Shure has released the SE535 which replaces the SE530 which replaced the E500. I owned the E500 in 2006 and, right after the 2 year warranty ended, the pair of earphones died. Repairing this through Shure would have cost me quite a bit for an aging pair of earphones so I bought the SE530. Well, my 2 year warranty ends this December and wear & tear is starting to show on this pair of earphones since I use them so much. Luckily, I use my Shure SRH840s just as much so these are mostly reserved for working out and plane rides.
Anyway, I found that Shure released the SE535 which I used at Macworld 2010 last January (they were released in May of last year so yes I’m a little late in writing about these). I was curious what the difference between these three models are because, the technical specifications between each of these is identical.
E500 & SE530:
The SE530PTH is exactly the same as the E500PTH except for two things:
1. The SE530PTH includes a dual-mono adapter plug for compatibility with the in-seat entertainment systems on certain international airlines. At this time we do not offer this adapter as a separate accessory, although they are readily available at electronics dealers and shops at major airports.
2. The SE530PTH fit kit includes black foam sleeves in three sizes. The E500PTH fit kit includes yellow foam sleeves in one size. Near the end of the production run, some E500PTH units were packaged with one pair of medium-size black foam sleeves installed on the earphones, plus the yellow foam sleeves in the fit kit. The other sleeve options are the same in both fit kits.
During this transition period there may be some units in SE530 packaging where the earphone plug is etched with “E500” and vice versa. Rest assured an E500 and an SE530 is EXACTLY the same product even though you may find an etched E500 in an SE530 package.
The SE530PTH is currently shipping, although dealers may have inventory of one or both models. An SE530 model, which does not include the Push-to-Hear (PTH) accessory, is also available.
SE530 & SE535:
The acoustical engine of the SE535 is almost the same as the engine in the SE530. The engine creates the acoustic energy. Sound leaves the engine, and then goes through an acoustic network between the engine and the ear. This acoustic network shapes the high frequency response.
The SE535 has a refined acoustic network in the front section of the earphone. This is a change from the SE530 design and high frequency shaping. The result is a slight increase in clarity and a bit wider sound stage. Similar changes were also made to the SE425 that replaces SE420, but the SE425 high frequency change is more apparent. This is because the SE425 high frequency driver is paired only with one low frequency driver, while the SE535 high frequency driver is paired with two low frequency drivers.
We didn’t change the sound quality of the SE530 too much, as it has been a customer favorite for the last three years. The changes made to the SE535 acoustic network resulted in a slightly more defined high end, but the overall signature and balance is very close to its predecessor.
So, the $500 price point of these earphones has remained unchanged and so has the quality of audio you’ll get. Yes, they’ve made improvements but, I won’t be buying the SE535s until my 530s die. If anyone is wondering the same thing, that’s your answer.