# Portable Amp for Shure Se535



## ben201

Hey guys this is Ben
  This is my first time creating a new thread so understand if i make mistakes..
  I bought se535 and sold my um3x (cost me 100$)
  i use ipod touch 4g which i just got and i think i want a portable amp to go with...
  is portable amp necessary? also i was looking at RSA Mustang P-51 and Headamp Pico
  which would be better for se535/
  thank you
  -ben


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## durainello

It seems that the pico amp is more suitable for se535 for its mid.


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## ben201

is there any amps other than the two i named that are good with se535 like graham slee voyager or other amps that i do not know?


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## ben201

Quote: 





durainello said:


> It seems that the pico amp is more suitable for se535 for its mid.


 


  thanks for the reply this is my first thread and you are my first replier 
  thank you very much and i will consider that


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## MacedonianHero

I can confirm that they sound great straight out of my iPod and iPhone.
   
  They do improve with my Fiio E5. They do sound really good out of my iBasso D4...but then you loose portability.


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## ben201

Quote: 





macedonianhero said:


> I can confirm that they sound great straight out of my iPod and iPhone.
> 
> They do improve with my Fiio E5. They do sound really good out of my iBasso D4...but then you loose portability.


 


  thank you for your helpful reply
  i do not really care about portability unless its like 4,5 kilograms
  i really care about the sound more than anything


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## Bengkia369

Been using the Pico amp with the se535. The mids is just excellent!!!


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## ben201

Quote: 





bengkia369 said:


> Been using the Pico amp with the se535. The mids is just excellent!!!


 


  thank you for your reply 
  I cannot decide because everyone is saying differently


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## matunus

Quote: 





ben201 said:


> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 


 The experience is very subjective, so you will get different answers. A "popular" answer may not even be the best for you because you may prefer a different sound than others. It also depends on the type of music you listen to since it's a somewhat different experience listening to rap than classical.
   
  The best way is to actually listen to some combinations and see what you prefer. If there's a store near you where you can listen to different gear, great. If not, you can buy some new/used gear and see if it's good for you. If it is, you're set. If not, sell it and try something else.
   
  Good luck with your choice.
   
  cheers


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## htsource

I just picked up these in-ear phones yesterday, they sound great right out of iPhone/iPad.  I tried with my Cary Xciter headphone amp and DAC combo, unfortunately they sound pretty bad for some reason.  Is there such a thing as over driving with these in-ear phones?  Sounds very muddy, too much mids and just bad.  It also picked up a lot of background hisses.  When I hooked up my Sennheiser HD800 to the Cary amp, it sounds great.
   
  I was really hoping going through the Xciter would bring these Shure phones to another level.


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## MacedonianHero

Quote: 





htsource said:


> I just picked up these in-ear phones yesterday, they sound great right out of iPhone/iPad.  I tried with my Cary Xciter headphone amp and DAC combo, unfortunately they sound pretty bad for some reason.  Is there such a thing as over driving with these in-ear phones?  Sounds very muddy, too much mids and just bad.  It also picked up a lot of background hisses.  When I hooked up my Sennheiser HD800 to the Cary amp, it sounds great.
> 
> I was really hoping going through the Xciter would bring these Shure phones to another level.


 


  I would think WAY TOO MUCH POWER for IEMs. The Cary Xciter is also a full speaker amp and IEMs need way less juice.


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## deffend

I'm waiting for the Arrow amp myself to see how it would sound with my Se535 out of the Iphone4. Doubt the amp would be arriving anytime soon though.


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## Pindi

Hi,

Deffend; did you get the headstage arrow? I'm using se535s through an iPhone 4 and was thinking of buying the arrow. Does it help? I've always found the se535 (and 530s before them) to be lacking bass; how's the bass with the arrow?

Thanks


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## Pindi

bump


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## blitz-dice

+1 for pico, my friend has the 535 with ipod touch. Its sounds gret without an amp, and then i lend him my pico and upto now its still with him lol. He wants to buy it from me now haha.


