[Orfik]

So, I just bought a pair of SE535s and after listening to them for a few days straight, I can say I'm really not a fan, which bothers me since they weren't cheap and I've been a fan of Shure products since my E4cs, so I assumed their flagship would be...good. 
 
I'll get all the small talk out of the way from the get go: Ears are clean, I have a proper seal, I've tested all the tips (which took a trip to the freezer to accomplish), source is an iPhone 5, files are mp3 v0 which are completely transparent to my ears after a number of blind A/B tests trying as hard as I could to justify my FLAC collection. I even bought Accudio, which helped a bit with the separation but completely deflated the body of the sound, which was about the only thing these things have going for them.
 
Sound: A muddy, undifferentiated mess. After hearing so much about their soundstage I had reasonably high expectations (they are still IEMs, after all), but I got nothing for it. Every instrument is somewhat distinct, but they're not at all localized, it feels more like the artists are performing in an amorphous floating blob in my head. The midrange is the opposite of everything I've heard, decent when it's a solo vocalist but easily recessed when the band comes in, like they wrapped a sweater over her microphone. Bass is tight but distorts at higher volumes, treble is painfully sibilant.
 
Seriously, I'm praying I just got a bad pair because that would make this much easier to rectify and I could look forward to proper sound. If not, should I take a look at the SE425s? Or just get a much more economical pair of over the ear headphones, since I'm sad to say I was A/Bing these against my $70 pair of JBL J55is, and those brought me far more joy.
 
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[truckdriver]

I must admit that I don't like the 535 with an iPhone 5, but your description of  "painfully sibilant" is a classic symptom of not having a proper seal. You may believe the seal is good, but it may not be the case.
 
I have the E4 and E5 and have been using Shure earphones for many years. The E4 and E5 are much easier to seal than with the 535. I can get a good seal with my E5 and take the tips off and put them on the 535 and have an improper seal because the hard plastic part of the swivel connector on the 535 is where the bend is on the E5 creating a bad angle going into my ear. That may just be my issue but you can't know you have a complete seal except by using a hearing test. I use the truck noise and the sound from the 535 (to which I'm accustom) to set my seal.
 
If you've only had the 535 a few days you may not know how it is suppose to sound. Even the most sibilant prone songs don't sound sibilant on the 535 to me with a good seal. Of course, tip choice makes a big difference. I use the triple-flanges.
 
As for the iPhone 5, I don't know of an adequate bass and treble boost to balance the sound when paired with the 535. The mids don't sound as good as with other players (but that may just be me). You should be hearing a thickish tone with so-so bass and so-so treble, but no sibilance.

 

[tienbasse]

Quote:

Sound: A muddy, undifferentiated mess. After hearing so much about their soundstage I had reasonably high expectations (they are still IEMs, after all), but I got nothing for it. Every instrument is somewhat distinct, but they're not at all localized, it feels more like the artists are performing in an amorphous floating blob in my head. The midrange is the opposite of everything I've heard, decent when it's a solo vocalist but easily recessed when the band comes in, like they wrapped a sweater over her microphone. Bass is tight but distorts at higher volumes, treble is painfully sibilant.

!!!
Something's wrong here.
SE535 have excellent clarity and instrument separation (although soundstage is quite intimate, not really wide), bass should not be heavy enough to distort, and treble are quite on the soft side (I had to use an alternate cable to bring them out a bit more).
 
Either your pair is defective or you're coming from headphones with a very different signature (haven't heard your JBLs).

 

[Orfik]

I imagine something has to be wrong, because like I said, I've experimented with every tip option available. The triple flanges were too long, so I ended up cutting the top flange since that helped a lot with the E4c. And like I said, I've had Shure IEMs before, along with Sennheiser, Klipsch and others, so I'd know whether or not it was the seal by the sound (and lack of ambient noise). It's definitely not.
 
I'm taking them back to the store tomorrow, just wanted to know if you guys thought the 425s would be a decent step down, since I can't spend $500 on a pair of headphones that just aren't that good, but I'm willing to spend $250 on a pair that at least perform better than average, along with a sturdy cable and great warranty. Is the sound signature similar, or are these two separate animals?

 

[tienbasse]

Quote:

I'm taking them back to the store tomorrow, just wanted to know if you guys thought the 425s would be a decent step down, since I can't spend $500 on a pair of headphones that just aren't that good, but I'm willing to spend $250 on a pair that at least perform better than average, along with a sturdy cable and great warranty. Is the sound signature similar, or are these two separate animals?

The 425s are flat all the way, I find them horribly boring, compared to SE535s or 215s.

 

[Orfik]

So I might want to think about the 215s? What about the 535LTD?