Recently I did a lot of research into a new set of iPhone headphones for my new 3G iPhone, and decided on the Shure SE530, a decision I am extremely happy with.

Currently, iPod headphone enthusiasts seem to be in agreement that both the Shure SE series and Ultimate Ears brand are among the best iPod/iPhone headphones you can currently buy.

I previously had a set of the lower-end Shure SE210’s, and were very happy with them. However, the Shure SE530’s, in addition to the Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pro, are of special note because they are part of a new breed of earphone which contain 3 drivers - similar to a traditional speaker’s usage of a tweeter, midrange, and woofer. The result is a much fuller sound than traditional earphones which have a single driver, or two drivers, for obvious reasons.

I chose the Shure Series because Shure has a special system of interchangeable adapters - you can, for example, purchase the Shure MPA-3C Music Phone Adapter for the headphones for taking calls like the iPhone’s bundled earset. The Shure Series is also a more traditional and low-key black color, while the Ultimate Ears come in nontraditional colors, and also stick out a bit from the ear.

Among the only complaints of the Shure Series is that some have found that the cable connection to the earbuds can become fragile or frayed over time. Ultimate Ear users sometimes complain about comfort, although this seems to also be subject to personal preference. Both the Shure and Ultimate Ears earbuds are the type which much be fitted and fully inserted into the ear to work properly, and both include different sizes of adapters for proper fit. Concensus is that the Shure line is more accurate in its musical reproduction, while the Ultimate Ears do have some pleasing sound coloring, which some users have preferred.

On a recent trip on Metro-North, I can confirm that the Shure SE530’s do an excellent job of blocking out noise - perhaps as good if not better than some active noise-canceling headphones, and the sound is just extraordinary. In fact, I have converted some of my CD’s to Apple Lossless format, as the Shure SE530’s are so accurate that they can reveal suboptimal encoding even in some of my 192kbps MP3’s - something I would have never thought possible (not to my ears, at least).

I recommend that buyers thoroughly read the reviews of both the Shure and Ultimate Ears lines before deciding, as there are great arguments for both, and the Ultimate Ears are an excellent bargain.