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## hoboy456

My friend just bought a Shure SE535, he uses his SE handphone as the source (I forgot which one but it's the walkman series) he's asking me wether to buy a DAC/AMP or go for a Hifiman HM-602. Any opinion on this ? I told him better to go HM-602 just because it's pretty much PMP + AMP + DAC in 1 body and easy to be carried around.


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## hoboy456

Bumpo


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## bevano

Has anybody found a suitable amp for the Shures se535? I recently bought the SE535ltd and it seems to be lacking just a bit of bass. Also i read that some amps minimize or even cancel out the shures infamous hiss noise.


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## cjburr

@ bevano, make sure the foam buds are sealing your ear canal well. I changes buds to the rubber ear protection type and the bass went up considerably.

I'm also using the Shure SE535's and my Headstage Arrow should ship on the 10th of next month and my JDS Labs CMoy will be home when I get there.

I'll post my impressions when I get them.


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## randomosity

Anyone here knows how the 535s fares when amped with the RSA SR71A?


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## DarKen23

TTVJ Slim sounds amazing


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## InsideTM

Know this is an old thread but if anyone is still interested, I've recently brought an Arrow 4G for my bronze SE535's. There was never enough bass for me unamped and from reading around here I'd heard they were a bit lacking in treble. Treble at I and bass at II gives a major improvement and I've had serious love ins listening to several different albums and genres (Pearl Jam Vs and Calibre Condition for mellow Dnb).

I think the ability to tweak the sound for different genres, headphones and or moods will add more longevity and value to the amp. I would still like another setting with more bass boost but don't think I'd use this all the time if it was there.


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## Robgo

I just got some 535s. I've been looking at amps. Still uncertain. I was going to get a JBS labs c421 but didn't like the size. Saw the C&C BH but I'm not really into it. I guess I'll have to save a bit and get a PICO slim. It seems like the best choice for these.


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## Robgo

The 535 are much louder headphones than the 215s by Shure (surprisingly) They don't really need an amp w a phone source.


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## char0x

The 535s are very loud but definitely benifit from amping. even with an fii0 e6 it gives them more body and sound great on the eq2 setting.


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## Rosario

How about the Epiphany Acoustics EHP-02, of which you will find favourable reviews on Head-Fi.
  I am suggesting this amp as I myself am getting interested in it and might eventually buy it at some time in the near future.
  I already have the Electric Avenues PA2V2 and the Fiio 11, and I love them both, and am awaiting a Little-Bear B2 for evaluation.
  The Epiphany Acoustics EHP-02 got me interested in view of its strong build and electronics.


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## GrooveMeister

I have the digizoid ZO2.3, but through the 535's, there is a persistent hiss. So what would people recommend for an alternative that's around the same price as the ZO2.3 (~$100)? All I want is a fuller low-end for edm (not looking for neutrality).


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## pacman46

I just bought the 535 bronze yesterday and I've been using them with my alo continental v3 portable tube amp. I think so far the sound is incredible. Brings the bass up more and the highs. Makes the mids so sweet. So far I'm loving this combo. And everyone is complaining of a hissing noise with other amps. There is absolutely no hissing coming from this amp. Maybe I just can't hear if but there is none. This is IMO a very good amp for these. It really brings the 535 to life. There is a huge difference between the amp and without out IMO.


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## GrooveMeister

I bet they would sound sweet on the Alo amp. The only thing that is holding me back on an amp like the alo continental v3's is the price. Since I am a uni student, and money is harder to come by, I can't afford something that costs more than the iem itself. Any other suggestions?


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## pacman46

groovemeister said:


> I bet they would sound sweet on the Alo amp. The only thing that is holding me back on an amp like the alo continental v3's is the price. Since I am a uni student, and money is harder to come by, I can't afford something that costs more than the iem itself. Any other suggestions?


Yes your rite it is expensive. I had to save a while for it lol but yes it sounds really good with it. I'm not sure what other amp would sound good. I heard the c5 would sound good and I think it's only around 200 bucks. It's a solid state I think


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## GrooveMeister

pacman46 said:


> Yes your rite it is expensive. I had to save a while for it lol but yes it sounds really good with it. I'm not sure what other amp would sound good. I heard the c5 would sound good and I think it's only around 200 bucks. It's a solid state I think




Thanks for the suggestion! Will definitely look into it. Maybe save up for Christmas time sales....


