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HD 650 vs shure SRH1440

post #1 of 32
7/19/12 at 12:42pm
Thread Starter 

i dont think this comparison has been made before. They both open back and more or less in the same price range (HD 650 is $423 in amazon) so I wanted to see how both compare.

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post #2 of 32
7/19/12 at 12:55pm

I'm interested in that comparison too because in Canada HD650 are $523.99 at amazon but 1440 are only $400.00. I suspect 1440 might be too bright for my taste though and the 650 sound is what I really want.

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post #3 of 32
7/19/12 at 1:03pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Schonen View Post

I'm interested in that comparison too because in Canada HD650 are $523.99 at amazon but 1440 are only $400.00. I suspect 1440 might be too bright for my taste though and the 650 sound is what I really want.

What I find weird is that the impedance for srh1440 is 37 ohms while the impedance of the HD 650 is around 300. I really want to know how they both compare in SQ

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post #4 of 32
7/19/12 at 1:09pm

I've seen it said 1840 sound similar to HD600 but more detailed high end and I've seen it said that 1440 sound brighter than 1840.

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post #5 of 32
7/19/12 at 1:28pm
I have owned the HD600 and currently own the the 1440 and have auditioned the 650 several times. So will take a shot at this.

The HD650 is a warm to dark sounding headphone that can have a bit of veil in the midrange if not properly amped. The bass is deep but not particularly punchy. The treble is nice but I find it doesn't produce cymbals as accurately as I like, I find it to be a bit pingy.

SRH-1440 is warm to bright sounding headphone. It doesn't need an amp but will benefit from one. The mids are very clear and present and forward. The bass is not deep but is punchy and present. The treble is well extended and clear and does cymbals very well in my opinion.

The sound stage is similar on both.

The 1440 is slightly more comfortable in my opinion but both are comfortable. The HD650 is lighter.

The 1440 is more versatile due to it's lower reliance on a quality amp and is good for most music genres but is very detailed and can be aggressive for some people.

The HD650 will need a good amp to sound it's best but has a dark luxurious sound, some would find it's signature to laid back.

For me the 1440 is as close to perfect I have found.
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post #6 of 32
7/19/12 at 1:41pm
I have extensively reviewed the 1840 and 1440. The biggest difference between the is the midrange which is more forward in the 1440. Aside from this the 1840 has a bit more bass but they are close to equal in treble.

I found I ended up listening to the 1840 at louder volumes in order to hit my peak dynamic range which caused ear fatigue due to the added bass and treble. If you like low volume listening the 1440 sounds more alive at lower volumes, if you like high volume listening the 1840 won't be as aggressive for some. The 1840 benefits from a warm amp, in my case I used a cheap $75 tube amp to great effect.

The 1840 has the best constructed frame that is very light and rigid (no creaks or groans). But the 1440's more flexible frame may be more comfortable for many. I wish the 1840 had more padding on the headband.
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post #7 of 32
7/19/12 at 1:51pm

Thanks, still think 650 would be better for me because I want laid back and polite headphones.

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post #8 of 32
7/19/12 at 1:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by dweaver View Post

I have owned the HD600 and currently own the the 1440 and have auditioned the 650 several times. So will take a shot at this.
The HD650 is a warm to dark sounding headphone that can have a bit of veil in the midrange if not properly amped. The bass is deep but not particularly punchy. The treble is nice but I find it doesn't produce cymbals as accurately as I like, I find it to be a bit pingy.
SRH-1440 is warm to bright sounding headphone. It doesn't need an amp but will benefit from one. The mids are very clear and present and forward. The bass is not deep but is punchy and present. The treble is well extended and clear and does cymbals very well in my opinion.
The sound stage is similar on both.
The 1440 is slightly more comfortable in my opinion but both are comfortable. The HD650 is lighter.
The 1440 is more versatile due to it's lower reliance on a quality amp and is good for most music genres but is very detailed and can be aggressive for some people.
The HD650 will need a good amp to sound it's best but has a dark luxurious sound, some would find it's signature to laid back.
For me the 1440 is as close to perfect I have found.

Great comparison... The 1440 seems like a more exciting headphone while the HD 650 seems to have  a more refined sound. The 1440 seems like a winner for bass heavy party music but which headphone do you think is better for rock meaning in which headphone does the guitar, drums, and vocals sound better, clearer, and more "alive"?

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post #9 of 32
7/19/12 at 7:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by daniel521 View Post

Great comparison... The 1440 seems like a more exciting headphone while the HD 650 seems to have  a more refined sound. The 1440 seems like a winner for bass heavy party music but which headphone do you think is better for rock meaning in which headphone does the guitar, drums, and vocals sound better, clearer, and more "alive"?

1440 all the way, vocals are absolutely brilliant, as are guitars, and cymbals as well. I have a large repertoire of 70's and 80's rock including hard, psychodelic, and every thing in between and the 1440 does those particular genres well. The 650 in caparison would sound a bit to dark and laid back in my opinion.
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post #10 of 32
7/19/12 at 8:29pm

Try before you buy if you can. Any stores near or close enough to travel to that might carry at least one of the headphones? I have been a Grado user for years, moved to the Beyer sound, but I really like rock through the 650s. With that in mind, I like that the 650s can every so slightly soften a few edges as most rock is not very well recorded and while I like the sound of electric guitars, I find distortion fatiguing when it is always present and for me trully revealing headphones often let too much of what I don't like through. I find the 650 sound very appealing and truthfully, I really didn't think I would based on all the people calling them dark and laid back, which perhaps they are, but if so, then it is a great sound signature. I have my DT 880s if I need a little more fine detailing around the edges.

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post #11 of 32
8/16/12 at 9:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dweaver View Post


1440 all the way, vocals are absolutely brilliant, as are guitars, and cymbals as well. I have a large repertoire of 70's and 80's rock including hard, psychodelic, and every thing in between and the 1440 does those particular genres well. The 650 in caparison would sound a bit to dark and laid back in my opinion.

First off, you guys are REALLY helping me. So you're greatly appreciated.

 

So here's my question. You said the 1440 was better for rock than the 650. Would the same thing go for the 600?

 

Many many thanks you may have just solved my week long problem.

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post #12 of 32
8/16/12 at 4:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by thecansmancan View Post

First off, you guys are REALLY helping me. So you're greatly appreciated.

 

So here's my question. You said the 1440 was better for rock than the 650. Would the same thing go for the 600?

 

Many many thanks you may have just solved my week long problem.

Im also in doubt between the hd600 and the srh1440 ;)

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post #13 of 32
8/16/12 at 5:43pm

I think this kind of thing is hard to decide especially without a reference point. Some find the HD650s too dark, some think the SRH-1440s as too bright...tongue.gif.

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post #14 of 32
8/16/12 at 8:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by thecansmancan View Post

First off, you guys are REALLY helping me. So you're greatly appreciated.

So here's my question. You said the 1440 was better for rock than the 650. Would the same thing go for the 600?

Many many thanks you may have just solved my week long problem.
I owned my HD600 for several months and while I liked it, never felt fully connected to my music the 1440 on the other hand much more alive to me from vocals, to guitars, to drum kits.
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post #15 of 32
8/16/12 at 8:16pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by dweaver View Post


I owned my HD600 for several months and while I liked it, never felt fully connected to my music the 1440 on the other hand much more alive to me from vocals, to guitars, to drum kits.

have you tried the dalethorn mod? here's a link to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKo2FvzssLI

Its supposed to make the srh1440 a bit less bright and more like the srh1840. I might try it if I get the srh1440, for now I'm still deciding between the srh1440 and the hd600 ;)

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