[Change is Good]

 

[javahut]

I can't imagine turning the volume up on the 1540 loud enough to distort the bass, and being able to listen to it for any length of time... and not be scared of damaging my hearing. Would be damn loud. And I listen to some really bass heavy electronic music sometimes. But then again, I'm old... so there's that.

 

[CyberAthlete]

So if I change the stock pads the distortion will be cured? And the distortion is because of the pads? Not the plastic cabinet? or the driver itself? Thanks!

 

[nicholars]

You can sugar coat it all you like. The 1540 with the stock pads distorts the bass.

I always find it funny when people try and justify what it is.

 
In what way? All I can hear is bass which does not have as high resolution as some other headphones but sounds as it is probably supposed to... It is not distorted... It is lower resolution than some other headphones.. Which is sort of distortion but not really... If you want bass distortion and reverb from the cup try the sennheiser urbanite.

 

[Prolificaudio]

Yeah I don't know what that guy is talking about but I owned a pair and sold them and the only way the bass distorted was if it was full blast with my amplifier set to boost the bass 11 db.

 

[chailee80]

Yeh i've never heard any bass distortion either. I'm no expert but listening at moderate levels i eq the bass up around 6db with no issues at all. Even if i crank them higher to uncomfortable levels the bass sounds fine to my ears.

 

[Delance26]

I think what you play it through makes a difference.  Playing them directly through my phone results in thin wabbly bass, but playing them through the e17+e09k combo really fleshes out these headphones.  I think they are slightly more power  hungry then they are advertised as I notice a difference when playing them through a dedicated amp.  The bass finds its place and the sound becomes much fuller and dynamic.  The sound stage is actually noticeably enhanced which was a surprise to me.

 

[AnnaReviewer]

​Thank for review, Cool spec.

 

[nicholars]

  I think what you play it through makes a difference.  Playing them directly through my phone results in thin wabbly bass, but playing them through the e17+e09k combo really fleshes out these headphones.  I think they are slightly more power  hungry then they are advertised as I notice a difference when playing them through a dedicated amp.  The bass finds its place and the sound becomes much fuller and dynamic.  The sound stage is actually noticeably enhanced which was a surprise to me.

 
 I noticed a change from the Xonar STX to the NAD D1050, more lower midrange, smoother treble etc.
 
I think the 1540 would be better if the treble was flatter instead of having a spike at about 10-12khz, meh they are still very good anyway but that would be better I think.
 
I like the fact that they are so damned comfortable and you can use them for anything and nothing will sound bad... For example sibilant recordings on D2000 are horrible, the sibilance on the 1540 there is a bit but it is never painful like the D2000. I think the 1540 are good headphones for your ears like the HD650.

 

[kimvictor]

I usually like bass distortion, but SRH1540 at high volume was a meh.

 

[nicholars]

  I usually like bass distortion, but SRH1540 at high volume was a meh.

 
I look at it as a positive thing that they sound better at lower volumes, as they are the headphones I use most... Its good because I won't get hearing damage (more than I have already got from years using headphones too loud) at the levels these sound best.... I would prefer them to be able to get about 20% louder while still sound best tho.

 

[WhoIsThis]

Just got these SRH1540s yesterday. I will say that they are very comfortable. And yes, I agree that low volume is a good incentive to prevent hearing damage.
 
I am tempted to get the Alpha Pads - was it facing upwards (ex: the Alpha Pads are angled, so do you want the thicker part on top)?
 
 
Out of curiosity, has anyone had the chance to compare these to the Audio Technica ATH-A2000X? They seem like polar opposites - the ATH-2000X (and this is from a long time ago so my memory may be wrong) was a bright headphone that responded well to EQ. Comfort would depend though on your head size (thanks to the Audio Technica "wing" design for the band). Both seem to have a really good soundstage (for a closed headphone anyways).

 

[FatBox360]

 
hey there, i noticed ur signature u mentioned u have iDSD, is it good? currently i feed my srh1540 from pc -> schiit audio vali -> srh1540, currently looking for a fairly priced and good dac at the moment, so how do u connect it? is it usb from pc to iDSD then RCA to desktop amp?

Was digging through the post and have a question about your experience with the SRH1540 and the Vali.  Do you find there to be some hiss/noise when you plug in, have the volume at listening level, but no music going?

 

[Change is Good]

Just got these SRH1540s yesterday. I will say that they are very comfortable. And yes, I agree that low volume is a good incentive to prevent hearing damage.

I am tempted to get the Alpha Pads - was it facing upwards (ex: the Alpha Pads are angled, so do you want the thicker part on top)?


Out of curiosity, has anyone had the chance to compare these to the Audio Technica ATH-A2000X? They seem like polar opposites - the ATH-2000X (and this is from a long time ago so my memory may be wrong) was a bright headphone that responded well to EQ. Comfort would depend though on your head size (thanks to the Audio Technica "wing" design for the band). Both seem to have a really good soundstage (for a closed headphone anyways).

Yes, that is correct, but very tricky to accomplish. It also requires stretching of the headband to give adequate room for the thick pads, along with a break in period of the pads to allow the memory foam to shape accordingly. If patient, the results are superb and makes it really sound like a $500 headphone.

 

[WhoIsThis]

I'll probably try it in a few months then after  I get a couple of hundred hours at least on the stock pads. Thanks for the tip though.
 
I think though that these may be one of the most comfortable headphones that I have ever worn though.
 
I've been thinking - Shure seems to be moving "upwards" in terms of direction - from the 440 and 840 to the 940. I wonder next if they'll come up with something in the $1000 range (kind of like what Mr. Speakers seems to be doing), then a flagship type phone to challenge the likes of the LCD XC and so on.