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## Hermitt

It's been a couple years since I read this forum, but I still have my P-51 Mustang that I use with Shure SE530. I think I remember when Ray first develop the Mustang, he tuned the amp using Ultimate Ears and Shure E500 _(top of the line shure at the time)_ I have no regret pairing the Shure with the Mustang. I still use my old iRiver iHP-120 for source with portable rig. Geeze, it must be 6 or 7 years ago that I bought the Mustang. Still sounds like brand new!
  
 (edit: I also use the silicone 'triple-sleeve' type sleeves with my shures.)


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## purpleom

Hi, guys!

I want to order Theorem 720 DAC Headphone Amplifier (Copper). So I would really appreciate it if you could help me to find the answer to 3 questions.

1. Does Theorem 720 DAC Headphone Amplifier (Copper) bypass the iPod’s amp and dac?

2. Do I have to buy a line out dock (LOD) cable if I want to use 720 DAC Headphone Amplifier (Copper) with iPod Classic which has 30 pin connector or LOD cable is included in the package contents? What LOD cable can you recommend?

3. Will my Shure SE535 earphones sound good with Theorem?

Thx!


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## Quietsy

I am probably going to be burned at the stake but why would anyone buy an amp that costs twice the price of the headphones?
  
 At that price I would buy the shure se846.


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## justin w.

the headphones can be sold at far greater volumes than amps of similar quality (easily 100x as many pairs if not 1000x) so they can be sold at lower prices


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## singleended58

Shure Se535 and Leckerton UHA-6S mk2 are an excellent combination if you have a good source like dx5


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## singleended58

Dx50*


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## wickson

RSA shadow seems like another great option, pricey though. I will be buying one this week.


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## Mooses9

jds labs c5/c421


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## wickson

Pretty sure the c421 has an impedance of 10ohm, not suitable for the 535.
The c5 is .62, better choice.


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## Mooses9

wickson said:


> Pretty sure the c421 has an impedance of 10ohm, not suitable for the 535.
> The c5 is .62, better choice.


 
 well i used the c421 with my 535 no problem. same with the c5


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## wickson

mooses9 said:


> well i used the c421 with my 535 no problem. same with the c5


 
And the c421 didn't hiss?


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## Mooses9

wickson said:


> And the c421 didn't hiss?


 
 not that i noticed, i was using a lod and ipod with it, seemed fine to me...
  
 i prefer the c5 to the c421, however they are both good.
  
 now i use the rsa sr71-b and well its phenomenal with any iem.


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## wickson

I have never sampled the c421 or c5, just going by what I have read during my search for an amp. Spoke to Ray today and he recommended the shadow.
The sr-71b looks awesome, expensive though. 
Spoke to JDS too and was told the c5 was made for iem.


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## Mooses9

wickson said:


> I have never sampled the c421 or c5, just going by what I have read during my search for an amp. Spoke to Ray today and he recommended the shadow.
> *The sr-71b looks awesome, expensive though.*
> Spoke to JDS too and was told the c5 was made for iem.


 
 but very worth it, i havent found a portable amp that beats it, +21 hi gain, massive voltage swing, more than enough for on head over ear and iem's
  
 i have the ibasso pb2 thicker amp but very powerful, i like this amp too for the 535


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## youngrob

I use a JDS Labs C5D AMP+DAC with my bronze SE535s and it sounds brilliant, louder bass and clearer highs. Without the amp there was always a background hiss due to the 535s low impedance, this has gone now. I listen to music on my MBP using the DAC and on my HTC One using the AMP and it has improved the sound on both.


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## cronk

can someone please recommend amp for $100? i will buy se535 soon.


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## vkalia

For $100, you might as well drive the Shure SE535s unamped.  They are fairly easy to drive.


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## pacman46

vkalia said:


> For $100, you might as well drive the Shure SE535s unamped.  They are fairly easy to drive.


