Set Alert for Product: Shure SRH440A Over-Ear Wired Headphones for Monitoring & Recording, Professional Studio Grade, Enhanced Frequency Response, Work with All Audio Devices, Adjustable & Collapsible Design - 2022 Version - $79.00
Price history for Shure SRH440A Over-Ear Wired Headphones for Monitoring & Recording, Professional Studio Grade, Enhanced Frequency Response, Work with All Audio Devices, Adjustable & Collapsible Design - 2022 Version
Latest updates:
$79.00
- November 15, 2024
$99.00
- August 27, 2024
Since: August 27, 2024
Highest Price:
$99.00
- August 27, 2024
Lowest Price:
$79.00
- November 15, 2024
Last Amazon price update was: January 24, 2025 17:52
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com (Amazon.in, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, etc) at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
NEW & IMPROVED FEATURES – Developed upon the same foundation of the SRH440, the new SRH440A Monitoring and Recording Professional Headphones deliver superior audio plus a new design and improved features from the old SRH440.
SUPERIOR & RELIABLE AUDIO – Transparent, natural sound signature provides detailed accurate audio across an extended range.
WORK WITH ALL PROFESSIONAL AUDIO DEVICES – Enhanced frequency response, impedance and power handling are optimized for performance with all professional audio devices.
ULTRA-COMFORTABLE & EASY PORTABILITY – Ultra-comfortable lightweight headband provides superior comfort for extended use. Adjustable headband and collapsible construction provide comfort and portability.
SLEEK & DURABLE DESIGN – Sleek, durable design looks great on camera and withstands the rigors of constant use. Over-ear closed-back circumaural design rests comfortably over the ears and reduces background noise.
LONG DETACHABLE LOCKING CABLE – 3 m (10 ft.) Detachable straight cable provides plenty of length and easy storage and replacement.
IN THE BOX – Detachable cable, threaded ¼” (6.3 mm) gold-plated adapter and FREE two-year warranty.
7 reviews for Shure SRH440A Over-Ear Wired Headphones
5.0out of 5
★★★★★
★★★★★
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★★★★★
Miguel –
En remplacement d’un casque Philips que je croyais bon. A la première écoute, très surprenant, presque décevant. Au bout de quelques minutes d’écoute et de quelques essais, je me rends compte à quel point ce casque est meilleur. Clarté, neutralité, pas trop de basses comme souvent malheureusement, pas trop d’aigus, juste un bon équilibre et une bien meilleure définition, j’ai l’impression de redécouvrir la musique que j’écoute habituellement. Très confortable mais le câble me dérange: un peu lourd (sans doute de meilleure qualité) et laissant trop passer les bruits de frottement sur les vêtements, dommage. Définitivement un incroyable rapport qualité/prix.
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★★★★★
Miguel –
Soy un usuario sin experiencia en los audífonos y llevo 3 meses con estos audífonos. Los compré para escuchar musica ya que yo prefiero el sonido plano y para aquellos que prefieren algo mas divertido esta no es la opción, los audiotechnica mx40 serian una mejor opción.
El sonido tiene buena nitidez a secas pero tampoco muy sobresaliente. El sonido lo describiría de la siguiente manera: Agudos un poco apagados, no muy brillantes para molestar pero tampoco tapados, estan muy bien. Los medios son muy planos, no hay algun tipo de ecualizador, es como escuchar los instrumentos desde el estudio de grabación Los graves tienen presencia, no mucha pero si suficiente para complementar todo, no tienen ese punch de unos bose o beats lo cual para mi esta bien, es lo que buscaba
El material es todo de plástico y vi reseñas de que se rompian fácilmente. El plástico es solido y se sienten firmes. La diadema tiene un plástico acolchado y es comodo pero después de 3 horas se siente incomodo. Las orejeras cobren toda la oreja y las almohadillas son faciles de intercambiar, son muy comodas. El cable es tipo teléfono y viene con un adaptador jack tipo guitarra. El cable al estirarlo es suave, no es duro.
En conclusión unos audífonos para alguien que quiere escuchar su guitarra o instrumentos, también para escuchar musica que prefiera el sonido plano y sobrio.
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★★★★★
Alberto –
Son muy buenos, lo mejor
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★★★★★
Antonio –
si lo que importa es la fidelidad, estos audifonos son excelentes!
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★★★★★
D. Click –
PRE ORDER Mission: I bought these looking for a replacement for another pair of headphones for monitoring purposes.
