Shure SE530

Short-Term Use (5.00)

For this section and the next one, be forewarned: our scores and write-up are just based on a few people around our office trying the headphones on for a bit. Even though there are multiple heads involved, chances are yours is different. We therefore recommend trying on all headphones for a few hours before you decide to keep them.

It’s been quite some time since we last reviewed a pair of Shure headphones, and our opinions are largely unchanged. Since we don’t like looping the cord around the backs of our ears, we’re don’t find the Shure SE530s to be particularly comfortable. Sure, you can reverse teh left and right channels and they’ll fit fine, but that’s somewhat annoying, especially if your playback has channel-specific sections. Of course, the degree to which this is annoying will be entirely subjective.

Our issues with the sleeves is about the same as we found with the SE420s. If you use the foam sleeves, the insides of your ears will feel a bit hot and itchy. If you use the other sleeves, they’ll tend to get more and more uncomfortable over time.

Regardless, the headphones do stay in pretty well. This, coupled with the short cord, make them good workout headphones.

Extended Use (4.50)

The small decrease in points predominantly comes from the comfort issues above exacerbating over the six hours of wear we use in this test. While the foam sleeves are the most comfortable, they are still a bit warm and scratchy. The other sleeves are a bit too stiff and create a bit of pressure over time. Still, the headphones aren’t grossly uncomfortable: for this score, we try to keep 5 as a dead average result. They are definitely not the most comfortable in-ears we’ve worn, but they’re not horrible either.

Customizability (9.50)

Shure headphones tend to come with the most customizability options, and the Shure SE530s are no exception. They come with three different types of sleeves, two of which have varying size options.

There are two extension cables, one short, one long.

The headphones also come with accessories that add significant value: a volume switch and a remote/mic.

Last, and likely least, the SE530s come with a shirt clip you probably won’t use.