[Mooses9]

Imo silver makes a big change to the sound signature. It can bring forward the mids brighten up the highs. Can make the highs feel more airy. Though are just my impressions with silver cables.

Currently i am using the moon audio silver dragon v1 those are the kind of astheitics i get from the cable that just ny opinion.

 

[jferreir]

   
1) Just as a precautionary question: the rest of your setup is the best it can be, right? Including amps and source material (DAPs). Going from memory, getting new headphone cables cleaned up or changed the music but buying a good portable amp and DAP really made more of an improvement overall. 
 
2) Now that I've gotten that out of the way, because of the warmer sound signature of the SE535's, I would highly recommend silver as a material of choice. The 535's are intimate, slightly neutral, but the treble is rolled off. The worst thing you can do, IMO, is increase that warmth. 
 
3) I don't know how different actual silver cables will sound from each other, only from the "standard" copper that comes with everything, that's something I'd recommend you do a lot of reading over: does a Toxic cable, for example, sound that much better than a silver costing half the price. 
 
4) Lastly, the aesthetics matter a lot to me. Make sure you get something durable and relatively thick (even if it's just the covering) to give the IEM a premium feeling. Aesthetics matter "almost" as much as sound

1. This is primarily about comfort/fit/ease of use. BUT, if I'm spending good money on a replacement cable, then I also expect a noticeable improvement in SQ. I understand your point that bigger improvements in SQ can be had elsewhere, but again, this is primarily about comfort and fit.
2. Agreed. Having previously used silver litz wiring in tonearms, it's definitely a bit bright and would complement the warmer sound signature of the SE535s quite well (at least in theory).
3. Unfortunately, this is where I get lost. I honestly can't tell the difference between snake oil and objective standards when it comes to cables, and I was hoping someone could chime in with an evidence-based/objective analysis of what cables would work best with the Shure SE535. Any takers?
4. Aesthetics I understand, but a thicker cable doesn't guarantee a more robust cable. I'd prefer a cable that is supple yet strong, and is not so inflexible that it becomes uncomfortable to wear (e.g., stock SE535 cable). It should be supple and thin like the Ortofon e-Q5 cable, but strong and durable like the Westone Epic cable.
 
What are your thoughts on mass manufactured cables versus custom made cables? Which is the better value?

 

[Mooses9]

Both mass produced and boutique cable serve a perpose and to the comsumer at hand are better values it just depends on who you are asking the mass producted consumer or the botique cable consumer.

Ive always been the botique consumer you can customize your cable to what awg gauge wire stranded or solid core you can pick which connector you want you can choose how its braided you can choose memory wire or not. And so on

With a mass prduced cable im nit saying these things cant be had but i feel that it cones at a larger price. For instance a mass produced silver cable might run you $300.00 the same cable customized might run you $180.00 so there is a big jump in price imo

Then there are people who dont believe cables even make a differene in the way the iem sound. I donno you gotta pick your poison.

 

[ForShure]

Cables don't make a difference in sound quality.

 

[moedawg140]

Cables don't make a difference in sound quality.

 
Please post opinions like this in the Sound Science forum.
 
You can read these threads:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/148709/what-is-the-science-behind-some-cables-sounding-better-than-others
http://www.head-fi.org/t/153222/my-science-project-measured-differences-between-cables
http://www.head-fi.org/t/112701/cable-differences
 
And can post opinions like this in the Sound Science threads:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/565667/cable-science
The main forum: http://www.head-fi.org/f/133/sound-science

 

[s1rrah]

For all the SE535 owners (like myself) who have ever wondered just how much better the SE846 is than the SE535, if at all? Then check out this review I recently did after purchasing the SE846's soley for the sake of a review/comparison to the SE535.
 
As made clear in the review, I never planned on keeping the $1000.00 SE846's ... but as a 6+ year user of the Shure 500 series IEM's, my own internal demons finally got the best of me and I just had to buy them to have a listen and also write a bit about  how they compare to my tried and true SE535's ...
 
Alas, I've had to send the SE846's back (though every ounce of me wanted to keep them) .. but have a read, if you care to and perhaps that last comment will make more sense.
 
A Shure SE846 Review: and the agony of having to send them back... 
 
 
Enjoy ...
 
...
 

