[Asr]

My quick impression of the SRH840: wow, these are one of the best closed headphones I've heard, and I've heard a lot of closed headphones! (See this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/how...me-end-235997/)

These headphones definitely improved with burn-in. I didn't like them initially and almost thought about re-selling them, but I shoved them into a makeshift acoustically-dampened container for 2 weeks of continuous burn-in (I did interrupt burn-in after the first week to briefly check how they were progressing). I finally pulled them out yesterday to start listening again and the difference is amazing. Burn-in really opened up the soundstage, and it also deepened the bass and helped refine the treble which was initially a bit messy.

These are really good headphones and I'm officially impressed (and not just any headphone impresses me these days). I bought these after seeing Iron_Dreamer's positive review on HeadphoneReviews.org (his opinion is one that I trust) and I definitely agree with his conclusion - this has to be one of the best <$200 closed headphones being sold right now.

More details to come at a later point in time. I will not answer any questions that anyone might have in response to this post, sorry.

(Disclaimer: I believe in burn-in only when it comes to dynamic headphone drivers. I also did not use "white noise" or "pink noise" to run the burn-in, but I did use my standard battery of electronica CDs for this purpose - Andrea Parker's Kiss My Arp, Future Sound of London's Dead Cities, Global Communication's 76:14, Laika's Good Looking Blues, Klute's Casual Bodies, Neotropic's Mr. Brubaker's Strawberry Alarm Clock, Orbital's In-Sides, Middle of Nowhere & The Altogether, The Crystal Method's Tweekend, The Prodigy's Fat of the Land, and the various-artist compilations Wipeout XL and Wipeout Pure. Source used for burn-in was the Arcam FMJ CD36 and amp was the HeadAmp Gilmore Lite.)

 

[Nirvana1000]

Bought mine today.Out of the box?Hmmm.An hour later.Fantastic highs.Great extension of highs without harshness.Nice sound stage.Enough to hear light reverb.Mids sound laid back,in a good way.But the main con for me is they are bass light.They sound very natural,a little too natural.It's too bad because they have great detail and definition,with beautiful highs.IMO they are in need of bass colouring.Or more prominent sub bass.I can barely hear the kick drum in rock songs.If they had more weight and extension.It would of complimented the smoothness of higher frequencies.I doubt that burn in will change bass quantity.But so far,they are very easy on the ears.

 

[sampson_smith]

My thoughts were exactly the same when I first got my SRH-840's. This "bass anemia" (hopefully) will clear up after approx. 100-150 hours of burn-in. At least that is what occurred with my pair. I had plenty of issues with the lack of bass, but it eventually worked its way into what I was hearing. It could also have something to do with what amp you are or aren't using, as the top-tier Shures definitely benefit from one, especially in the lower frequency regions.

If that doesn't work, you could always try out a pair of D2000's for a bit more scratch. That is where my search has led me, anyway (and I'm now plenty content).

 

[moodyrn]

I gained both extension and impact in the bass department on mine after burnin. They won't turn into bass monsters but there is an increase after the drivers loosen up.

 

[Nirvana1000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moodyrn /img/forum/go_quote.gif I gained both extension and impact in the bass department on mine after burnin. They won't turn into bass monsters but there is an increase after the drivers loosen up.

If that happens,then i will consider keeping them.As of now the bass is unacceptable,for me.

 

[Nirvana1000]

The bass is starting to gain some impact with my Minibox E+ amping.

 

[swmtnbiker]

Just got mine. Right out of the box amped with my Millet MiniMAX I've gotta say that the highs have a lot of sizzle, and not in a good way. Compared to my D5000 the soundstage is smaller and more congested. The Denons also sound much smoother, spacious, and more refined. I realize that the the Shures need some burn-in but thought I'd post a quickie impression anyway. Oh, and I really do hate the coiled cable.

 

[sampson_smith]

Coiled cables are for jerks!

Seriously: Why hasn't Shure come out with a straight one yet?

