Shure SRH1440 Professional Open Back Headphones (Black)

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List Price: $500.00
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I confess that I have a certain addiction to headphones -probably because music is such an integral part of my existence and because of my office environment where if I don't have some way to block out my co-workers, it would not end well for my co-workers or myself.

I tend to go back and forth between earbuds and headphones. I like earbuds for their minimal size/weight and generally cost. However, often I get tired of having to jam something in my ear so like over the ear headphones as well.

I had a wonderful EXPENSIVE set of Denon's but alas, they were damaged in my last move and I hadn't had the heart (or money) to replace them. I also recently purchase the SRH940 headphones because I was concerned that due to the open design of the 1840s, too much noise would "leak" out these might not be a good choice for my office. Also at more than twice the price as the SRH940, I wasn't sure if I wanted to "risk" something happening to them by taking them to the office.

I listen to a wide range of music but purchase based on my love of classical music. So tonight I sat down with both the SRH940 and the SRH1840s and had a little side-by-side comparison.

I used my iPhone 5 as my listening device and all of the music I chose was ripped directly from CD using the Apple Lossless format. The pieces I chose to listen to were:

Bach Chaconne for Unaccompanied Violin -(Perlman)

Brahms Symphony #1 -1st movement (Solti and the Chicago Symphony)

Saint Saens Piano Concerto #2 -1st movement

I think I was expecting a much bigger difference (at least based on price) than there really was. Not surprisingly -both sounded very very good with VERY subtle differences -differences I probably would not notice if I were sitting in my office with background noise (as opposed to alone in my house with no distractions except for my cat who insists on shedding in my lap!)

Here are the differences:

-SRH940 had a louder "harsher" sound -not surprising given that they have a higher sensitivity rating (in essence, they will be louder because the earphones are more "efficient" at producing sound. Perhaps the "harshness" was due to the louder sound but I did adjust the volume to try to control for the difference. However, the SRH1840s seemed to be more "refined" and "mellow" -sort of a difference between a fine old violin vs a brand new one that you would purchase from your local big-box music store for 300 bucks!

-SRH940 had a more "detailed" sound -whereas the 1840s tended to have a more "blended" sound. When I was playing the piano concerto, one of the things that struck me was how distinctly I was able to "picture" the orchestra in my head because the violins were quite clearly coming from the left ear and cellos and basses were on the right side. The piano was off to the left side but more "centered" than the violins. With the 1840s -you didn't notice the "placement" of the sounds to the same extent -it was a more nuanced and "blended" soundstage. Which is better? I suppose it is a matter of taste. Having played and attended many symphony concerts, I tend to think that the separation as you get with the 940s seems more "real" to me.

-The SRH1840s are more comfortable -they are lighter weight and the ear cups feel software and don't "clamp" your head as hard as the SRH940s... both have velour pads but the first time I tried on the SRH940s, my first thought was whether I would get tired of wearing them after awhile.

One difference I expected to find but didn't really experience was the external sound from the open vs close headphone design. I expected that the SRH 1840s would be much louder externally than they were. However, I found them to be roughly comparable to the closed SRH940 designs.

And while these have a lower sensitivity, they were more than capable of playing music at a volume that would have left me deaf after a few minutes if I chose to go that high... in other words, contrary to believe that these are not suited for "i-devices", they did very well. Just be aware that they could draw more power from your device so you probably want to have a charger available all the time.

Which pair do I prefer? If I could only pick one -I would pick the SRH 1840s because of the comfort and more refined sound. However, was there enough of a difference to justify spending the extra 350? In all honesty -no -at least not under the circumstances for which I will be using them.

Perhaps both pairs are OVERKILL for my purposes -listening to music from an iPhone, iPod or my Macbook Pro -as my dad always said, the sound will only be as good as the weakest link. However, I like to think that the corollary is that even relatively poor equipment will sound better with high-end "output methods" (i.e. your headphones or speakers).

