Shure SE530

Product Overview

The Shure SE530s are a set of modular in-ear headphones, meaning their cord is super short.

Speakers

The ear buds themselves have a somewhat interesting design: the nozzles stick out at an angle. The headphones naturally sit with the cord facing up and the nozzles pointing in towards your ear. This is great for those that like wrapping the cord around the backs of their ears, but is ever-so-slightly awkward for those that don’t.

Cable

The plug-end of the headphones is like a tank. Shure has some of the best cord guards out of any in-ear headphones, which will increase the longevity of your set.

In the Box

There are a ton of things in the SE530s’ box. The headphones come with a volume adapter, an optional remote & mic, an extension cord, a shorter extension cord, a cleaning tool, a total of eight different sleeves of various sizes and styles, a case, and the headphones themselves.

Durability (7.00)

Shure typically makes durable in-ears and the SE530s are no exception. We just have the same two qualms we usually do, and both deal with their nozzle. Typically in-ears top off their nozzles with mesh to prevent garbage from getting into the headphones. The SE530s’ mesh wall is set very far back, which leave the majority of the nozzle open to fill up with all kinds of grossness. While the SE530s do come with a cleaning tool, it doesn’t reach all the way back to the mesh guard: if something falls all the way to the bottom of the nozzle, it’ll sit just out of reach. The second nozzle-related issue is its design itself. The ‘bent nozzle’ shape seems a bit fragile, like you could snap the headphones if you stepped on them the wrong way. Of course, the easy solution to this is to not run in place on your headphones while wearing metal shoes. Chances are you don’t even own a pair of metal shoes, in which case this scenario is even easier to avoid.

All other areas are solid. The ear buds trail off into a rubbery cord guard to keep the cable from bending too sharply at that junction. The cord guard at the plug is so reinforced it looks somewhat comical. The cable’s casing is more solid than average. The ear buds are almost difficult to pull off (the foam ones, at least), so there’s no real risk in them popping off and getting lost forever.

Like it’s predecessors, the Shure SE530s set a standard for in-ear durability.

Aesthetics (5.00)

Aesthetics almost don’t apply to in-ears. Since in-ear headphones are so small, it’s very difficult to create a great-looking design. Further, also due to their small size, any design flair is likely to go unnoticed. The SE530s’ bent nozzle allows users to wear them normally or loop the cord around the back of their ears easily. In terms of their looks, however, they’re a bit plain. They’re a glossy gray with some white branding on them. If you prefer professional (boring) headphones, the SE530s are a good pick. Otherwise, look for a set of in-ears that at least have a splash of color.