[VoLTaG3]

Hello, As you can see I'm new to the forums. I've been using the Sennheiser CX300 and have recently upgraded to the Shure SE530's for $300. So far I'm in love with these earphones. They've made listening to music addicting. There is one aggravating problem though.....I can't seem to remove the medium foam tips off my Shure SE530's. I've applied pressure, twisted, and pull but no success. I don't want to apply to much pressure and risk breaking a pair of $300 earphones. It's like the tips are glued on or something...The directions for removing the tips make it seem so easy, lol. The medium foam tips fit me well but I want to try the other tips to see If they provide better sound isolation, sound quality and comfort. How have you guys removed these tips?


Also another question, I use an iPod Touch 2G with my Shure SE530's and I'm wondering will a Fiio E3 or E5 amplifier make the sound quality better our does my iPod Touch give out enough current to properly drive my Shures? Thanks.

 

[hierobryan]

Rule: Amp+headphones > headphones

Use your fingertips and keep pulling. They'll come off eventually.

 

[darkninja67]

Compress the foam tips and twist them off. Do not rotate the earphone just rotate the tip.

The Touch has more than enough juice to drive the SE530. My iPhone does just fine with my Shures. As for an amp, I am going with a Ray Samuels unit and am hoping it makes it sound better. my meager set up already sounds great to me.

 

[aamefford]

I use a first gen iPhone and a 4G iPod. Both drive the 530's just fine. I just purchased a used Ray Samuels Tomahawk. I highly recommend it. It is not night and day, however, the hiss is gone, and the sound moves from 2 to 3 dimensional. Bass is punchier, the highs just a touch less laid back. Tiny, supposedly endless battery life (I just got it, and I'm excited...) and made for the shure 530's - supposedly actually made for that iem, but don't know that as fact. Anyway, highly recommend it. There are a bunch used on the FS forum at the moment.

 

[AgainstTheGrain]

you have to squeeze the tips down, twist and pull the tips simultainiously until they come off. you shouldnt brake them unless you try to snap them in half.

an amp makes the shures so much smoother and a pleasure to listen to. i've been using an amp with mine for so long that one night while walking home my battery died and i had to use the hp jack. needless to say it was torture. i couldn't get home fast enough to pop that 9V in there. point is u can't go wrong with an amp.

 

[yoff]

First of all make sure that the equalizer is turned off in your Touch !

 

[robm321]

Quote:

you have to squeeze the tips down, twist and pull the tips simultainiously until they come off. you shouldnt brake them unless you try to snap them in half. an amp makes the shures so much smoother and a pleasure to listen to. i've been using an amp with mine for so long that one night while walking home my battery died and i had to use the hp jack. needless to say it was torture. i couldn't get home fast enough to pop that 9V in there. point is u can't go wrong with an amp.

^ Agreed

 

[VoLTaG3]

Thanks for the help guys. I've managed to remove the tips but not they way you guys have stated. Lol, I used my teeth and ripped the foam off until the plastic holster thing was shown then I bit down twisted and pulled the plastic piece off and then finally the nozzle was exposed! I place the big foamtips on and I think the sound has became more fuller with better bass. I use the "Flat" EQ with my Shure SE530's, since it balances the Lows, Mids, and Highs. Sounds good to me. Also so is the FiiO E3 or E5 really worth it? Does the sound quality really improve that much?

 

[yoff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VoLTaG3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... I use the "Flat" EQ ...

Now , just try to switch it off !

 

[VoLTaG3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yoff /img/forum/go_quote.gif Now , just try to switch it off !

Ok, I did

 

[Joriarty]

My iPod Nano drives my Denon D2000's fine. Unless you're crazy, you don't need an amp. You might get an almost imperceptible increase in quality using expensive source, DAC and amp components... but for the average joe, it isn't worth it.

 

[azuredreamz]

I've tried the SE530 for several times, also I own a tiny FiiO E3. And I don't think this amp will help SE530 sounds better, cause it will add more bass. Since the SE530 are pretty good at bass, adding an E3 may cause super-muddy-bloated bass.

 

[Bonthouse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joriarty /img/forum/go_quote.gif My iPod Nano drives my Denon D2000's fine.

No it doesn't

You hear music, sure, but is it really that refined?
Try an amp in between and you'll hear a dramatic improvement in sound quality!

Same with the SE530. Straight out of my iPhone it sounds good, but with my Corda Move in between..
It's like piece of heaven.
It just sounds THAT good.

 

[qusp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joriarty /img/forum/go_quote.gif My iPod Nano drives my Denon D2000's fine. Unless you're crazy, you don't need an amp. You might get an almost imperceptible increase in quality using expensive source, DAC and amp components... but for the average joe, it isn't worth it.

lol It most surely does not. even the SE530 with its high sensitivity benefits quite a bit from an amp. i'm not sure you are actually talking from experience or whether you just read the posts that say that you dont need an amp, because as your sig says you are a poor student so perhaps you are fooling yourself that it really wont be that good anyway

. the D2000 NEEDS an amp; the SE530 just sound really nice with an amp.

 

[mortonjl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by qusp /img/forum/go_quote.gif lol It most surely does not. even the SE530 with its high sensitivity benefits quite a bit from an amp. i'm not sure you are actually talking from experience or whether you just read the posts that say that you dont need an amp, because as your sig says you are a poor student so perhaps you are fooling yourself that it really wont be that good anyway . the D2000 NEEDS an amp; the SE530 just sound really nice with an amp.

I agree, any iPod I own has much better SQ line out with an amp compared to headphone out, no matter what IEM's I use.