Recently I had the opportunity to audition a pair of the Shure SE530 “sound isolating” earphones. I have to tell you, before I listened to them, I was thinking ‘how big of a difference can headphones make…there’s NO WAY I would ever spend $500.00 for a pair of headphones.’ Yes, I did say $500.00. The Shure SE530 Earphones retail for $500.00 for a pair.

You’re probably thinking, ‘you’re right, I would NEVER spend that much either…what on earth could make earphones so expensive?’ Well, actually, I own the previous version in a lower model, the Shure E4, as well as the E2. Both last year’s models, the E4 costs $400.00 (which was already way more than I ever thought I’d spend) and the E2 costs $100.00, so maybe I would be crazy enough to buy the SE530s.

Before I talk about the SE530s, let me just say that the difference between the E2 and the E4 is pretty dramatic. Not just sound quality, but comfort. The E4s are much more comfortable than the E2, which is really important for long term listening, such as on a long flight.

The E4s also have a better frequency response, which means better bass and better highs. And they just sound more musical…so how much bettr can it get?

So I was anxious to try the new Shure SE530 for myself. I mean, how much better can they be than my already outrageously priced E4s? Well, let me tell you I was blown away! They put an instant smile on my face…I couldn’t believe the difference. They were better in every way. Better Bass. Better midrange. Better treble. More open. Smoother sound. More detailed. More comfortable. These are no small statements, considering how much I love the E4. What makes them so great?

Well, to help understand, let’s compare it to a traditional speaker. Typically in better speakers, you’ll find more drivers, of different sizes. Each driver handles a specific portion of the frequency range and is designed to specialize in those frequencies. Tweeters, for example, are very small speakers that are designed to move extremely quickly to handle high frequencies only, so they specialize in these high frequencies. Larger drivers, such as woofers and subwoofers cannot move as quickly, but can move the large amounts of air needed to output the low, bass frequencies that are so important.

The Shure SE530s use a similar approach. This is the only earphone in Shure’s lineup that uses triple drivers. It uses a tweeter and dual woofers to divide the frequency range and send the right frequencies so that the drivers can “specialize” in their duties. Also, like any good high end speaker, the Shure SE530 uses passive crossover networks to send the appropriate frequencies to the right driver. So the tweeter can specialize in playing only high frequencies, it doesn’t have to work as hard trying to do something it wasn’t designed to do. And the dual woofers really reinforce the bass output for an amazing bass reproduction, but not overpowering. It gives a really seamless integration with the high frequencies.

The Shure SE530 has a frequency response of 18HZ to 19kHZ, which covers the range of human hearing…it’s pretty tough to find an actual speaker that plays below 20HZ.

Also, they have different tips to fit different sized ears comfortably, and the design isolates 90% of outside noise.

I guess if you’re really passionate about your music, and you want to listen to it the way it’s meant to be heard, $500.00 isn’t that much for the amount of use and enjoyment that you’ll experience from these. I bet most of you spend more than that for your home speakers, and maybe don’t listen to them as much as you would listen to these.

So if you’re looking for an awesome pair of headphones that will take your ‘on the road’ music enjoyment to another level, the Shure SE530 is for you. If you’re looking for a great deal on a pair of earphones, I may know a guy that is selling a pair of used Shure E4 earphones…