Attractions: The first thing that attracted me to the Shures was the claim of flat response obviously intended for the professional studio (as labeled). The second thing that attracted me to these headphones was the low price. Another thing that REALLY attracted me to these was the REMOVABLE locking cable. I’ve had trouble with previous headphone jacks that ended up with me having to go buy a new jack and stripping the cable to solder it on, so it seemed like a pretty sweet feature to save future trouble.
Picking the Right Set of Cans: I was doing some research on good studio oriented headphones below(or at) the $100 price point. I came up finding these(Shure SRH440), the Sennheiser HD280 Pros, and the Sony MDR-v6’s and/or 7506’s. And obviously I came to choosing these.
POST ORDER
First Impressions: I had watched a few unboxing and review videos of the Shures just to see what I’d be getting, so nothing out of the box VISUALLY surprised me as I had seen it all already, but when I took them out of the plastic bag and actually held them in my hand myself, I was lovestruck. They are nice and heavy(in a good way) and VERY solidly built.
Build: Like I said before, these are quite hefty in weight, but also in size. (Which I like a lot, but for those looking for smaller, lighter cans, I don’t think this is where you want to go) The plastics used on the headphones are very solid and of high quality. I guess I had taken the build of the previous set of headphones I was using as fair, so when I just grabbed the earcups and pulled them apart I was blown away with just how well these things were made. The headband is made of some flexible material covered in a synthetic leatherette, and feels sturdy yet moldable. It sits nicely atop the head. From what gathered from the few moments the stock earPADS were one the headphones before I took them off to replace them with some upgraded SRH840 pads I had bought at the same time as these, they were okay in quality. A tad stiff though. The cable is a nice, thick coiled one around 10 feet long that starts up on a SINGLE side of the headphones rather than a Y-cable, and terminates to a 3.5 mm/ 1/8 in gold plated jack. The jack itself has a threaded end to screw on the included 1/4 in (whatever the equivalent is in millimeters) adapter. The rubber/plastic on the end of it has a nice grippy part to it that makes it easy to hold and plug in to whatever you need to. A small detail, but I found it quite nice.
Comfort: Like I said a short ways up in the previous paragraph, I bought a set of replacement earpads that normally go on the big brother of this product, the SRH840, on suggestions of other peoples experiences with these headphones. I tried them on with the stock pads before I swapped them and like people said, the pads were fairly stiff and shallow. Immediately thereafter I put on the other pads. They were thicker, softer, and more comfortable. The most noticeably difference I would have to say though is the padding on the INSIDE of the pads that cover the driver. It is much thicker and of better quality. So during long wearing sessions I can see these being much more bearable. I’ve also heard claims of the pads improving sound quality, but I didn’t actually listen to them before I swapped the pads so I can’t confirm them. ** I also have pretty prominent(sticky-outy) ears that usually become discomforted quite soon after putting on headphones, but these are (now anyways) deep enough with thick enough inner padding that it’s not much of a problem. The headband is quite “cushy” and forms rather nicely to the head. But sometims, when wearing them for a long time, the top of my head begins to get sore where it rests upon my head. These headphones are actually pretty tight gripping on my (seemingly) normal sized head. I like that A LOT, but I’m sure it bothers the hell of some people. I’ve heard people calling them loose, but they aren’t to me.
Overall, they feel very nice to me sitting on my head.
Now with what was my greatest fear about ordering headphones,
Sound/Sound Quality: I have previously listened to studio oriented headphone and they seemed “canny” and fit the closed back headphone STEREOtype(pun), and I hate having to wait unnecessarily for things, so I was afraid of ordering these before actually listening to them under the cause that they would sound crappy. I’ll tell you right now, my fears were misplaced. The SRH440’s sounded pretty darn good on the first listen. I still haven’t burnt them in the full 100 or so hours suggested by many, but they sound great already. The highs are nice and crisp, the mids are warm and smooth, and the bass is lush and extended. I am currently playing pink noise and assorted sounds through them, and after a few of days(with breaks, don’t worry) hey, maybe they’ll sound even better. As far as isolation of outside noise goes, the Shures do it quite well. I’ll give you an example of how well they do it:I’ve had really loud music been playing through speakers in the other room, and I put these on as earmuffs to block out the sound. Obviously it didn’t completely shut out the sound, but made it quiet enough that it wasn’t unbearable to hear. The soundstage with these is actually pretty wide and spacey. Things panned hard left or right sound more spread apart than other closed back headphones. Now I haven’t heard a lot to compare to them (especially not open backed/open-air headphones which are supposed to have the broadest soundstage), but these headphones give me such an awesome stereo image when listening to music.
