The evaluation is based on the price but also on the fact that I am a fan of the Shure house sound as this is the first high-end universal I bought 3 years ago. Objectively evaluating, they are not the top iems in terms of technique at 400 euros. They lack in absolute detail compared to other balanced armature iems (Westone40) and they do not have the bass and the huge soundstage of dynamic iems like the Sony ex1000 (sadly no longer produced) or the Phonak pfe232. However, these se535 have many fans in the headfi community and not without reason.

Let's start with the lows. The bass is flat and has good extension, the bass tones are heard below 25Hz, meaning it is qualitative, tight, and has good control for its category (it doesn't interfere with other frequencies). The problem for me, having listened to the aforementioned iems (and having the ie800, se846), is that the bass is somewhat thin and lacks in quantity and dynamics. These are not iems for bassheads, although genres like trance/dance sound comfortable due to their musical character and the very good mids of the se535, you just wish for more in some songs. Nevertheless, the bass is quite clean and has a fast attack/decay, as they say in headfi.

The midrange is naturally the strongest point of the se535 and where the greatest emphasis of the music presentation has been given. The mids are musical, smooth, rich, and forward. This iem has been made for acoustic/jazz, rock. The vocals are clear and have a very musical tone that makes you feel like angels are whispering in your ear. The timbre of the instruments is reproduced with realism and dynamics, you will get addicted to hearing guitar strings and drums hitting. Just as I said before, they don't put every note under a microscope, but the weight has been given to a balance between musicality and detail. There are other headphones that are more transparent, clear in the 400 euro category, but they cannot combine the timbre of the instruments and the musicality of the Shure.

The high frequencies are clean, smooth, and non-fatiguing, but there is a treble roll-off, meaning that as soon as you reach a high point, the notes lose dynamics and detail, and the sound becomes somewhat dull. However, casual listeners may not give much importance to this as the company intentionally tuned them this way to avoid becoming tiring after hours of listening. There is also enough air and what audiophiles call treble sparkle so that the music has energy and musicality (this word characterizes the se535).

The soundstage is above average for the category, the width is quite good but it lacks somewhat in depth, the sound is not as three-dimensional as I would like, but rather flat (2D). The separation of instruments is very good, for example, in a symphony orchestra, you can hear and distinguish each instrument without getting confused, although the imaging/positioning is just good and not perfect. It has to do with the forward mids that have a prominent position compared to lows, highs, and somewhat disturb the balance on an absolute technical level.

In the end, the se535 is a pretty good option if you are a fan of the shure signature. They are quite musical without ever becoming boring, they have excellent mids but are not for those who love crazy bass or want to analyze the music under a microscope, but simply enjoy it. The build quality is very good and they are comfortable, as well as noise isolating, you wear them and you don't hear any external noise. If you buy them, the westone star tips are a must, they provide treble extension and improve the texture of the bass.

Other recommendations in this category that deserve special attention are the westone w40, dunu dn-2000j, jvc fx850, earsonics SM64, sony HBA-H3, FA-4 E XB - Rhapsody series, StageDiver SD-3.