Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

First things first $1000 for a pair of iems or “earbuds” is insane beyond belief…. people will look at you like you have five heads so I don’t advertise the cost of these ever. Is it worth it though? Let’s get to that. Accessories: I am not going to spend much time going over this as the accessories are listed here in detail on amazon and on shure’s site. To put it simply there is everything you need. You get a bunch of ear tips, a case to carry the headphones, adapters, two different length cables, case to carry all the accessories etc. There is nothing else you need to buy, the cables are fantastic, there is no aftermarket cable needed. I didn’t need comply foam tips, there are lots of tips included here. Design/build quality: Build quality is rock solid. Much, much better than the 535. There is no weak part to the iems. The iems fit over your ear with memory wire. I have oddly shaped ears and typically have trouble with over ear iems however these fit perfectly. I was able to get a tight seal with the middle size included rubber tip and the sound isolation is unreal. There is no disruption from outside noise at all and with music playing I can’t hear anything. I have never seen isolation this good, just make sure you get a tight fit. One thing very important to point out is the nozel inserts. These iems come with three nozel inserts, bright (slightly geared toward higher frequencies), neutral (balanced), warm (slightly geared toward lower frequencies). When I got these I immediately changed them to the warm inserts based on reviews. It wasn’t very difficult to change them but definitely take your time and have an open work space. Shure’s directions are very detailed. Comfort: These are very comfortable and stay put in your ears. By comfort I don’t mean like pillows for your ears or forget you’re wear them sort of comfort but there is no pain or discomfort caused by them. I have worn them for hours with no issues. These do NOT need an amp. To be clear with a 9 ohm impedance (the lowest I’ve ever seen) you will likely damage your ears, your amp, and these iems trying to use an amp. Using an ipod, phone, or anything with a quality internal dac is all you need. The incredibly low impedance is the result of essentially a built in amplifier which pushes the 4 drivers incredibly well. Sound quality: Unreal, magical, pure bliss. To give a little background I am a studio headphones nut. I don’t claim to be an audiophile because there are people far more qualified to use that term than I am but I am an audio enthusiast and I have, for a very long time, loved headphones. My go to line of headphones is Sennhiesers HD line (600/650/700/800). These headphones have massive drivers, require a quality amp/dac setup/aftermarket cable, and are not portable but to me it is worth it for the unbelievable sound and soundstage they put out. I have never been a huge fan of iems or earbuds aside from convenience because they will never deliver the wide-open soundstage, layering, or detail that a pair of studio headphones will…. until now. The soundstage and layering of these iems is unbelievable. If you could not feel them in your ears you’d swear you had an open back pair of over ear headphones on. The spatial soundstage here is unreal. There isn’t a word to describe how large and spacious it is. There is so much open airiness to these and again the layering and separation, dreamlike. They are incredibly balanced, crystal clear treble, perfectly present mids and the bass. I am not a fan of bass heavy anything, the bass should be replicated naturally and not give you a headache. The bass here is deep, very detailed, and punches deeply when the song calls for it. Warm, beautiful, open. Not a detail is missed, nothing is rolled off, nothing is overemphasized. Even at low volumes these things project an insane amount. Unreal. The sound quality here is honestly like a 15/10. This may just be the first flawless sounding headphone I’ve ever heard. So is it worth the money? Well IMO it is well worth it if you love your music and are thoroughly dedicated about your headphones. It is a lot of money to spend and I heavily questioned buying these for awhile before I took the plunge and continued to question while I waited for them to come however I can safely say I have no regrets. They’re incredibly portable and more than driven by your portable device. No pair of headphones is worth going broke over but if you have the money I can’t imagine anyone not being thrilled with these. Hope this has helped anyone deciding on whether or not to buy these. Cheers.