If I had to describe these headphones in two words, it would be these: SUPERIOR VALUE.
Well there’s my two cents. Haha, I hope I didn’t miss anything. Awesome headphones.
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★★★★★
Alexis de Wouters –
I was recently in need of closed headphones with a $100 budget and curious about what the market offers. I thought I might share my findings with someone in a similar situation. The Shure SRH440 turns out to be the most accurate, neutral sounding closed cans among the eight headphone models that I have compared. Below is my review of these headphones.
I am a speaker builder with measurement equipment, so I know what is neutral and undistorted sound. Unlike speaker systems, most headphones have no crossover or frequency response correction circuit. So, it is critical to be able to know how much such uneven responses affect perception of their sound with respect to accuracy and neutrality. I have good sense of it since I have been measuring sound. But I do not have proper equipment for headphone measurement, mostly importantly a dummy torso/head, nor am I willing to invest time in making a DIY setup. This is the reason why my search and audition have been limited to headphones for which measurement data exist, with some exceptions (see below). I made use of three different sources for the data: InnerFidelity.com, Headphone.com, and en.GoldenEars.net. While there is consistency within each site’s measurements, there is also inconsistency between them, due to different measurement conditions and compensation methods. So, I researched and took those into account.
One may say we can use EQ to remedy irregular frequency responses. But EQ has its own limitations. Some minor EQ’ing can help, but headphones that need too extensive correction should be avoided. The foremost reason is the loss of dynamic range. Theoretically, with EQ you can only limit, not increase, dynamic range in a certain frequency band. On the source side, you lose digital bit depth, and on the headphone side, you suppress the driver’s efficient response range.
Below is the list of headphones that I have auditioned (in the order of their street prices):
– Tascam TH-02 ($30; no data available) – Panasonic RP-HTF600-S ($32; semi-open headphones) – Brainwavz HM3 / Incipio F38 ($35; no data available) – Tascam TH-2000 ($50; no data available) – AKG K518LE ($50) – Sennheiser HD 429 ($65) – Creative Aurvana Live! ($70) – KRK KNS 6400 ($85) – Shure SRH440 ($90)
My DIY speaker system (it measures very flat) served as a reference with respect to tonal balance. I also own some open headphones like Sony MDR-MA900 and Sennheiser PX100, which also provided a baseline when I evaluated tonal balance of the headphones under comparison. I used a desktop headphone amp that has flat FR and reasonably low output impedance.
I will give short, summarized impressions for each pair.
Tascam TH-02 (no measurement data available) This is a really nice surprise. There is a little hump in the bass and midbass regions, and some wide, shallow dip in upper mids and lower treble (i.e., slightly polite presentation). Otherwise, these are relatively accurate headphones at a fraction ($30) of cost of headphones of comparable quality. Construction is good for the price. The pad size is between over-ear and on-ear, but comfortable enough.
Panasonic RP-HTF600-S (semi-open headphones) Warm tone, deep bass. Treble is there, but upper mids and lower treble are lacking. Comfortable to wear. A good value, but not great for those looking for reasonably accurate sound.
Brainwavz HM3 / Incipio F38 (no data available) Mid/upper bass ruins the sound which has otherwise good midrange-treble balance. Very uncomfortable to wear due to non-swivel cups.
Tascam TH-2000 (no data available) Simply inferior to its younger brother TH02. Very dull and muddy presentation. The model uses the same ear cups as TH02 but contains different drive units. The driver may have better components but execution must be bad. Not worth the asking price.
AKG K518LE You need to remove the thick foam pad at the driver’s front (easily removable) to have better bass-to-mids balance. Even the pad removed, the phones still have bass-oriented sound, but not bad. Mids to treble balance is good. Somewhat similar sound signature to Tascam TH-02’s. But the TH-02 sounds a little more natural. The headband can be too small for some people. The clamping force is a bit above a comfortable level.
Sennheiser HD 429 Anothter pair of headphones with bass emphasis. Not overly bassy, though. But a bigger problem is treble, which is a little too polite to be neutral. I would not consider these headphones a good value.
Creative Aurvana Live! Smooth and warm tone. Bass is somewhat loose at times. Treble has sparkles and at the same time sounds smooth. But relative to bass and treble, upper mids and lower treble are somewhat recessed, making the headphones’ sound colored. Some people may feel them musical and full, but I prefer the Tascam TH02 at a lower price. The appearance is very good, though, with some feel of high quality. Very comfortable to wear with memory foam pads.
