[moodyrn]

I'm supposed to get back to you guys on that, but haven't received the Shures yet.

I can tell you with almost 100% certainty that the Alpha Dogs will remain untouched though; they're already better than the SRH1840.

Ii can say the same thing about the 1540 lol. But I do expect the AD to surpass the 1540 too. But the question is, are the 1540 at least in the same ball park?

 

[Change is Good]

^two completely different beasts... so comparing and reviewing would be totally subjective to the sound preference of the user... which will then lead to arguments about which is better. I, personally, am not looking forward to that.

 

[moodyrn]

I will say this, although far from perfect, there's nothing about the 1540 I find lacking. Or in other words, no glaring flaws. That's something I can't even say about some high end cans I've listened to. I think Jude said it best when he said "safe tuning" . It's not a negative, but a testament that these sound good with every genre.

 

[starfly]

Ugh, just got an e-mail that the Shure is backordered until end of December. That sucks...

 

[maricius]

  Ugh, just got an e-mail that the Shure is backordered until end of December. That sucks...

Fidelio L2 it is. At least you have your 7520 to keep you company

 

[starfly]

  Fidelio L2 it is. At least you have your 7520 to keep you company

Yeah, I'm considering either cancelling the Shure and just sticking to my 7520, or perhaps ordering it from Amazon US. It would amount to being about € 25 cheaper (I live in Europe) through Amazon with all the shipping fees and import duties, but it also means it won't be easy to return, might actually be quite expensive.
 
Tempting to order through Amazon, will sleep on it.
 
Edit: have already decided that I'm not going to order from Amazon, too risky for me. From what I've read so far on the 1540 I'm not even sure if I'll really like the SQ, or if they'll beat the 7520. But might still try them once they're available here in Europe.

 

[Saren]

 Still looking into a closed non leaking headphone for the workplace. The Alpha dog is the other option depending on testing it out. This seems to be an enjoyable sound signature from what I'm hearing, just hope it does not have high distortion figures like the Shure 1840 does.
 
Quote:

Just got my SHR1540's today. Build quality is very nice. The carbon fiber makes me feel like I'm wearing a sports car on my head. The sound is simply sublime compared to what I've owned so far. Linear mids and treble with a bass hump comparble to, but maybe not quite as omnipresent as my DT 770's. The soundstage seems great and there is just so much "air" up top compared to my other phones. They seem more detailed even than the bright Beyers, with fast treble decay.

They pair well with my Asgard 2 in low gain mode (high gain mode has an audible noise floor). I even tried them with my iphone and they are easily driven. When I plugged them in, my iphone defaulted to MAX VOLUME and nearly blew my ears out. I hope I didn't damage the headphones. It says they have a 1000mW max power input and from what I've read ipods (don't know about iphones) output 60mW. So l should be ok? I also don't know impedance factors into the equation.

Anyway, I consider them a worthwhile upgrade. Very comfortable and lightweight for long wearing sessions. Very pleased all around.

I wouldn't worry about that. I've done the same with HD600s in the past and that was with a burst of high gain power with 4 times the power allowed by the max input. Happened when I bumped the gain switch while changing the output filter. The HD600 was fine even though the volume was like a gun going off in my ears, my hearing was ok thankfully.

 

[dleblanc343]

I'm very impressed with these 1540's, they are no brainers for a closed headphone; Super comfy.

They are not quite as good as the alpha dogs, but they are portable and much more comfortable. A fantastic compromise.

What surprises me is that they are more open sounding than the 1840 on first listen.

To the head-fier who swapped pads, well, I did the same and holy cow! The shure 1540's are a magical pad equalizer lol. They really dampen the highs and bring out the bass.

The 1840 with 1540 pads is good, less bassy than the 1540 stock. The stock 1540 is punchier and more fun, but just as good on a technical level. The 1540 with velour pads are treble cannons; completely unlistenable. So the 1540 pads are the magic behind the sound imo.

 

[starfly]

I'm very impressed with these 1540's, they are no brainers for a closed headphone; Super comfy.

They are not quite as good as the alpha dogs, but they are portable and much more comfortable. A fantastic compromise.

What surprises me is that they are more open sounding than the 1840 on first listen.

To the head-fier who swapped pads, well, I did the same and holy cow! The shure 1540's are a magical pad equalizer lol. They really dampen the highs and bring out the bass.

The 1840 with 1540 pads is good, less bassy than the 1540 stock. The stock 1540 is punchier and more fun, but just as good on a technical level. The 1540 with velour pads are treble cannons; completely unlistenable. So the 1540 pads are the magic behind the sound imo.

How would you rate them in terms of neutrality? And how is the treble presentation with the normal 1540 pads? I read some people saying that it has rolled off treble.

 

[rpaul]

  How would you rate them in terms of neutrality? And how is the treble presentation with the normal 1540 pads? I read some people saying that it has rolled off treble.

 
To me, straight out of an iDevice I would say it sounds like recessed treble, especially when compared to listening through an amp/dac like the Theorem 720 - which does wonders for the 1540 especially on the top end. So yes, unamped = recessed (rolled off) treble.

 

[Craigster75]

I'm very impressed with these 1540's, they are no brainers for a closed headphone; Super comfy.

They are not quite as good as the alpha dogs, but they are portable and much more comfortable. A fantastic compromise.

What surprises me is that they are more open sounding than the 1840 on first listen.

To the head-fier who swapped pads, well, I did the same and holy cow! The shure 1540's are a magical pad equalizer lol. They really dampen the highs and bring out the bass.

The 1840 with 1540 pads is good, less bassy than the 1540 stock. The stock 1540 is punchier and more fun, but just as good on a technical level. The 1540 with velour pads are treble cannons; completely unlistenable. So the 1540 pads are the magic behind the sound imo.

Based on these impressions, I would say an Alpha Dog is in my future, thanks!
 

   
To me, straight out of an iDevice I would say it sounds like recessed treble, especially when compared to listening through an amp/dac like the Theorem 720 - which does wonders for the 1540 especially on the top end. So yes, unamped = recessed (rolled off) treble.

 

[Beagle]

AudioShop e-mailed to advise me that my 1540's have arrived. I will pick them up tomorrow and try to get some listening and impressions in by the end of the weekend.

 

[Beagle]

The 1840 with 1540 pads is good, less bassy than the 1540 stock. The stock 1540 is punchier and more fun, but just as good on a technical level. The 1540 with velour pads are treble cannons; completely unlistenable. So the 1540 pads are the magic behind the sound imo.
 

 
Seems like a similar effect as with the Beyerdynamic 770 and 880/990 pads. If you interchange, the sound on both goes all to hell...

 

[Change is Good]

Well, I ordered a pair of Alpha pads and can say the 1540 responds very well to them while adding the extra isolation I needed. The changes in sound is nothing too dramatic, but it does tighten the bass up slightly.
 
Getting a good fit was a bishh, though, as the angle of the pads along with the angle of the drivers were not cooperating with each other. I finally just kept turning the pads until I found a decent fit by having the angles facing the top of the headphones. It's a tight fit, but still really comfy and with a better sound to it's low end, IMO.
 
Edit: Will try to post a pic later. Too busy playing my new PS4...

 

[Change is Good]