This may be a relatively "specialized" review and just my humble opinion -your mileage may vary.

[NCJVR]

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program The flagship Shure SRH1840 open, dynamic headphones are their first entry into the high end audiophile portion of the market. In a crowded field that features many excellent headphones such as the Sennheiser HD 650s in this price range, the Shures are a good example of an engineering strategy that emphasizes a more neutral acoustic approach to music. They are reminiscent of the Sennheiser HD 580/600/650 line, which remains popular with audiophiles for their musical accuracy and their relaxed approach to sound. The SRH1840s (the 40 in Shure names refers to their 40 mm neodymium drivers) feature music reproduction that sounds natural and relaxed, with a generous sound stage, good imaging and a pleasing transparency. To my ears they also have an assertive warmth, with music sounding more forward than the most popular Sennheisers, thus avoiding the "veiled" sound that some find problematic while listening to headphones from that manufacturer. If you've found the Sennheiser "veil" an impediment, you might find that these Shures have a refreshingly different approach to music.

While they are effective in reproducing all genres of music, I found the 1840s especially impressive when confronted with complex orchestral recordings. This type of music requires relatively quick response, solid depth of field, a consistent acoustic elegance and a generously wide sound stage, all of which the Shure 1840s possess. Adding vocals by playing Opera only adds to their ability to impress. The 1840s feature a potent mid-range that brings vocals to the fore without burying them beneath orchestral forces. Their musical transparency allows vocals to be enveloped by the orchestra without overwhelming them. In Jazz, and other acoustic instrumental music, the 1840s have a comparable ability to allow each instrument to breathe across a well defined sound stage that is always acoustically liquid and warm. Treble is crystalline and sharp without obvious sibilance or inducing fatigue. Bass is crisp and forceful, although never overemphasized. Only when playing certain kinds of Rock featuring compression, distortion and artificially emphasized extremes of the musical spectrum did I find the 1840s to be ill-matched to the material. With this type of popular music they appear to be laboring somewhat to reproduce it effectively. If you listen to a lot of Metal or Hip-Hop, the 1840s are probably not the best headphones for you.

The Shure 1840s are light and comfortable: they are a pleasure to wear while listening for several consecutive hours. They come with a hard shell case and include replacement ear pads and a second cable, both of which will undoubtedly come in handy. If you are an experienced head-fier who has never considered Shure headphones, it may surprise you to learn that the 1840s are this good. After several weeks of extensive use, I remain impressed with their ability to reproduce music naturally and warmly. Because they are open back, if you require headphones for use in a crowded and/or noisy environment, you will probably need to look elsewhere. However, if you are not constrained by your surroundings, the Shore SRH1840s are worthy of your consideration. Despite their efficiency and 65 ohm impedance, I recommend you use these with a headphone amp. Although they can be used plugged directly into an iPod, their sound is substantially improved by the added power that an amp provides. To my ears the 1840s sound as good or better than several headphones costing much more. Shure has succeeded in creating a (relatively) moderately priced, audiophile grade headphone for use with almost all genres of music.

Buy Shure SRH1440 Professional Open Back Headphones (Black) Now

The Shure SRH 1840 is unique in its truth of tone and clarity. Many top-tier phones spotlight the treble to give the impression of great detail, or emphasize the attack of a musical note at the expense of it's bloom and decay to enhance the impression of greater resolving power. This robs the music of its resonance and sweetness. Not so the 1840: you will hear the body and full resonance of accoustic instruments with a tonal balance that is completely neutral and convincing. Clarity is of the best kind; musical; distortion free; and smooth. 90% of musical content is in the midrange and the Shure gets it right without sacrificing extended frequency response or dynamic range.

These are very comfortable phones; light weight; roomy earcups; low clamping pressure. Build quality is first rate and materials are ideally suited to the phone's function; plastic for the earcups, heavy gauge alluminum for the head-band yokes, and steel for the transducer mounts. No bling.

