Shure SE530

Musicians and audio engineers cannot settle for anything less than crisp and clean audio quality with all the details intact. Even the highest quality mp3s or lossless formats cannot be heard if earbuds, headphones, or earphones are low or even mid-range. Similar to speakers, it takes a pair of earphones that have an expansive soundstage to accurately reproduce clear sound, bass, and all other elements. They also need to be comfortable to wear and keep all other unwanted noise out. The Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones has the sophisticated internals that are needed to provide the best possible sound experience that audiophiles can experience. In addition to the unmatchable quality, the comfort level that made the other SE models good is present in the SE530 as well.

Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones

Design and Comfort

Unlike the other models, the SE530 is only available in metallic bronze, but the curvy design is still present and it has a heavy duty look to contain the Triple TruAcoustic MicroSpeakers. It is designed specifically to isolate sound without adding any inconvenience when wearing the earphones.

One of the key features in comfort is the different sleeves that it comes with. All sleeves are included in a package known as the Premium Fit Kit which is like the Deluxe Fit Kit found in lower-end models. This kit includes Flex Sleeves that come in small, medium, and large to cater to everyone. Black Foam Sleeves are included as an alternative and come in three sizes as well. A universal-fit Triple Flange Sleeves is also included which is most effective in noise isolation. It takes some experimenting to find out which pair of sleeves is best for the listener. Fortunately, no other accessories should be needed in getting the best listening experience.

The Premium Fit Kit also includes a modular cable which can be useful for extending the short cord from 18 inches to 54 inches. There is a smaller 9-inch cable that can be used for other applications as well. It can be combined with the 2-inch adapter so that it can be plugged in home stereos or it can be placed in the carrying case which provides a tangle-free solution to conveniently store the earphones for travelling. Heavier travelers can benefit from the airline adapter and level attenuator which both work on airplane armrests.

Features

The Shure SE530 towers over the other sound isolating earphones by embedding Triple TruAcoustic MicroSpeakers that are solely meant for listening to very high-quality recordings or playback for any lossless formats. These MicroSpeakers consist of a tweeter and subwoofer just like the dual drivers. The only difference is that there are two woofers included for a total of three. This greatly expands the already expansive sound stage demonstrated by the dual driver SE420 by adding richness to bass. It separates the low and high frequencies by integrating a passive crossover. The only thing that rivals this kind of first class sound is a live performance.

With all of the different sleeves included in the Premium Fit Kit, the sound isolation options are greater than ever allowing listeners to try out all of the Flex and Black Foam sleeves to find out which best seals in the sound for top quality. The Triple Flange Sleeves have a universal fit and can be used as an alternative as well. It does a nice job in blocking unwanted ambient noise and staying in place for extended wearing. All genres of music should sound just fine no matter how intense the bass is.

Bottom Line

Audiophiles that need a good high-end companion for their expensive portable media player will enjoy the sound experience and feel the big difference compared to traditional earbuds. It is highly recommended to use these earphones to listen to lossless quality tracks as there are lower-end models that have good features for lower quality music. These powerful earphones do come at a pretty hefty price tag costing near $300. Because of the Triple TruAcoustic MicroSpeakers, professional studio recorders and other people who know their music should appreciate the features and accessories included in the Premium Fit Kit. It should be enough to replace all of the other earphones in your possession.

Average User Rating:
Actual User Reviews:
• “The sound isolation works pretty well (if you have the phones situated properly in your ears). You get a good seal, which greatly reduces the amount of outside sound that can get in. I’ve found it works very, very well on airplanes and at the gym (the two noisiest environments I’m typically in).

In contrast, “noise-cancelling” headphones do not block outside noise, rather they add an electronically generated noise designed to cancel the frequencies of the outside noise. They require batteries, and I don’t like that they are adding noise to what you’re hearing. Some work better than others, but none that I’ve tried (including the famous and expensive Bose QC2s) work as well as the Shure line of sound-isolating earphones (the SE530 is the second pair I’ve owned in this line).

With earphones that sit inside the ear canal, comfort is extremely important. I find the SE530s comfortable for long periods of time. I often listen to my ipod in bed at night to help relax; if I fall asleep with the earphones in, my ears don’t hurt when I wake up later (unlike all other earphones and headphones I’ve tried). Shure thoughtfully includes 9 different pairs of interchangable tips in varying sizes, so it is very likely most users will find at least one pair that is comfortable for them.

The modular aspect of the cabling is clever and very useful. The phones themselves have a very short cord. But Shure includes a variety of extension cords of different lengths, which allows you to have the right length cable in different situations. – R.Cronovich (WI, USA)

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• “First, I want to say I’ve had these SE530′s for about two years. In that time I’ve used them quite a bit. I currently own two other IEMs and these are by far the finest sounding and most comfortable.

Shure builds high performance audio products at what, I feel, are very fair prices. In the 70′s I had the V phono cartridge. It was so good I never was tempted to the point of spending the extra bucks for the more exotic moving coil Japanese phono cartridges. I believed the gains would be small, if anything, for a major cost if I switched because the Shure cartridge sounded so good and tracked even records with imperfections such as slight warps and scratches. When I mixed sound at church I always found the Shure mics to be natural sounding and very feedback resistant – and again priced reasonably. So when I started having the interest in earphones I was pre-disposed to think Shure would be both quality and priced right. That proved to be the case as the first model I purchased was about $100 (don’t remember the model and I no longer have it). I then moved up to one of the 300 series models which I still own. It was about double the cost of my original earphone and it was worth it. It had more definition without any doubt and was very comfortable. I keep these in my computer bag now at all times and they still sound great.

What I sought to gain in finally purchasing the SE530 phones was mostly deeper bass. That is exactly the first thing I noticed too when I first listened to them. I never experienced such full range in such a small thing. It really is a revelation when listening to familiar recordings. What has truly sold me over time is the improved definition and soundstage. You simply hear all the recording and you get a sense of recorded space that is uncannily realistic. Recently, I wanted to try one of the Altec models that was really discounted and it was made for Altec by one of the companies that makes really expensive earphones. I was sorely disappointed. It felt wrong in my ear first off and I never got the best seal with any of the supplied earpieces. I was sorry, but I had to return them. They just weren’t worth even the highly discounted price.

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