Shure SE420-K Sound Isolating Earphones (Black)

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Price: $399.98   

Product Feature

• Dual speakers for deeper bass and spaciousness
• Dual TruAcoustic MicroSpeakers: Dedicated Tweeter and Woofer
• Sound Isolation Technology reduces background noise better than noise-cancelling headphones, without batteries or added hiss
• Premium Fit Kit including a selection of interchangeable sleeves for personalized, comfortable fit; 3' extension cable; premium carrying case
• Modular Cable Design lets users choose different cable lengths to suit different music player locations (armband, pocket etc.)

Product Description

Heart-pounding performance featuring Dual TruAcoustic MicroSpeakers, the SE420 uses a dedicated tweeter and woofer to provide a detailed sound stage. Lows, mids, and highs are distinct and defined for accurate reproduction of all the details of your music.

Shure SE420-K Sound Isolating Earphones (Black) Review

Update: After a little less than 2 years of regular use, the wiring inside the cable next to the jack broke. I lost good stereo and starting getting crackles. I soon couldn't hear anything.

Luckily, they were still within the 2 year warranty. I sent them in and Shure sent me a pair of Shure SE425-V Dual High-Definition MicroDriver Earphone with Detachable Cable (Metallic Silver).

These new headphones sound identical to the Shure SE 420s but are designed better. The jack insertion now has a 90 degree flexible bend that will hopefully extend the wiring's lifetime. The earphones themselves are detachable in case the cord needs to be replaced later.

Most importantly, for me, the fit is better. I have curvy, small ear canals that must be a bit anatomically strange because they constantly get plugged with wax. However, the SE425's earphones are shaped such that they reach to the back of my pinna and fit within a groove that keeps them snug. Note, though, that I have to use the large, foam sleeves to achieve this effect and that my ears are not particularly large (I am 5'8").

I am happy with my service from Shure and happy with the SE425s. I am just a bit lucky that I was still within warranty.

Preface: I am a medical scientist and performed a scientific comparison (as best I could) of the SE310, SE420, and SE530 Shure earphones. I used an iPod Touch 3G, playing mp3s encoded at 256 mbps. I listened to various types of music, including classical (Mendelssohn), pop (Lady Gaga), rock (Rodrigo y Gabriela), and "alternative" (Regina Spektor).

Analysis:
Comfort - This is an under-appreciated quality of earphones because - no matter how good a pair sounds - comfort will always get you in the end. The SE530s and SE420s are more comfortable than the SE320s. I'm not sure why this is, but it is probably a combination of factors. One, the actual plastic tubes that the sound comes out of are larger in the SE420s and 530s, making them less "pokey" when placing them in your ears. Two, though the SE310s are smaller and lighter, the do not nestle into the ear as well and thus the fit is less secure.

Style - Try to get the black earphones of any of these models as they are less bright than the white models. Because the SE310s don't fit as well, they stick out from the ears and look a little silly. The SE530s and 420s are more natural shapes, and fit in the ear a little more nicely (though they are large and still quite visible). The 530s have a plastic bronze exterior that may or may not please you.

Sound - You may think that this is the most important category, and it probably technically is. But I have a Southpark-esque truth to tell: The difference in sound between the SE310s and the trice-as-expensive SE530s is minimal. Yes, the SE530s have THREE "microspeakers" with two dedicated "woofers". However, these woofers are not meant to increase bass. They are only meant to give a more accurate representation of bass (i.e. each speaker tiny speaker does not have to handle the entirety of the bass output). This means less distortion on the low end. However, I was not able to detect a difference between the SE420s and 530s in terms of bass distortion or richness.

Soundstage was the major differentiating factor between the three models. The upper two models had more soundstage (i.e. the sounds of a complexly-produced album (e.g. 11:11 by Rodrigo y Gabriela) sound like they are coming from multiple directions and distances, making the listening experience very interesting and rich). I vigorously compared the SE530s and 420s and could detect differences, but my preference for which was BETTER was inconsistent. That is, sometimes the SE530s sounded better and sometimes the SE420s sounded better.

Hiss on mp3 players and my computer was a problem with the SE530s. I tested them using my Acer laptop, my Sansa Fuze mp3 player, and my iPod touch 3G. Each of those output devices created a very audible hiss in the SE530s. This is a major problem if you plan to listen to music as low decibel levels to save your hearing (which is, I think, one of the major advantages of noise-isolating earphones such as these). The audible hiss is due to the unnecessarily high sensitivity of the SE530s. Others have had this problem (see: [..]). The hiss was attenuated in the SE420s and almost gone in the SE310s. The only solution is to use the in-line attenuator supplied with the SE420s and 530s with the volume on the mp3 player turned up and the attenuator turned down. These is no reduction in sound quality with use of the attenuator.

Noise Isolation - Isolation was similarly excellent in all three models. This is perhaps my favorite feature of the Shure line and what makes them my earphone of choice. The SE530s come with a push-to-hear in-line microphone. This seems to be a useful feature when you find you can't hear your friends' words when you are playing music with these earphones in. However, the push-to-hear mechanism is bulky and irritating to use. You will most likely rarely use it if you get it. Also, in order to hear the external world, simply pause your music. Your ears adjust to lower decibel levels (the stapedius muscle - wiki it) with these earphones in and are quite sensitive to outside sounds without music playing.

Conclusion:
One of the popular reviews of the SE530s states that a comparison of the SE420s and 530s is wise considering the price difference. I did that comparison and concluded that the SE530s are NOT superior. Perhaps for an highly trained ear, there are consistent differences. But I would contend that just because there are differences doesn't meant that the SE530s are preferable. However, the SE530s are considerably more expensive and I suspect that they are quite a profit center for Shure (i.e. they don't cost that much more to make but are able to pull in people who "just want the best").

The SE310s are excellent and I highly recommend them. I ultimately stuck with the SE420s because of their greater comfort and soundstage - but those differences were quite marginal.

If you don't believe that the differences in sound are marginal, try buying all three models, doing a scientific comparison, and returning the two losers.

I highly recommend the SE420s. They provide incredible sound quality, comfort, and noise isolation. They will save your hearing while allowing you to appreciate the sweet details of your music that you have been missing out on!

If you have enjoyed my review, please click the button right below this indicating that it has been helpful. Thanks!

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