When using Shure E500, I hear very faint static noise--does anyone else?

[lithe1]

I have recently started using the Shure E500PTH earphones and I must say that it is one of the best investments I have ever made. It is definitely a stark contrast with what I was using before (Sony MDR-EX71).

However, one thing that I have noticed is that when I plug it into my iPod Video 5G, before I even start playing any songs, there is a very faint static sound. It's constant and does not vary in any way. I never heard this noise while using my old Sony earphones. Does anyone else with the same setup hear the static that I am talking about? Or is there an issue with my iPod?

I'm currently using the yellow foam tips for my E500's as they provide the best seal and sound, and I am not using the PTH device. I'm using the latest bios and I've been listening to lossless and MP3 formats. I also tested the earphones on a CD player to see if the Shures might be the problem but it wasn't and actually sounded slightly better than the iPod.

Anyway, if anyone else has been using the Shure E500 with an iPod Video 5G, can you please let me know if you hear a very faint static sound while the phones are plugged in? Thanks.

[mnhnhyouh]

I use the E500 on a 60Gb 5G iPod, and do hear a tiny bit of white noise. But it is much less than when I use other DAPs.

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[Bob]

Yeah - I have the faint hiss as well. I assume it is "system noise" and I can hear it faintly with other 'phones as well.

[ahMEmon]

Just like how a large screen Hi-Def TV emphasizes ALL of the artifacts in a normal cable signal that was more than acceptable on a normal Television, Hi quality headphones such as yours, though they sound phenominal, are also really sensitive and pick up every subtle sound, distortion and static made by regular electronic devices that regular headphones won't.

My Sennheiser CX300 earbuds are the best earbuds (to date) that I have ever used, but they seem to pick up a slight hiss from my iPod whenever it's turned on. The earbud's sound quality is fantastic, so i've just accepted it as a trade-off.

[Caorach]

All electronic systems produce noise and the output stages in your iPod are no exception. Although this noise is usually fairly evenly spread across the frequency range (white noise) it tends to sound like a hiss or static in your ears.

Now I have no direct experience of the earphones you mention but not all earphones (probably not any in the real world) have a flat frequency response and so some make this hiss more easily heard than others. It is also possible that the earphones are actually more sensitive, able to produce more sound for a given volume level setting on your iPod, than those you had before and so just as the music will sound louder so will the electrical/thermal noise. Another possibility is that your new earphones are cutting out more of the external noise and so you are better able to hear the low level hiss produced by your iPod.

The CX300s, which got a mention, would appear to have a little "presence peak" in their frequency response and so in my experience they tend to highlight any noise presented at their input, they would certainly sound a little more noisy than the EX71s for example.

With this in mind I would guess that what you are hearing is totally normal and the fact that you are only noticing it now is related to your changing to earphones that are more sensitive, have more isolation or have a different frequency response to your previous pair. It is possible that what you are hearing is a combination of all 3 things mentioned plus several that I haven't even thought about.

[Jokieman]

I have recently started using the Shure E500PTH earphones and I must say that it is one of the best investments I have ever made. It is definitely a stark contrast with what I was using before (Sony MDR-EX71).

However, one thing that I have noticed is that when I plug it into my iPod Video 5G, before I even start playing any songs, there is a very faint static sound. It's constant and does not vary in any way. I never heard this noise while using my old Sony earphones. Does anyone else with the same setup hear the static that I am talking about? Or is there an issue with my iPod?

I'm currently using the yellow foam tips for my E500's as they provide the best seal and sound, and I am not using the PTH device. I'm using the latest bios and I've been listening to lossless and MP3 formats. I also tested the earphones on a CD player to see if the Shures might be the problem but it wasn't and actually sounded slightly better than the iPod.

Anyway, if anyone else has been using the Shure E500 with an iPod Video 5G, can you please let me know if you hear a very faint static sound while the phones are plugged in? Thanks.


Anytime you are dealing with phones that have a sensitivity of 105dB or higher, you're probably going to get that background hiss (with the iPod). I've been told that MP3Gain'ing your music to a lower decibel level will make the issue less noticeable, but I know an in-line volume attenuator or a low-gain micro-amp will fix the problem.

[lithe1]

Thanks for the information. I'm pretty sure the 'white noise' is from what everyone has described. It'll just be a trade-off that I am to settle with for having nice earphones. Thanks again.

[ahMEmon]

You think the white noise on the 5G iPod is bad? Before I got my 5G, i had a 30 gig iPod Photo that had a HORRIBLE hiss, plus what sounded like static caused from the iPod accessing the hard drive!

[Petter82]

Rockbox drastically lowers the white noise, it's a must for those low-impedance IEMs.