These phones are easy to drive but deserve to be driven by first rate upstream components. They are especially good with Classical and Jazz. They are amongst the very best in reproducing difficult intruments such as piano and violin. In summary, the Shure is elegant in design and operationa musical delight.

N.B. the Shures were driven by Bryston BHA-1 or Woo WA-22 headphone amps with a Luxman D-05 CD player as front end. Comparisons were made to Sennheiser HD-800 and Audeze LCD-2.2 headphones.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program The Shure SRH1440 are full-size open back headphones. According to Inner Fidelity dot com, "Generally the best sounding headphones are in this category; and most ultra-high performance cans are of this type." Full-size open back headphones are of course not ideal for everyone and all situations (because of their size and the fact that they leak sound and are not noise-isolating), but if you are in the market for full-size open back headphones with low impedance (the SRH1440s have an impedance rating of 37 ohms), and you want outstanding sound and your budget allows it, do consider trying out the SRH1440s.

The sound is truly awesome. The only headphones in my collection that outshine the SRH1440s are Shure's SRH1840s. When I listen to the 1440s side by side with my AKG Q701 Quincy Jones Signature Reference-Class Headphones and my recently re-cabled and re-padded Sennheiser HD580s, I find the AKGs and Sennheisers pale by comparison. (I've made comparisons using various pieces of equipment, including a Harmon Kardon HK3370 amp/receiver, an Onkyo TX8222 amp/receiver, lossless music from a desktop run through a NuForce Icon HD USB Amp/DAC, lossless music from a laptop run through a FiiO E10 USB DAC Headphone Amplifier, and lossy music and streaming radio from an iPad both without an external amp and run through a FiiO E11 Portable Headphone Amplifier. I've tested the 1440s with classical music including opera, as well as rock and jazz, and movies with the sound run through a Sony STR DE485 amp/receiver.)

I consider it a significant plus that the 1440s come with a replacement set of velour ear pads, especially given that I recently spent around fifty bills plus S&H to replace the ear pads for the aforementioned HD580s, and if I were to replace the Q701 earpads today, it would cost me seventy bills plus S&H. It is also a plus that the 1440s come with a replacement cable (replacing the Q701 cable today would cost me thirty three bills plus S&H). And it is a huge plus that the 1440s come with a rugged zippered storage case with a foam cutout to hold them. (After buying the Q701s I looked for a similar type of case for them and gave up after realizing that a good quality case, such as those made by Pelican, could easily cost me as much as half what I paid for the 701s.) The case for the 1440 is identical to the case that comes with the more expensive 1840s, and has an attached zippered pouch inside it that holds both cables (i.e., the one you regularly use as well as the replacement; the cable must be removed from the headphones before the headphones can be fit into the case), as well as a threaded 1/4 inch gold-plated adapter.

But back to the sound. I've heard the 1440s described as bright, and I would agree, as long as we somehow distinguish between "bright" and "trebly." To my aging ears, headphones that are a tad bright is a good thing. I would describe the 1440s as being both bright and present. While I don't find them as neutral as I find the Q701s, they are certainly more neutral than headphones I own or have tried that emphasize the bass, so I would say that the 1440s are definitely not for anyone looking for headphones that accentuate the bass. While I of course cannot literally hear the heartbeats of musicians performing, say, a chamber piece when I listen through the 1440s, it is almost as if I can. (I listen to a talk radio show called the Philosopher's Zone that airs once a week, and when listening with the 1440s I could hear things I'd never heard so much as a suggestion of when I've listened to the show with other headphones, such as movements of the host's chair, and the sound of the host sipping a beverage when his guest was speaking. It was as if I was in his broadcasting studio with him.)

