I lost my 425 and thought this would be a good replacement. It is good, but the price difference is definitely not justified. And I preferred bass of 425 more. Oh well. Plus, the special "red" version cable is relatively flimsy and does not go behind your neck as in 425.

Asking me to tell you what the best headphones are is like asking WeRateDogs to pick its favorite canine. In both cases, there's far too much variety, diversity, and idiosyncratic charm to crown just one specimen as the very finest.

Splendid bass; Faultlessly realistic sound; Very light and comfortable to wear; Cable is resistant to tangling and replaceable

Transparency of the sound exposes poorly recorded music; Cost means you can't toss these around like any old pair of buds; Need good equipment to get the most out of them; No in-line microphone or remote on default cable

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

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.

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.

I have had several pairs of Shures over the years: always top quality sound but I have had some issues with reliability. They need to be treated with care.

The shure se535 are what you need if you're looking for a concert like sound from a pair of earphones.The fit is just perfect and they do come with a lot of accessories.The bass is very deep and crisp but not as to a level of fatigue inducing.Percussion and vocals are so lifelike that you will...

crisp bass; very profound vocals and great clarity

The highs could have been more clear

Shure's SE535V+BT1 earbuds may be prohibitively expensive, but their rich sound, repairability, and ability to be modified to meet your individual needs place them among the finest earphones we've had the opportunity to use.

Incredible sound quality; Thick cables prevent tangling and microphonics; Outstanding passive noise cancellation; Comfortable to wear for long listening sessions

Prohibitively expensive for most people; Reveal the flaws in low quality recordings and streaming music; More difficult to insert into ears than the competition

The SE535 is, on the whole, a better earphone than the outgoing SE530 model, but sets such as the Westone 4 are quick to point out its remaining deficiencies

Top-notch build quality; well-accessorized; performance improved over SE530

Detachable cable can be unwieldy

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.