[BigAL64]

I now have the green Knowles dampers installed. I have the whole set (all colors) plus spares. WOW! Talk about impactful BASS! Incredible! I've only listened for about 1/2 hour so far, but the difference is IMMEDIATELY obvious. Lots of attack, fast decay, very deep sub-bass and drums sound incredible  Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat - "Bird on a Wire" is a REALLY great demo for the green dampers. So far, mids (vocals) sound great too and while the highs are by  no means airy or sparkly, it's all there and is clear and precise. Cymbal taps are clear, articulate and sound like the real thing. Listening to Jazz at the Pawnshop is real treat. 
 
I'm surprised because nearly everything I read about the greens was not very encouraging (for bass-heads only). I'm sure my Silver Dragon cable has a lot to do with what I'M hearing. It tends to make everything sparkle. And too, my bronze SE535 only have about 26 hours on them. It'll be interesting to hear how the sound signature changes as the hour stack up. Regardless, I think I've found the holy grail of Knowles acoustic dampers for MY SE535 and Silver Dragon cable. I'm HAPPY! 
 
Cheers,
AL. 

 

[Dave Schinkel]

@elfary so I recently ordered both whites and browns.  I have the S315.  Here are my final conclusions and experience:
 
Whites
 
 -yes the treble is super high.  It's annoying at first but your ears eventually get used to it and it's comfortable.  Not sure if it's good for my ear but you get used to the treble.
 
Browns
 
- Basically take the whites and add a crapload of base. That's how it sounds to me.  Browns are a little less detailed but more even.  So I do like brown better like everyone said.   The base is amazing.  I find that I also don't have to turn up my speakers as much with the browns, they're powerful.
 
Both work, both work well.  Depends if you want more treble and a more airy sound vs. more base, more rounded, where to me the details aren't quite so crisp but definitely good.
 
Not sure if that helps, but I'd buy both.  I am curious to try other colors next.
 
Note to all:  make sure you install them right.  You want the mesh toward the top, not the bottom.  If you have the mesh pointing down, it will sound like crap.
 
I also bought that tool that helps you remove the filters.  Works awesome. Save yourself the pain and buy one, it's only like $10 or something.

 

[Mmet]

@elfary

Note to all:  make sure you install them right.  You want the mesh toward the top, not the bottom.  If you have the mesh pointing down, it will sound like crap.

I also bought that tool that helps you remove the filters.  Works awesome. Save yourself the pain and buy one, it's only like $10 or something.

if the mesh would be on the top .. how you will remove the filter with the removing tool without destroying it ?!

 

[ZenErik]

Just ordered some filters. Only white and brown. It's been a few years since I've used my SE535, but after listening to it today I'm ready to go back instead of continuing to use my IM04.
 
Just a few questions that have probably been answered before, but don't feel like searching the whole thread while at work
 
#1: Which way should the filters be installed? I see a recent post that the mesh should be closer to the end of the nozzle. I figured it would be the opposite. Which way is correct?
 
#2: Does anyone have a link to the filter removal tool? Wouldn't mind having one.
 
Thanks!

 

[BigAL64]

ZenErik --- go to Amazon and search on "ER38-46MC Filter Removal Tool" (no quotes). It's made by Etymotic Research (ER) and it comes with 4 white filters. I don't know if the filters fit the SE535 or not, although they do look exactly like the Shure stock filters. This tool works GREAT for removing the stock filters, which in some cases appear to be partially glued in. Mine were partially glued in or maybe it was just a very tight fit. There also appears to be slight variations in the inner diameter of the Shure nozzles, which obviously will mean either a tight or loose fit for the Knowles filters.
 
At any rate, with the ER tool, all you have to do is insert it (GENTLY) into the nozzle until it JUST contacts the stock filter, twist it until captures the filter and then gently pull it out. Be advised that while this tool works GREAT for extracting the stock Shure filters, it does NOT work all that well on the Knowles filters. At least in my experience. 
 
What DOES work extremely well though is the "Westone Wax Loop" (Amazon again). The wire loop on it is a LOT stiffer than the wire loop on the Shure cleaning tool and it works GREAT for removing the Knowles filters. If you have any interest in trying any of their ear tips (which are also GREAT), they come with a Wax Loop in the packaging. At least the ones I purchased did.
 
There's conflicting info on which way the filters SHOULD be installed, although I really don't think that sonically it makes any difference at all. I tried them both ways but could not discern any audible difference. Some people say that it's easier to get the Knowles filters out if the rounded end is pointing up/out, toward the end of the nozzle. In terms of getting them back out again, when I use the Westone Wax Loop, orientation makes no difference, as far as how easy or difficult they are to extract from the nozzles. The Westone loop just works better than ANYTHING else I've tried. I don't know if it would work for extracting the stock Shure filters though. I used the ER tool for that.

