Shure SE535 (Clear)

SE535 Review

Preface: I primarily listen to rock and roll, hip hop, and electronic music. During my testing I

enjoy nice clean bass, decent mids, as well as a good open soundstage. I primarily use

earbuds for traveling so another important factor is sound isolation. All testing was done on with

the Lotoo Paw Gold DAP.

Features: Some key features this IEM includes a detachable cord so if you would like to

upgrade your cable you could do so. It also comes with quite a few tip choices including

Comply tips of various sizes. This triple driver IEM has an impedance of 32 ohms and is

currently available in both smoke and clear shells. The triple driver design includes two woofer

drivers and a single tweeter which does a great job handling sounds across the spectrum with

good bass. Also includes a carrying case as well as an airline adapter.

Build Quality: I feel the build quality on these is excellent only issue I have is the connector

with the detachable cord. It doesn’t stay in place but however rotates so at times could be

difficult to position correctly.

Comfort: These IEMs have a thin barrel which allows for a deeper fit into the ear canal. When

it comes to IEMs with thinner barrels I usually have to use triple flange ear tips in order to get

the best sound and seal. With the triple flange I felt this delivered the seal I was looking for and

this is most important when being on an airplane so you don’t have any background noise and

can just listen to music with no interruptions.

Bass: The bass on these was nice and clear. Tight and punchy with just the right quantity.

However, Mids and highs are sometimes droned out by the bass impact. On tracks such as

“Paradise City” by Guns N’ Roses there are times where Axl’s voice is a tad soft due to the

bass. I would say this IEM focuses more on bass emphasis and does so without distortion. For

me this is a plus for certain genres such as hip hop and EDM

Mids: Mids are good when they are not being overshadowed by the bass. On simple tracks

such as “Superstar” by The Carpenters mids are very well represented and mid extension is

very easy to follow to the where the treble picks up. Vocals are excellent as well on tracks such

as these because they are forward and it sounds like Karen Carpenter is singing directly to me.

Soundstage/Separation: The soundstage on this IEM could be a bit wider to help emphasize

on where the signer should be in relation to where the instruments are. Listening to “Heart of

Gold” by Neil Young though I feel that it sounds good I feel that the instruments are too close to

Neil Young’s voice and sometimes detracts you from the music. The sound separation of this

IEM is good but with a too narrow soundstage it can be difficult to discern some of the

background details.

Overall: This IEM is valued at $499.00. I think if you enjoy bass this might be the right IEM for

you. Though sometimes the bass overshadows mids in certain examples I used this definitely

isn’t true for everything I listened to. Playing Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” the bass

and mids are fantastic without any overshadowing whatsoever. You can hear the details as well

as enjoy the deep bass.

Thank you for reading my review and I hope this helps with your purchase decision.

Performance Review

These headphones are great but not my personal favorite. I was using them paired with the FiiO @ Q1 amplifier. They are a bit bass heavy for my liking and did not fit particularly well in my ears. I do not think this is a design flaw but rather because I have a unique shaped head. Other than that, I really like the look and design of these headphones. If you are looking for a headphone that is a bit more on the bass heavy side but still emits and clean and full sound, then you will love these.