When I listen to recordings of live music with the 1440s I can close my eyes and it is as if I am in the concert hall or club or whatever venue the music was performed in. It's not as if I have to imagine that I'm in the live venue; it's as if I am literally in it. The depth, soundscape and presence of the 1440s are nothing short of remarkable. I've listened to the 1440s for hours at a time with zero fatigue, something I cannot say about any other headphones I've used with the exception of Shure's SRH1840s. But I did find that I had to become accustomed to wearing them, as they are not so lightweight as to be unnoticeable (in contrast, the Q701s and 1840s seem to float on my head), but once I found the right adjustment for my head, their presence there became unobtrusive. Conveniently, the metal part of the headband that is exposed when you adjust the headphones has numbers on it so you can adjust each side to the same indent each time once you find the setting that works best for your noggin. Inconveniently, Shure did not provide a way for 1440 users to "braille" their way to determine which side is left and which is right, as one may need to do if using the headphones in the dark. Because the cable attaches to both earpieces one cannot determine which side is which in the way one can with a single-sided cable, and unlike the Sennheiser HD580s, which also have a double-sided cable, there is no "braille" type marking on one side that one can feel. However, because the Shure name is printed in a slightly indented way on the top of the headband, I can determine which side is left by feeling for the curve of the "S" in "Shure."

By all means check out Dale Thorn's excellent "Shure SRH-1440 Stereo Headphone Review by Dale" in Stereophile's forum as well as his YouTube video titled, "Shure SRH-1440 Brightness Modification Review by Dale."

Finally, if you are considering purchasing the 1440s as a gift for someone, you could not select a more impressively packaged gift, as the fairly huge, handsome box they come in exclaims quality, class and refinement, as do the contents.

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Sources: iPhone4s with PA2V2 amp using LOD, various PC's running Foobar2000 using the Audioengine D1 DAC and the D1's headphone out.

The first thing people want to know about a new headphone is "How does it sound?" In the case of the SRH-1840 the verdict is: Excellent. The second question people ask is "Is it worth the cost?" That determination is purely subjective of course, and takes into account things other than the sound. My verdict: Yes, with no reservations. I'll get to the details of that sound after first describing the 1840's physical characteristics.

The SRH-1840 has a proprietary double-entry detachable cable that's about seven feet long and straight (not coiled), terminated by a standard straight (not angled) miniplug. A 1/4 inch (6.35mm) adapter is supplied and screws onto the miniplug. I can't be certain whether the miniplug would fit into any of the recessed sockets on music players that have such things, but the threaded portion of the plug ahead of the business end is 7mm in diameter including the threads. The cord is made up of two side-by-side strands that are bonded together, where each strand is 3mm thick, and those two strands separate at a strain-relief and join the earcups 'Y'-style.

Many people feel that single-entry headphone cables are a better choice because they're more convenient, i.e. they don't get tangled as much as double-entry cables. The price for that convenience is potentially worse sound due partly to the fact that the total cable length going to each driver is different, and partly to the requirement for a thin cable running across the headband to get the signal to the second earcup. Fortunately, the SRH-1840 matches my personal preference.

The SRH-1840 comes with two identical cables, the 6.5mm adapter, an extra set of velour earpads, and a semi-hard carrycase that affords good protection when transporting the headphone.

Since the 1840's cable has a standard miniplug with optional 6.5mm adapter, one might assume that Shure intended that it could be used with portable music players. Since laptop and desktop computers also have miniplug jacks, and because the 1840 is less efficient than most of the headphones that are typically used with portable music players, I'm going to assume that the intent for the miniplug is to be used primarily with computers. I did try a few relatively low-volume tracks with the iPod Touch alone, and while those were barely adequate for playback indoors where it's fairly quiet, they would not be adequate for playback on-the-go. If you do require that kind of playback with the 1840, you will probably need to increase the volume of at least some of your music tracks.

