[sampson_smith]

The 840's bass is in no way overwhelming. It is polite, but forceful where it needs to be. Much less bass presence than with my Grado HF-2's, anyway.

 

[Shuri]

Thx for your impressions guys!

I will take the sh440 (for rock and electronic music). However, due to the euro/dollar parity, I will also take a cheap headphone amp/dac. I am thinking about Asus Xonar Dx or HeadRoom Total AirHead or Nuforce icon mobile. Any advice?

 

[pterodactilo]

Are there differences in terms of soundstage between 440 and 840?

 

[sampson_smith]

I believe the soundstage on the SRH-840's is much bigger/better. Not that I've heard many 440 fans complaining about it; they are obviously very good 'phones as well.

 

[weibby]

440 is like in a cinema, 840 is like in the concert hall.
Soundstage is great but not as huge as an open can.

 

[Catharsis]

EDIT: After reading my own post, it was apparent that I've had a long day, am very tired, and can't write worth a crap now. Sorry about that.

Just returned from East Hamilton Radio (big audio retailer), after having A/B'ed the SRH840, and the SRH440. The source was CD audio (electronica) and both headphones were driven from the same Denon reciever, out through a distribution headphone amplifer (not sure which model). Here are the obvious observations to my ears:

Bass
SRH840 had greater bass quantity, definitely on the greater side of neutral. The bass extension was great, and was still well controlled, but seemed to seep into the midrange, making everything very warm sounding. SRH440 had tighter bass, which is likely more neutral, and similar to the quantity of my DT880 ('05). The extension was still good, but there was no sense of warmness at all.

Midrange
Simply put, the SRH840 midrange was soft and warm, and the SRH440 midrange seemed thinner, but was still a standout amongst the whole frequency response. I've noticed that string instruments and piano really seem to stand out on the SRH440.

Treble
This was very obvious. The treble on the SRH840 was rolled off relative to the other frequencies (but not in a terrible way). It offered a much more laid back listen, and switching over to the aggressive treble of the SRH440 was like night and day. While neither was "better or worse", there was no mistaking that the SRH840 was more akin to Sennheiser, and the SRH440 was more akin to Grado as far as treble was concerned. Still, no sibilance in either phone.

Soundstage
The soundstage on the SRH840 was certainly bigger, and as a result, instrument separation seemed better. This also seemed to coincide with the laid-back presentation of the SRH840, again similar to the Senns. The soundstage on the SRH440 IMO is still better than other closed cans that I've tried such as the V6 and K240, but noticeably more forward than the SRH840.

Detail
While the SRH440 has clearer treble that gave you that more "in your face" detail sound, I think the SRH840's better instrument separation and soundstage may ultimately offer a slightly more analytical listening experience.

Of course, none of this is definitive. There is only so much you can glean from a short period of listening in a retail store, but to these ears, the differences were fairly noticeable. I would still suggest that the SRH840 is a warmer-toned, laid back sophisticated phone, whereas the SRH440 is a more neutral, forward and energetic listen.

 

[sampson_smith]

Thanks, Catharsis! Very informative.

 

[priest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catharsis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Treble This was very obvious. The treble on the SRH840 was rolled off relative to the other frequencies (but not in a terrible way). It offered a much more laid back listen, and switching over to the aggressive treble of the SRH440 was like night and day. While neither was "better or worse", there was no mistaking that the SRH840 was more akin to Sennheiser, and the SRH440 was more akin to Grado as far as treble was concerned. Still, no sibilance in either phone.

I really like the SRH440, but you have nailed the treble on the head. It is one of the defining characteristics of the headphone in my mind, and doesn't get emphasized enough. Thanks for the incisive comparison.

I haven't heard the SRH840, but I gather the difference between the two is somewhat akin to the difference between the AH-D2000 and the AH-D7000, in quality if not degree.

 

[azncookiecutter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catharsis /img/forum/go_quote.gif While neither was "better or worse", there was no mistaking that the SRH840 was more akin to Sennheiser, and the SRH440 was more akin to Grado as far as treble was concerned.

Very good in describing the SRH840s. Nailed it spot on.

 

[Catharsis]

Thanks for the positive reviews fellow head-fiers!

Today is my last day to trade up my SRH440 for the SRH840. Time is ticking and I still don't know what to do!

 

[sampson_smith]

I think it has less to do with what we think about the aforementioned two Shure cans and, rather, what you think about the 440. Trust your ears. If it sounds good to you, keep it. It's a steal at that price. If it lacks in some significant way or you are left wanting much more... trade up.

 

[Kloug]

Well, we are on the same audio planet. I had both SRH440 and SRH840 for a 20 days comparison and I ended up with the same conclusions as yours.

So, here's my impressions:

SRH440

- Alive, involving, energetic although smooth sound
- Fun to listen, very dynamic, well suited to popular music
- Does very well with classical and jazz too!
- Overall clarity seem better than SRH840
- Vocals are more natural, livelier than SRH840
- Snappy fast deep bass with lots of impact but well balanced
- Midrange is accurate and natural, very live sounding
- Treble is acute, detailed and never agressive
- Sensitivity is fantastic, can play very loud with MP3 players
- No need for amplification
- Comfort is better than SRH840
- At 99$ value is outstanding!


SRH840

- Darker, more distant, laid-back sound than SRH440
- Sensation of plenitude, sound texture is dense
- Does very well with acoutic instruments
- A bit soft and lazy with pop and rock
- Voices have a felted quality
- Bass is very deep, but less impactful than SRH440
- Midrange is smooth, consistent and intimate
- Treble is excellent, more subtle than SRH440
- Sensitivity is good, can play loud enough with MP3 players
- Would be better with amplification
- Comfort is good, but heavier and hotter than SRH440
- At 199$ value is great


I finally choose the SRH440 and returned the SRH840 to the store. My sources are MP3 player and PC, and I found that with those unamped sources, the SRH440 outshine the SRH840. It's more efficient, livelier, more involving and dynamic than the SRH840.

You are right Catharsis, the SRH440 shines on strings. I love to listen to baroque music with it!

But what strikes me the most is the performance of the SRH440 on movie's dialogues, where they display an astonishing naturalness. On this particular point, the SRH840 was diffuse, distant and not convincing enough.

Now my SRH440 have more than 300 hours of brake in, and I have the feeling that they still get better each time I use them!

I've had Sennheiser HD280 Pro and HD555 for 2 years, but I sold both of them when I discovered the SRH440. They are that good.

 

[SillyHoney]

I had a SRH440 before. It's not lack of bass but the bass does not get so low and is not deep.

You can find it on eBay for $79 like I did. I then bought SRH840 earpad for $18 buck to replace the stock earpad. It's way better with the new earpad comfort wise.

 

[NormaJean]

I own both since the beginning of the year, most of he impression hear in this thread are accurate, Id like to contribute in pointing out that the srh840 isolates a bit more than the 440. I personnally use the 440 every day as my portable can with the 840s pads. As much as I love my 840, I only use them when the use of a closed can is necessary when Im a home.

To sum it all up the 440 makes a damn nice portable can.

 

[Young Spade]

Wow thanks for all of the posts everyone. And thanks for that direct comparison list there Kloug; if I'm ever looking for some 100 dollar cans or recommending some I'll definitely refer to the 440s.