Shure SE535-V-EFS Sound Isolating Earphones

 

 

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I got these earphones as a replacement from Shure when the cable on my SE530's cracked. First off, that won't happen with these earphones. They have wisely reinforced the over-ear part so that normal wear won't damage the cable which used to happen a lot on the older models. Also, the detachable cable means that any damage that does occur can easily be replaced without the need to send the enclosures away.

The enclosures themselves are a different shape to the SE530's. At first, i found them quite fiddly to fit into my ear but after a couple of minutes i actually found the 535's easier to fit in. As for the physical fit in the ear, they are just as comfortable as the 530's and after wearing them for a few minutes you begin to forget you have them in. The cables have all been updated and seem of a better and stronger build, but only time will tell.

Sonically, the 535's are amazing. I have used them on a range of devices, from my iPod (using apple lossless and WAV audio) to mixing in ear monitors for live bands. I've found the frequency response to be quite natural, no major boosts or peaks, and the stereo image is clear and present. I only use the large size rubber tips as i remove and replace the earphones quite regularly but the fit in the ear and the seal they create is really good. Outside noise reduction is excellent and it makes listening to audio a lot easier at lower levels.

I'm really enjoying these earphones and would recommend them to anyone who seriously enjoys their music. The title i used is quality earphones for quality audio because you can't use these earphones on low quality, badly ripped mp3's as they really show how bad the sound quality is. The 535's demand high fidelity!

I have always been a huge fan on Shure since I first purchased my E4C's a few years back.

Even the E4C's with their single drivers blew me away, but as was frequently reported, the cable (on the E4C's) would wear away and the connection would break - this happened twice, but fortunately both times Shure were absolutely fantastic. I called their customer helpline, explained the problem and the helpful person on the other end simply said to pop them in the post and they'd send out a new pair. No arguments, no excuses or backtracking. Both times they complied willingly. In fact the second time round they replaced them with the new upgraded model SE310's.

Based on my fantastic experience with Shure, once the connection broke again on my SE310's a couple of years later [this time outside my warranty period], I decided to stick with them and upgrade to the SE535. The design of these alone suggests that Shure realised that in previous models they'd been sending out rather too many free replacements - so the SE535's have kevlar coated DETACHABLE cables. Genius. This means that when I fall outside of my warranty period again, IF the cable busts, I'll be able to get a replacement cable instead of forking out what is admittedly enough hard cash to give most people a nasty chin bruise as it thuds to the floor. (Most people who find out how much I spent on earphones do think I'm absolutely mental... BUT they haven't actually HEARD how amazing music CAN sound, which is exactly what these earphones achieve)

So this brings me nicely onto my next and most important part of my review; the sound... This, after all my other waffly guff, is what you are really here to read about.
Let me put it this way, I regularly commute on the tube (the subway trains) in London which is generally rather a noisy affair. Loud clattery trains, and unnecessarily loud tannoy announcements.
Many of the 'iPhone headphone' wearing parade get around this problem by whacking up the volume so loud you wonder why there aren't spots of blood dribbling out their lug-holes. It also means that all the 'non head/earphone-wearing' crowd around them are subjected to what sounds like a distant train transporting a cage of angry insects.

This is NOT the case with the SE535's. Of the wide selection of ear fittings you're given, I personally like to use the foam earplug variety. When these are snugly fitted, I could play the loudest angriest most 'GRRRRRR!' metal song EVER and, as far as everyone around me is concerned, I could be listening to "4 minutes 33" by John Cage.
Further to this, selfishly ignoring the (lack of) experience of others around me, MY OWN experience is phenomenal.

I hear basically NOTHING but the music. I will be stood on the tube platform and a tube train will come screaming into the station with all its clatter, horrible metal-on-metal screeching noises and some tedious platform announcement booming away overhead and I am able to close my eyes and pretend that I am standing in the same room as the song artist(s). The sound is SO clear, the frequency response is awesome.

On the bass level, it's actually quite surreal because when you turn it up a bit on a bassy song, it sounds like you're stood near some über-watt mega subwoofer where normally you would FEEL the bass waves rippling through your body. Unfortunately Shure's current earphone technology doesn't yet provide the physical body-wide bass ripply experience other than in your ears, but my goodness it's awesome.

In short: Amazing. Buy them. Eat baked beans every day for a month with the small change left from your paycheck. At least your ears won't be bleeding.

These are seriously good. It is like having a completely new collection of cd's. I have hooked these up to my old Sony NWHD5 and transferred music onto it at 352kbs atrac3. No sound enhancement switched on at the player. The 30 minute daily walk to work is a real pleasure, the fit is superb with the foam tips that were in place, I could not hear any external noises. They do take a bit of getting used to to wear them, (they are twisted into the ear), but that will come with practise.
Pure music. I'm hearing notes and sounds I have not heard before, on Bill Perry live in NYC it's as though I am in the room.
OK they are expensive, but you get what you pay for. The cable is like nothing else, the units feel solid and like they will last a lifetime.
I have had Bose in ear units and numerous Sony sets, nothing touches these.
Go on, you are only here once, I'm glad I bought them.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Like a flying horse with golden hooves
Wow, £330 on a pair of headphones. What was I thinking?

I read the other reviews on Amazon, and these sounded like they might well be the 2nd coming of the... Read more

Published 1 day ago by Jimmy McTaggart

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful in every way!
I'm going to try and focus on what's important when buying these headphones. First of all, a lot of people say that these headphones are big, personally I think they fit in... Read more

Published 4 days ago by D. Lovegrove

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing...Sonically amazing
These headphones are fantastic...they sound great...no bloated bass,crystal clear Highs and a nice mid-range....I highly recommend them,well worth the money. Read more

Published 5 days ago by Colm Mulvey

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable.
I moved to these from Bose in-ear phones (which were pretty good) and have been totally blown away by these. Read more

Published 1 month ago by EuanS51

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical review to get the most from your Shure SE535s
I bought these about 5 days ago and I can honestly say they have changed my life. These are quite literally the best sound system of any kind I have ever owned, even better that... Read more

Published 2 months ago by JG

5.0 out of 5 stars These Shure's ain't made for walking
If you like to masticate, swallow, snort or you have flat feet and only have 192bit MP3's in your collection then you may well be disapointed with these little beauties... Read more

Published 2 months ago by KesKyle

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Little Things!
Quick review of the Shure 535's.

They are trully a brilliant set of earphones. The sound is as said, warm, balanced and very spacious. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Duke143

5.0 out of 5 stars These are good, very good.
Wow, I just got these an hour ago and they are beyond what I was hoping for. I've tried classical to Metallica, Eva Cassidy and Julia Fordham. Read more

Published 3 months ago by P. Gilmore

5.0 out of 5 stars As good as I expected...
Having used the SE530 for the last 2 years only to suffer the usual broken wire problem. I have to say the SE535 have surpassed my expectations. Read more

Published 4 months ago by nb

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sound performance
Excellent sound performance, worth the money to buy a pair of Shure in-ear.

Great price too compare to other sellers. Read more

Published 6 months ago by Michalis

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