Out of this list, I have only own the 840s, but I can vouch for their performance; I have yet to be disappointed by anything that I throw at them. I bought them as a supplement to my E500s (now broken, I have a pair of SE535s enroute currently!) Compared to the E500s, from what I can recall, the sound is a little different but pleasantly so. The roll off that I noticed in the E500's highs is definitely gone in the 840s, there is a nice twinkle in the treble. Base impact seems to be about the same, and the mids don't seem to be as full as the E500s were, but it's a nice change of pace to have a nice balanced spectrum, while still possessing the qualities that I love about the Shure sound.
They isolate very, very well. I have to play music at an absurd volume for them to start to leak sound. And in terms of durability these guys are built like a tank. I've been pretty rough on them (throwing them in my backpack as I bike and walk across campus, sleeping in them, couple of drops) for the past two years and these things don't even have a scratch on them. This is a very good quality that I think all general purpose headphones should possess.
I have used them un-amped for the majority of the two years that I have owned them and have been content with that and have not felt the need to upgrade. That said, I recently bought a modest NuForce uDac2 and the 840s responded phenomenally. Really, everything over the entire spectrum improved while amped. Is it needed? No, definitely not, but if you ever get the upgrade bug like I did, it's amazing how a small investment (I spent 50 dollars on the amp) can cure it.
The only qualm I could see people having with this phone is that it does look a tad goofy, there's a pressure spot on the top of the head due to an awkward headband design, it's rather heavy (truly, it's a tank), and the cable is coiled. They do sound a bit closed as well, but then again they are closed headphones.
I don't mind the goofiness of the headphones so much, I actually find it's a great conversation piece. I also don't mind the coiled cable so much either; it makes portability much easier than having to deal with a straight cable. I did experience the pressure point/heaviness that people have complained about though, but I will say that this did not really bother me and I got very used to it to the point where I don't even notice any discomfort after two years of use.
Nothing but praise for these. You can pick em up for $130, and they compete with headphones that can be had for $500, even better when you amp em! If I had the choice would I buy them again? Yes, I would. I should have my se535s by Friday if you want me to do a quick back and forth between the two.
Oh, another quick point. I listen to mostly soft rock/easy listening/acoustic/vocal centric music, but still very much enjoy the Shure sound just like you do.
hopes this helps, cheers!
