Shure SE530

Cable Connectivity (6.00)

You can do some silly things with the SE530s in terms of cable connectivity. If you attach all the adapters and extension cables, the SE530s can stretch up to about 8 feet, 8 inches; without any adapters/extensions, the headphones are about 1 foot, 5 inches long. The former number is a bit unrealistic, because that many plug/jack junctions in the cable means it can barely hold its own weight without one of them separating. The latter number is because you’re technically supposed to use an extension cord with the headphones in order to reach their actual length, 4 feet, 6 inches. If you want to be fancy and impress your friends with your audiophilia, you can refer to the SE530s’ cable as ‘modular.’

The headphones also come with two adapters: a 1/4-inch plug and an airplane plug adapter.

Portability (9.25)

Since the headphones are really just about a foot and a half long, they’re incredibly portable. If you’re using the cable, however, the cord will be a bit longer than the typical human will need, thus hurting their portability somewhat. Overall, however, it’s hard to get more portable than the SE530s, unless you sacrifice durability by having thinner cord casing.

The SE530s come with a case for keeping all your stuff in check, but it doesn’t really add to portability. It also isn’t the best case for managing your sleeves since it’s doesn’t have any pockets or anything. We recommend saving the plastic bag the sleeves come in, in order to prevent them exploding everywhere every time you open the case.

Maintenance (3.00)

Typically in-ears just get points for having removable sleeves. The SE530s have them, but they also have a cleaning tool. It isn’t anything amazing, just a plastic stick with a wire loop at its end.

Other Features (6.50)

Battery

The SE530s, like many in-ears, do not require batteries. Sure, batteries sometimes power awesome features, like active noise cancellation or wireless connectivity, but their upkeep is annoying. Either you need to replace the batteries or recharge them every so often. Even if they can hold a charge for 36 hours, chances are you’ll wind up with headphones that don’t function since you’re forgetful. The SE530s pick up some points here.

Remote & Mic

This is a much more significant adapter than the above option. Snap this add-on somewhere on your chain of adapters and extensions, and the headphones gain the ability to handle calls or issue your media player basic commands. Be careful: once you get used to a remote and mic, it’s hard to go back to not using one.

Volume Control

The SE530s come with an adapter that allows you to adjust their playback volume. While this isn’t the most significant feature we’ve encountered, it is a nice option.