 

[Nirvana1000]

Never mind the coil.Though it is retro.What's up with the small male/female 1/16th connection.God forbid they could of made a convenient 1/8th so we easily change the cable.That's too convenient.

 

[MomijiTMO]

It has a coiled cable seeing it's aimed at studio use.

Suck it up princesses!

 

[swmtnbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MomijiTMO /img/forum/go_quote.gif It has a coiled cable seeing it's aimed at studio use. Suck it up princesses!

Doesn't make it any less annoying, Skippy.

 

[Homeless2]

Does anyone have any experience with these unamped through an asus xonar dx? Also does anyone know if a proper review on these has been done? I'm curious to see how these work as an all-rounder.

Northern Sound & Light still the cheapest place to get these?

 

[Nirvana1000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kloug /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've had a Sennheiser HD280 Pro for 2 years, and I was satisfied with them until recently. Indeed, two weeks ago, I bought the Shure SRH440 and SRH840 in order to compare both, and also to compare them with the Sennheiser HD280. Report #1 : Both Shures are definitely better than the Sennheiser HD280 Pro. So forget the HD280 for the rest of this evaluation. Report #2 : Both Shures are very different, but each one has its intrinsic qualities. Report #3 : It is very hard to make a choice between them because they are both so good, but indeed different! I am not fixed yet as for my choice between the SRH440 and SRH840, even after 2 weeks of comparisons. The problem is that I really like both, but I have to choose one. When I'm comparing, each time I put one of them on my head, I fell that it's the best of both. But when I put the other, it's again the best of both! Here's what I've noted about each one : 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 - Voices are more natural, livelier than SRH840 - Snappy 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 surprisingly 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 almost perfect, better 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 Again, both models are very good and really impressive for the price. The SRH440 is a winner for listening with an MP3 player or a PC soundcard. Since I don't have a headphone amp, I probably can't evaluate the SRH840 at its best.

Very interesting comparison review.But it doesn't really clarify which one has better bass reproduction.I guess it comes down to preference.But now i have second thoughts about the SRH840s.Headroom.com also gave the SRH440 a better rating then the SRH840.Can you elaborate on which one has more bass quantity and extension?

From the looks of your comparison.The 440s should be the top model.

 

[RayofPain]

Hi, I recently got my 840s from future shop, for about $95 + 10% + Tax = 120 bucks.

I am trying really hard to like these, but they just don't sound like $200 headphones.

I am relatively new to high quality earphones, I have used some 20-40 dollar inears in the past, but nothing really expensive until i recently purchased my superfi 4s and these cans.

The superfi 4s i really like, the sensitivity is great, and i think the mids are really crisp to my ears.

These shures however, i honestly think sound mediocre. Reading these reviews, I think i'm doing something wrong. currently I play the shures through a 16gb zune, or plugged into my computer speakers. Both come out quieter than my ue's. The bass is clean, but have way too little presence for my tastes. The quality and build feels really good, but the sound just doesnt cut it.

I really want to like these, i've had about 10 hrs on these cans, so not "burning in" may be the issue. I honestly don't believe in burn in and think it's psychological. I have listened to my friend's 80hr+'s 840s and honestly can't hear a difference. I'm trying to, but I can't lie to myself.

What's going on? I'm thinking of returning them.

 

[Swazidoughman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RayofPain /img/forum/go_quote.gif These shures however, i honestly think sound mediocre. Reading these reviews, I think i'm doing something wrong. currently I play the shures through a 16gb zune, or plugged into my computer speakers. Both come out quieter than my ue's. The bass is clean, but have way too little presence for my tastes. The quality and build feels really good, but the sound just doesnt cut it.

Ok.

First off, the 840s are supposed to scale well with an amp.
Secondly, NEVER plug headphones into any jack on the speaker since often, the results suck. (noise, signal, power issues etc) plug it directly into your integrated or sound card.
About the bass... I think you're just used to having lots and lots of bass.
One more thing, what type of audio files are you using?
I know that with the 440s I have, being pretty detailed, don't sound nice with low bitrate files because errors caused by compression are obvious.