 

[failai]

I've recently upgraded to se864 and got some spare (and now redundant) Knowles dampers (brown, green, red) to sell to help making up for spending a fortune on the se864. Let me know if anyone's interested!

 

[antiman]

oh, man do i love this site. it has never let me down when i needed help on headphones.

several years ago i splurged and bought a set of shure E500's, and within a year the rubber coating on the wire where it passes over the top of my ear was opening, exposing the wire. naturally i was irritated with such an expensive purchase falling apart, but shure replaced them with the SE530 pth set. now i've had these for a long time, and i have custom molded earplugs attached. the other day as i was bike riding the left ear was at around half volume, and when i got home i tried to clean out the plug and the headphone end tube, both had zero wax inside, so i was scratching my head. eventually i managed to pop out the white filter. not knowing what this was, i contacted shure via chat window and the guy who i chatted with said 'there is no fix for this, you've broken them. we'll take them as a return and sell you new ones at a discount.' after simply searching here for another answer i bought the brown knowles dampers, got them yesterday and installed them after picking out the other earplug's white filter and can.

these sound fine, but i think i'll purchase other sets to compare, i think i'd like more bass...

it kind of pisses me off how dishonest shure is, and i don't believe i'll buy other phones from them again... thanks everyone for the info though!

i've seen several people saying how they are having trouble removing the filters and here i'll simply state what i did. my filter tool tip broke off trying to pry them out, so i sat with reading glasses and a long WOOD SCREW, the slightly sharp point made short work of removing the filter, i simply poked it in, applied pressure by prying with the pointy tip on the inside edge of the canister and popped them out, no problem. removing one of the stock cans left the white filter inside the ear plug so i used a toothpick, and after several tries managed to get a good bite on it and tugged it out.

i used a set of tweezers to hold the new ones over the tube hole and after setting them in filter downwards, i used the flat edge of an exacto knife to flatten them flush with the tube. then i used it's point again laid on edge to grab the can lip and shoved it down inside until it clicked into place. very easy and nothing to be afraid of trying!

thanks all!

 

[deepee]

oh, man do i love this site. it has never let me down when i needed help on headphones.

several years ago i splurged and bought a set of shure E500's, and within a year the rubber coating on the wire where it passes over the top of my ear was opening, exposing the wire. naturally i was irritated with such an expensive purchase falling apart, but shure replaced them with the SE530 pth set. now i've had these for a long time, and i have custom molded earplugs attached. the other day as i was bike riding the left ear was at around half volume, and when i got home i tried to clean out the plug and the headphone end tube, both had zero wax inside, so i was scratching my head. eventually i managed to pop out the white filter. not knowing what this was, i contacted shure via chat window and the guy who i chatted with said 'there is no fix for this, you've broken them. we'll take them as a return and sell you new ones at a discount.' after simply searching here for another answer i bought the brown knowles dampers, got them yesterday and installed them after picking out the other earplug's white filter and can.

these sound fine, but i think i'll purchase other sets to compare, i think i'd like more bass...

it kind of pisses me off how dishonest shure is, and i don't believe i'll buy other phones from them again... thanks everyone for the info though!

i've seen several people saying how they are having trouble removing the filters and here i'll simply state what i did. my filter tool tip broke off trying to pry them out, so i sat with reading glasses and a long WOOD SCREW, the slightly sharp point made short work of removing the filter, i simply poked it in, applied pressure by prying with the pointy tip on the inside edge of the canister and popped them out, no problem. removing one of the stock cans left the white filter inside the ear plug so i used a toothpick, and after several tries managed to get a good bite on it and tugged it out.

i used a set of tweezers to hold the new ones over the tube hole and after setting them in filter downwards, i used the flat edge of an exacto knife to flatten them flush with the tube. then i used it's point again laid on edge to grab the can lip and shoved it down inside until it clicked into place. very easy and nothing to be afraid of trying!

thanks all!

__________________________________________________

I don't think that Shure is interested in providing filters. For a corporate rational, it may not be a reasonable things for them to do, and their plant is, I think in
China. Could be just too costly for them. I think that the fact that you are having a model that is no longer manufactured for 5-7 years also means that they
really do not want to touch it. I would not blame them for that. The product you have is certainly not within the 2 years warrantee.

