[SamDobson]

Hi,
Im fairly tight on money atm and would really like a good pair of headphones,
I am looking at the:

Shure SRH440 at $85
Shure SRH840 at $150
Audio Technica ATH-M50 at $100

I would like to know what is the best value for money and sound quality.

Thanks

 

[brendon]

Where are you from ? Did you try auditioning the headphones ? Your best bet would be to hear your shortlisted headphones yourself to see which cans you like.

Also try to mention as much as possible about your needs. Think of the knowledgeable members here as doctors. If they do not mention much about your issue they could misdiagnose and recommend you something you dont like !

If you provide them all the necessary details then they will recommend the best medicine (headphone) for you.

So mention your tastes in music. Headphones that you like and want a similar sound to those headphones ? bass head ? Soundstage freak ? Cold analytical sound fanatic ?

Give some more details !!!!

 

[3DCadman]

The word around here about the 2 Shures seems to be go for the 440 if you don't intend to use an amp. I haven't heard any of them yet, but I'm in the same boat as you looking between the Shures.

Try searching on this subject. There has been a TON of discussion here lately.

 

[SamDobson]

I live in Australia and there is no place i can go and test them.
I listen mostley to Hip-Hop and Techno-Electronic.
Im fairly new to high end headphones (hi end as in more than $15 earbuds)
Im also going to be using the unamped

 

[crowley]

The 440's don't need an amp

 

[crowley]

The 840's IMO do a good job even without an amp, but they do really shine with one. I use them without an amp (as soon as i can get one) but i never regretted my choice. They have more extended bass than the 440's and slightly (really close) better detail.
I have not tried the AT's.

 

[widge34]

I have the Shure 440's. They are fantastic. Although i havn't listened to the 840's so can't compare. But from what i have read the 440's are better value for money.

 

[SpoolinEclipse]

Hello,

I've tested both the SRH 840, and Audio Technica M-50:

SRH 840 is way more balanced all around in the sound, nothing is too high or low, what you get is a great balanced rich sound with excellent mids.

The Audio Technicas have more bass impact, and a brighter high/treble area. They sound good as well, but not nearly as balanced as the shures - so it depends on your listening tastes here.

I preffered the Shure SRH840's, everything was just more balanced. It's a shame you can't compare them because its not an easy decision to make. If you prefer a more balanced sound - I would go for the Shure SRH840's

If you are looking for more of a bass impact on the closed phone then the Audio technicas may be the better route. While the Shures do have some nice bass, the M-50 does impact harder. So if you consider yourself a basshead its just worthy to note that.

 

[bigmandan]

I have recently purchased the shr440's ($119 Canadian) and I think they are amazing. These are my first "real" headphones though. I had the chance to compare these to some Sony MDR-V900's and I think the 440's sound better overall. I also have a pair of mdr-v300 and thats what I have been used to for the last few years.

I use my Sony PSP and my computer with these headphones and I have not noticed any issues with volume or quality.

I listen to a little bit of everything, but mostly trance, hardcore, pop, rock and jazz.

One thing I don't like about the headphones... it showed me how crap my mp3's are haha.... time to re-rip and find better versions!

 

[Merdril]

I've only used the Shure SRH440's, but seeing as you left so little information about them, I can't help you much except for some recommendations. If you value bass in your songs, look elsewhere. There are other ~$90 headphones that have much better bass than these headphones that also do not degrade sound quality in the trebles and highs. If you like trebles and highs, these headphones will treat you right. But if you want them mainly for playing games, look elsewhere for headphones because the SRH440 sounds like $5 earbuds without equalization or amp'ing.

 

[bigmandan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merdril /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've only used the Shure SRH440's, but seeing as you left so little information about them, I can't help you much except for some recommendations. If you value bass in your songs, look elsewhere. There are other ~$90 headphones that have much better bass than these headphones that also do not degrade sound quality in the trebles and highs. If you like trebles and highs, these headphones will treat you right. But if you want them mainly for playing games, look elsewhere for headphones because the SRH440 sounds like $5 earbuds without equalization or amp'ing.

I find that I get very good bass response without EQ or amp'ing. These cans are not bass monsters or anything, but the quality is there, thats for sure. Mids and highs sound very good too.

 

[Stevie114]

So some people are saying that there is no bass, and others are saying the opposite.. so can anyone confirm whether the 440's would sound good with an itouch 2g, and i dont want the bass to blow my brains out my nose, just want to be able to hear the lows and for it not to be distorted.
also can anyone confirm how good the sound isolation is please? I dont really care whether it is the exact amount, but just like an average db please.
Finally, do they leak a lot?
Thanks!

 

[Sambones]

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Headphone.com is your friend if you want objective data.

FWIR, the 840's are definitely better than the M50's, but for 50% more...that's a tough choice to make. If it helps, I would go for the 840, but that's me personally. Just think about it as skipping 10 lunches to make up for it. ^__~ who needs food, anyway.

 

[charnk]

For anyone that has seen (heard) both, what are the construction differences. I have the 440s and are happy with them with one exception, under the pad the plastic grill seems to vibrate a little....irritating. They otherwise sound good as a studio headphone and I wany something like it, minus the plastic earcup grill.  Any help? Thanks

 

[DarkScythe]

I can't comment about the headphones sonically, because it's been too long since I last heard the SRH-440 to compare. I've also never heard the M50.
 
Physically though, The SRH-840 is built like a tank. Literally. It can take a lot of abuse and shrug it off. Unfortunately, just like a tank, it is extremely heavy, and it's something you notice after a while, and it does make some people uncomfortable. The headband is also very awkward since it stretches outward and pretty much only the midpoint of the headband contacts your head, so all the pressure gets focused there. The height adjustment thing is also very loose, although not quite to the point where it's useless. There's also somewhat of a clamp, but even with that, the headphones manage to fall off if i move around too much. The 440's fare slightly better in this regard if I remember correctly, since they were lighter.
 
That said, I preferred the sound of the 840s over the 440's myself. I'm not a basshead by any means, and excessive bass (a la PX100) give me headaches, but the detail it provides competes well with higher end headphones, and the bass is pretty well controlled. It is also definitely faster than my HD-600's while retaining a very similar sound signature, so I find myself alternating between the two depending on my circumstances and music.