[Argyris]

Quote:

That was a great article. I remember being surprised that they preferred the shure 440 over it's more expensive sibling the 840 and also over the m50.. They also liked the sony 7509 a lot, but it's way over the OPs budget.

Weird, I just read it now and they didn't even mention the 440. Did they change the article or something? 

 Somebody also referred to the treble on the DT880 as "slightly mellow" which makes me wonder a little bit. "Mellow" and "DT880" usually don't go in the same sentence, unless the word "not" is included in huge capital letters. I love mine (except for the fatigue that I get from poorly-mixed, treble-happy music), and I know their signature pretty well.
 
I actually just bought a pair of SRH440. They're arriving tomorrow, as a matter of fact. I found it interesting that Catharsis found them to be similar in tonality to the DT880, as from my recollection they were kind of the antidote. I remember them being somewhat mid-centric but with a noticeable (but not overbearing) presence spike in the treble. In other words, what an M50 might be if it didn't have the upper bass/lower midrange bleed. To me, the 440 wasn't as strong in the upper mids/lower treble region as the DT880, which is the part that's bugging me with mainstream music. Either way, I'll find out tomorrow.

 

[lejaz]

They very well may have changed it since I read the actual physical magazine in a bookstore a few months ago. I'm like 99% sure that they preferred the 440 over the 840. It was definitely mentioned and got very high marks for 'neutrality'.  I also recall that they loved the 880 pro, which according to a lot of folks here on head-fi including yourself, has overbearing highs. I wouldn't give too much credibility to ANY reviewers opinion, though. I normally trust my own ears in the end. I've read too much in reviews that seems totally off base
 
Quote:

Quote:

That was a great article. I remember being surprised that they preferred the shure 440 over it's more expensive sibling the 840 and also over the m50.. They also liked the sony 7509 a lot, but it's way over the OPs budget.

Weird, I just read it now and they didn't even mention the 440. Did they change the article or something? 

 Somebody also referred to the treble on the DT880 as "slightly mellow" which makes me wonder a little bit. "Mellow" and "DT880" usually don't go in the same sentence, unless the word "not" is included in huge capital letters. I love mine (except for the fatigue that I get from poorly-mixed, treble-happy music), and I know their signature pretty well.
 
I actually just bought a pair of SRH440. They're arriving tomorrow, as a matter of fact. I found it interesting that Catharsis found them to be similar in tonality to the DT880, as from my recollection they were kind of the antidote. I remember them being somewhat mid-centric but with a noticeable (but not overbearing) presence spike in the treble. In other words, what an M50 might be if it didn't have the upper bass/lower midrange bleed. To me, the 440 wasn't as strong in the upper mids/lower treble region as the DT880, which is the part that's bugging me with mainstream music. Either way, I'll find out tomorrow.

 

[Argyris]

Quote:

They very well may have changed it since I read the actual physical magazine in a bookstore a few months ago. I'm like 99% sure that they preferred the 440 over the 840. It was definitely mentioned and got very high marks for 'neutrality'.  I also recall that they loved the 880 pro, which according to a lot of folks here on head-fi including yourself, has overbearing highs. I wouldn't give too much credibility to ANY reviewers opinion, though. I normally trust my own ears in the end. I've read too much in reviews that seems totally off base.

 

I know exactly what you mean. I tend to form very general impressions of products I haven't personally tried based on the aggregate of everything I've ever read about them, but I always reserve my true judgment for when I actually hear it. I think the thing that made me shake my head the most was that the DT880 treble was compared to the HD650 treble, which evidently both sounded "mellow." I've never heard the latter (it's on the short list), but the "mellow" description would definitely more likely apply to a Senn than to a Beyer.
 
I still think that's weird that the article didn't match up to what you read. I totally believe you, as I can't see how or why you would be mistaken. For the most part, the "neutrality" description is the one I've heard most, and when I have time to judge them properly (tomorrow, if everything goes as planned), I'll be able to say for sure.

 

[Parkinson]

so what is my best option ? save more money and get the Shure's 440 ?

 

[ProjectDenz]

I have owned both the SRH440 and SRH840 at the same time. They both sound pretty much the same without a decent amp. So without a decent amp the SRH440 is better value for money.

 

[lejaz]

If you're not in a big hurry you could place a 'Wanted' add in the for sale forum, and try to pick up one used. Equation RP21 used is another option....a bit flatter than the v6, IMO  From all the reading I've done though I'd probably try to get the Shure 440 one way or another.

 

[ProjectDenz]

The Shure SRH440's really are awesome for the price, however, I would recommend that anybody getting that also get the SRH840 pads, as they are a lot more comfortable.

