[Pianist]

Quote:

Wow for $172, those look like a bargain! The only thing is that I'm looking for closed headphones... >_<  I will definitely consider these when I do decide to purchase open headphones though!

 

 
I've owned both SRH840 and FA-003 for several months and I really liked both, but I wouldn't say FA-003 is on another level or anything like that. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. FA-003 is a bit more neutral in response and has smoother highs and a larger, more spacious soundstage. SRH840, on the other hand, has more micro detail, more lively vocals IMO and sharper imaging. FA-003 is lighter and more comfortable. SRH840 is quite a bit heavier, but still quite comfortable, unless you have an unusually small or large head. Both headphones are very versatile in my opinion and play all kinds of music really well. FA-003 handles J-pop better due to nicer, more sparkly highs. SRH840 is better for jazz, classical and a lot of pop music as well. I think that while FA-003 has a brilliant tonal balance and a sense of space and separation, SRH840 is the more musical headphone with more intimacy, warmth, better timbre in the mids and a higher overall detail resolution.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

I've been MIA for what seems like a year now and I just picked up the srh840's from Amazon.  I'm now itching to hear the 440's and even the Beyer dt1350.
 
I'll be upfront when I say I do not like the way these sound with vocals.  I feel like the mid-bass hump or whatever Shure did with the 840's veils the vocals making them seem farther away and less important in the overall picture.  I know some folk' are saying they are impressed with vocals but I would tend to disagree in this case!
 
The weight, the cable, and the comfort I have absolutely no qualms with and I actually really like the way these LOOK (yeah I know not truly that important in the grand scheme of things).  I want to hear the 440's now because many have said they seem to be more forward and balanced sounding (ala hd650 vs hd600); with the 840 pads it sounds like it may also help make up for some bass response.

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

I've been MIA for what seems like a year now and I just picked up the srh840's from Amazon.  I'm now itching to hear the 440's and even the Beyer dt1350.
 
I'll be upfront when I say I do not like the way these sound with vocals.  I feel like the mid-bass hump or whatever Shure did with the 840's veils the vocals making them seem farther away and less important in the overall picture.  I know some folk' are saying they are impressed with vocals but I would tend to disagree in this case!
 
The weight, the cable, and the comfort I have absolutely no qualms with and I actually really like the way these LOOK (yeah I know not truly that important in the grand scheme of things).  I want to hear the 440's now because many have said they seem to be more forward and balanced sounding (ala hd650 vs hd600); with the 840 pads it sounds like it may also help make up for some bass response.

 
Well, the thing is that while SRH840 vocals are indeed in the background a bit compared to the mid bass and lower treble, they are lively and detailed in my opinion. The vocals on FA-003 are more upfront, but they are not as detailed. I personally would rather listen to more distant vocals, but with higher resolution than hearing more upfront vocals, but at the cost of details. But everyone has different priorities.
 
 

 

[T-Willi]

Most Definitely Agreed. 

 

[miceblue]

Though it's not completely related to this thread, how do the SRH440's compare to the 840's in terms of vocals or mids? I've generally read that the 840's have more refined highs and deeper lows, but I haven't seen much about the mids.

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

Though it's not completely related to this thread, how do the SRH440's compare to the 840's in terms of vocals or mids? I've generally read that the 840's have more refined highs and deeper lows, but I haven't seen much about the mids.

 
I think SRH840 is better in the mids as well - it is more detailed than the SRH440 which sounds somewhat schematic by comparison.

 

[Armaegis]

Though in general terms, the lesser bass of the 440 can make the details come out clearer.

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

Though in general terms, the lesser bass of the 440 can make the details come out clearer.

 
Maybe, although I don't think SRH840 has too much bass at all. I think it's actually about right. Any less would make it too analytical and more will be on the heavy side.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

Quote:

Though in general terms, the lesser bass of the 440 can make the details come out clearer.

 
So a week later I've picked up a used pair of 440's and thrown the 840 pads on them.  Unamped the bass can be a little underwhelming compared to the 840 especially the lower frequencies but I still feel like the vocals are in better balance with the rest of the music.  I also think that you lose a little bit of soundstage; for a closed can this is not a huge loss imo.  Plugged them into an amp (Zana Deux) and viola they sound exactly how I would expect them to sound.
 
I believe that I may be "spoled" by all my other experiences with extremely analytical cans, guess I'm not a basshead!
 
tl;dr - If you find the vocals to be out of unison or veiled on the 840's try the 440's with 840 pads and an amp.

 

[droido256]

I love my SRH840's and to me IMHO they sounded perfect out of the box. I too worry about the cables on the outside, but I trust Shure. My mdr-v6's have the cables on the outside too and it doesnt seem to affect much. Worst comes to worst I've heard Shure has excellent customer service. They dont get warm on me, but the weight of these beasts took a bit of getting used to. These things feel as solid as a 1948 buick roadmaster. I've honestly have never had a headphone this solid before.

 

[bcasey25raptor]

Quote:

I love my SRH840's and to me IMHO they sounded perfect out of the box. I too worry about the cables on the outside, but I trust Shure. My mdr-v6's have the cables on the outside too and it doesnt seem to affect much. Worst comes to worst I've heard Shure has excellent customer service. They dont get warm on me, but the weight of these beasts took a bit of getting used to. These things feel as solid as a 1948 buick roadmaster. I've honestly have never had a headphone this solid before.

considering i have used the shure customer support before i can tell you with experience they are really good and are 100% willing to solve your problem.

