This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the Shure SE535 Limited Edition in-ear-monitor. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $404.
I like the look and feel of the IEM and with larger tips (as shown), it fit my ears well. The cable is microphonic but sitting stationary, it wasn't too bad.
Let's see how it performs.
Shure SE535 Limited Edition Measurements
Let's start with the IEM frequency response and comparison to our target:
As expected from the brand, bass response is flat. I was surprised by the treble shortfall though. This is going to make it pretty bland sounding. EQ would be mandatory:
Bass correction will be easy. The treble correction will be hard to do manually but I tried (see next section).
Dynamic range is excellent allowing the IEM to get quite loud but there are a few imperfections:
Group delay is more or less uneventful as is typically the case with IEMs:
Impedance is low but fairly variable:
Sensitivity is excellent though so just about any source should be able to drive it:
Shure SE535 Limited Edition Listening Tests and EQ
Out of box tuning was "OK" on first female track I listened to. It wasn't until I developed the few filters that I realized how much better fidelity can be had:
Turning off the EQ made the sound very recessed, lacking any excitement. With it, my reference tracks all sounded very good. With volume at just -50 dB on my RME ADI-2 Pro, the IEM is sipping power even with my EQ and its negative gain.
Conclusions
The 535 IEM ignores much of the research that indicates listener preference. In absolute sense, it doesn't seem to bad, resulting in a non-fatiguing sound. But EQ it to proper target and you realize how much enjoyment is missing that could be there. The cost would have been a bit high a few years ago but now, you can get superb IEMs for $50 and less, leaving the Shure no where to hide.
I can't recommend the Shure SE535 Limited Edition IEMs.
------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.
Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
I like the look and feel of the IEM and with larger tips (as shown), it fit my ears well. The cable is microphonic but sitting stationary, it wasn't too bad.
Let's see how it performs.
Shure SE535 Limited Edition Measurements
Let's start with the IEM frequency response and comparison to our target:
As expected from the brand, bass response is flat. I was surprised by the treble shortfall though. This is going to make it pretty bland sounding. EQ would be mandatory:
Bass correction will be easy. The treble correction will be hard to do manually but I tried (see next section).
Dynamic range is excellent allowing the IEM to get quite loud but there are a few imperfections:
Group delay is more or less uneventful as is typically the case with IEMs:
Impedance is low but fairly variable:
Sensitivity is excellent though so just about any source should be able to drive it:
Shure SE535 Limited Edition Listening Tests and EQ
Out of box tuning was "OK" on first female track I listened to. It wasn't until I developed the few filters that I realized how much better fidelity can be had:
Turning off the EQ made the sound very recessed, lacking any excitement. With it, my reference tracks all sounded very good. With volume at just -50 dB on my RME ADI-2 Pro, the IEM is sipping power even with my EQ and its negative gain.
Conclusions
The 535 IEM ignores much of the research that indicates listener preference. In absolute sense, it doesn't seem to bad, resulting in a non-fatiguing sound. But EQ it to proper target and you realize how much enjoyment is missing that could be there. The cost would have been a bit high a few years ago but now, you can get superb IEMs for $50 and less, leaving the Shure no where to hide.
I can't recommend the Shure SE535 Limited Edition IEMs.
------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.
Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/