The earpads are fully circumaural and plush velour, with openings that measure approximately 1-5/8 by 2-1/2 inches. The inside of the cups have cloth-covered thin spongy pads so the ears don't contact anything that would cause discomfort. The earcups appear to be some type of high-grade plastic, with a headband of metal alloy that provides good flexibility, light clamping force, and (since the 1840 is so light), good stability with no tendency to shift when I move my head around.

The headband has small spongy pads underneath which feel very comfortable on my head, but if there is any tendency for discomfort in spite of the very light weight of the headphone, I recommend pulling the earcups down just slightly more than the minimum, to let most of the weight be borne by the earcups and not the headband. Note that the earcups of the SRH-1840 do not rotate in any direction, although there is a small amount of movement back and forth to allow alignment of the earcups to different sized heads.

The SRH-1840 is a snazzy-looking headphone if you've seen photos of it, so it has a modest bling factor that you don't have to pay a premium for. I would rate its appearance as 8.5 out of 10 and I would rate its comfort factor equally high. The reason the appearance doesn't get a 9 or better is because the 1840 isn't a fashion headphone, so my subjective rating of 8.5 is probably as good as you can get for a serious hi-fi product like this. The reason I didn't rate the comfort 9 or higher is because the 1840 is a full-size headphone with moderate clamping pressure to keep it stable on your head. Having said that, I've never had a full-size headphone that felt this comfortable the next best thing to no headphone at all.

I'd like to describe the sound of the 1840 in terms of a predecessor the Shure SRH-940 partly because they are family-related, partly because I have both, and partly because it will be a less complex task given certain similarities.

The SRH-1840's general signature is best described as: Bass slightly less than the 940, upper treble very similar to the 940, midrange similar to the 940 except where the 940 has a slight emphasis around 500 hz, the 1840 has a slight emphasis about an octave higher. I tend to regard the 1840 as bass-neutral in spite of having less impact than the 940, and for those users who prefer more bass than what the 940 provides, they will have a similar impression of the 1840 not for bass-heads. The 1840's midrange is essentially flawless with great rendition of voices and instruments, and given the overall smoothness from the top of the treble to the bottom of the bass, as good a listening experience as I've ever had.

The standout area for the 1840 is what I call the "presence" area that part of the lower treble that makes voices and some instruments sound more (or less) "alive". This would be in the area from 4 to 6 khz I think, and whatever the exact specifics, the 1840 has the best reproduction I've heard from any headphone. Where some of the more expensive headphones from various manufacturers have been criticized for being too bright in this range, I believe the 1840 is the perfect answer. I feel like I can listen for hours on end with no letup, hearing the inner details of music tracks I've played many times before, but haven't enjoyed nearly as much.

Being an open-back design, the SRH-1840 has almost no isolation. The soundstage is slightly better than the 940's, which might surprise some users who aren't aware of the 940's above-average soundstage for a closed-back design. Listening to the 1840 I never get a sense of constriction, compression or any other such quality the sound is always airy and effortless. Sibilants seem less bothersome with the 1840 than most other premium headphones I've used, and there is another important aspect of the 1840's sound that merits special mention: The quality of the upper harmonics of instruments and voices is exactly what I would hope for in a premium headphone but don't always get.

Now that I've covered the basics of the sound, it's time to describe how the SRH-1840 sounds with a variety of music that's available on CD's or as high-quality downloads from Internet music stores. I've used the following examples in other reviews, so these will serve as good test tracks for this review and the results can also be compared to the results noted in the other reviews.

Bauhaus Bela Lugosi's Dead (~1980): Strong midrange sound effects this is a good worst-case test for resonant-type sounds in the most sensitive midrange area. Handled very well by the SRH-1840.

Beethoven Symphony 9, Solti/CSO (1972): Excellent overall sound and particularly striking how the SRH-1840 reproduces the triangles, bells and other background instruments that are often obscured with other headphones that have limited high frequency response. Of special note for this headphone are the bass impacts beginning around 10:30 of the fourth movement.

