[TonyNewman]

I wonder if the Z reviewer person was using the 1540s at a high volume - I agree with Tyll's review comment on this - the SH1540 falls apart when used at higher volume levels. At low to moderate volume levels it works brilliantly well (IMHO), but if the volume is cranked up - and some folks like that - then the uneven nature of the headphone gets emphasized and it falls apart (IMHO).

 

[shurealltheway]

I watch his reviews because they are entertainment, truly.  I really do enjoy watching him -- you never know what he is going to say. 

Sometimes, I end up agreeing with his assessment, but sometimes, definitely not, and his review of the Shure 1540 I definitely do not.   Maybe it was a case of expectation bias, and he expected something from them he didn't hear.  I know I read a respected Head-Fi'er say of the 1540's, "they do nothing wrong," in a way that I interpreted as "boring", but he wasn't knocking them as Z-Review is, but perhaps it means something that others say of them that they are essentially unremarkable.

I don't have them, but a co-worker does, and they are the best set of closed headphones I've heard, and I have the Oppo PM-3 which aren't chopped liver...

Just perfectly said :thumbsup_tone2:

 

[shurealltheway]

Indeed, the subjective nature is one of the fun, elusive aspects of headphone hunting :bigsmile_face:

I've done tons of research before hearing his review so I'm just going to weight it against everything else I've read. Unfortunately there's no where nearby that I can take these for a test run. I'm coming from SRH840 (and Sennheiser HD 555 before that) and overall love Shure so I think I'll be pulling the trigger on the 1540 come pay day at the end of the month.

They're extremely comfortable, very light weight, built like a tank, sound phenomenal and are very accurate, the cords and cushions are replaceable, and can sound great driven straight from an iPhone. What else could anyone ask for? They don't fold so that may limit portability a little bit, but there's also a lot less that can break or go bad because of it. They're simply magnificent.

 

[TonyNewman]

They're extremely comfortable, very light weight, built like a tank, sound phenomenal and are very accurate, the cords and cushions are replaceable, and can sound great driven straight from an iPhone. What else could anyone ask for? They don't fold so that may limit portability a little bit, but there's also a lot less that can break or go bad because of it. They're simply magnificent.

 
+1. A very good value headphone. You get a lot of performance for your money.

 

[taxidrivr]

if there was an IEM equivalent to the 1540's, where would one start looking? at the same budget or less. I really like mine after a few weeks of use but do wonder if a more portable solution exists as I had originally intended. still lots of time to return these if I wanted to..

 

[SoundTown]

  if there was an IEM equivalent to the 1540's, where would one start looking? at the same budget or less. I really like mine after a few weeks of use but do wonder if a more portable solution exists as I had originally intended. still lots of time to return these if I wanted to..

 
It might surprise you to hear this, but based on my memory, I feel the Shure SRH1540 has a practically identical overall sound signature to the Shure SE215 Special Edition (Blue). I currently own and use the sRH1540, and I have the SE215SpE but the cable's a little bit iffy and I haven't gotten around to repairing it yet. So while I'm fairly confident in my comment since I've used both relatively regularly before, you might want to still take my following statements with a grain of salt.
The SE215SpE and SRH1540 have a similar sound signature in the sense that they both have the elevated mid-bass that's hard not to notice, the unrecessed mids that's clear yet smooth, and a noticeably blunted treble section.
Where the two products differ is in the size of the image. The SE215Spe, being an IEM, has a much smaller image and sound stage, while the SRH1540, being a full-size headphone, has significantly larger imaging and less congested positioning. That said, since you're considering IEMs, I'm assuming you're ready to accept the naturally smaller imaging qualities that come with almost all IEMs.
For $150+/-, I think the SE215SpE's a pretty good bet if you're really dead set on something that sounds very similar to the SRH1540.
Another consideration for something that sounds like the SRH1540 is the TFZ Series 5, but I've only demoed that IEM once, so can't give you any solid comparisons sound-wise beyond "I think so". For a bit less money, you get a bulkier earphone, less isolation, what I remember to be looser bass than the SE215SpE, but of course, a cheaper earphone.
Hope I've helped.

 

[SoundTown]

Hey all, I've been using the SRH1540 for slightly over a month now, and noticed that the headphones sound noticeably different, particularly with the bass, on different set-ups.
Plugged straight into my laptop (VAIO Pro 13), the bass is surprising the most defined compared to my iPhone SE and Fiio Q1. The mids, however, are a bit blunted and flat, and details sound fairly diffused.
Through the Fiio Q1 acting as a DAC, the bass is less fat and thick, making it sound less flabby, but looses a lot of punch and quantity. Mids, however, are the clearest on the Q1, sometimes bordering on harsh when volume is turned up with High Gain. Based on what I've read here, this is to be expected.
Through the iPhone SE, it's kind of a medium between the Q1 and my laptop, with a diffused bass that has a bit of punch, and mids that are neither too blaring nor flat.
Could this have something to do with output impedance? I wonder.
Also makes me curious how the SRH1540 will react to tubes. Any users have experience with this?

