nudel
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Subject: Shure SE530: It's all good.
<backstory>
A year or so ago I got a pair of Shure E4c. I thought I was spending a lot of a pair of headphones, especially portable ones, but what the hell. I loved the detail of them but, even with a good fit in the ear and the foam pads, they felt bit thin to me. Not quite enough bass. (Which is a disaster as I'm using an iPod and the iPod shits all over your music if you turn on the equaliser.)
I got very drunk one night and, in the taxi home, realised that if my drunk self "accidentally" left the headphones on the seat of the cab then my sober self would be forced to buy the E5c the next morning. Just after the cab drove off I thought "DOH!!!" but it was too late.
The E5c were even more expensive and there was talk of a new model coming out (though whether it really is new or just a new name I don't know) so I waited a while, making do with some Senn CX300 (I think) which are okay for the money (fairly cheap).
</backstory>
A few days ago I finally caved in and ordered the SE530 (new name/version of the E5c) and I'm listening to them now. Alright, let's cut to the chase: It's like having Christ's cock in your ear.
Everything I missed about the E4c is there. The incredible detail. Stuff in songs I've never noticed before. The way instruments wobble at the end of a note, whispers, echos, drummers tapping on things... But there's full bass as well. The bass is not ridiculous or overpowering; it sounds natural; not too thick and not too thin. To me it's a beautifully warm sound with amazing detail and response. I thought I'd try them out for a few minutes but I've kept listening because it sounds so great. I thought I might have to get used to them, to try and like them after being used to another sound for the last few months, and I had myself all ready for the possible initial disappointment that might be caused by trying them with the wrong pads for my ears (like all the bass escaping because I didn't get a good fit, etc.), but there was none of that. These things sent a shiver down my spine (in a good way) and a big grin on my face. (A kind of, damn this is good, and damn, I didn't waste £250!)
If you're using something like the Karma which has a really good EQ then these things are probably overkill. The E4c/SE4xxx with a little EQ would be great, I think. But if you're stuck with something that can't do EQ to save its life, or just don't like the idea of EQ, then the SE530 are awesome, for what my opinion is worth.
Oh, E4c users: You might want to check out the new black foam pads that Shure sell now since they fit all models (except E2c). In my ears they seem to work as well as the old yellow pads but they look muuuuuch better and have some kind of coating on the ear-touching surfaces which I presume means they last longer. The yellow pads always made me wonder if people thought I was using some self-made P.O.S. earphones and/or had earphones covered in bright yellow ear-wax.
Not that it really matters what the things look like, but if you've run out of yellow foamies, order up some of the new black numbers and give 'em a try.
A year or so ago I got a pair of Shure E4c. I thought I was spending a lot of a pair of headphones, especially portable ones, but what the hell. I loved the detail of them but, even with a good fit in the ear and the foam pads, they felt bit thin to me. Not quite enough bass. (Which is a disaster as I'm using an iPod and the iPod shits all over your music if you turn on the equaliser.)
I got very drunk one night and, in the taxi home, realised that if my drunk self "accidentally" left the headphones on the seat of the cab then my sober self would be forced to buy the E5c the next morning. Just after the cab drove off I thought "DOH!!!" but it was too late.
The E5c were even more expensive and there was talk of a new model coming out (though whether it really is new or just a new name I don't know) so I waited a while, making do with some Senn CX300 (I think) which are okay for the money (fairly cheap).
</backstory>
A few days ago I finally caved in and ordered the SE530 (new name/version of the E5c) and I'm listening to them now. Alright, let's cut to the chase: It's like having Christ's cock in your ear.
Everything I missed about the E4c is there. The incredible detail. Stuff in songs I've never noticed before. The way instruments wobble at the end of a note, whispers, echos, drummers tapping on things... But there's full bass as well. The bass is not ridiculous or overpowering; it sounds natural; not too thick and not too thin. To me it's a beautifully warm sound with amazing detail and response. I thought I'd try them out for a few minutes but I've kept listening because it sounds so great. I thought I might have to get used to them, to try and like them after being used to another sound for the last few months, and I had myself all ready for the possible initial disappointment that might be caused by trying them with the wrong pads for my ears (like all the bass escaping because I didn't get a good fit, etc.), but there was none of that. These things sent a shiver down my spine (in a good way) and a big grin on my face. (A kind of, damn this is good, and damn, I didn't waste £250!)
If you're using something like the Karma which has a really good EQ then these things are probably overkill. The E4c/SE4xxx with a little EQ would be great, I think. But if you're stuck with something that can't do EQ to save its life, or just don't like the idea of EQ, then the SE530 are awesome, for what my opinion is worth.
Oh, E4c users: You might want to check out the new black foam pads that Shure sell now since they fit all models (except E2c). In my ears they seem to work as well as the old yellow pads but they look muuuuuch better and have some kind of coating on the ear-touching surfaces which I presume means they last longer. The yellow pads always made me wonder if people thought I was using some self-made P.O.S. earphones and/or had earphones covered in bright yellow ear-wax.
Not that it really matters what the things look like, but if you've run out of yellow foamies, order up some of the new black numbers and give 'em a try.
Bit the shed again. Typical.
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