Shure SRH1840 Headphones

Rating: 8.9
Sound: 8.9



Intro
The SRH1840 is in the end an open SRH1540, even though I can't tell if the hen or the egg was first. But in the end it doesn't matter, because SHURE manages the transformation in both directions.
For me, the SRH1840 is a very harmonic and coherent headphone that is convincing over the whole frequency band. Musical, always unobtrusive, detailed, authentic and balanced.



Handling
The SRH1840 shares the design with the SRH1540. Accordingly, it is one of the most comfortable headphones I have been allowed to test so far, even if there are still little things for me to achieve my personal comfort nirvana. For example, the velour pads could be a little bit thicker as well as the headband padding. Apart from that I am almost perfectly happy, also because of the secure hold, despite the low contact pressure and the weight.

You can't design a headphone much simpler and that's exactly what I like. Metal and plastic form a harmonious symbiosis without any big frills and splashes. The focus is unmistakably on the usability, which for me enhances a product more than gold-plated headbows.

In addition to the positive haptic impression, also regarding the workmanship, we receive a useful selection of accessories, like a second spare cable, a hardcover case, another pair of velour pads and an adapter to 6.3mm. The cable has a MMCX connector, which is rather unusual in the world of headphones and more common in the IEM universe. Unfortunately the connectors are a bit too far into the case, so I can't connect my own MMCX-IEM cables to the SRH1840, even if the connector would fit. So a quick changeover to a balanced operation would have been possible without investing money in an expensive special cable. A small downer.

Due to the poorer isolation caused by the construction, the SRH1840 is less suitable for noisy places at low volumes. It is also not the right companion in quiet environments, if other people should not be disturbed.



Sound
Bass
The bass of the SRH1840 is not only surprisingly present for an open headphone, it is also almost perfectly tuned. It has depth, texture and is more linear than the SRH1540. It retains the slightly softer touch, but sounds very natural and not too dry or sterile. It doesn't tend to droning and despite the slight speed limitation it can handle fast bass passages without having to give in. He also convinces me with his dynamics.

Mids
In contrast to the SRH1540, the SRH1840 sounds more airy and somewhat more harmonious in the mids. I can't make out the slight garishness of the SRH1540 here, since the open design also reduces the probability of disturbing resonances. The midrange of the SRH1840 is as soft as butter and sounds very homogeneous. The lower mids have a pleasant physicality, which is combined with a nice clarity in the upper range. Voices have a natural timbre in both genders and are equally present. I can't find any discrepancies in the instrumentation either, which makes the SRH1840 extremely versatile.

Trebles
The high frequencies were especially successful with the SRH1540 and they are also the same with the SRH1840. Here, they just don't stand out so positively, since the bass and the mids operate at the same high level, which makes the SRH1840 stand out from the SRH1540. The highs have a silky character with a mature variety of information and a transparent presentation. Sibilants are not noticeable and in general there are no limitations in audibility.

Stage
I wouldn't call the SRH1840 a stage monster, but as so often made clear in the review, it has an absolutely realistic extension in all directions for me, which again gives the SRH1840 the predicate "natural".

Imaging
The SRH1840 achieves a slightly better imaging performance compared to the SRH1540. The similarly inclined SENNHEISER HD6XX also has the disadvantage of separation, locatability and "3D illusion", which is also due to the more pronounced expansion and thus more level at both ends of the spectrum with the SRH1840. It is therefore not only an authentic, but also a technically mature headphone that can certainly attack higher price ranges.



Outro
I fell in love with the tonality of the SRH1840. Not only does it have a natural sound, but also a good extension at both ends and a very harmonious tuning.
In addition, the extraordinary wearing comfort, which is mainly due to the low total weight, but also the comfortable velour pads play a big part in it.

In terms of sound I wouldn't know in which field of application I could not imagine the SHR1840, even though the open construction means that there are obvious limitations in terms of isolation, especially if you care about your environment.

The SRH1840 is definitely not a headphone endgame, but it does a hell of a lot of things right and convinces with its simple design and authentic sound whenever it is needed.
Compared to the more midrange-oriented HD6XX, the SRH1840 sounds a bit fuller and more musical, with a more linear sound profile, but has great tonal similarities, even though the HD6XX appears slightly cooler and slimmer.

Thanks to SHURE for providing the test headphones.
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Just a joy to behold when one listens to all nine Beethoven Symphonies or Coldplay's 'Life in Technicolour'. Perfect for acoustic music, folk, indie, alternative and any music where hearing the lyrics clearly completes the audio enjoyment. 
 
Transparent, sharp, airy and most importantly pleasing. I give this headphones full marks in every department. 
 
This is the cream of the crop of indoor reference headphones that I own. My lusts for seeking the ultimate indoor headphones have ceased for the moment and hopefully for a long long time. 
 
I don't dream about the Sennheiser HD 800 anymore. 

 
My original review was too short, coz I didn't have time to write it,
but just want to give the rating to express how much I love this headphone.
It is probably the most expansive phone I have ever purchased, (and would not be the last....)
 
Outlook:
Simple but delicate design,
High quality metal on the frame,
MMCX connection hole suitable for most DIY or Upgrade cables,
Unbelievably light weight,
Feel almost nothing on the head,
Reasonable clamping force,
Open Can design is good for prolong usage without sweating the ears,
Extremely comfortable ear pads, like memory foam pillow on your ears.
 
