Shure E4c -> E500

[smsmasters]

Damn you head-fi, I can't stop buying earphones

Anyway, I went from the E3c to the E4c but now I have my eyes set on the E500.

What should I expect when going from the E4c to the E500? Does anyone own both and have any opinions?

 

[TestSpecimen]

Going from the E4 to E500 you will get much better bass response. The mids and highs are also improved. I thought the bass was a bit strong at first but it just takes time for your ears to adjust, then WOW. Basically its better in every sense and in my opinion a worthwhile upgrade.

 

[Spyro]

Yup, what he said. If you can afford it, any fan of E4 will be in audio bliss going to E530 like I just did. Bigger bass, fuller, more dynamic sound while still maintaining the same clarity and detail. These things will blow your head off while barely breaking a sweat. ZERO distortion and any volume. And the fit....ohh the fit

 

[smsmasters]

OMG, I can't wait to get these babies. I want an EARGASM NOW!

 

[EvilNOD]

how is E500 compare to GRADO SR325 when both in amp??

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyro /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yup, what he said. If you can afford it, any fan of E4 will be in audio bliss going to E530 like I just did. Bigger bass, fuller, more dynamic sound while still maintaining the same clarity and detail. These things will blow your head off while barely breaking a sweat. ZERO distortion and any volume. And the fit....ohh the fit

So, what's the difference between 530 and 500?

 

[TestSpecimen]

There is no differnce between the E500 and E530 in terms of whats inside. They are EXACTLY the same, and so sound the same. However the E530 is silver i think and comes with an option as to whether you have the PTH module or not. Its just basically to make the E500 fit in the new sure line, where the 3 in 530 stands for 3 drivers.

so basically the difference is the packaging and a different number

 

[Spyro]

Also, I believe E500 comes with the PTH accesory and E530 does not.

 

[smsmasters]

I just ordered the E500, can't wait

 

[ZARIM]

Shure E500PTH are realy awesome IEM. These have full deep(refind) bass with realy forward mids and clear highs. These are much better than E4c in terms of revealing details in music.

 

[mrdeadfolx]

They are great, you will NOT be sorry.

 

[wibbly]

I went from E2C's to E4C's to E500PTH. Perhaps because the lows are somewhat better than the E4C's, my initial reaction was "oh dear, where have the highs gone?" - no "Wow". The E500 highs are certainly polite, to put it mildly.

But... Your (my) brain plays tricks, and adjusts. They sound better now. And I'm coming to the conclusion my listening experience is ever more dependant on the quality of the original recording. Some sound great. Some I considered fine before sound like there're very muted highs now with the E500's. I have some Koss PortaPros. These are great (especially at 1/10 the price of the E500's!), but quite bright I suppose, so the E500's sound particularly supressed in the highs after using the Koss's. Some people say their E500's are fine, and don't mention the polite highs... Maybe (dare I say it) there's more variation from pair to pair than we realise?! Anyone ever had a replacement pair that sound brighter than their original pair?

All things considered (sound, comfort, build, isolation, etc) they're a compromise I'm going to keep. But don't expect perfection. They're just somewhat less imperfect than the vast majority of IEMs. At this level you're paying lots for diminishing returns, as will all high end stuff - cameras, cars, whatever...

 

[smsmasters]

When I get the E500 "dispatching soon", hopefully I'll do a comparision with my Shure E4c.

 

[ILikeMusic]

Quote:

Some people say their E500's are fine, and don't mention the polite highs... Maybe (dare I say it) there's more variation from pair to pair than we realise?!

I don't think the variation is in the E500 themselves, rather in individual tip selection and fit. In my case at least I found the E500 to be rather sensitive to this and you've got to get the tips right to get a balanced presentation. Once you do (again, speaking in my case) then the E500 high end isn't lacking at all. And for those who may still feel this way a touch of EQ will fix it right up.

 

[kyoshiro]

E500 saved my ears when my house alarm went bonkers for 1/2hr+ and yes the bass is lovely, more so than the E4