[Marco Angel]

  My 846s arrive tomorrow.....

Great, any quick comparison vs 535 is appreciated
 
 

  Well we'll compare notes in about a week.  

 
Im testing on the se425 and 535, the 425 doesent have any filter but it sounds better with the dampers (white)
the browns are sticking on the se535 after some comparisons.
Lets try them more and i will give you my listenings =)

 

[Halitosis]

So I've used the 535Bs with the brown dampers for a couple of days. There is indeed an appreciable improvement to the low end. I've gained a new appreciation for the IEs.
 
However....
 
My new 846s came in this morning. Holy crap. Perhaps the same gene pool, but a very different animal. All the clarity of the 535Bs, but the low end impact is amazing for an IE. I need some more time with them to really appreciate the change, but right now I'm amazed with the new kit...

 

[Marco Angel]

  So I've used the 535Bs with the brown dampers for a couple of days. There is indeed an appreciable improvement to the low end. I've gained a new appreciation for the IEs.
 
However....
 
My new 846s came in this morning. Holy crap. Perhaps the same gene pool, but a very different animal. All the clarity of the 535Bs, but the low end impact is amazing for an IE. I need some more time with them to really appreciate the change, but right now I'm amazed with the new kit...

and i guess they will have som burn-in period, congrats!
 
i also think the535 with the browns is the winner, for my ears, it seems it quits a very little of detail at the treble vs the whites, but i could get used.
 
the 425 with the white dampers also are quite impresive, vs the 535-browns, they behave equally, also the bass in quantity (no to low)
 
Now both are very enoyable. the sonys ex600 still are my favorites =)
 
You are giving me a hard time, i have to listen those se846, they are too much money to do a blind buy

 

[s1rrah]

  So I've used the 535Bs with the brown dampers for a couple of days. There is indeed an appreciable improvement to the low end. I've gained a new appreciation for the IEs.
 
However....
 
My new 846s came in this morning. Holy crap. Perhaps the same gene pool, but a very different animal. All the clarity of the 535Bs, but the low end impact is amazing for an IE. I need some more time with them to really appreciate the change, but right now I'm amazed with the new kit...

 
RE: 846's ...
 
I too am totally fiending to hear those but I just can't justify the cost for a set of IEM's.
 
What is your honest take on the high frequency performance, though? Is it much better than the 535's. I like the 535's highs but have always EQ'd in a bit more sparkle to compensate for the roll-off.
 
I know the bass is much better with the 846's ... that miniature baffle chamber thing they created is really a marvel of engineering.
 
But I just couldn't justify the upgrade from the 535's if they are basically the same sounding IEM only with really good sub freq bass performance.
 
I might buy some off Amazon just to demo and then return them if I'm not blown away.
 
Thanks for any comments.
 
.joel

 

[TWidXugA]

After several months benefiting from Head-Fi's advice (as a mere pseudo-audiophile), I finally decided to join, for the sole purpose of thanking the contributors of this magnificent thread!
 
I got my dampers from Mouser today (grey, white, browns, green, red and yellow), and was lucky enough to be able to take out the stock dampers without damaging them by using a needle and carefully pulling them out. While I was impressed with the detail of my new se535 I can't say I enjoyed their analytic character (and forward mids) because melodic instruments (guitars, voices, trumpets, etc.) would usually stand out too much (with an amazing detail though), and created a distraction from harmony, bass and percussion.
 
It looks to me that the brows are the ones I will stick to, they alone would make the se535 worth keeping for me, but all the others are nice to have/try too - tons of fun experimenting, and I can swear that as we get from green, red, yellows we are not just moving towards the bassier realm, there is also somewhat of a different character to each of them (the greens are definitely worth checking again). The grey's with the extra air detailed treble are also very interesting... 
 
Thank you for the great posts!

 

[zool]

Great thread, thanks for all the useful tips. I must admit I too ruined the original filters just by attempting to clean them. They are very fragile and I think Shure could have explained this a little better in the manual.
 
I used a screw to carefully get the original filter out. Just by screwing it lightly into the old plastic filter and pulling it out (you do not have to screw it far in or use a screwdriver. Just use you're fingers). This method worked really well for me, although you will have to find a screw in the exact right size. Not really sure if that'll work for the new steel filters though.
 
