

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aamefford /img/forum/go_quote.gif I find the Comply T-400 tips to be the best for me...

Are you "sure" you are using T400?

You must have it mistaken with T100 or P-series.

 

[Lobe]

Thanks for the suggestions about the tips. I actually ordered a pack of comply t100's about an hour or so after I posted this thread, so I'm glad they seem to have fixed problems with you guys. They should arrive in a few days. As for the amp, I am quite happy with the sound out of my ipod classic (relatively no hiss), although I wouldn't mind trying a decent amp with it. Not an essential upgrade, just I would prefer to have the option of using my laptop with the shure's.

I have no intention to upgrade to a custom any time soon, it was more or less a hypothetical. Although if it did come around, I would take Berlioz's advice as there couldn't be much than buying a $500 custom and then realising you want to upgrade to a $1200.

As for the question about the mike for iphone, I don't know if it does. I can't see it on the cable, however it may be hidden in there.