KRK KNS 6400 It has much more neutral sound than the headphones described above. Mid- and upper bass is somewhat lacking, and treble is a little overly presented. Good monitor-type sound. But there is one problem with these headphones. They are not very efficient, which means their usability is limited—you need a desktop headphone amp or a high-current capable portable amp to make them sound good. A little too bright treble is a weakness, too.
Shure SRH440 Without doubt, these are the best of the bunch. Perceived dynamic range is unbelievably wide. These are in a different league in terms of clarity as well—perhaps, the KNS 6400 is close but also with weaknesses (see above). Treble is sometimes a little on the bright side, but not as bright as the KNS6400’s. Some people may find them bright with bright recordings, but the headphones should not be blamed for that. These produce very neutral and accurate sound. Bass is sufficient and often pleasantly strong in the mid- and upper bass regions, but deeper bass is not covered by these cans. Most music recordings do not contain this deep bass, anyway.
I summarize my findings with the following top two picks:
1. Shure SRH440: These are the headphones you can safely choose under $100 if what you are looking for is accurate, neutral sound.
2. Tascam TH-02: This is a secret gem. At $30, you get really good closed cans. Its overall presentation is not as clear as the SRH440’s, but with their price factored in, you cannot complain. They are definitely in the same league as the AKG K518LE (foam pads removed) and the Creative Aurvana Live. It may depend on personal preference, but among the three, my pick is the Tascam. The Creative has a better look and feel, but I’d choose the Tascam for its sound.
Another headphone model I wanted to include in my search was the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro ($90-$100), but after I listened to the Shure SRH440, I decided not to. According to HeadRoom’s measurements and many people’s common impressions, the HD 280 Pro has a little subdued treble compared to the SRH440 which has great mids to treble balance when compared to my reference speakers. The Sennheiser covers the lowest octave much better than the Shure, but that is not my priority.
I also considered the Koss ProDJ100 because of good reviews, but ruled them out because of their measurements. Their response might be flat in fundamental tones from most instruments but not with harmonics due to a large dip around 5-6kHz. Some people may think they sound good, but there is no way for them to sound accurate and natural by my standard.
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★★★★★
Alex –
I needed an upgrade to my old headphones that (admittedly) I got at a garage sale. Nice full size headphones but the cable was getting damaged and had that annoying volume control feature. I think its cool but at the same time stupid because I find it the first thing to go. I fought with them for a while until I finally had it. So I went looking for an upgrade that would cater closely to what I’m doing more nowadays, that is home/studio listening for enjoyment and music production. I live in a rather noisy area where I hear the fire trucks and ambulances coming and going regularly and among other things. So I needed a pair of closed-back headphones for isolation as I find the sound reproduction of noise canceling headphones to not be as accurate and nowhere near this price range. I also wanted a set that offered the replaceable cable and ear cups option as decent headphones can last a long time but these two parts always wear out before decent drivers do. Amazingly enough I discovered the Shure SRH 440’s. I got everything I was looking for. These are really nice headphones for what they’re designed for (e.g. home/studio listening). These might not appeal to people used to higher end equipment but as a start into the world of detail and sound resolution it’s wonderful for the price.
There are drawbacks that I feel some people miss about these. These don’t have much bass impact (e.g. you don’t really feel an explosion so much as hear it.) The sound signature is a rich neutral (e.g. it strives for balance and clarity, middle of the road). They are not really made to be run by Iphones and Ipods. These guys need a little more power to drive them to their full abilities with a headphone amplifier. They sound good unamped but sound their best amped. One other thing is these sound particularly tight and bright out of the box. There’s nothing wrong with them because they need to be “broken-in.” Some people like the sound from the get go, but for me it took a little getting used to. Over time the drivers have been slowly relaxing and loosening up making it sound even better with time. If your looking for nice pair of headphones that will last and deliver great sound, these are a nice choice at this price bracket.
PROS + Marvelous sound that is balanced and clear. – Even at really low volumes (while amped) I can still hear amazing detail. + Great isolation. – I don’t hear the traffic anymore with these on and I’m not cranking these. I listen at very moderate levels. + Removable cable for cable replacement. (Or to change to a higher grade audio cable) + Solid build. Can fold up for easy transport and storage. + Gold-plated Plugs (For signal efficiency.) 3.5MM with a screw on 1/4 plug. + Full-size over the ear cups.
CONS – Shallow cushions – The rim of my ear rests against the drivers. Depending on position can become uncomfortable. – Shallow Headband cushion – There is some cushioning but mostly to cover up the inside parts. For me it gets a little uncomfortable in certain positions but once I find the spot I’m content.
