[skyline315]

I'm very curious about how these compare to the DT880s.
 
I own the SRH940s and DT880s.  When I first got my Beyers, I was slightly disappointed because they felt a little too muddy/heavy to me, which isn't surprising considering I came from listening to the 940s exclusively for several months.  Now that I've spent a few months with the 880s, I've found that I enjoy them quite a bit.  I don't know whether it's due to burn-in or simply adjusting to the sound, but the detail seems better to me and they've really started to come alive. They're quite different in sound from the 940s, but I've come to appreciate them both (940s at work and 880s at home).
 
Any idea where the 1440/1840s would fit into this?

 

[TheWuss]

well, in my honest and uncensored opinon, the treble of the beyer DT series is just unacceptable for a $300 headphone.
 
the new open shures, while on the brighter side, have treble that out-performs the DT880 with ease.
 
The beyers, from memory, may be a tad more detailed, and have a slightly lower noise floor (blacker background).
but, the Shures are more musical, have better imaging, and have a very clean top end.
 
to know for sure if you'll like them (as i've learned the hard way in this hobby), you just gotta hear them for yourself.

 

[dweaver]

^^ In regards to the 880 question I defer to someone with actual experience with both headphones...
 
I am glad to see I am not hearing these as differently to others as i initially thought.
 
I am getting to the point where I don't like my other headphones as much though, especially my IEM's LOL.

 

[dweaver]

Wow I joked about not liking my IEM's but I actually am starting to just not be happy with the sound I am getting from my IEM's in comparison to my full size headphones especially the SRH-1440's. I picked up a new pair of IEM's from a company called Rockit called the R-50, they use a very common and popular TWFK BA configuration and while there is nothing wrong with the IEM it just sounds dead in comparison to the 1440's. The 1440 has such a good level of detail which is usually what I like about a good IEM but then so much more than any IEM or portable headphone I have heard or owned I am just struggling to like anything else.

 

[the fool]

I just bought SRH1840 from earphone solutions last week, still has not arrived yet, thinking to contribute my part in this thread. I was thinking which should i buy, 1840 or 1440, then i decide since this is my first shure earphone, just get the flagship.

 

[elfary]

Quote:

Personally I would take the SRH-1840 over the HD650 in a heart beat unless you have already spent a lot of money on a quality amp. If you have not spent the money on an amp the SRH-1840 will not require as significant invenstment on that front which will justify the difference in cost easily.
 
The HD650 is by it's nature a darker sounding headphone than the SRH-1840 (the HD650 is darker sounding than the HD600 as well). This sound is great for some music and some people really love the signature. If you want a dark warm sound then get the HD650. But if your wanting something more neutral then I recommend the SRH-1840. Secondly both the Sennheiser HD600 and HD650 have a similar sounding treble that reproduces instruments like cymbals very differently from the all the Shure products. I find the Senn products have more of a ping quality to their cymbals as compared to a crash and sizzle quality produced by the Shure headphones. I prefer the crash and siazzle as it sounds more natural to my ears. But again some people love the Sennheiser sound in this area so it will depend.
 
Soundstage will be good on both brands.
 
Build wise it's a toss up but I think the Shure will be lighter.
 
Comfort wise it's again a toss up.
 
BTW I see more posts talking about the difference in sound of the HD650 and YES there is a significant difference in sound. Again as I stated above the HD650 is a darker warm sounding headphone. The SRH-1840 will be much more neutral with a slight tilt in treble.

 
Till this moment i've only been into iems (due to my lifestyle). Right now i'm thinking about getting some full size headphones. Thus i was wondering about the "drivability" of the Shure line (volume wise).
 
Right my gear is an iPhone 4S and an iPod Classic 7G plus an iBasso T3 amp. How would the Shures might cope with these sources ?.

 

[dweaver]

I use my Shure's straight from my iPhone and from a small portable amp similarvtonyour ibasso, and from a small desktop amp. They work a bit better from each successively better amp but are not bad at from any of them. I actually use my iPhone by itself a lot.

Which IEM's do you use? I might be able to make a recommendation based on what your listening to.

 

[elfary]

Thanks for the info.
 
My iems are: Westone UM3x and Shure SE420.
 
Quite different ones but i tend to prefer the UM3x warmth since the SE420 are very demanding on the recordings and loudness wars tinged albums sound far better with the UM3x (which is more forgiving in my view).
 
Furthermore along the years i've discovered that even if in speaker setups i strive for flatness in the headphone realm i like a slight emphasis on the bass area to make up for the lack of the visceral impact that speakers provide. But just a mild and slight emphasis not the kind of emphasis Sennheiser IE8 brings.

 

[dweaver]

Unfortunately I have not heard either of those IEM's but I suspect you would prefer the SRH-1840 over the 1440 based on your IEM preferences. The 1840 is more balanced which is the same with the UM3X if I remember reading correctly. But since IEM's are such different beast from headphones if it's possible for you to hear both at a store it would be better.

 

[miow]

dweaver, do you think that the SRH940's bi-amped (Fiio E11 + ZO2) would satisfy a bass-head? I know they are very bass-light, but as you know the ZO2 acts as a subwoofer, its basically the best bass booster amp available and the FiiO E11 at EQ2/High Gain/High Voltage, gives a very good bass boost as well. I'm really curious about all that micro-detail and instrument separation/3D presentation. 

 

[dweaver]

That's a tough one to call. I have been reading the HP700 thread and it sounds like you really like your bass so I am inclined to think you won't be able to bring the bass up to a satisfactory level but there is really only one way to know for sure and that is to try.

 

[miow]

And the 1440's as I just got a great deal for them? Do these have a bit more bass than the 940's?

 

[dweaver]

I think the 1440 have a bit more bass emphasis. Personally I am preferring them more than the 940, so if you got a good deal and are OK with an open HP I would say go for it.

 

[BrainFood]

I find the 1440's to be bassier than the 1840's were from memory.  That was audible within one second of my first listen and brought an instant smile to my face 

.
 
Having said that, I still feel the need to utilise the analogue bass boost of my DP-1 a lot of the time, especially for streaming TV, which tends to be a bit thin-sounding. Whether or not the 1440's have enough bass presence will be down to personal taste. I do like a full response, it has to be said.
 
Driven by the DP-1, the 1440's have great clarity and a very alive, spacious and out of head sound that makes it seem as if the performers are in the same room. They also really live up to Shure's description as being 'Designed for mastering and critical listening' due to their delightfully open midrange.  I clearly find the 1440's more engaging than the 1840 (from memory), as they breathe life into everything I throw at them, be it internet audio, FM radio- you name it.
 
On the downside, yes they can sound slightly harsh on occasion but I'm not sure yet how much this is simply exposing source material.  And in sounding so incredibly clean (like a highly resolving 2-way speaker), they can also sound sterile or clinical.
 
On balance though, these cans offer something if not unique, then refreshingly different to the norm.  In my books, that makes them worth having, especially for the price! 

 .
 
NB. These early fifth day musings are subject to revision over the coming weeks and months, as this is what is often needed to get the full measure of an item, IME..

.

 

[dweaver]

Excellent impressions Brainfood, it sounds like your also hearing these in a very similar way to me. I still have the 1840 on hand and in direct comparison the bass is a bit louder (midbass wise) with the 1440 but not enough to be a "midbass hump" which I dislike, but just enough to enhance the sound scape. To me that may be the best way to describe this headphone as a whole as almost all elements are just slightly "more" than normal. For some this will just come across as aggressive but for me it just sounds REALLY GOOD.