 

[baka1969]

http://cdn.head-fi.org/1/1c/1cb4ad66_IMG-20110724-00166.jpg

(940 pictured in link)

I did a few mods to my 840 (and 940) and thought I'd post some of the results.

I added plumbers putty to the back of the drivers and to the inside of the cups. I didn't have many expectations really. But I was a bit surprised. This mod really makes the 840 into somewhat of a bass monster. Close to M50 (by memory) levels. I can't say that I personally prefer it to stock but I can see how some might like the extra impact. I haven't listened to them for long with the putty mod but will report back when I know more. The bass change is definitely the most apparent though.

 

[autumnholy]

Sometimes i hate honesty. When someone is honest about the ugly truth, it hurts. Just like a too honest headphone. Great difference between vbr mp3 under 200kbps and flac. That's a too honest SRH840...

 

[mbd2884]

My SRH840s arrived today after finally deciding to get a pair of headphones that are portable.  Been transporting AD900s to school, work and back everyday for nearly 6 years now.  Taken their toll, AD900s are falling apart.  I decided to buy the SRH840s as I'm starting a new job where headphones were suggested due to the repetative nature of the job, editorial department of an online publication company.  
 
The SRH840s are what I expected.  I wasn't expecting the bright, fun sound with large soundstage like my AD900s.  But I do appreciate the neutral sound, I listen to L-series JBL speakers.  I like the pouch they came with to protect it from getting scratched.  The build quality is excellent, and they fold up nicely.  This is why I wouldn't even consider anything like the Fischer/Brainwavs, Denon etc.  I need something very portable and rugged with decent isolation.  At the volume I listen to, the isolation is excellent, don't want to bother the co-workers.  Can't even hear the music from the exterior, very nice.
 
I got them for $120 and I don't think I could find a better closed pair for $120.  The extra earpads are a nice touch.  I hope these last me many many years.  They sound great.  Later I'll replace the AD900s for home listening, thinking maybe the Sennheiser HD598.  Maybe the SRH1840s since I like the 840s.  
 
Lastly I would not compare these to the D2000s, or Beats etc.  On the box it came in, it CLEARLY says: Optimized for critical listening and Studio monitoring.  And they don't lie, and it's what I expected.  I'm satisfied, Shure created a fine product.  $120 well spent for me.  Too bad their open-air will be so pricey. 

 

[zhenya]

 
 
 
I finally took the opportunity today to extensively listen to the 840's.  A year or two ago a couple of my co-workers had picked them up, and my initial listen had been positive, but it wasn't until now that I've taken the opportunity to listen to them closely.
 
In particular I wanted to compare them to my trusty Sony 7506's which have been my work can of choice for years.  The Shure's, being clearly influenced by their design, have been on my radar as a possible upgrade at some point should I choose to want to part with the money.  So this was a direct back-to-back comparison between these two cans.  The source being was iTunes on my Thinkpad T410s, fed via USB to a Corda Move.  Nothing super, but perfectly adequate for resolving differences between cans.  The 7506's being approximately 5 years old and having Beyer replacement pads, the 840's, as mentioned, 12-18 months old with plenty of time on them.
 
After some extensive listening, I found this thread, and was relieved to find that at least some of the observations matched mine almost exactly.  Specifically on page 123:
 

Originally Posted by electropop /img/forum/go_quote.gif

The 840s tend to flatten melodies and thus not letting you hear the compositional structure of a piece of work as clearly.

and

Originally Posted by electropop /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I struggle to hear bass lines and notes of mid-band instruments.

 
This was especially surprising because of the relative bass hump of the Shure's, and their reputation as somewhat bass heavy.  That was true on some tracks for me, but on many more delicate or complex pieces, I found that following the bass-line was difficult to near impossible, sometimes it was completely absent.  I'd switch back to the Sony's, and nope, it was there clear as a bell to pick out.  Back to the Shure's and it was in there somewhere, but I couldn't quite follow it.  When the bassline was front and center, then it was full and present (if a little boomy) on the Shure's, but when it was more obscured, it often disappeared altogether.  Specifically, on Eric Clapton's Unplugged track #2 Before You Accuse Me someone is keeping time with their foot, but it's only audible as a low frequency resonance.  On the Sony's it's clearly there and easy to follow, on the Shure's it's there and then it's gone and I can't really follow it.  In the Shure's favor on this track, they provide a bit more of an upfront sound, appropriate to this recording.  Yet it also illustrates their other primary weakness in my view, which is a mid-band congestion that makes it difficult to pick out separate instruments.
 
I first picked this out on Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers The Complete Blue Note Recordings Disc 5 track 3 Tell It Like It Is.  It first showed up as a lack of focus for the Shures.  Cymbal strikes that were sharp and definitively placed on the Sony's were muddy and almost as if a veil had been placed in front of the mic on the Shures.  The effect was subtle, and on its own, the Shure was engaging and enjoyable, but when directly compared the difference was striking.  While the bassline, when the focus, had a bit more punch (see the 'up front' comments from above), the primary impression was congestion where everything was mushed together.  When I switched back to the Sony's it was almost a feeling of 'phew' as each instrument again occupied its own space.
 
All said, I was really astonished by these results.  As a big fan of the 7506's, they have certainly been in consideration for an upgrade, with the 840's previously being primary on that list, as they should be all that the 7506's are but more.  I guess I've saved myself some money, but it just goes to verify why these have been in heavy rotation for so long.  They don't hold up well when directly compared to my best gear, but for durable, all around travel/everyday use, they are still pretty great.  I do wish they had the heft of the Shures though.  Again, in isolation they seem fine, but handling the two side by side the Shure's are built to a different standard.