As these aren’t powerhouse audiophile headphones, they don’t require a serious amplifier to run them. If your a budding audiophile, spend a little more on your headphone amp and you’ll be happier for it.
My experience (if you wish to know)
Putting these on and turning on the music is like being transported. I found myself relishing music even more through these as I began to hear it in a whole new way. I enjoy all kinds of music from Metal, Classical, Folk, World, Electronic and Alternative. When I put on Vivaldi: Four Seasons (FLAC format), I couldn’t believe my ears. The clarity and beauty of this music resonated out of drivers with such detail. The descents and ascents of the lows to highs and back were a treat. String instruments sound incredible in these as well (Violin, Acoustic Guitar, Cello). One thing is you’ll notice the quality of your music more. You’ll hear the effects of the poor sound reproduction in the higher compression formats. However, you’ll also notice other parts of the music that cheaper headphones can’t reproduce when listening to CD’s. Some music will be more appealing in these than others. Mostly music that relies more on its musical detail (Classical, New Age, Flamenco) than impact.
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Miguel –
En remplacement d’un casque Philips que je croyais bon. A la première écoute, très surprenant, presque décevant. Au bout de quelques minutes d’écoute et de quelques essais, je me rends compte à quel point ce casque est meilleur. Clarté, neutralité, pas trop de basses comme souvent malheureusement, pas trop d’aigus, juste un bon équilibre et une bien meilleure définition, j’ai l’impression de redécouvrir la musique que j’écoute habituellement. Très confortable mais le câble me dérange: un peu lourd (sans doute de meilleure qualité) et laissant trop passer les bruits de frottement sur les vêtements, dommage. Définitivement un incroyable rapport qualité/prix.
Miguel –
Soy un usuario sin experiencia en los audífonos y llevo 3 meses con estos audífonos.
Los compré para escuchar musica ya que yo prefiero el sonido plano y para aquellos que prefieren algo mas divertido esta no es la opción, los audiotechnica mx40 serian una mejor opción.
El sonido tiene buena nitidez a secas pero tampoco muy sobresaliente.
El sonido lo describiría de la siguiente manera:
Agudos un poco apagados, no muy brillantes para molestar pero tampoco tapados, estan muy bien.
Los medios son muy planos, no hay algun tipo de ecualizador, es como escuchar los instrumentos desde el estudio de grabación
Los graves tienen presencia, no mucha pero si suficiente para complementar todo, no tienen ese punch de unos bose o beats lo cual para mi esta bien, es lo que buscaba
El material es todo de plástico y vi reseñas de que se rompian fácilmente.
El plástico es solido y se sienten firmes.
La diadema tiene un plástico acolchado y es comodo pero después de 3 horas se siente incomodo.
Las orejeras cobren toda la oreja y las almohadillas son faciles de intercambiar, son muy comodas.
El cable es tipo teléfono y viene con un adaptador jack tipo guitarra. El cable al estirarlo es suave, no es duro.
En conclusión unos audífonos para alguien que quiere escuchar su guitarra o instrumentos, también para escuchar musica que prefiera el sonido plano y sobrio.
Alberto –
Son muy buenos, lo mejor
Antonio –
si lo que importa es la fidelidad, estos audifonos son excelentes!
D. Click –
PRE ORDER
Mission:
I bought these looking for a replacement for another pair of headphones for monitoring purposes.
Attractions:
The first thing that attracted me to the Shures was the claim of flat response obviously intended for the professional studio (as labeled). The second thing that attracted me to these headphones was the low price. Another thing that REALLY attracted me to these was the REMOVABLE locking cable. I’ve had trouble with previous headphone jacks that ended up with me having to go buy a new jack and stripping the cable to solder it on, so it seemed like a pretty sweet feature to save future trouble.
Picking the Right Set of Cans:
I was doing some research on good studio oriented headphones below(or at) the $100 price point. I came up finding these(Shure SRH440), the Sennheiser HD280 Pros, and the Sony MDR-v6’s and/or 7506’s. And obviously I came to choosing these.
POST ORDER
First Impressions:
I had watched a few unboxing and review videos of the Shures just to see what I’d be getting, so nothing out of the box VISUALLY surprised me as I had seen it all already, but when I took them out of the plastic bag and actually held them in my hand myself, I was lovestruck. They are nice and heavy(in a good way) and VERY solidly built.
Build:
Like I said before, these are quite hefty in weight, but also in size. (Which I like a lot, but for those looking for smaller, lighter cans, I don’t think this is where you want to go) The plastics used on the headphones are very solid and of high quality. I guess I had taken the build of the previous set of headphones I was using as fair, so when I just grabbed the earcups and pulled them apart I was blown away with just how well these things were made.