Blues Project Caress Me Baby (1966): Rarely mentioned, but one of the greatest white blues recordings ever. The loud piercing guitar sound at 0:41 into the track is a good test for distortion or other problems. Handled very well here.

Boz Scaggs Lowdown (1976): Good sound quality this is a great test for any nasality in the midrange. Handled very well by the SRH-1840.

Buffalo Springfield Kind Woman (~1968): A Richie Furay song entirely, rarely mentioned, but one of the best sounding rock ballads ever. This will sound good on most headphones, but it's a special treat with the SRH-1840.

Cat Stevens Morning Has Broken (early 70's): A near-perfect test for overall sound this track will separate the best sounding headphones from the lesser quality types. Nothing specific, except that almost any deviation from perfect reproduction will stand out with this track.

Catherine Wheel Black Metallic (~1991): Goth with industrial overtones I like this since it's a great music composition and the sound effects are smoothly integrated into the mix. This may sound distorted or mushy with some headphones, but the SRH-1840 renders the deliberate instrumental distortions clearly.

Def Leppard Bringin' On The Heartbreak (1981): MTV goth/pop/metal at its best good ambience and high energy the better headphones will separate the details and make for a good experience. Lesser quality and the details tend to mush together.

J.S. Bach E. Power Biggs Plays Bach in the Thomaskirche (~1970): Recorded on a tracker organ in East Germany, the tracks on this recording have the authentic baroque sound that Bach composed for, albeit the bellows are operated by motor today. The SRH-1840 plays the tones seamlessly through the upper limits of the organ, which cover nearly the full range of human hearing. Of special note are the pedal notes tracker organs have low-pressure pipes and don't typically produce the kind of impact around 30-35 hz that modern organs do. A headphone that's lacking in the low bass may sound bass-shy with this type of organ, but the SRH-1840 provides a satisfactory experience.

Jamming With Edward It Hurts Me Too (1969): Intended originally as a test to fill studio down time and set recording levels etc., this was released a few years later for hardcore Rolling Stones fans. Although not as good technically in every aspect as the Chess studio recordings of 1964, and in spite of the non-serious vocals by Mick Jagger, this rates very high on my list of white blues recordings, and sounds absolutely delicious with the SRH-1840.

Jennifer Warnes Rock You Gently (1992?): The strong deep bass percussion at the beginning of this track has been cited as a test for weakness or distortion in certain headphones like the SRH-1840. Compared to the v-moda M80 which is noted for a strong lower bass, the M80 has a distinctly richer sound with those notes and a stronger impact. It's tempting to assume that the M80 is better, but the final analysis is in the extended listening. Having played this track many times now, I'm highly impressed with the SRH-1840's bass reproduction and detail throughout the track, and even the beginning notes have a nice clean-sounding thump to them.

Jimmy Smith Basin Street Blues (early 60's): This track has some loud crescendos of brass and other instruments that don't sound clean and musical on some headphones. The SRH-1840 provides excellent reproduction. Listen particularly to the second crescendo at 15 seconds in, for maximum detail effect.

Ladytron Destroy Everything You Touch (~2009): Featured in The September Issue, this song has heavy overdub and will sound a bit muddy on some headphones.

Milt Jackson/Wes Montgomery Delilah (Take 3) (1962): The vibraphone is heavily dependent on harmonics to sound right, and the SRH-1840 plays it superbly.

Pink Floyd/Dark Side of the Moon Speak To Me (1973): Strong deep bass impacts will be heard and felt here.

Rolling Stones Stray Cat Blues (1968): Dirty, gritty blues that very few white artists could match. On some headphones the vocals and guitar lack the edge and fall more-or-less flat. If you're a really good person, playing this song will probably make you feel nervous and uneasy.

Tony Bennett I Left My Heart In San Francisco (1962): Frank Sinatra's favorite singer. Highest recommendation. With some of the best headphones, the sibilants on this recording are very strong, but they're not bad with the SRH-1840.