 
Sound:
My Audio Setup
 
Foobar --> WASAPI --> Furutech Formula 2 USB cable --> Nuforce Icon HDP --> Labkable SRH1840 7N Super OCC Headphone Cable --> SRH1840 
(The Cable is claimed to have been "Burn-in" by Telos Audio Design's Quantum Burning Technology (QBT), I don't wanna explain too much, interested can check it out here, 
http://labkable.com/pages/QBT-%252d-%E6%B7%B1%E5%B1%A4%E9%87%8F%E5%AD%90%E7%86%9F%E5%8C%96%E6%8A%80%E8%A1%93-%7B47%7D-Quantum-Burning-Technology.html )
 
or
Colorfly Pocket HiFi C4 --> Labkable SRH1840 7N Super OCC Headphone Cable --> SRH1840
 
or 
Philips DVD963SA (SACD player) --> Nuforce Icon HDP --> Labkable SRH1840 7N Super OCC Headphone Cable 
 
 
Highs:
Listening to "Steven R. Rochlin THTST" 24bit 96kHz,
Track 1 "A Far Off Land" to Track 4 "Cymbal Climaxes"
The Chimes are very gentle, can feel that the highs are spreading with strong sense of direction.
The Decay is highly natural like silk fall on and slip of from skin.
The Cymbals used in the record are utterly smooth sounding.
 
It was kind of Edgy when I put on this SRH1840 the first day,
then I use the "Demo CD of Ultrasone" to Run the Headphone for 30 hours (for @ 5 hours, I stopped for 1 hour),
The Edgy Highs disappear.
Once I switched from Stock MMCX cable to Labkable Upgrade Cable,
Highs are more realistic, less hollow, removing the previous "Thin" feeling 
(won't cause your ears to feel dull after hrs of listening)
 
 
Mids:
Listening to "Terry Snyder & The All Stars - Persuasive Percussion SACD"
Very Dense, Dynamic, Vibrant and Rich with elegant texture,
 
Track 3 "Misirlou"
I can feel the rigid yet elastic sound of percussion instruments running around my head,
like a bouncy ball jumping everywhere. Besides, it shows the powerful separation and instrument positioning ability of  
SRH1840.
 
Listening to "Linn Records - kuniko plays reich" Studio Master 24bit 192kHz,
 
Tack 4 "Six Marimbas Counterpoint"
Kuniko is an expert and probably the best percussionist, 
The energetic yet poetic and versatile Marimba performance is fully revealed through the SRH1840,
I can feel the strong (but still controlled well) resonance of the resonators.
When Kuniko plays faster and faster in this track,
the soundscape is very clear without a bit of confusion, 
each resonated sound is defined and presented in high clarity and accurate manner.
 
Listening to "Rebecca Pidgeon - Spanish Harlem"
Every word, breath, and sound of swallowing and tongue movement can be felt.
Her voice becomes quite alive and full of emotion,
I love to listen to this song before sleeping...
 
 
Bass:
Listening to
"Ondekoza - Fugaku-Hyakkei"
"Babatunde Olatunji - Love Drum Talk"
"Deep Rumba - A Calm in the Fire of Dances"
 
I really don't know how to express,
I feel like I am at the front of the Performers or in the middle of them (like I am the one who is playing the drum).
The Immersive, bouncy, vigorous sound of drums make me believe that some one really playing them next to me,
Once I close my eyes, the whole scene of music is alive. 
It is not artificial or enhanced, if so, it can make my ears feel tired.
The Bass is not very strong and forceful like Beyerdynamic ( I audited it but didn't own one ),
it is sort of natural but not too subtle and totally appropriate.
 
3D:
It is excellent and completely enjoyable to use SRH1840 to watch Blu-ray movies,
e.g. TRON
I can hear the tron's motorcycle (light bike?) thrusting across me,
and when the light's tail broken like glass and shatters all over the floor,
[you need to have seen this movie to know what I am talking about]
I can feel how far and where the "Light" falls and slides on.
 
e.g Ironman 2
when Ironman and War Machine fighting each other,
the sound of metal crushing and sparks of fire and explosive are extraordinarily realistic.
while Ironman rockets and circles in the sky, I can feel the sound of air jet swirling above my head.
 
Coz, part of my job is machinist, I handle metals and hammer or drill them a lot,
I do remember what metal sounds like. 
(therefore, I love percussion...and play with hammer in the workbench at the time)
 
 
Soundstage:
Several feet by the sense of Left and Right,
A feet plus at the front or behind my head,
A feet plus up and down around my head,
Much better and solid soundstage than my Ultrasone Proline 650.
Sometimes when I listen to "Take Dake with Neptune ASIAN ROOTS",
I am confused that something in my room drops down from the shelf.
 
I can easily point out where the instruments are and count them at ease.
It is 4 times the soundstage of my Westone UM3XRC.
And they share the same accuracy,
but SRH1840's much wider soundstage makes everything easier to spot,
and imagine the whole scenario of music playing.
 
All in all,
Similar as most reviewers' comments,
SRH1840 is kind of neutral, high quality, versatile.
 
I believe it is (generally) the best at its price range,
Coz some people may want to have heavier bass.
 
With upgraded cable, proper burn-in and  great AMP/DAC,
I find it is very close to some legnedary $900 over-ear headphones I audited.
 
 
 
[ I owned Westone UM3XRC, V-Moda M80 & LP2, Ultrasone Proline 650 ]
[ Audited, Beyerdynamic DT1350, T70P, Denon AH-D7000 ]