Shure E500 Review

So I am a crazy man.

I decided I wanted to amp my phones, but my UE Super.fi 5 Pros have been said not to change much with an amp. Plus, from all the discussion on head-fi.org (WARNING: stay clear of that site if you are susceptible to upgradeitus!) I found that it was common opinion that the Super.fi’s, while they are a fine earphone, suffer from some amount of “veil” or lack of balance. Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing even, depending on your objective, but I wanted something that was well balanced and “audiophile grade” that I could enjoy wherever I am (such as work for 8 hrs/day).

I wanted something that would fit snugly in my ear and not stick out like the 5 Pros. That ruled out the Triple.fi 10 Pros as they have a similar form factor. And since the best IEM amp that I could find, Ray Samuels Audio’s “Tomahawk,” was designed with the Shure E500’s in mind (along with a few other earphones), I knew I would not be making a bad decision in going with these earphones.

Fidelity

This is the category where the Shure E500’s shine their best. Having not two, but three drivers in each bud (two for the low end, and one for the high end), there are few earphones that can match or beat the E500’s in terms of sonic range and quality. The Super.fi’s had heavy bass and reasonable highs, but they lacked in the mid ranges. The E500’s, though, are able to produce a rich and accurate low end and a very smooth (and highly praised!) midrange that is the envy of many audio fans. The only place of any concern here is at the high end. It is sometimes pointed out that these phones have a minor fall-off at the high end of the spectrum, but this can be corrected with the use of an amp or EQ.

Basically, though, they produce very warm, accurate, and balanced sound across the entire frequency range that really makes me feel that I’m hearing all the details in my music. The Shure guys describe the sound as being akin to a ten thousand dollar stereo system.

Comfort & Fit

These are significantly more comfortable that the Super.fi’s! They go a bit deeper into my canal so the seal doesn’t break as easily. Also, as I mentioned, they don’t stick out like the 5 Pros which sport the “Frankenstein” look. This also means that I can even enjoy them in bed as they are barely uncomfortable when I lie directly ear-to-pillow! I find I can quite easily and comfortably just jam these babies right into my ears and get a great seal the first time.

Downsides: I miss the memory wire that the Super.fi’s had: a paperclip-like piece of metal inside the first couple inches of wire out of the buds kept the curve over the ear in the same place. That feature really kept the wire right where I wanted so it never fell over the front of the ear. It’s not a huge issue with the E500’s, but I do sort of miss the memory wire.

Also, the wire situation is a bit cumbersome. The length from the earphones to the minijack they are connected to is about a foot and a half. From there, you will want to use one of the supplied extensions. There’s a long one that makes the wire length comparable to that of most IEMs, a super short one (of a few inches) that is of questionable usefulness, and finally the PTH module. One thing to note is that when you dangle the wire down your back, the connection made at the end of the earphones could make for an uncomfortable lump in your back depending on how you sit.

The Push-To-Hear Module

This thing proves to be quite useful – especially for me at work. What you do is plug the short earphone cable into it and let it dangle in front of you. (The PTH doesn’t work so well if you want the wire to hang down your back.) There is a mic in the piece that hangs in front of you which leads to a handheld piece with a switch. When you flip the switch, you are able to hear the sounds around you through the mic.

What this means is that I can have short conversations with my coworkers when the need arises without even removing the earphones. And I must say that it works quite well – as long as you’re not brushing against the mic.

Conclusion

All in all, I am significantly more pleased with these earphones than I was with the Super.fi’s. Their sound is more balanced and rich in details than the Super.fi’s. The richness and accuracy of the bass and midrange is very impressive, and the slight rolloff in the high end is corrected easily enough. While the in-ear fit is just about perfect, my only beef with these phones is the complexity of the wires. But that’s the price you pay for the nifty PTH feature.

The new SE530 that Shure announced at CES this year as their high end offering in the new SE line is actually the exact same product as the E500’s. The only difference is the accessory package which now includes the newly released foam tips. They’re conical shaped like the current rubber ones, but they are made of foam which increases isolation and are also washable! I’ll be sure to get some of these when they become available in March.

So, if Shure can’t outdo the E500, then damnit I’m in.

Next up, the Ray Samuels Audio Tomahawk Amp. Holy crap I’m a bit too excited for this little device. It should show up on my front porch any ol’ day now…

Wednesday, February 21st, 2007 Audio, Reviews

5 Comments to Shure E500 Review

appreciate the review, but I have two remarks: I also have the UE super.fi 5 pro, and they DO benefit from my little headphone amp – I’ll grant you that maybe others may benefit more. however, I also have that vaunted "ten thousand dollar stereo system" and no IEM will ever give you the same level of enjoyment. while I really LOVE my music on IEM, I love it even more on full-size transducers. and having tried a range of portable audio solutions as well as hifi-systems, I don’t think anything is going to replace the feeling of sharing the same space with musicians who know what they’re doing… nonetheless I admit that your website is feeding my desire to upgrade to the same stuff you like: the e500 and the ray samuels amp! ;-)

peter on February 21st, 2007

Thanks for the comment, peter. While my E500′s might not be the $10,000 speaker system, at least it’s in the right direction… the big guns will have to wait.

thread on February 21st, 2007

had my e500′s since their release (may?) and happy to tell you that the wire now stays in the curve when i remove them from my ears. took a long time or else i just didn’t notice it right away. noticed it maybe a month ago. i use them 5 days a week at work.

jimi on February 21st, 2007

should have mentioned, i got a tomahawk a few weeks back and it is a match made in heaven (more accurately in Illinois at ray’s lab). i own a ray samuels raptor and an hr2 also, but the "humble" tomahawk is THE one for the shures.

how is yours sounding to you?

jimi on February 21st, 2007

Hell freaking yeah, jimi. I’ve been using my Tomahawk for about a week now, and am throughly loving it! I’ll prolly write something about it soon — I’ve already taken the pictures.