The BEST Studio Headphone - Shure SRH840A Review (vs SRH440 & SRH1440)

[@johnlynch6248]

I just can’t give up on these. I had an issue with the headband cushioning popping out. Probably an isolated issue. But, just ordered another pair because they just sound so damn good. It’s as if your in the studio with the band. Great!

[@ryanhostudio]

glad to hear! Yeah they seem to skimp on parts of the build i mentioned it too in my review. But earpads and drivers are really good

[@johnlynch6248]

So true. After all, it’s all about sound and comfort and these have it in spades. Thanks for your review.

[@jaredlucas4815162342]

The original 840’s were my favorite headphones I ever owned. They would snap on me in about 4 months. It was a defect in the product. No matter how careful I was didn’t matter. Hopefully they fixed this with the new model.

[@LuigiVN]

Shure knew this. They would replace them no questions asked. I had 3 pairs until I decided to buy a metal headband replacement on ebay. Havent broken since lol.

[@BurningBushPedagogy]

i love you so much, thanks because i saw a chanel that recorded a pink noise and played back the pink noise from each headphones, I went through many of them headphones, this head 840 surprised me, so close to the original pink noise, not even the flagships of hifiman nor audeze sounded as real, at least with a simple noise. So I went looking for review of this shure 840 and came here, and you comfirmed, I just hope in real life usage of this will deliver as it seems right now, thanks a lot, I REALLY WOULD LOVE A COMP Between HD 600 abd this shure840a

[@ryanhostudio]

840a has a slight recession in midrange compared to hd600 but besides that it’s subbass bass especially is a lot more present and elevated

[@melmacj2142]

I decided to give these a shot after this review for gaming because I wanted the audio quality and don't chat during my gaming sessions. With my sound blaster AE-7 these things sing. There's plenty of bass without being overwhelming. And the mids and highs are in full force too. I'm love the V shape sound. These might be the best I've own. I think Shure put the focus where it belongs in the drivers. Not that the comfort is lacking they feel good. But I take great sound with plastic any day as long as it holds up. Sound is subjective. But I would try these you might like them.

[@ronniepratt2909]

Hi, great review. I was just wondering if these would be suitable to use with a guitar amplifier? Regards Ronnie.

[@ryanhostudio]

i found they work with any low power device even out of a phone

[@TMMotivations]

Great video. Just subscribed. Congrats on being so close to your 1000 subscriber Milestone!

[@ryanhostudio]

glad you liked and thanks again!

[@hamjabuns]

Sold my 440s before due to it being too heavy, very straining on the neck. But damn they sound really good. Just waiting for the remodels to enter the PH market and will surely buy one :) Thanks for the insights on the A model's build

[@ryanhostudio]

appearance wise they also look so much better lol

[@guybuddy1]

If you liked the sound of 440s, the 440A is way lighter and the head band is improved too, I'd say give it another try!

[@R-C.]

I just ordered the 440A from eBay. The 2nd gen are hard to find outside of the US. I paid a premium of 50 dollars for them. I am bummed that they do not fold.... I am a DJ and used the Shure 750 DJ for years....

[@mikelisteral7863]

its impossible to find a headphone that meets my few requirements. they are all clones of each other. same mistakes over and over

[@BeforeThisNovember]

$50 is premium!?

[@drblaze3850]

@@BeforeThisNovember He paid an EXTRA $50 for them

[@BDawgoftheNorth]

I have the SRH840, think they sound great, incredibly comfortable. I also own AKG k270mkii, and Sennheiser HD599. For reference and recording the Senn and AKG are much flatter while the SRH840 sound amazing for music, tv, games, and again, amazing comfort. Bass is amazing, just great all around. Recently got a set of SRH440a's as a gift on the strength of the 840; thinking same earpads, headband material, and liking the less bulky deisgn. BUT was incredibly disappointed at the new quality. Poor feeling, chinse headband, lower quality ear pads, tight clamp, mediocre sound... Now feel like I got a sh!t set, when I thought I'd be getting a good everyday set... Truely a bummer when a company downgrades a product for future continuation. Lost a bit of faith in Shure headphones, no doubt.

[@michaelquaye7470]

Great review there, How would these compare to a Hifiman he-r9? Thanks

[@ryanhostudio]

besides soundstage size i think you will find the shure better especially when it comes to having deep subbass / overall tuning and detail

[@michaelquaye7470]

Thank you@@ryanhostudio

[@towsifshahriarshovo]

Great review man, enjoy your review a lot. How do they sound compared to the sennheiser hd58x??

