[Mus]

OK thanks guys. Apparently I have 30 days from purchase to return them so I can experiment a little.

I settled on 192kbps as a compromise between size and quality. Unfortunately I chose Constant rather than Average or Variable for most of my collection and regret that.

Would 192 Average or Variable be better or do I need to move up from there?

Alas they no longer do a non-ZIF 1.8" 80Gb drive to retrofit my iRiver

 

[jmpage2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mus /img/forum/go_quote.gif OK thanks guys. Apparently I have 30 days from purchase to return them so I can experiment a little. I settled on 192kbps as a compromise between size and quality. Unfortunately I chose Constant rather than Average or Variable for most of my collection and regret that. Would 192 Average or Variable be better or do I need to move up from there? Alas they no longer do a non-ZIF 1.8" 80Gb drive to retrofit my iRiver

The best thing for you to do is encode the same track a number of ways and put it into a playlist on your device of choice.

1. LAME VBR APS encode (average bitrate 210kbps)
2. LAME VBR APX encoded (average bitrate 260kbps)
3. WAV (uncompressed)
4. Lossless (Apple lossless, Ogg Vorbis, whatever your player supports)

Then put the playlist on shuffle and listen. When you think you know which "version" you prefer the best, look at the track (which you have named appropriately for how the encode was done).

You might be surprised at which you like "best" or which ones are indistinguishable from each other.

 

[Happymonkey]

^ Agreed x2. I'm in the camp where I can hear the artifacts and the lack of details in really crappy encodings. I usually go for a vo/var or 320kb bitrate if not flac.

 

[Dexter Morgan]

Don't forget my tips tip. Order those yellow foamies now, don't waste a moment. The difference is NOT subtle. In fact, I'll wager it makes more of a difference than re-encoding your files, at least in regards to the nature of your specific complaints.

Of course, re-encoding should help too. I listen mostly to lossless, so I don't have extensive experience switching between encoding levels. But I do have limited experience, and I can tell you that, in listening to my lossless versus 128kbps ACC files that the tips make a bigger difference. Yes, the lossless files have much better detail and timbre and depth to work with. And upgrading your encoding level will probably be an important part to your overall sound goal. But I don't think it'll be your main part. It doesn't have as much to do with clearing up the overcoloring of the bass, which washes everything out, and which is your primary complaint if I understand you correctly.

Let me give you an example. It's like looking at two paintings... one is a watercolor (olive tips), where every object in the painting is blending into everything else. And the painter didn't dip his brush between colors, so the darker hues (bass) kinda get painted onto everything else and overpower the lighter, more delicate colors. The result is not always displeasing, btw. Now consider the other painting (yellow tips). The objects in the other painting all have a bold outline around themselves, so everything is highly defined. All the coloring is between the lines. The colors are more vibrant. Everything is kept its respective place, restricted yes, but the overall power of the image is not lost in the slightest. Rather, it's just better communicated. Everything... every...thing... ev..ery..thiiiiiiiiiiinnnng.... in it's right place. In it's right place. In it's right place.

I find the most noticeable difference using yellow tips in the drums/beats. The impact is stronger, with more kick. It actually kinda tickles my brain. But most importantly, as a result of reigning in the bass, everything else has a chance to shine. The mids resolve better, the highs are more present, the sound itself seems to have more texture. It's like lifting a heavy curtain off a loudspeaker.

 

[urabus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dexter Morgan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Don't forget my tips tip. Order those yellow foamies now, don't waste a moment....

yellow foamies sound different from the black olives?

 

[Dexter Morgan]

In my experience, yes. Some people (maybe even most) say they prefer the olives, so my suggestion is more for people who complain that their 530s sound bass heavy or "muddy." If you already like the sound of your 530s, maybe you prefer the warmer sound, and therefore will prefer the olives. Though in my opinion, they are still plenty warm with the yellow tips. I suggested this for someone else who complained of muddiness, and he was very pleased with the difference it made. For me, it improves the sound in EVERY regard... detail, imaging/soundsstage, clarity, punch, etc. I'd love for more people with this issue to try this and let us know if they experience the same results, or if it's just a fluke for some people with certain ear canal shapes.

If anyone wants to try, make sure your foamies are pretty new or in great condition. They wear out fast, and you really need a good seal. It also appears that one end of the tip has "exposed" foam while the other end looks like it is sealed with some type of...well...sealant... thus I'm not sure if the direction in which you insert them makes a difference or not?

 

[Logman]

I agree with Dexter Morgan on the black olives. To me, they muddy up the bass. I have had good results with the triflanges modified to biflanges, but I still prefer the Comply tips due to their terrific comfort.

 

[brassos]

Got my se500pth today. In comparing them to my e4c's I am much happier with the 500's. Better and clearer bass,very nice smooth mids, and to me nice non harsh highs. I am using an Iphone and zen nomad, some lossless and some 192 vbr lame mp3's.
The 500's come with yellow tips and I had those on my 4c's as well. I am going to order some new "olive" tips just to try them out.
The fit is also much nicer, I feel like they are part of my ear.
I am using a meier corda move and they make my eyelids move when cranked up. A very strange feeling indeed.
As for isololation, I get the same amount i got with the 4c's using the same tips. I will try the tri flanges and see if the overall fit stays as comfortable.
Thanks for reading..Off the try some more lossless.

 

[soozieq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dexter Morgan /img/forum/go_quote.gif It also appears that one end of the tip has "exposed" foam while the other end looks like it is sealed with some type of...well...sealant... thus I'm not sure if the direction in which you insert them makes a difference or not?

The 'sealed' end with the smooth finish goes in the ear. When I had mine, I stuck them in any old way, till I read a review mentioning that the sealed end was to help prevent ear wax sticking to them. All my yellow tips had a smooth and a rough end. Maybe they used to be 'rough' at both ends?

 

[Dexter Morgan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soozieq /img/forum/go_quote.gif The 'sealed' end with the smooth finish goes in the ear. When I had mine, I stuck them in any old way, till I read a review mentioning that the sealed end was to help prevent ear wax sticking to them. All my yellow tips had a smooth and a rough end. Maybe they used to be 'rough' at both ends?

Yeah, that makes sense and that's probably the reason, but that doesn't necessarily mean it gives you the best sound that way. I could be completely wrong, but I wonder if the exposed foam helps to absorb (and reduce) some of the bass?

Yeah, I'm probably wrong.

 

[mastephens]

I got mine yesterday and all I can say is, WOW. They are extremely comfortable, easy to get a good seal, and sound amazing. I slept with them last night and it was amazing how I couldn't even feel them lying on the pillow. Usually with my ER6's I would wake up later in the night with throbbing ears, but these SE530's take the cake. A++++

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Be careful about sleeping them, I did that last night, and see where it got me

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=265567

I fixed the post-ER6i-sleep-ear-pain with Shure black olive foam tips.

 

[jinx20001]

yeh the se530 are amazing, what they do they do very well indeed, other earphones can do some stuff better but thats where subjectivity comes into it, the se530 are great all round phones.

i find it difficult to sleep in mine but even tho they are pretty big they dont stick out ue style which is a big plus on the street and in the bed

 

[Mus]

Well, I'm getting used to them. The new black large foam tips seem to be the ones that tame the bass more for me whereas the medium ones don't. The triple flanges which I swore by with the E3Cs are hugely uncomfortable and isolate hardly at all.

With regard to the isolation, why are they less effective than the E3Cs? Is there some deliberate leakage through the headphone design itself?

M

 

[jinx20001]

maybe its not the triple flanges are bad isolators,maybe the foams isolate more and you got used to it and as a result thought the triple flanges were poor