[Ub3rMario]

rufusisnodufus,

What type of files are you listening to? If they're bad quality that's probably it. Should be using at least 320 mp3's to test.

 

[ABathingApe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rufusisnodufus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey, I'm new to the forums. I just got a pair of the 440's based on the great reviews I read here and various other sites. I'm not sure if its my set, or my phone but I'm really disappointed. I have them plugged directly into my iPhone, and it sounds terrible. The bass is all muddled, crackly and distorted and it seems really treble heavy and slightly tinny. I'm guess that this might be a defect with this set, or possibly that my phone just doesn't have enough juice to drive these properly. I'm heading back to the store tonight, any thoughts?

I can tell you this. My 840's sound like absolute #$%@ out of my N95 8Gb alone. With my D10 as amp only they sound good. I'd strongly consider trying them with an amp and letting them burn in for a bit before you return them.

 

[rufusisnodufus]

I was listening to albums that I'd ripped to Apple Lossless, so I feel like the quality shouldn't have been an issue. I also burned in the headphones over night just to make sure it wasn't some weird brand-new quirk.

So I went back to Guitar Center last night to talk with the guy who sold me the set. We tried them out with some proper amps, and they sounded much better. I wasn't terribly keen on the idea of carrying around a pocket amp in addition to my phone and stuff, so I ended up shopping for another pair. I got the Sony MDR-7506 and am pretty pleased with it so far.

Thanks for all the advice and help guys!

 

[Ub3rMario]

Hmm...I've been thinking about getting a pair of MDR-7506 too for studio monitoring, but wanted to wait and see how the shure cans stack up. Any opinions on the matter?

 

[ABathingApe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rufusisnodufus /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was listening to albums that I'd ripped to Apple Lossless, so I feel like the quality shouldn't have been an issue. I also burned in the headphones over night just to make sure it wasn't some weird brand-new quirk. So I went back to Guitar Center last night to talk with the guy who sold me the set. We tried them out with some proper amps, and they sounded much better. I wasn't terribly keen on the idea of carrying around a pocket amp in addition to my phone and stuff, so I ended up shopping for another pair. I got the Sony MDR-7506 and am pretty pleased with it so far. Thanks for all the advice and help guys!

Yea, I had a feeling you needed amplification

. It's unfortunate that you aren't considering a pocket amp because the new Shure line is very good, as you heard in store.

 

[rufusisnodufus]

Yea, maybe a little further down the line I'll invest in an amp. Most of my time listening to music is spent either commuting or walking around town so I could see the extra device becoming a bit of a nuisance. I really do like the Shures, I just think that they didn't quite suit my needs. I'll probably come back to them, probably for home use. I recently got a record player and am very slowly acquiring better equipment. I can see how and why people drop so much money on this stuff

As far as the difference between the two. The Shure's definitely sounded a bit better. They were clearer, and I felt they did a bit better on the treble side of things than the Sony's. On the other had, the Sony's are definitely more comfortable and lighter. Comfort wise, I have no idea how much qa time Shure put into wearablity, but they do hurt after a while. I was actually going to knit up a cover or something just for a bit of extra padding. The Shure's also isolated outside sound a bit better. Over all, I'm hardly an audiophile and still noticed a difference between the two. If you're using them strictly as studio monitors, I would say go Shure. If you plan on walking around with them and / or wearing them all day I'd choose the comfort and slightly poorer sq of the Sonys.

 

[Ub3rMario]

Alright thanks for the honest impressions rufus & welcome to head-fi.

 

[chews89]

Hey guys,

I'm curious as to find out how much the 440s are going for in the US. I've read that the SRH840s are going for ridiculous prices of around $115 from Northern Sound and Light and about $150 from J&R. Both of which are considerably cheaper than Australia, which sell the SRH840s for $265AUD. So does anyone know what the prices are on the SRH440s?

Thanks

 

[chews89]

Anyone?

 

[IanK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rufusisnodufus /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have them plugged directly into my iPhone, and it sounds terrible. The bass is all muddled, crackly and distorted and it seems really treble heavy and slightly tinny. I'm guess that this might be a defect with this set, or possibly that my phone just doesn't have enough juice to drive these properly. I'm heading back to the store tonight, any thoughts?

I heard that SRH-840 + iPhone or iPod Touch wasn't a good combo at all, but was far more usable with some other mp3 players?


I'm kind of in the same situation as you. I listen to a lot of music when I commute, sit somewhere for a coffee, or just when I'm walking the dog. I was going to buy the ES7s, but then I thought about getting the SRH-840s due to the very positive reviews, and the prospect of being able to use them out of my Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. Besides, the ES7s supposedly do not isolate nearly as well as the Shures, and do not feel as comfortable.

Now I'm not so sure. I may go for the ES7s anyway. They can be found very cheap on Amazon, even with international delivery, I believe.

 

[Cpsmith89]

I just got these. I was at Guitar Center and i compared these side by side with the 840, the Audio Technica ATH M50 and the Ultrasone 550.

The source was a Boss BR-1600 Digital Recorder.

The 440 and 840 sounded so similar it was amazing to me. The only difference was a more present bass in the 840. The comfort was alittle better in the 840 but not worth 100 more dollars imo.

As far as these compared to the M50, the detail is better and the bass is less punchy. The soundstage on the 440 is also better, i liked the lyrics more.

After trying all of them i thought i was gonna go with the 840 because i was getting a nice discount, but after listening to them again side by side the difference was not worth it.

Burning in now, ill see how much better they get.

 

[priest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by McCol /img/forum/go_quote.gif Out of the box I was impressed with the Shure's they have IMO a sound similar to the SE530 but with more soundstage, bass was a bit bloaty in some tracks but I assume this will settle after some burn in. Some vocals such as a couple of Manic Street Preachers tracks were a little harsh but again I assume this will settle after a few hours.

Thanks for posting your impressions. I just ordered a set the other day from HeadRoom. I'll try to post back here what I think. HeadRoom seems to think that the 840 is diminished returns on the 440, so I went with the latter. Bought a pair of SE530 too. What the hell, in for a penny in for a pound.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rufusisnodufus /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just got a pair of the 440's based on the great reviews I read here and various other sites. I'm not sure if its my set, or my phone but I'm really disappointed.

I bet they're faulty. It happens. In fact, it happened with me on the ATH-M50. Sounded terrible amped. I spent a ton of time trying to figure out what was wrong. Finally returned them, and ultimately got another pair. The new ones were great -- no problems. So if you generally like yours, I say send them back for a new pair.

 

[horribleman]

Mine do not distort at all on my iphone - even at full volume (not for long, just testing

)

 

[Mysteek]

I A/B'd the Shure 440's and the 840's a week or so ago, and I found the 840's significantly better sounding. The 440's sounded thin and all around crappy--but I only know of sound from Beyer DT880's and Grado SR-325i's as of recently. Who knows--maybe the 440's weren't burned in, or maybe it was the amp that made the 840's blow the 440's out of the water. Just my two cents.

EDIT: the amp used was some sort of wooden Grado amp. It was at a local hifi shop.

 

[gav007]

Hmmm... I quite like my 440, they sound nice when paired with the mini^3, there's more bass and the highs and mids sound crisper and fuller. That's my 2 cents tho