I've found Shure headphones to sound excellent. Unfortunately I will never buy another because of the atrocious build quality I suffered, repeatedly, with the SRH940.
Had they acknowledged the widespread problem and rectified the issue with some strengthening of the hinges, I might think differently. But they didn't. They're made by a third party so they probably have no say in production line changes anyway. They never repair anything and simply exchange – it's less costly to just replace the cheaply-made whole headphone than to carry replacement parts and do repairs. Not my idea of a range I can trust.
I feel the same way. If Shure had paid a bit more attention to customer service and try to fix or improve the issue with weak plastic on the SRH940 I would have been more inclined to stick with the brand.
P.S. Shure still selling the SRH940 on Amazon, crazy.
It's interesting how all those "studio headphones" can vary in frequency response. They should be as honest as possible, thus as neutral as possible, but apparently the SRH1540 is a little warm, while the ATH-M50 is somewhat V-shaped, the MDR-V6 bright ...
I have the SRH940s, and as much as I love them (they were a good recommendation from a fellow headfier), I have been looking for the same but with a little more warmth or low end presence. Really eager to try these! I was willing to go all open back, with either the SRH1840 or HD600/650 but may wait to give these a go.
Sinocelt, agree with that comment. Found the same with the M50s but I guess with all the compromises that need to made in headphone design, they all may be trying to optimise different aspects of the listening experience (for tracking, mixing, etc).
Hopefully these really perform. After all, if the article's expected price is accurate, they're charging just over $500, which is twice as much as the 940.
Hopefully these really perform. After all, if the article's expected price is accurate, they're charging just over $500, which is twice as much as the 940.
Thanks for posting those links, that's great! So a thumbs up from Jude. Sounds like exactly what I'm after actually (very happy with the 940s but was looking for that something more which I think these will offer). I emailed Shure a few days ago about when they may be available in the UK, but no reply thus far
I just received my SRH1540 and have briefly compared it to my SRH1840. In terms of build and comfort, they are about the same. I am not sure that the new earpads enhance the over-ear comfort, but they are no worse than the velour pads of the 1840. I do find that my ears do warm under the pads after some use about equally between the two.
Tonally, the 1540 is somewhat warmer and has more prominent bass, but mids and highs are still nicely rendered. I could best describe the 1840 sounding as if the performance was outside, while the 1540 sounds as if the venue was more intimate, such as a jazz club. The 1840 has more air and could likely be called more transparent. Both have excellent imaging and soundstage. The 1540 soundstage and imaging does sound more like an open-backed phone than closed.
At this point, I can't call one "better" than the other, just a difference in presentation. For those who value spacious and transparent mids and highs, the 1840 would likely be the best choice. For those preferring a warmer, more intimate sound, the nod would go to the 1540. Of course the 1540 does provide significantly better isolation, if that is of a major concern. Both are quite easily-driven and I detect little difference in overall volume level when swapping them back and forth with the same music playing and the same volume level.
As is often the case, the choice between the 1540 and 1840 will ultimately be determined by personal listening preferences and music genre's. Also, if one is using a desktop amp, consideration might be given to whether the amp has a warm output or a more neutral and analytical sound.
I will try to post some further impressions after I have had a chance to listen to a variety of genre's and accumulate more listening time to ensure that there are no break-in changes (which I did not notice in the 1840).
All in all, a very nice-sounding headphone in this very crowded price range and certainly worthy of consideration, especially if one wants to use the phones directly from a player without external amplification.
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