 

[Mmet]

  For all the SE535 owners (like myself) who have ever wondered just how much better the SE846 is than the SE535, if at all? Then check out this review I recently did after purchasing the SE846's soley for the sake of a review/comparison to the SE535.
 
As made clear in the review, I never planned on keeping the $1000.00 SE846's ... but as a 6+ year user of the Shure 500 series IEM's, my own internal demons finally got the best of me and I just had to buy them to have a listen and also write a bit about  how they compare to my tried and true SE535's ...
 
Alas, I've had to send the SE846's back (though every ounce of me wanted to keep them) .. but have a read, if you care to and perhaps that last comment will make more sense.
 
A Shure SE846 Review: and the agony of having to send them back... 
 
 
Enjoy ...
 
...
 

this is a very nice and informative review , thanks a lot 

 

[MacedonianHero]

  For all the SE535 owners (like myself) who have ever wondered just how much better the SE846 is than the SE535, if at all? Then check out this review I recently did after purchasing the SE846's soley for the sake of a review/comparison to the SE535.
 
As made clear in the review, I never planned on keeping the $1000.00 SE846's ... but as a 6+ year user of the Shure 500 series IEM's, my own internal demons finally got the best of me and I just had to buy them to have a listen and also write a bit about  how they compare to my tried and true SE535's ...
 
Alas, I've had to send the SE846's back (though every ounce of me wanted to keep them) .. but have a read, if you care to and perhaps that last comment will make more sense.
 
A Shure SE846 Review: and the agony of having to send them back... 
 
 
Enjoy ...
 
...
 

 
I've wondered...then I heard the SE846...I still own my SE535s.

 Head on over to innerfideltiy.com...the SE846s have taken a step back:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/ShureSE535.pdf
and
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/ShureSE846WhiteFilterSample2.pdf
 
I enjoyed your comparison (very thorough write up)  I would personally rank the SE535s ahead...and the measurements above kinda indicate why.

 

[Mooses9]

never heard the 846 but love the sound of the se535

 

[ForShure]

Ugh, so I really don't know what to do. The SE535's have been my go to portable headphone for the past 4 years and they have served me very well. However I have never been absolutely blown away by their sound. I love the lush midrange but something about the sound just seems to be lacking, too neutral, too well behaved. It's like I'm sitting one too many seats back at a concert.
 
I am wondering if any other owners of the 535 have felt the same way and if anyone can recommend a possible iem to replace my beloved 535 in the $100-$500 range. 

 

[Mooses9]

What kind of dap,dac,amp,cables are you using ?

 

[ForShure]

What kind of dap,dac,amp,cables are you using ?

My dap is the iPod 5.5gen Rockboxed using the headphone out. I am using the Ultimate Ears cable. I have tired the fiio e10 and Ibasso D-Zero with my iPod and it does not improve the sound to my ears.

 

[Mooses9]

personally i think there is room in the dap and amp section to improve sound quality, vs changing iem's to get better sound quality esp when your iem;s are already in the upper mid range. a good amp a good dac can improve sound quality drastically ,bring in that sound staging you are looking for.....i really would say its going to be hard to just get another pair of iem's are get that sound quality you are looking for. but thats just my opinion.

 

[robm321]

  Ugh, so I really don't know what to do. The SE535's have been my go to portable headphone for the past 4 years and they have served me very well. However I have never been absolutely blown away by their sound. I love the lush midrange but something about the sound just seems to be lacking, too neutral, too well behaved. It's like I'm sitting one too many seats back at a concert.
 
I am wondering if any other owners of the 535 have felt the same way and if anyone can recommend a possible iem to replace my beloved 535 in the $100-$500 range. 

 
Feel exactly the same. I really like them but they require you to own a second IEM to deliver some oomph, detail, highs, excitement. I used to go back and forth with them and the Ety ER4S. One analytical, detailed, fast. The other nice mids and definitely laid back, rolled off highs. 

 

[Zojokkeli]

  Ugh, so I really don't know what to do. The SE535's have been my go to portable headphone for the past 4 years and they have served me very well. However I have never been absolutely blown away by their sound. I love the lush midrange but something about the sound just seems to be lacking, too neutral, too well behaved. It's like I'm sitting one too many seats back at a concert.

 
I feel the same way. I've decided to go for the 846's at some point in the future.