You can use the Etymotic tool to replace the Shure filters. I think it is about $10, and I think they deliver it worldwide. I have this tool, and used it
for my Etymotic: it works very easily. Otherwise, you need to find the right flat (not Philips) screwdriver: it may damage filters, in particular the
original one, which seems to be plastic, as opposed to the metal Knowles filter, indeed, I have some worries about how good it seals the tube.
As for the filter: if you follow
this thread carefully, you'll see that the grey filter is equivalent to the one in Shure SE535LTD (the read version). This version is supposed to
give you better high frequencies (a bit). Well, if you read reviews (I did not made this MOD myself, and first read other people's opinions), then
it boosts the treble, but a bit on the expense of the bass. Without comparing or listening, it sound to me that people would rather praise the red
version since they paid extra $50 on it, or they like a less flat version, but albeit the mostly positive praise for this version, I could read between the
lines that some people found the bass lacking, or the treble not as smooth. So, if you succeeded in replacing the filters to the grey, I think you are
quite close to reparing your earphones by inserting white filters into them.

Good luck

 

[kingdixon]

Guys, i wanted to try those dampers on my se846, but all places that looks authentic and sells them, charge too much shipping to egypt like 40 50 and even 75 usd ..

Iam thinking about getting them off aliexpress, so since everything seems to be faked nowadays, did some one try getting them there ?

 

[mca312]

I just got my 535ltd and I popped off the foam to check my dampeners and it doesn't look like they are there!

I should be able to see them right at the tip, correct? The whole tube is empty.
https://i.imgur.com/5KNjpDP.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/2WZ55nh.jpg

Thanks

 

[BigAL64]

I just got my 535ltd and I popped off the foam to check my dampeners and it doesn't look like they are there!

I should be able to see them right at the tip, correct? The whole tube is empty.
https://i.imgur.com/5KNjpDP.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/2WZ55nh.jpg

Thanks

Do you still have the box your SE535 LTD came in? If you do, look at the label on the bottom of the box. There are three different versions of the SE535 LTD; the one that does NOT come with filters installed has a -CHN (made in China) designation on the label, which I believe is made for that market. As in SE535 LTD-CHN (or something similar to that). That version is also about $250 (US) cheaper than either of the other two versions. Another version is the SE535 LTD--J (made in Japan or FOR the Japanese market). I'm positive the --J version has filters installed, but they also have a completely different sound signature than the SE535 LTD (US) version.

I know someone who has a -J pair, and we compared mine to his, both pre-Knowles filter swaps and post-Knowles filter. I have no idea why, but they definitely sound VERY different from each other. The only thing I can imagine is they might have different crossover networks in them, although that doesn't seem like a 'sound' economical business practice. They ARE for the Japanese market though, and maybe their hearing is just different than folks in the US markt? No idea on that one. The version I have has NOTHING after the LTD (US market, I assume), and obviously, they had filters installed when I bought them.

I suspect that the tubes on all three versions are the same internal diameter and depth, which means the Knowles filters SHOULD fit in all three versions. I am NOT positive about that though. It's just a hunch. It doesn't make ANY sense for them to make two different versions of the same casing/housing that would have different internal tube diameters and/or depths..It's just not economically intelligent to do something like that, although given that the -J version sounds very different from the US market version and COULD have different crossover networks in them, who knows.

Maybe someone else in this thread (or another thread) has had the same experience and/or has the -CHN version? Sorry, but that's all I know about this particular subject.

 

[mca312]

Do you still have the box your SE535 LTD came in? If you do, look at the label on the bottom of the box. There are three different versions of the SE535 LTD; the one that does NOT come with filters installed has a -CHN (made in China) designation on the label, which I believe is made for that market. As in SE535 LTD-CHN (or something similar to that). That version is also about $250 (US) cheaper than either of the other two versions. Another version is the SE535 LTD--J (made in Japan or FOR the Japanese market). I'm positive the --J version has filters installed, but they also have a completely different sound signature than the SE535 LTD (US) version.

I know someone who has a -J pair, and we compared mine to his, both pre-Knowles filter swaps and post-Knowles filter. I have no idea why, but they definitely sound VERY different from each other. The only thing I can imagine is they might have different crossover networks in them, although that doesn't seem like a 'sound' economical business practice. They ARE for the Japanese market though, and maybe their hearing is just different than folks in the US markt? No idea on that one. The version I have has NOTHING after the LTD (US market, I assume), and obviously, they had filters installed when I bought them.

I suspect that the tubes on all three versions are the same internal diameter and depth, which means the Knowles filters SHOULD fit in all three versions. I am NOT positive about that though. It's just a hunch. It doesn't make ANY sense for them to make two different versions of the same casing/housing that would have different internal tube diameters and/or depths..It's just not economically intelligent to do something like that, although given that the -J version sounds very different from the US market version and COULD have different crossover networks in them, who knows.

