Spec me some Shure SE425 earphones please

SexyGreyFox

SexyGreyFox

SexyGreyFox

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Sounds a bit daft but perhaps not so.

I've been totally deaf in my right ear for many years but some sound does come through at very loud volumes. Last year I bought a portable DAC (Creative E3) and even with my poor hearing the sound was infinitely better and I felt like I was listening to my music for the first time.
On December 5th I had an hearing operation and only this last week decided to test my portable system again - WOW BLOODY WOW.
Today I've been going over old lossless tracks and I've had tears rolling down my cheeks to the amusement of my wife & daughters.

Anyway, my earphones are Ultimate Ears Studio 3 which sound excellent but how much better would the Shure SE425's be?
Would there really be much of an audible difference?
I saw one post on here of somebody who had got both the 215 & 425 and reckoned the difference was sublime and my UE Studio's are probably in the same class as the 215's.

Any advice appreciated before I part with £175 at Richer Sounds.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
Sounds a bit daft but perhaps not so.

I've been totally deaf in my right ear for many years but some sound does come through at very loud volumes. Last year I bought a portable DAC (Creative E3) and even with my poor hearing the sound was infinitely better and I felt like I was listening to my music for the first time.
On December 5th I had an hearing operation and only this last week decided to test my portable system again - WOW BLOODY WOW.
Today I've been going over old lossless tracks and I've had tears rolling down my cheeks to the amusement of my wife & daughters.

Anyway, my earphones are Ultimate Ears Studio 3 which sound excellent but how much better would the Shure SE425's be?
Would there really be much of an audible difference?
I saw one post on here of somebody who had got both the 215 & 425 and reckoned the difference was sublime and my UE Studio's are probably in the same class as the 215's.

Any advice appreciated before I part with £175 at Richer Sounds.
Click to expand...

Really depends on what kind of sound-signature you are looking for. The Shure 215 aren't that great to be honest, and the 425 are much better, but not good enough imho for what you are paying; there are better headphones in this price-range. The problem is though that with earphones, you will never get the airiness and soundstage of headphones and as such I would recommend getting a pair of HD600/HD650 instead with a decent amp (those can be found on ebay) (especially if you do most of your listening at home). :cool:

Recommended reading: http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-350-iems-compared-rha-t20-added-1-31-16-p-1098

Not sure if I can link to another shop but you can get the Aurisonics Harmony for £209 right now which is an incredible deal, and they sound a lot better than the Shure 425s. :D

Philips Fidelio X2 only £186 on Amazon right now! Those are insanely great headphones for the price!

EDIT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A2DPk-tBOs Fidue A73 that are on the same level as the Shure 425s can be had for under £100.
 
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SexyGreyFox said:
Sounds a bit daft but perhaps not so.

I've been totally deaf in my right ear for many years but some sound does come through at very loud volumes. Last year I bought a portable DAC (Creative E3) and even with my poor hearing the sound was infinitely better and I felt like I was listening to my music for the first time.
On December 5th I had an hearing operation and only this last week decided to test my portable system again - WOW BLOODY WOW.
Today I've been going over old lossless tracks and I've had tears rolling down my cheeks to the amusement of my wife & daughters.

Anyway, my earphones are Ultimate Ears Studio 3 which sound excellent but how much better would the Shure SE425's be?
Would there really be much of an audible difference?
I saw one post on here of somebody who had got both the 215 & 425 and reckoned the difference was sublime and my UE Studio's are probably in the same class as the 215's.

Any advice appreciated before I part with £175 at Richer Sounds.
Click to expand...
On whathifi they rated the Shure SE425 the best in-ear at under £200, and the Sennheiser IE 80 the best in-ear at under £300. The IE80 can now be had for under £200, so with the price difference being so little, it might worth considering as well.

I got the IE80, and absolutely love it. How much better is it than the SE425? I cannot say as I have not tried it before so cannot compare...but I think the IE80 should definitely be better if they are regarded better over at whathifi.
 
IE80 is much better than the 425. The soundstage is just seriously impressive for an IEM. But I would still recommend headphones over earphones. Whathifi doesn't really review all available headphones, so I wouldn't put too much faith into their reviews.
 
Toss3 said:
IE80 is much better than the 425. The soundstage is just seriously impressive for an IEM. But I would still recommend headphones over earphones. Whathifi doesn't really review all available headphones, so I wouldn't put too much faith into their reviews.
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Yea but I guess it really cannot be helped, as there are SO many headphones out there, and then there's there's no simple "which it better", as people's prefer and the type of music they listen to make a huge difference. And the you got headphone amps thrown into the mix as well and that complicate things even further :p
 
Marine-RX179 said:
Yea but I guess it really cannot be helped, as there are SO many headphones out there, and then there's there's no simple "which it better", as people's prefer and the type of music they listen to make a huge difference. And the you got headphone amps thrown into the mix as well and that complicate things even further :p
Click to expand...