I got the white, grey and brown filters (I actually got a couple of more but I was under the impression that these filters were sold in pairs. But they were not so I can not use the ones I only order quantity of one). I was really excited about trying the brown ones after all the good words having been said about them, but I was a little bit disappointed. I guess for me the white ones never lacked bass and with the brown ones I find the over all sound picture becomes a little muddy and it looses that nice clarity I like so much about the shures. Soundstage also became smaller and maybe some loss of detail as well IMO. After this I tried the grey ones and fell in love with them right away. Now the headphones sound like shures (which I like, I always like the way they sounded). For me the bass sounds way better with the grey filters, much tighter and less muddy. It's not the quantity I'm after.. It's the quality . Anyway, just wanted to share my thoughts and thank everyone who contributed with good tips and impressions.

 

[tri adi]

hi all. i'm from indonesia. just bought regular 535. can someone help me, which ety filter will change mine to sounds like LE? green or grey? because that's the easiest to acquired here compare to mouser. thanks b4

 

[Marco Angel]

The Greg will make them as the special edition (red), the green will make them bassier, check the firsts posts, there is a full review of all of them

 

[tri adi]

u mean

The Greg will make them as the special edition (red), the green will make them bassier, check the firsts posts, there is a full review of all of them

u mean Grey? thanks a lot

 

[Marco Angel]

Yep, i mean grey

u mean


u mean Grey? thanks a lot

 

[Robgo]

Just put in some brown filters. The sound reminds me a bit of wooden housed iems I've tried. Doesn't sound as bad as them though. High Mids are muffled a bit and the focus is more on the mid/low end  I destroyed the stock dampers removing them (tried with a needle but they wouldn't budge. It was easier just to crush them and remove them that way). I bought a full set of dampers so I have a few to try out.
 
What is the easiest way to remove the knowles dampers? I installed them damper side down to give some more room to remove.

 

[Halitosis]

  Just put in some brown filters. The sound reminds me a bit of wooden housed iems I've tried. Doesn't sound as bad as them though. High Mids are muffled a bit and the focus is more on the mid/low end  I destroyed the stock dampers removing them (tried with a needle but they wouldn't budge. It was easier just to crush them and remove them that way). I bought a full set of dampers so I have a few to try out.
 
What is the easiest way to remove the knowles dampers? I installed them damper side down to give some more room to remove.

I took a straightened paperclip and then used some small needle nose pliers to create a small hook at the end. Used this to latch onto the edge and pull them out. Some other folks have used ear hooks I think. (btw - I think pretty much all of us trashed the stock dampers taking them out.... )

 

[ridethespiral]

I got a replacement SE535 woot. I'm back in business. I threw in the brown dampers and used them for a couple hours. Same sound I've grown to expect from them. Decided I would try out the grey dampers, as I don't think I really ever did. I fell in love. They sound much more alive than the brown dampers.
 
As for removing the stock dampers, I always use a push-pin which I bend the tip using needle nose pliers. I destroyed the stock dampers in the process. The new set of SE535 I got has a much more snug fit with the Knowles dampers. The previous set it was no effort to push them into the bore.

 

[Robgo]

I was able to remove them easily. I've tested them all except the yellow (probably shouldn't have even bought the yellow.).
 
One thing that concerns me is that they seem a little too loose. I was taking the buds off their cable and one of the dampers shot out and flew nearly across the room. I'd hate to have to goto the emergency room and have one of these removed from my ear canal. I have some tips with ear wax guards but you lose some fidelity when you use those. I wonder if there is anything I can do to prevent the dampers from slipping out. It really doesn't take much for them to pop out. Flicking my finger against the bud a couple of times is enough for it to pop out.

 

[Marco Angel]

  I was able to remove them easily. I've tested them all except the yellow (probably shouldn't have even bought the yellow.).
 
One thing that concerns me is that they seem a little too loose. I was taking the buds off their cable and one of the dampers shot out and flew nearly across the room. I'd hate to have to goto the emergency room and have one of these removed from my ear canal. I have some tips with ear wax guards but you lose some fidelity when you use those. I wonder if there is anything I can do to prevent the dampers from slipping out. It really doesn't take much for them to pop out. Flicking my finger against the bud a couple of times is enough for it to pop out.

i stick them with glue (UHU) just add a very little with a toothpick just at the entrance, and insert the damper
on my 425 i have them glued and half of the damper shows outside.
on my 535 it just sits in site without a problem