[iCupboard]

Dear everyone,

I have a dilemma. I want to buy the AKG K550 which I had earlier but the seal is so bad that I am hesitating.

However, I also am looking is the SRH1540 which is out of budget as of right now but I am willing to safe up. Only that would take too long because I just cant handle so long without a headphone.

So my concerns are how does these sound compared to the AKG K550, what is the build quality of this headphone (really important, I use these EVERYWHERE), what is the comfort level of these (stock, and velour).

Thanks for your time.

 

[Byrnie]

Dear everyone,

I have a dilemma. I want to buy the AKG K550 which I had earlier but the seal is so bad that I am hesitating.

However, I also am looking is the SRH1540 which is out of budget as of right now but I am willing to safe up. Only that would take too long because I just cant handle so long without a headphone.

So my concerns are how does these sound compared to the AKG K550, what is the build quality of this headphone (really important, I use these EVERYWHERE), what is the comfort level of these (stock, and velour).

Thanks for your time.

I found them much more comfortable with better bass impact than the k550 (keep in mind I only demo'd the K550 at a retail store for 10 min).

 

[bassboysam]

Dear everyone,



I have a dilemma. I want to buy the AKG K550 which I had earlier but the seal is so bad that I am hesitating.



However, I also am looking is the SRH1540 which is out of budget as of right now but I am willing to safe up. Only that would take too long because I just cant handle so long without a headphone.



So my concerns are how does these sound compared to the AKG K550, what is the build quality of this headphone (really important, I use these EVERYWHERE), what is the comfort level of these (stock, and velour).



Thanks for your time.

 


It is very easy to get a good seal with the K550. you just have to bend the headband at the point where it joins with the driver housing. With a good seal the K550 goes deeper and has better sub bass than the 1540, but the K550 has more pronounce upper mids that can sound harsh to me in some cases. The 1540 has more mid bass with relaxed treble. Both are very comfortable, but the K550 will get warmer faster than the 1540 due to the pleather pads.

 

[kimvictor]

Dear everyone,

I have a dilemma. I want to buy the AKG K550 which I had earlier but the seal is so bad that I am hesitating.

However, I also am looking is the SRH1540 which is out of budget as of right now but I am willing to safe up. Only that would take too long because I just cant handle so long without a headphone.

So my concerns are how does these sound compared to the AKG K550, what is the build quality of this headphone (really important, I use these EVERYWHERE), what is the comfort level of these (stock, and velour).

Thanks for your time.

I kind of had K550 for few days. In terms of build, I rate 1540 above 550, which is really impressive as I rate 550 rather highly too. Comfort is different. Some people like the loose fit of AKG, while some people, like me, prefer a bit tighter fit of 1540.

 

[RyanDJ1]

I've owned the 1540 since release. Good headphone with good bass. Sadly I found them lacking in body and the mids were too dull. I sold them to buy the K712 and won't be looking back! As closed headphones go though, they are decent if you can get them cheap.

 

[dweaver]

Just received a pair of NVX XPT100 headphones (rebadged Fischer Audio FA003/Brainwavz HM5) that comes with a standard leatherette oval earpad plus an angled pair. So I decided to try the angled pair on my 1540 and found it added a bit of warmth to the midrange for anyone who find the 1540 a bit to lean or upper midrange centric. It was quite a nice little change and the pads (both pairs) are extremely comfortable. I actually liked the pads better than the ones I got with the HM5 back when I bought that headphone.

 

[Jellygoose]

Personally I prefer to eq down the bass a few db and eq up the mids a few db, gives a sound signature much closer to my ideal (hd650)

 

[3ternalDr4gon]

Do these have decent comfort when wrapped around the neck? I might get these to replace my K550's as my portable cans

 

[bassboysam]

For me they are too big to wrap around my neck. I wouldn't, consider them portable at all. But same goes for the k550

 

[3ternalDr4gon]

I'm selling my unboxed pair if anyone is interested:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/737066/fs-shure-srh1540-brand-new-in-box-unopened-flagship-closed-back-headphones-review-link-by-jude ($450)

 

[mgh24]

Can anyone here compare the 1540 to the Philips X-1?  I am trying out the X-1 now, and I like how low it goes, maybe just a tad bright up top, but the bass occasionally can sound a bit artificial.  
 
Thanks

 

[mgh24]

 
The bass on the 1540 is perfect for low-volume listening (think built-in loudness contour), but at higher volumes I find it too bloomy and boomy.
 

 
This may be a deal-breaker for some of us considering these.  So if you crank up some hard rock, the bass is going to suffer?  That's too bad, there is a lot of things about these headphones that sound like they would be a great set.

 

[kimvictor]

   
This may be a deal-breaker for some of us considering these.  So if you crank up some hard rock, the bass is going to suffer?  That's too bad, there is a lot of things about these headphones that sound like they would be a great set.

Well, everything can be a deal breaker. At high volumes(which you probably shouldn't be listening at), the sound sig changes. Bass doesn't suffer. High volume messes up the fine mids, and make them more muffled.
 
But to clarify, this may not be an error. Most manufactures have "recommended" listening volume, and Shure has its. If you think you are going to be listening to rock loudly, I recommend Grados.

 

[mgh24]

  Well, everything can be a deal breaker.

 
LOL, true enough, true enough.
 
Appreciate your take on the sound.

 

[M-13]

I find the bass to be pretty tight, even when listening loud. Of course it's not like LCD-2/K812 tight but I would never call it boomy or messy or anything like that at all. The decay is actually quite nice with a lot of texture and detail too, not some mess that spills over to the mids like other cans. These are Really nice for the price and I fully deserve a spot on Tyll's Wall of Fame IMHO.