The headband is made of some flexible material covered in a synthetic leatherette, and feels sturdy yet moldable. It sits nicely atop the head.
From what gathered from the few moments the stock earPADS were one the headphones before I took them off to replace them with some upgraded SRH840 pads I had bought at the same time as these, they were okay in quality. A tad stiff though.
The cable is a nice, thick coiled one around 10 feet long that starts up on a SINGLE side of the headphones rather than a Y-cable, and terminates to a 3.5 mm/ 1/8 in gold plated jack.
The jack itself has a threaded end to screw on the included 1/4 in (whatever the equivalent is in millimeters) adapter. The rubber/plastic on the end of it has a nice grippy part to it that makes it easy to hold and plug in to whatever you need to. A small detail, but I found it quite nice.
Comfort:
Like I said a short ways up in the previous paragraph, I bought a set of replacement earpads that normally go on the big brother of this product, the SRH840, on suggestions of other peoples experiences with these headphones. I tried them on with the stock pads before I swapped them and like people said, the pads were fairly stiff and shallow. Immediately thereafter I put on the other pads. They were thicker, softer, and more comfortable. The most noticeably difference I would have to say though is the padding on the INSIDE of the pads that cover the driver. It is much thicker and of better quality. So during long wearing sessions I can see these being much more bearable. I’ve also heard claims of the pads improving sound quality, but I didn’t actually listen to them before I swapped the pads so I can’t confirm them. ** I also have pretty prominent(sticky-outy) ears that usually become discomforted quite soon after putting on headphones, but these are (now anyways) deep enough with thick enough inner padding that it’s not much of a problem.
The headband is quite “cushy” and forms rather nicely to the head. But sometims, when wearing them for a long time, the top of my head begins to get sore where it rests upon my head.
These headphones are actually pretty tight gripping on my (seemingly) normal sized head. I like that A LOT, but I’m sure it bothers the hell of some people. I’ve heard people calling them loose, but they aren’t to me.
Overall, they feel very nice to me sitting on my head.
Now with what was my greatest fear about ordering headphones,
Sound/Sound Quality:
I have previously listened to studio oriented headphone and they seemed “canny” and fit the closed back headphone STEREOtype(pun), and I hate having to wait unnecessarily for things, so I was afraid of ordering these before actually listening to them under the cause that they would sound crappy. I’ll tell you right now, my fears were misplaced. The SRH440’s sounded pretty darn good on the first listen. I still haven’t burnt them in the full 100 or so hours suggested by many, but they sound great already. The highs are nice and crisp, the mids are warm and smooth, and the bass is lush and extended. I am currently playing pink noise and assorted sounds through them, and after a few of days(with breaks, don’t worry) hey, maybe they’ll sound even better.
As far as isolation of outside noise goes, the Shures do it quite well. I’ll give you an example of how well they do it:I’ve had really loud music been playing through speakers in the other room, and I put these on as earmuffs to block out the sound. Obviously it didn’t completely shut out the sound, but made it quiet enough that it wasn’t unbearable to hear.
The soundstage with these is actually pretty wide and spacey. Things panned hard left or right sound more spread apart than other closed back headphones. Now I haven’t heard a lot to compare to them (especially not open backed/open-air headphones which are supposed to have the broadest soundstage), but these headphones give me such an awesome stereo image when listening to music.
If I had to describe these headphones in two words, it would be these:
SUPERIOR VALUE.
Well there’s my two cents. Haha, I hope I didn’t miss anything.
Awesome headphones.
Alexis de Wouters –
I was recently in need of closed headphones with a $100 budget and curious about what the market offers. I thought I might share my findings with someone in a similar situation. The Shure SRH440 turns out to be the most accurate, neutral sounding closed cans among the eight headphone models that I have compared. Below is my review of these headphones.
I am a speaker builder with measurement equipment, so I know what is neutral and undistorted sound. Unlike speaker systems, most headphones have no crossover or frequency response correction circuit. So, it is critical to be able to know how much such uneven responses affect perception of their sound with respect to accuracy and neutrality. I have good sense of it since I have been measuring sound. But I do not have proper equipment for headphone measurement, mostly importantly a dummy torso/head, nor am I willing to invest time in making a DIY setup. This is the reason why my search and audition have been limited to headphones for which measurement data exist, with some exceptions (see below). I made use of three different sources for the data: InnerFidelity.com, Headphone.com, and en.GoldenEars.net. While there is consistency within each site’s measurements, there is also inconsistency between them, due to different measurement conditions and compensation methods. So, I researched and took those into account.