 

[AnotherN00b]

Guitar Center and Sam Ash should both have the 440s and 840s as well as others like the HD280 Pro, M50, etc. that you can demo. Also, many Best Buys carry the 440s and they have a pretty hassle-free return policy, especially this time of year, so there's little risk in trying them out. I got the 440s after a lot of comparisons and am very happy with them with the exception of them being a little bright as some have mentioned (there is a bump in the frequency response around 10k). Otherwise, they have been the best of the bunch I've tried for less than $150.

 

[Nepenthe]

Quote:

Guitar Center and Sam Ash should both have the 440s and 840s as well as others like the HD280 Pro, M50, etc. that you can demo. Also, many Best Buys carry the 440s and they have a pretty hassle-free return policy, especially this time of year, so there's little risk in trying them out.

I tried this. Guitar Center on Hulen in Fort Worth, Texas. They would not let me take any out of the package and they had none to demo, and furthermore when I asked about the return policy the guy told me they do not accept returns on headphones due to "the law."
 

 

[AnotherN00b]

Bummer! I don't think you would have any problem returning a set to Best Buy per their corporate policy. I have returned two open sets of headphones in the past couple weeks, one without a receipt! They have a published Holiday no hassle return policy currently in effect that they have to honor! Unfortunately the selection is extremely limited but they do have the SRH440s at many locations. I'm really pleased with mine so far after trying half a dozen others at their price point. 
 
Cheers!

 

[mibutenma]

The SRH 440 is nothing like the DT 880.
The SRH 440 is more aggressive sounding and sounds like someone just badly EQ'ed it compared to the DT880.
And everything is mushed together versus the DT 880 separation. These two versus each other the DT 880 is mellow.
The DT 880 is a much higher quality sounding headphone than the SRH 440.
 

 

[Parkinson]

but they belong to a whole different price range so its pretty unfair to compare between them...

 

[Digital-Pride]

That's just an unfair and not imformative comparison!  The DT 880s are obviously going to have a larger soundstage due to their open back design.  While the SRH440s are bright a bit they are pretty close to neutral in its sound signature.  Their clarity and excellent dynamics coupled with the fact that they're driven well without an amp(which is something that is pretty much a must with the DT880s) make them a exceptional value.

 

[Argyris]

I was briefly able to listen to the SRH440 today, though I'm sorry to say my exposure was very short and that I won't have the opportunity for quite some time to give them a thorough run through (some guff about Christmas gifts being reserved for Christmas). In that time, combined with the memory I have of the half an hour or so I spent with another pair last July, I can put together a rough assessment and comparison with the DT880.
 
First of all, I found the bass to be quite substantive, far more so than I remembered from the first time (and with greater punch and extension than the HeadRoom chart would suggest). This can only be a good thing, as my worry going into this was that the bass would be too light (ala the DT880). I would say it's not quite as well controlled as the DT880's bass, but that's a given from (a) a closed can, and (b) a sonic signature with less upper midrange presence than that of the DT880. It certainly isn't flabby or boomy, at least from what I heard, nor does it drown out the rest of the spectrum.
 
The treble is a little odd, though maybe this is just because I'm used to the DT880's strident lower treble. The SRH440 treble seems a little "sparkly" in comparison with the DT880, and though the former's treble spike might still be just a hair prominent for my taste, sibilance seems greatly reduced from the DT880. Overall, I'd say the treble is likely the weakest part of the spectrum in the SRH440, as it sounds as though it lacks a degree of coherence. It seems a little disembodied from the rest of the frequencies, though I really don't want to pass judgment here until I've had a long time to listen to them.
 
The midrange is wonderfully sumptuous, forward but not in a honky, upper midrange-driven way. If this is anything close to the Shure midrange that owners of Shure IEMs rave about, now I know what all the fuss is for. It's the part of the sound I miss most not being able to give these a go (why didn't I hide them when I left?!), and in the very few selections I was able to test I really enjoyed it. The DT880 has that typical "treble-colored" midrange that seems to come with bright-leaning, neutral cans. It has lots of upper midrange presence and an ultra clear but somewhat "dry" cast. I really like this sound, but I also like the SRH440's approach, and I find it subjectively more pleasing for mainstream music. I suspect it will be a lot less fatiguing than the DT880 here.
 
Overall, from my very short time with my new SRH440 (unamped, I might add), I find them competent, well-balanced, and very pleasant to listen to. I can't agree at all that they're markedly inferior to the DT880. They're different enough that they need to be judged on their own merit. It isn't fair to expect a closed can to ever sound as coherent, wide, or open as an open one, and the SRH440 does have a slight tendency (at least from what I heard) to sound just a little bit "canny." The soundstage is not as narrow as I've been on record as saying, and for this I owe SRH440 owners and Shure an apology. But it's nowhere near as wide as the DT880, nor does instrument separation seem quite as stark (again, not as much space to spread out--the Prestige Series Grados have this same problem to my ears).
 
For $100, I think I more than got my money's worth, but we'll see if anything awful crops up once I can give these some real quality time. For now, consider this a first impression.