Maybe someone else in this thread (or another thread) has had the same experience and/or has the -CHN version? Sorry, but that's all I know about this particular subject.

Thanks for the reply. The bottom of the box says SE535LTD-J.

I ordered some dampeners from mouser. Now my concern is if these are returns from someone who swapped out the product or even worse... fakes. . They don't have the dot on the connector to indicate if they are left or right ear, just the letter L and R.

 

[BigAL64]

Well, I'm not sure what to tell you at this point, other than to hope for the best and that the Knowles filters DO fit.

You should know immediately. If they DO fit, just don't press them in TOO far OR too hard. I haven't had that experience, but I've read that if you shove them TOO far into the neck, they can drop into the chamber where the drivers and crossover networks are. Not good. If they do fit though and if the filters have the desired effect (the sound signature you want), you might actually be happy with your purchase, which is about all ANY of us can hope for these days. I have zero experience with 'fakes' and I wouldn't even know how to classify their sound signatures.

You have two other options. Option #1 - if you can, return them for a full refund. Options #2 - I've read that if you send them to Shure, THEY can tell you whether or not their fakes. That would at least tell you whether or not you were ripped off, in which case if you WERE, you could at least warn others. You'd have to pay shipping BOTH way, but peace of mind is definitely worth something.

Good luck!

 

[BigAL64]

Sorry I didn't address this earlier.

MCA311 wrote: "They don't have the dot on the connector to indicate if they are left or right ear, just the letter L and R."

Not sure what to say about that either. Are the dots different colors? One red and one some other color or one white and one some other color ??? Is there anything unclear about L and R? I'm not sure I'm following you on this one. There are plenty of 'test tracks' that will play things like, "This is the left channel --- HISSSSSSS. This is the right channel --- HISSSSSS" or whatever. Figure out which is which and mark the connectors with a Sharpie (or whatever).

I only use 'after-market' cables (not a big fan of 'stock' cables), and I although I do have the 'stock' cable my SE535s came with, I'm not sure where it is OR even where to look for it. In fact, I don't think I've ever actually used it. I've got both gold and silver cables for my SE535, which when combined with the Knowles filters make them sound like $1000 IEMs. The cables were NOT cheap, but the sound quality was WELL worth the extra money I spent on them.

 

[Darksoul]

Adding my two cents here. I got the complete set, tried them all; of course, at the end I settled for the Red dampers. I use the Fiio X3-II for portable use and before I got the filters I used to heavily equalize my SE535 to get more bass and tame the highs a bit, the red filter gave me just that. In fact, on my old equalizing settings, it gave me way too much bass and drowned out the details. Once I turned off the equalizer, the SE535 sounded as I've always wanted, nice bass, nice highs and no apparent loss of detail. I also use the Westone True-Fit red eartips, and these dampen out the highs a bit more and give more bass. That combination of red damper and red Westone Tips, really dialed in the sound signature for me. The SE535 finally sound exactly as I've always wanted.

On a side note, I also had a local Audiologist make a pair of "hard" custom eartips. I tried them out for a week before I got the filters. At first, the custom eartips opened up the soundstage, made the SE535 more clear and the bass more...refined. With the hard custom eartips I noticed how the Westone tips absorb a discernible amount of the high frequencies; nothing too bad, but the Westone tips do "eat" a lot of detail and make the bass somewhat boomy. At the end I went back to the Westone tips, the seal on my right ear wasn't right, I could hear sound leaking in; as in all in ear monitors, but the way it was coming in, it sounded like it was an echo, it was really uncomfortable. The seal and fit on the left ear was just right, but it allowed more noise in than the Westone tips, maybe because of the hard material? I also had to drop the custom eartips because, since those were kind of a fun side project for the Audiologist, the way he connected the tips to the IE was too loose, and at times the tips wold stay on my ear, which in turn added to the overall discomfort with the sound.

I also tested the dampers with the custom ear tips, they didn't "click" with the ear tips. I just couldn't find a combination that would give a sound presentation that I enjoyed. All in all, the dampers and the custom ear tips proved to be a fun; albeit, expensive experiment. Even more so after I decided to not continue using the custom ear tips. I didn't have the custom tips made with Westone directly, since shipping costs back and forth to Colombia turned out to be like 100 dollars alone, that's a lot of money for no value. I got dampers that work for me, but I've not given up on a pair of custom ear tips for my SE535. I found a local audiologist that is approved by Ultimate ears to make ear impressions and she works with lots of musicians, I'm hoping she can do a better job and hopefully give the option of a soft material for the tips.