We reckon the Shure SE535s are the best sound-isolating headphones on the market. They're extremely pricey but they're absolutely worth the money for audiophiles. If you're strapped for cash, you might consider chasing down a pair of the older SE530s, which are now available for around £250.

Incredible sound quality; Comfortable; Replaceable cable; Plenty of accessories included

Extremely pricey; Over-the-ear form factor won't be to everyone's tastes

Way back in 2007, we reviewed the extremely classy, supremely gorgeous Shure SE530 noise-isolating headphones. By golly, did we love 'em. Now Shure's unleashed the SE535s, high-end sound-isolating earbuds that will set you back �450. That's right: four hundred and fifty of your finest sterling. The main improvement over the SE530s is the detachable cable for each earbud, which makes replacing the cables dead simple. But is that enough to keep Shure's earphones on top of the audio pile?

The Shure SE535s may well cause your wallet to spontaneously combust, but they offer top-flight sound quality and are comfortable to wear

Incredible sound quality; comfortable; replaceable cable; plenty of accessories included.

Extremely pricey; over-the-ear form factor won't be to everyone's tastes.

With apologies to Shure, the SE535 earphones don't really need to exist. Frankly, the outgoing model which this upgrade replaces, the SE530 earphones, in turn an update to the E500PTH earphones, which have been with us for nigh four years now, were good enough.

Shure's most expensive earphones yet, the Shure SE535s buds, trump the world-famous Shure SE530s, which are already seen by many audio nuts as the best earphones in the world.

Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this? ) This review is from: Shure SE535-CL Triple High-Definition MicroDriver Earphone with Detachable Cable (Clear) (Electronics) I had a serious problem getting these to fit. My ears were killing me by the time I sent them back. However; the sound is awesome.

If you polled a group of high-end headphone aficionados to ask which universal-fit in-ear headphones they regarded most highly as performance icons, I'm betting that Shure's venerable SE530 would appear near the top of the list.

The SE535s are a good, durable set of in-ears. They're stupidly expensive at $500, though.

The Shure SE535 earphones are a study in contrasts between frustration and nirvana. Boy, this wide-open gap in opinion is going to need some explaining. Shure is one of the better known headphone/earphone companies around, so when they announce a new model, it's news.

Really good sound; Removable cables; Good selection of add-ons; Little to no microphonics

Really high price; Not the most comfortable earphones at this price

These in-ear headphones from Shure have been gracing my shell-likes of late, and they are some of the best on the market. They replace Shure's 530 model, which has been around for a few years now – the best testament to a great product.

There are three types of earphones; those that look good, those that sound good, and those that look and sound awful. The Shure SE535 earphones sit firmly in the second category. Stylish and good-looking they are not, but they do sound utterly fantastic. At ￡350 they're certainly not cheap.