We aren’t going to lie, our first thought was: We can’t wait to hear the 840s. What we are referring to is Shure’s SRH440, which we will review today and Shure’s SRH840, which we will review later. The latter is the flagship model of Shure’s new headphone line. We have previously reviewed Shure’s earphone line and a microphone; and after the SRH440, we at TheMacFeed are still not disappointed.

Here’s A Story:

Shure made microphones for a long time, and they made only microphones. Recently, that apparently got bored and decided to branch out into the earphone business. (That’s probably not true) They made a couple of notable models (e5 & SE500/530) that earned them praises of everyone in the industry and now they needed a new challenge. What’s better than entering the headphone market? (We will quickly explain the difference between earphone and headphone. Earphone goes in your ear – bud style. Headphone goes over your ear – can style) In the spring of this year Shure released three new headphone models: SRH240 ($75.00), SRH440 ($125.00) and SRH840 ($250.00). Since then, Shure recently announced a new model for DJ’s, to this date the model is still “coming soon.” More importantly, like everything Shure does, they wanted to make the best, and they didn’t fail.

Out of the Box:

Obviously the packaging strays a little different the Shure’s IEM line. A much larger box contains the headphones themselves, a case, a 1/8th to 1/4th adaptor, the coiled cable and some product information. It is clear when you open up the box, you are privy to Shure’s professional line of products both in quality and design. There is no clear burn-in period, so we stuck to the generic audiophile standard of 100 hours. After what was about 75 hours we noticed that the sound had definitely acquired greater depth, but don’t worry if you don’t want to leave your headphones on for three straight days, eventually they’ll get there.

The Design:

Shure’s SRH440 are a professional looking model that portrays an image that belongs in the studio. The headphones are black on black with comfortable leather that covers the top and pads of the headphones. The headphones are collapsable for storage, yet some of the sturdiest headphones we have ever handled. A coiled detachable cord attaches on the left cup and features a standard 1/8th tip perfect for a notebook or iPod. Everything is of the highest quality and we’d feel fine dropping the headphones on the ground from a fairly high distance.

The Sound:

(We preface this saying that we are not writing this while using a headphone amp. While, we have one, a nice one, most people don’t drop what we dropped on a headphone amp) Welcome to the music. Our first thought was something about the SRH840s, but that was mainly because we struggled to see how Shure could do better. The SRH 440s feature a soundstage that might be dead-on perfect for our liking. The 40mm driver delivers a bass that finally reached the desires we had for a low-end, while the high-end stays incredibly crisp. No matter what we played, the SRH440s delivered the reproduction we wanted, when we aren’t in audiophile mode.

We took a fond liking to Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3, and so did a lot of other people. We haven’t heard it better than when we heard it with the SRH440s. The bass hit right, but never fading out any of the vocals. U2′s Moment of Surrender allowed the soundstage to fully show off, mids were surrounded by a tight and deep bass and the highs allowed the vocals to emerge in a nature we never thought possible. No matter what we played, the SRH440s delivered gracefully and enjoyably.

Who These Are Not For.

(We let the SRH840s burn-in and our thoughts changed, this section has been updated) After some proper burn-in with the SRH840s, we are going to make this easier. The SRH440s are definitely more neutral, we like the SRH840s for our listening. We wouldn’t have a problem mixing on the SRH840s, but Shure makes a headphone that is significantly more neutral in the SRH440s. The difference between the two becomes amplified when you amplify the headphones via a headphone amplifier. We still prefer the SRH840s for listening as the sound reproduction is just more to our liking, but there is a clear difference in neutrality when you try one versus the other.

In Competition:

The Grado SR80 is the first headphone that comes to mind in competition. There is a reason why the Grado’s went back in their box. The build quality on the headphones aren’t bad for either, but when you pick up the SRH440s, you get the professional feel. Without even getting to the sound comparison, there are plenty of reasons why we prefer the SRH440s. The cord on the Grado’s isn’t the sturdiest of things and it is a tad long. Shure gave the SRH440s a longer cord (10 feet), but its coiled nature allows it to avoid becoming a nuisance. We have left the SRH440s on for nearly six hours straight, the Grado’s become painful after about 45 minutes. And then the sound, it’s not a competition. Even with a closed headphone, the sound is significantly better than the Grado’s, especially when an amp isn’t present. The Shure’s have a low-end that is recognizable and the soundstage isn’t even comparable. The closed nature of the Shure’s means there is also a decent amount of isolation and we can wear them anywhere without worrying about those around us hearing our music too.

In Conclusion.

It’s hard to describe sound, because it’s so subjective. We could give you the numbers and put everything into an audiophile perspective, but there’s an entire forum for that. For most users, we recommend purchasing the SRH440s (over the SRH840s or any other headphone under $200) for a couple reasons. First, they reproduce sound to an incredible clarity and the way most (i.e. non-uber audiophiles) want: a bass that is a tad bit heavy, while retaining great mids and incredible highs. Secondly, they are better than nearly any headphone most people have likely ever put on. Finally, there really isn’t anything better. Let’s repeat, there is not anything better – they are just that good. Currently they can be purchased for $81.47 from Amazon, we’d pay three times that. In short, for those that have never dropped a significant amount of money on a pair of headphones, this is a great place to start and a hard one to beat. We give the Shure SRH440 a 4.5/5.0 Stars, but your rating is the only one that matters – we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

If you are interested in purchasing the SRH840 pads for your SRH440s, you can find them here. You can read more about the advantages in our review of the Shure SRH840 and our interview with Matt Engstrom.