While this is true, the fact of the matter is that most two-driver IEMs have a V-shaped sound signature, while their three-driver counterparts tend to fill in the middle a bit more, which makes them much more detailed and smooth (the XBA-H3 and JVC HA-FXZ200 being exceptions to the rule). The IE80 also has a v-shaped signature, but has more bass and much wider soundstage than almost any other IEM in this price-range so if you have a choice between the IE80 and two-driver IEMs, the IE80 should always be your first choice. The Etymotic E4 is again a "cheaper" IEM in this price-class with a much more analytical sound (which I think is something the OP would appreciate!). Granted it is a bit more expensive than the others, but it does deliver some stellar sound!

While DACs and AMPs do make a slight difference, it is much bigger with headphones than with as earphones are usually quite easy to drive regardless of the source. I listened to 10 different DAC/AMPs before settling with the cheapest one of the bunch, just because it didn't really make a huge difference, considering the price of the most expensive one was almost 10 times higher. :p If you own a pair of HD800 I could understand that there might be a bigger difference (even though I didn't like the HD800 at all), but I like closed-headphones and as such I didn't feel like I was getting my money's worth with the more expensive setups.

There are also a lot of Chinese brand popping up right and left that are just as good, if not better, than the more expensive brands at a much cheaper price (Fidue A73 being a good example)!

To the OP: You can buy the Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10 Pros on aliexpress for $159 and these are absolutely amazing headphones for the price! They do lack bass, but are very detailed if that is the thing you are looking for.
 
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I have SE535 I'm popping on the members market if you are interested. Near 2 year warranty with a lifetimes worth of ear tips £220.

These Shures are the best I've heard so far IEM wise and I would honestly keep them if my tragus piercing didn't play up as much!
 
Wow, thanks lads, some great responses and a lot of homework to do.

Toss3 -
I have Beyer Dynamic DT531's which are excellent but I prefer earphones and of course they are easier to put in the pocket.
 
Toss3 said:
Not sure if I can link to another shop but you can get the Aurisonics Harmony for £209 right now which is an incredible deal, and they sound a lot better than the Shure 425s. :D
Click to expand...

I've Googled & Googled but I can't find them at that price. I don't think you can link since OCUK sell Dr Beats :D

Found em.

Availability: Out of stock
 
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Toss3 said:
Not sure if I can link to another shop but you can get the Aurisonics Harmony for £209 right now which is an incredible deal, and they sound a lot better than the Shure 425s. :D
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I rang up today buy they are no longer doing them :(

He recommended:
Audiofly AF140
Dunu DN2000j
Fidue A83
 
I haven't tried Shure SE425 but I can agree with Ryanr1987 that the SE535 he is sellling are very good.
 
Ryanr1987 said:
I have SE535 I'm popping on the members market if you are interested. Near 2 year warranty with a lifetimes worth of ear tips £220.

These Shures are the best I've heard so far IEM wise and I would honestly keep them if my tragus piercing didn't play up as much!
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When are you putting these in the MM?
I'd like first chance please at asking if everything is in order.
 
I replied to your trust email, take it you didn't get it?

Someone jumped on them pretty quickly so didn't get a chance to list em. There's still some that come up at a similar price to mine but not usually as new.
 
Ryanr1987 said:
I replied to your trust email, take it you didn't get it?

Someone jumped on them pretty quickly so didn't get a chance to list em. There's still some that come up at a similar price to mine but not usually as new.
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No I didn't :(

Did you sell them on Gumtree because I saw an advert?
 
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I didn't chip in earlier, but the budget's crept up in true forum style, so here I go:

I've had the DN-2000Js for about 6 months now, after a recommendation on here from Rids, I think. I paid £250 for 'em, and thought even then that that was a bargain.

Sonically, they embarrass the Triple.Fi 10s they replaced. They're like a more V-shaped HD800, to my ears - lots of detail and width, a similar presence peak, a quick transient response [and therefore a tight extended bass], and they react well to EQing if so desired.

My only caveat from a sound point of view is that if you're used to the Shure sound, you may find the top end a bit sharp by comparison. Mind you, speaking as one veteran gig-going grey fox to another, nature may have already provided you with the necessary attenuation :D

No problems with build quality, either. I think it says something that my only grumble is that the cinch could be a bit more grippy.

I haven't experienced the Fidues, but I'd wholeheartedly recommend the DN-2000Js for that price :)
 
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