[Jeremypsp]

Quote:

Just bought a pair of SE215s and been listening to them a couple of hours, mostly on public transport.
 
My initial impressions are:
Positive: Awesome isolation, very comfy, very full and deep bass.
Negative: Very warm sound, fluffy bass, SERIOUS lack of detail in the highs, general "veil" in upper mids.
 
This is based on just a couple of hours though, and compared directly to my Denon D2000s (listened to during the day in the office).
The Denons are more defined in the bass and have FAR more presence and detail in the upper mids and highs.
Don't know if it's a fair comparison, and these are my first IEMs. I bought them at a bargain, and my main objective was isolation for flying and PT. I think they fit the bill for that, but they are not audiophile to me.

That's kinda of an unfair comparison. 1. The SE215s are 2.5x cheaper. 2. Headphones are often known to offer better value for money, hence losing portability. 
 

 

[andysor]

Quote:

That's kinda of an unfair comparison. 1. The SE215s are 2.5x cheaper. 2. Headphones are often known to offer better value for money, hence losing portability. 
 

 
I realise that. I was just hoping I would like them, even if they're not as good as what I'm used to. I'm also surprised that I don't like the bass when I like the Denons so much, but I've learned there's a huge difference between bass quantity and quality. SQ wise it's actually quite easy: I put on some music that I love, and if I really want to push up the volume and tap my feet I like the sound. With these I don't so far.
 
To the OP: I can't understand why anyone would want more bass from these, as in my opinion it's at the level where it overshadows everything else in the sound. I can understand that someone would want deeper, more defined bass, though.

 

[Jeremypsp]

Quote:

 
I realise that. I was just hoping I would like them, even if they're not as good as what I'm used to. I'm also surprised that I don't like the bass when I like the Denons so much, but I've learned there's a huge difference between bass quantity and quality. SQ wise it's actually quite easy: I put on some music that I love, and if I really want to push up the volume and tap my feet I like the sound. With these I don't so far.
 
To the OP: I can't understand why anyone would want more bass from these, as in my opinion it's at the level where it overshadows everything else in the sound. I can understand that someone would want deeper, more defined bass, though.

Perhaps what you want is something with a different signature. Also, the SE215s lack impact. 
 

 

[FieldingMellish]

I'm burning in a pair and look to do a better seal on 215's. Unimpressive in bass so far but keeping fingers crossed. E11 helps a little with its controls. Part of the draw was being able to add the mic adapter to take the occasional call, after having discovered my Klipsch s4i sucked in that regard. S4i actually amplifies ambient noise to myself and callers on the other end.

 

[Howfu]

Actually, some headphones' bass, when first out of a box, can sound transparent but after a certain amount of burn-in can become very prominent and/or even very Bassy. So although burn-in is indeed no miracle maker, it is necessary for IEMs or headphones before judging how it sounds at first

 

[Jeremypsp]

Quote:

Actually, some headphones' bass, when first out of a box, can sound transparent but after a certain amount of burn-in can become very prominent and/or even very Bassy. So although burn-in is indeed no miracle maker, it is necessary for IEMs or headphones before judging how it sounds at first

Though balanced armatures benefit little from burn-in. 

 

[ProjectDenz]

I don't believe in burn it at all. My MG7 will always have crappy vocals and muddy bass after session with the SE530, and my SE530's mids will sounds bloated and unnatural after a session with my JH13. And my TF10 will have harsh and snappy treble after a session with anything else I own.
 
Of course, these deficiencies either disappear or become way less noticeable after a little time with them. Which is my reasoning for saying that burn in is purely psychological.

 

[Jeremypsp]

Quote:

I don't believe in burn it at all. My MG7 will always have crappy vocals and muddy bass after session with the SE530, and my SE530's mids will sounds bloated and unnatural after a session with my JH13. And my TF10 will have harsh and snappy treble after a session with anything else I own.
 
Of course, these deficiencies either disappear or become way less noticeable after a little time with them. Which is my reasoning for saying that burn in is purely psychological.

I won't really say it doesn't exist as all. Because I have compared demo sets to my burned-in sets and they don't sound the same. 

 

[shotgunshane]

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/measurement-and-audibility-headphone-break

This is the most comprehensive testing I've ever read about being done on the phenomenon of burn in.

 

[tinyman392]

Quote:

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/measurement-and-audibility-headphone-break
This is the most comprehensive testing I've ever read about being done on the phenomenon of burn in.

Who's to say that the small change in the headphones is not detectable (in the FR graph).  It is possible to hear a small change through an entire frequency range (note how the entire midrange goes up .5-1dB from 2k-~3k ; that can be detected).  The treble response changes a lot as well (some changes go as high as 3 dB), which can also be detected as well. 
 
Source: http://www.head-fi.org/t/590366/the-effects-of-small-changes-over-a-frequency-range-and-big-changes-over-a-frequency/30#post_8058369 + the OP of the thread (I was the one doing the testing on this stuff).

 

[FieldingMellish]

I'm burned out from doing so much burn in.

 

[ImperialX]

 
Quote:

hey guys, i just bought the 215's, and i am one of the very few around here, who is not really impressed with them, even after about 100 hours of burn in... thinking of buying an e6. you think it's worth the 30? will it change stuff? i need more bass and more empowering and warm sound.

 
The bass on the 215 is already almost overpowering...

 

[sid12345678910]

the shure se215 are brillient they have a very nice amount of bass, its defintily not light but its also not heavy its sorta in that mid area, the mid bass dosent belled at all into the mids and i like that alot, btw there is a nice balance between mid and sub but its abvise the midbass is more powerfull then the sub, the mids are excellent no compliants, the treble on the other hand rolls of pretty soon, the soundstage is above avrage depding in the tip you use overall a very good iem in my opinion, isolaton is amazing one of the best in comfert and isolation for me.
 
ps: i give any of my headphones at leats a 10 hour burn in just to loosen up the drivers, dont expect a huge change and in your case the only thing that will happen is your trebel will extyend a bit further and there will be less of a midbass hump and the sub and midbass will be very balanced, but they dont extend to low so dont expext a huge diffrence, and burn in uslally only applies to dynamic headphones, so se530s almost dont change at all even after 100 hour burn in (mabey a littel)

 

[Codefox]

And now a 2nd pair of 215s have died on me.  Left ear just went out without warning 8(  I'm going to do a replacement with Shure next week but I'm going to start thinking about other options...

 

[Uruha]

We got some crazy bass heads here! Bass is like a drug.