[@ryanhostudio]

more complete, 58x rolls off in bass and treble, you hear much better subbass and more treble detail on Shure compared to 58x

[@towsifshahriarshovo]

@@ryanhostudio thanks for the reply, I think for intimate vocals 58x. Is that right?

[@ryanhostudio]

yeah they both are but i think sennheiser maybe be more since it’s very midrange focus headphone

[@m.andre824]

Have you gotten to compare the 840A to the original 840 already?

[@wicked_cool7]

Hi, how do these compare to the SRH 1540 in the bass department?

[@peterdedene]

How would these compare to the BD DT 700 Pro X?

[@tremolux6315]

I compared them and liked the 840A more. Build quality from the DT700 is top and I like the big, fluffy earcups but the clamping pressure is much higher than on the 840A The DT700 is well balanced and has a good resolution and wide soundstage but I found the trebles a tad more spikey/uneven and overall they sound a little distant. Vocals sound warmer and more initmate on the 840A. For me the 840A did win in comfort and in sound. I keep the 840A and send the DT700 back to the shop.

[@ryanhostudio]

thanks for sharing your great insight!

[@RudraxT]

@@tremolux6315 how about bass/sub bass, soundstage and imaging compares in 840A with dt770

[@produceahit123]

Great info Ryan!, what do you think about using them for outdoors, for video monitoring? taking head, interviews etc.

[@ryanhostudio]

they would work really well, good tuned and isolates well

[@produceahit123]

@@ryanhostudio Thanks much! Continue on with the great work Ryan!

[@Jeremy-ht4gm]

Nice review! I’m looking to upgrade my aging SRH750DJ which I like a lot. Any idea how these compare? Thanks!

[@ryanhostudio]

sorry I havent tried that pair of headphones before

[@blablybla]

Shure finally decided to refresh this line and that looks quite interesting. Do you have any experience with Focal Listen headphones? I'm wondering how good SRH840A are in comparison to Focal. Oh, any screaky plastics? Previous versions had quite crappy and noisy materials.

[@ryanhostudio]

if i shake my head with them on, the most noise i hear is from cable noise. I've only heard the Focal audiophile headphones like celestee, elear, clear mg, stellia, and utopia not the focal listen sorry

[@blablybla]

@@ryanhostudio Thanks for quick reply. I haven't heard any of the higher Focal models, so that won't help. What about comparison to AKG K361 and K371?

[@ryanhostudio]

try to listen to k371 at guitar center....and there station was broken so still havent heard it yet

[@woodpecked3D]

Heyy bud, the reason its plastic and not metal is because metal attracts moisture into the headphones like with the metal 'Apple Airpods Max'

[@FreshAppleSlices]

thanks for the super informative video 🍻 just ordered myself a pair 😄

[@ryanhostudio]

you welcome!

[@emilioblanca7918]

Hola amigo me gustaría saber si los Shure SRH 840A soportan cables balanceados.

[@santeenl]

Is it still doing okay? The Shure 840 snapped often, did they fix it with the 840A?

[@ryanhostudio]

mine hasnt snapped but my headphone extensions are a little jammed

[@santeenl]

@@ryanhostudio Thanks, I really can't choose between the 840A/440A, AKG 371 and M50X/40X, seem so similar.

[@ryanhostudio]

840a for me than m50x. The akg k371 build is pretty terrible and tuning is decent but driver technical is okay

[@santeenl]

@@ryanhostudio You're the man!

[@gigihanmandarin]

I used to have OG SRH840. It sounded to me "dull" like there is less resolution than I'd liked for mixing, with a weird spike at the treble region. (DIY Audio Heaven graphed it - spike is at 9k.) Brainwavz pads kinda lowered that but it didn't solve the resolution issue, bass was on point tho. I sold it for Takstar Pro82 and again I'm not happy with its vocal presentation, it has unnatural sizzles in voices. Now I'm looking for a pair of closed back monitoring/mixing cans, and I am super curious about NTH-100. The OG 840 squeaks like a duck and the headband lining peels like a shredding cat. Glad they fixed that.