 

[Delance26]

I agree with the above comment of the se215's being your best bet. They are my mobile headphone set up with the 1540's at home!

 

[taxidrivr]

   
It might surprise you to hear this, but based on my memory, I feel the Shure SRH1540 has a practically identical overall sound signature to the Shure SE215 Special Edition (Blue). I currently own and use the sRH1540, and I have the SE215SpE but the cable's a little bit iffy and I haven't gotten around to repairing it yet. So while I'm fairly confident in my comment since I've used both relatively regularly before, you might want to still take my following statements with a grain of salt.
The SE215SpE and SRH1540 have a similar sound signature in the sense that they both have the elevated mid-bass that's hard not to notice, the unrecessed mids that's clear yet smooth, and a noticeably blunted treble section.
Where the two products differ is in the size of the image. The SE215Spe, being an IEM, has a much smaller image and sound stage, while the SRH1540, being a full-size headphone, has significantly larger imaging and less congested positioning. That said, since you're considering IEMs, I'm assuming you're ready to accept the naturally smaller imaging qualities that come with almost all IEMs.
For $150+/-, I think the SE215SpE's a pretty good bet if you're really dead set on something that sounds very similar to the SRH1540.
Another consideration for something that sounds like the SRH1540 is the TFZ Series 5, but I've only demoed that IEM once, so can't give you any solid comparisons sound-wise beyond "I think so". For a bit less money, you get a bulkier earphone, less isolation, what I remember to be looser bass than the SE215SpE, but of course, a cheaper earphone.
Hope I've helped.

 
 

I agree with the above comment of the se215's being your best bet. They are my mobile headphone set up with the 1540's at home!

 
appreciate the comments; is the special edition model different from most sonically or is it just the blue casing?

 

[SoundTown]

   
 
 
appreciate the comments; is the special edition model different from most sonically or is it just the blue casing?

 
If you're asking if the SE215 Special Edition is different from the standard SE215 that costs $99, then yes, there is a difference in sound and fit. I have both.
Sound-wise, the Special Edition has a thicker, definitely more bassy sound, and mids are also more forward than the regular SE215. If you're wondering, yes this means the standard SE215 doesn't really sound too similar to the SRH1540 in sound signature.

 

[Satir]

n/a

 

[wordfool]

Any more comments on how the 1540's compare to the Beyer DT-1770? The 1770's are fine and I love the clarity, but they are not what I'd call a "fun" headphone. I'd like a little more in the mid-bass department, in particular, but I worry about the comments that the 1540's bass get's bloomy at higher volume levels. Frankly I'm not sure if I listen at "higher volume levels". How does one define "higher"?!
 
I also noticed the 1770s really need some power from an amp to shine. They work fine from something like my Meridian Explorer, but plug them into a bigger amp and the difference is huge IMO. I assume that being much lower impedance the Shure's don't scale in the same way. 

 

[Delance26]

  Any more comments on how the 1540's compare to the Beyer DT-1770? The 1770's are fine and I love the clarity, but they are not what I'd call a "fun" headphone. I'd like a little more in the mid-bass department, in particular, but I worry about the comments that the 1540's bass get's bloomy at higher volume levels. Frankly I'm not sure if I listen at "higher volume levels". How does one define "higher"?!

Me personally, I do not find the 1540's bass bloomy even at higher volumes.  For an amp/dac I use the m9XX which does wonderfully at controlling this. I did experience a more bloomy bass at higher levels when using my fiio E17k, which tends to have a more warm signature.  I think it is slightly dependent on the amp/dac you are using. 
 
My average listening level is about 50-60 dB for reference.

 

[shurealltheway]

Me personally, I do not find the 1540's bass bloomy even at higher volumes.  For an amp/dac I use the m9XX which does wonderfully at controlling this. I did experience a more bloomy bass at higher levels when using my fiio E17k, which tends to have a more warm signature.  I think it is slightly dependent on the amp/dac you are using. 

My average listening level is about 50-60 dB for reference.

I agree with this. I think the 1540's are a little better in every category. They have a bigger soundstage, they're even more comfortable, they have bigger earpads (that are shaped like ears instead of a perfect circle), they're lighter, they don't need an amp, and they're sound is more balanced (they don't have that slightly weird mid range thing happening). YMMV.

 

[waveSounds]

   
Also makes me curious how the SRH1540 will react to tubes. Any users have experience with this?

 
I use mine with a MoJo, Meridian Explorer 2, and - before buying the MoJo - the Explorer 2 feeding into a Little Dot MKII with upgraded tubes.
 
I've read that OTL amps aren't good for lower impedance headphones like the 1540s, but I like the sound.