I agree. I'd just use them and save till you could spend a little more on a good amp. They sound really good unamped but with the rite amp they excel very well. I've had two pairs. One I've lost . Then one pair I traded. And regretted. So this time I bought the red unlimited 535 and this time they ain't going anywhere lol absoultly love them. I'm driving them with my ipod classic and a continental v3 headphone amp and it's just bliss. So ya use them unamped till he can save a little more and get a half decent amp. You will not be dissapointed


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## _j_

Hi. Been a while since on these forums.
  
 I have some SE535s coming in the mail soon as replacement for my SE530s that finally died last week. (Thank you Shure replacement program)
 Based on reading HeadFI again for the first time in years, I see not much has changed with the SE535s (compared to SE530).
  
 I agree with both points that the SE530s sounded awesome either plugged directly into the source, as well as, sound simply amazing with a low powered amp.
 What I like is that an amp is not necessary to enjoy these phones, but when you add an amp they really shine.
  
crank, For pairing the amps, I always focused on good sound, value and portability, maybe I can offer suggestions?
  (Unfortunately, my gear is a little outdated, so you may need to find updated versions of these products, but IIRC they really weren't that expensive)
  
 - iBasso P2 - Not good for on the go due to size, but great for walking around the house. Multiple gain settings and bass levels for your mood and music. 
 - iBasso T2 - Super portable with gain and bass settings for lots of options. 
 - Xin SuperMicro IV - Super-duper portable. Amazing sound. Lush bass. Great separation. 
 - FiiO E5 - Super-duper portable. Fuller sound than direct. Bass-boost switch if you fancy.


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## Robgo

The HRT Microstreamer is nice. Very detailed and clear DAC/AMP but very full and powerful sounding as well. It's the best amp I've used so far and prefer it by a large margin to FiiO or Nuforce products I've tried.


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## pacman46

I've listened to a few amps some lower level amps and higher end amps. And I've had the continental v3 headphone amp for about a year now and I wouldn't change it for anything IMO. And it is my baby. lol it is very clean and detailed. And very powerful. The 535 doesn't need a amp really sounds good without one. But they excel very well with a good amp. The v3 is on the expensive side of things though but I think was well worth it. I don't think that they are making the v3 rite now though do to the lack of tubes. So I have heard. Does this tube amp sound like a tube amp being having that warm sound ?? Yes and no. I don't think it's as bright as a solid state but not as warm as your normal tube amp would. I just find kg very clean. Quit on the neutral side of things. It actually might had a little bump in the bass region. But very little. Just a beautiful amp all around. Of course this is just my opinion.


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## cronk

vkalia said:


> For $100, you might as well drive the Shure SE535s unamped.  They are fairly easy to drive.


 
 Thank you.  I tried 535 out of laptop.  It sounds better than I imagined.


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## kgnelson303

I spent a day listening to dozens of portable DAC;s at the Rocky MTN Audio show last fall.  Took my SE-535's and 16 bit audio on my Iphone 5 and listened and listened to what there was to offer .. as they had a complete room devoted to portable audio. I picked up the CEntrace HiFi-M8 as the best combination with my Shure's.  They have the Apple license that allows digital extraction .. so you bypass the iPhone all together.


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## leddra2k

Well I've tried my E12 with my 535 and it completely destroys the sound through my iPhone 5s it sounds horrible! Muffled like hell! To much power! Just charging up my E5 & E6 as this should give that tad more bass I want delivered to the 535 with the EQ. Will be interesting to see how they sound when my Baldur MK3's turn up too!


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## leddra2k

Well I must say that the Fiio E6 on eq2 fits perfectly with the 535's just adds that little bass to your tunes, songs sound a little warmer. The E12 killed the sound but a real cheap E6 rocks it! Looking forward to seeing what it sound like with the Baldur MK3 when that turns up in the post


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## singleended58

purpleom said:


> Hi, guys!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I got a chance to listen to iPhone 4S+ Theorem 720+ SE535 and love this combination. I do not pay attention about the hiss but it produces a very revealing music with enough bass.


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## singleended58

singleended58 said:


> I got a chance to listen to iPhone 4S+ Theorem 720+ SE535 and love this combination. I do not pay attention about the hiss but it produces a very revealing music with enough bass.



To answer your questions:
1) I think so
2) I use the already included LOD of the Theorem 720
3) Definitely


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