OFF DUTY
There are pricey headphones, expensive headphones, and then there are the Shure SE530s. Audiophile quality never comes cheap though, and the Shure SE530 earphones certainly have some interesting things going on behind those plastic outer shells.
Each earbud houses three separate drivers. Sure, the SE530s are a little larger than a lot of other earphones on the market, but squeezing in all that kit into such a small space is still an impressive feat.
They're the only triple-driver earphones in Shure's range, sitting right at the top-end of its earphone offerings. Are they worth the cash though?
Where other earphone manufacturers have a reputation for a high-fidelity high end, like Ultimate Ears, or haemorrhage -inducing levels of bass, like Skullcandy, Shure sticks within a mostly sensible middle ground. Its signature sound is in evidence in the SE530s too.
The low-end is full and fast, a little more expansive than most rivals, although ultra-low sub-bass presence isn't huge. High frequencies are rolled-off too, as is a common trait of Shure earphones. This is our only real criticism with the sound of the SE530s. You can get much more top-end detail for a lot less money. The Jays q-JAYS and Ultimate Ears 700 sets easily beat the Shure SE530s for high-end clarity.