One may say we can use EQ to remedy irregular frequency responses. But EQ has its own limitations. Some minor EQ’ing can help, but headphones that need too extensive correction should be avoided. The foremost reason is the loss of dynamic range. Theoretically, with EQ you can only limit, not increase, dynamic range in a certain frequency band. On the source side, you lose digital bit depth, and on the headphone side, you suppress the driver’s efficient response range.
Below is the list of headphones that I have auditioned (in the order of their street prices):
– Tascam TH-02 ($30; no data available)
– Panasonic RP-HTF600-S ($32; semi-open headphones)
– Brainwavz HM3 / Incipio F38 ($35; no data available)
– Tascam TH-2000 ($50; no data available)
– AKG K518LE ($50)
– Sennheiser HD 429 ($65)
– Creative Aurvana Live! ($70)
– KRK KNS 6400 ($85)
– Shure SRH440 ($90)
My DIY speaker system (it measures very flat) served as a reference with respect to tonal balance. I also own some open headphones like Sony MDR-MA900 and Sennheiser PX100, which also provided a baseline when I evaluated tonal balance of the headphones under comparison. I used a desktop headphone amp that has flat FR and reasonably low output impedance.
I will give short, summarized impressions for each pair.
Tascam TH-02 (no measurement data available)
This is a really nice surprise. There is a little hump in the bass and midbass regions, and some wide, shallow dip in upper mids and lower treble (i.e., slightly polite presentation). Otherwise, these are relatively accurate headphones at a fraction ($30) of cost of headphones of comparable quality. Construction is good for the price. The pad size is between over-ear and on-ear, but comfortable enough.
Panasonic RP-HTF600-S (semi-open headphones)
Warm tone, deep bass. Treble is there, but upper mids and lower treble are lacking. Comfortable to wear. A good value, but not great for those looking for reasonably accurate sound.
Brainwavz HM3 / Incipio F38 (no data available)
Mid/upper bass ruins the sound which has otherwise good midrange-treble balance. Very uncomfortable to wear due to non-swivel cups.
Tascam TH-2000 (no data available)
Simply inferior to its younger brother TH02. Very dull and muddy presentation. The model uses the same ear cups as TH02 but contains different drive units. The driver may have better components but execution must be bad. Not worth the asking price.
AKG K518LE
You need to remove the thick foam pad at the driver’s front (easily removable) to have better bass-to-mids balance. Even the pad removed, the phones still have bass-oriented sound, but not bad. Mids to treble balance is good. Somewhat similar sound signature to Tascam TH-02’s. But the TH-02 sounds a little more natural. The headband can be too small for some people. The clamping force is a bit above a comfortable level.
Sennheiser HD 429
Anothter pair of headphones with bass emphasis. Not overly bassy, though. But a bigger problem is treble, which is a little too polite to be neutral. I would not consider these headphones a good value.
Creative Aurvana Live!
Smooth and warm tone. Bass is somewhat loose at times. Treble has sparkles and at the same time sounds smooth. But relative to bass and treble, upper mids and lower treble are somewhat recessed, making the headphones’ sound colored. Some people may feel them musical and full, but I prefer the Tascam TH02 at a lower price. The appearance is very good, though, with some feel of high quality. Very comfortable to wear with memory foam pads.
KRK KNS 6400
It has much more neutral sound than the headphones described above. Mid- and upper bass is somewhat lacking, and treble is a little overly presented. Good monitor-type sound. But there is one problem with these headphones. They are not very efficient, which means their usability is limited—you need a desktop headphone amp or a high-current capable portable amp to make them sound good. A little too bright treble is a weakness, too.
Shure SRH440
Without doubt, these are the best of the bunch. Perceived dynamic range is unbelievably wide. These are in a different league in terms of clarity as well—perhaps, the KNS 6400 is close but also with weaknesses (see above). Treble is sometimes a little on the bright side, but not as bright as the KNS6400’s. Some people may find them bright with bright recordings, but the headphones should not be blamed for that. These produce very neutral and accurate sound. Bass is sufficient and often pleasantly strong in the mid- and upper bass regions, but deeper bass is not covered by these cans. Most music recordings do not contain this deep bass, anyway.
I summarize my findings with the following top two picks:
1. Shure SRH440: These are the headphones you can safely choose under $100 if what you are looking for is accurate, neutral sound.
