[ilia7777]

I bought these for $50 brand new shipped. I have to say that I'm very impressed. They are miles ahead of iGrado in terms of comfort and design. They are super comfortable. There is just right amount of bass and overall the sound is very impressive for 50 bucks. I was hesitating to buy them as I already have Etymotic HF5, Ultrasone HFI 780, iGrado and Grado SR225, but I don't regret it since they are definetely the most comfortable of all. I highly recommend them to anyone who doesn't want to spend more that 50$. 

 

[ljokerl]

Welcome to the (very small and exclusive) 5400/5401 fan club. They are very impressive for the price but unfortunately are getting difficult to find without a significant price mark-up. 

 

[Tiax]

Very nice phones, i bought SHP5400 2 years ago for ~$30 in local store Still use at the office
Comfortable, with balanced sound, bass is on the light side but it's really fast

 

[Angelopsaro]

How are these compared with other budget phones like KSC75 and JVC flats? pixmania has them for 23$

 

[ilia7777]

I have no idea, according to headroom KSC75 should be very good they have it as number 1 in cheap category http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/top-cheap-headphones.php
I personally wonder how Beyerdynamic DT235 sound. From my own previous research I made a conclusion that nothing sounds better than iGrado and I still think its true. But iGrado are not very comfortable and design wise look so cheap.

 

[Angelopsaro]

Lets see if joker can share his thoughts then. they are open and i have ksc75 which are open too so maybe i prefer the jvc flats.

 

[ljokerl]

The SHP5400 is quite different from the KSC75. It doesn't have the mid-bass hump and sounds much much tighter and cleaner. Its biggest strengths for me are the speed and clarity. They are definitely not for bassheads though. They are also quite bright and very energetic - the sort of treble response I really like but that others may find tiring. Good soundstaging, too - the KSC75 tends to be much more aggressive.
 
The DT235 is very different yet again - it's a pretty neutral phone, slightly cool-sounding, with nothing particularly standing out. Its midrange is a little more prominent than that of the SHP5400 and it does have slightly more impact but the differences aren't huge. I think the two are pretty close to each other in technical performance so I'm not sure I'd want to own both.

 

[ilia7777]

I wouldn't call SHP5400 bright, not compared to iGrado for sure. The sound is soft and pleasant, pleasant is the word. However I can hear slight distortion, after all these are only $50 bucks. There is an advantage to this type of sound, cause bright accurate headphones like Grado are very tiring after listening for like 30-40 min. In any case I'm getting second pair and putting iGrado driver and cable in them. Lets see what will come out of it.

 

[rushofmusic]

Where can I get these in the US. UK has them on pixmania but they don't ship here but I really want a pair.

 

[gideonMorrison]

I have owned the grado rs-2, ultrasone pro 900, ath-esw9, ath-esw10jpn and ath-m50. All very expensive/ professional headphones. I'm on my fourth pair of shp-5400/01 and using them since 2008. Broke a pair, used one until it died (didn't bury it just yet), have one spare and using the shp-5401 for a half year now (better looks). The 5401 actually, possibly saved my life one time. Fell off my bike and landed really hard on the side of the cup. A chunk of plastic broke off, but thanks to the very comfortable cushions I survived.
Anyway, off topic information. There is a very good reason I'm currently on my fourth pair; that is because I really LOVE them. Yes, love them. Why, you say. Because a) I bought two pairs for 7 Pounds and 15 Euros, respectively and the others slightly more, though neglegible. b) The SQ is remarkable, I've stressed this quite a few times in an other thread. The lower end is fast, tight and deep. Supposedly Philips has implemented a special 'bass-technique', which actually works really well. Mids are nicely round and full and do not get muffled, at all, by the lower end. Highs are crisp and clear, definitely non-fatigueing.  All in all a great balance for a small price. Which brings me to my last point. I didn't enjoy the much expensive, high tier cans as much, because they basically didn't live up to their price. These do and much more. I even would go as far saying that they can hold their own easily against the ath-esw9, which I found not nearly as impressive. You can't go wrong with these. Buy them, love them and... Buy them again, like I did 

 
Note: Make sure you burn them in for at least 50 hours, prior listening to them. 

 

[garcsa]

Hi joker,
 
First of all thank you for your  IEM and headphone reviews! I'm not in situation to go to some store for checking  the sound quality . My  first IEM was RPH-JE200 (and fakes: K324 , EP630). After the Pana started to die and drop in trash the fake ones, decided to buy something interesting.. . Found the "noname" Meelec M9,  a bit later found your multi iem review, too. Thanks to this now I'm using M6 for working, A151 mainly acoustic jazz , XE200PRO everything else. ( the M9 "stolen" by my son ). 
SHP5401 received today . Thanks again joker. Have a nice day!

 

[ljokerl]

Does that mean you like the 5401? 

 

[garcsa]

Yes sir!    

 

[ljokerl]

Ah, good. Their signature is a bit different from everything else you've got. Too bad they are now difficult to find here in the states.

 

[garcsa]

Yes you're right , it is defferent .
When searched for headphone the first aspect was. to be  cheap !
Of course I know my "sound taste" ,  
I know the sound signature of  the sound card in my PC , too . HP DV6 1320eh use with Philips - no problem with sensitivity.
Than I started to read a reviews, so obtained this one. 
Good choice! 
She satisfy my brain trought my eardrums and  trough this  little bones in my head ...
 
If you need any just drop me a mail.