2. Tascam TH-02: This is a secret gem. At $30, you get really good closed cans. Its overall presentation is not as clear as the SRH440’s, but with their price factored in, you cannot complain. They are definitely in the same league as the AKG K518LE (foam pads removed) and the Creative Aurvana Live. It may depend on personal preference, but among the three, my pick is the Tascam. The Creative has a better look and feel, but I’d choose the Tascam for its sound.
Another headphone model I wanted to include in my search was the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro ($90-$100), but after I listened to the Shure SRH440, I decided not to. According to HeadRoom’s measurements and many people’s common impressions, the HD 280 Pro has a little subdued treble compared to the SRH440 which has great mids to treble balance when compared to my reference speakers. The Sennheiser covers the lowest octave much better than the Shure, but that is not my priority.
I also considered the Koss ProDJ100 because of good reviews, but ruled them out because of their measurements. Their response might be flat in fundamental tones from most instruments but not with harmonics due to a large dip around 5-6kHz. Some people may think they sound good, but there is no way for them to sound accurate and natural by my standard.
Alex –
I needed an upgrade to my old headphones that (admittedly) I got at a garage sale. Nice full size headphones but the cable was getting damaged and had that annoying volume control feature. I think its cool but at the same time stupid because I find it the first thing to go. I fought with them for a while until I finally had it. So I went looking for an upgrade that would cater closely to what I’m doing more nowadays, that is home/studio listening for enjoyment and music production. I live in a rather noisy area where I hear the fire trucks and ambulances coming and going regularly and among other things. So I needed a pair of closed-back headphones for isolation as I find the sound reproduction of noise canceling headphones to not be as accurate and nowhere near this price range. I also wanted a set that offered the replaceable cable and ear cups option as decent headphones can last a long time but these two parts always wear out before decent drivers do. Amazingly enough I discovered the Shure SRH 440’s. I got everything I was looking for. These are really nice headphones for what they’re designed for (e.g. home/studio listening). These might not appeal to people used to higher end equipment but as a start into the world of detail and sound resolution it’s wonderful for the price.
There are drawbacks that I feel some people miss about these. These don’t have much bass impact (e.g. you don’t really feel an explosion so much as hear it.) The sound signature is a rich neutral (e.g. it strives for balance and clarity, middle of the road). They are not really made to be run by Iphones and Ipods. These guys need a little more power to drive them to their full abilities with a headphone amplifier. They sound good unamped but sound their best amped. One other thing is these sound particularly tight and bright out of the box. There’s nothing wrong with them because they need to be “broken-in.” Some people like the sound from the get go, but for me it took a little getting used to. Over time the drivers have been slowly relaxing and loosening up making it sound even better with time. If your looking for nice pair of headphones that will last and deliver great sound, these are a nice choice at this price bracket.
PROS
+ Marvelous sound that is balanced and clear. – Even at really low volumes (while amped) I can still hear amazing detail.
+ Great isolation. – I don’t hear the traffic anymore with these on and I’m not cranking these. I listen at very moderate levels.
+ Removable cable for cable replacement. (Or to change to a higher grade audio cable)
+ Solid build. Can fold up for easy transport and storage.
+ Gold-plated Plugs (For signal efficiency.) 3.5MM with a screw on 1/4 plug.
+ Full-size over the ear cups.
CONS
– Shallow cushions – The rim of my ear rests against the drivers. Depending on position can become uncomfortable.
– Shallow Headband cushion – There is some cushioning but mostly to cover up the inside parts.
For me it gets a little uncomfortable in certain positions but once I find the spot I’m content.
As these aren’t powerhouse audiophile headphones, they don’t require a serious amplifier to run them.
If your a budding audiophile, spend a little more on your headphone amp and you’ll be happier for it.
My experience (if you wish to know)
Putting these on and turning on the music is like being transported. I found myself relishing music even more through these as I began to hear it in a whole new way. I enjoy all kinds of music from Metal, Classical, Folk, World, Electronic and Alternative. When I put on Vivaldi: Four Seasons (FLAC format), I couldn’t believe my ears. The clarity and beauty of this music resonated out of drivers with such detail. The descents and ascents of the lows to highs and back were a treat. String instruments sound incredible in these as well (Violin, Acoustic Guitar, Cello). One thing is you’ll notice the quality of your music more. You’ll hear the effects of the poor sound reproduction in the higher compression formats. However, you’ll also notice other parts of the music that cheaper headphones can’t reproduce when listening to CD’s. Some music will be more appealing in these than others. Mostly music that relies more on its musical detail (Classical, New Age, Flamenco) than impact.