[@ryanhostudio]

the new 840a definitely doesn’t have a spike in the treble, maybe slightly forward lower treble at most. i’ve technically heard the takstar pro 80 because that’s the hyperx cloud ii, and the hyperx cloud alpha is basically a better tuned takstar pro 80, which i think is a fantastic headphone. The cooler master MH752 is basically the takstar pro 82 with a mic, but i still haven’t gotten around to listen to it

[@KAL-589]

Hello. Thanks for the review. Do you know the size of the plug that plugs into the headphone? I'll need to replace that long cable for mobile use.

[@ryanhostudio]

it is 2.5MM plug. It has a weird turning locking mechanism i dont know if that will influence whether 3rd party cables will work. But it uses the same cables as there older SRH series so there should be plenty of options on the market. The default cable is definitely long and drags on the ground if i walk around with it (sadly i tried that too because i wanted to walk outside with it lol)

[@lostishere]

Do they fold up like Audio Technica headphones? And are they any better with the sound quality?

[@ryanhostudio]

they do not fold up like audiotechnica m50x. I personally like it better than m50x because it sounds better and much more comfortable. I really dislike the pad comfort on m50x

[@lostishere]

@@ryanhostudio Alright, thanks yo, I'm trying to decide between these, the 440a's, and the AT headphones

[@baronvonlichtenstein]

I have the 440 and 840. They're both great.

[@Drrrakkke]

Out of byrdynamic dt 900 pro x and shure 840a which one do you recommend..

[@ryanhostudio]

i still havent had a chance to listen to dt 900 pro x, so probably the shure 840a

[@Bootrosgali]

I got a pair as a music gear shop stocks them and your review and the other research says they are great for music. So thanks. Do they compete then with 600$+ heaphones? I might give these to a friend see and keep going with my original plan of getting the best portable closed back i can get and not spend 1k... Elegia sound like too much work but i did come across Audio Technica WP-900.. Also my 840a could get a bit louder from my phone.. a simple ifi dongle maybe for 65? I mean, a dragon fly red would be too much to spend or would it make them sound better for the money?

[@ryanhostudio]

honestly they sound fine from a normal apple dongle they do not require anything crazy. You could also use something like the ifi go link it’s pretty portable with a nice dac

[@Bootrosgali]

@ryanhostudio ok thanks.. How do compare to Maxwells for music?.. Maxwells have more internal DSP options going on I suppose.. I'm using the Shures portable right now!.. The cable is tied into 1.3 meter!... Its portable , no problem,,doesn't look silly on the bus etc.. Its sounding 👌 😌 🙌 😍 🔥, ,, knowing that this is a detail retrieval instrument for pros in a studio is great , and that they've been given a body boost on top of that.. my detailed IDM is sounding great,, I think I've find my winter ie600s!... Thanks for extra nudge toward them, after my year long digging into 500-1000k options I'm so giddy that 150 seems to be absolutely doing the job rn.. Airy enough and has a pleasing width (i also spatial boost on Wavelet which is fine for IDM). I think these are hidden in plain sight portable budget audiophile gems and the Elegia crowd might get a little miffed if they start realising about them!.. I'm going over to headfi.org Elegia forum to let them know!

[@ryanhostudio]

never heard elegia but i’ve seen graphs of tuning and they are not pretty. I have tried the celestee and i would rather listen to the shure 840a haha

[@ryanhostudio]

the maxwell use dsp to achieve a better tuning, most notably the midrange is a little more forward than shure 840a. Honestly there’s a reason why i put shure 840a on my recommendation list, it’s tuning is wonderful and it’s driver detail is pretty insane, plays the deepest lows and highs with precision. The maxwell actually sounds less exciting in lower frequency than shure i think overall detail maxwell probably slightly ahead

[@jibberjabber6919]

What's a good desktop DAC/AMP combo for this?

[@ryanhostudio]

ifi uno would work, it really just depends on how much you want to spend

[@heroknaderi]

I enjoyed the video. I think about getting one.

[@GoodboyfromGerman]

Hallo Ryan, how was the cable routing been solved?

[@ryanhostudio]

you mean you plug it in and than you twist inside earcup

[@husamalden2897]

THX for the review man! I have a question. which one do you think is better: "Audio Technica ATH-M40X" or "Shure SRH440A" ????

[@ryanhostudio]

havent heard either

[@animeshmeshram5997]

I'd like to see frequency graphs of the both srh440a and srh840a

[@ryanhostudio]

im guessing the bass is elevated but flat down to subbass, slight recession in lower midrange, and the rest should probably be on target

[@CardinalsFanever]

Please, compare to new Rode NTH-100.

[@ryanhostudio]

will do!

[@leksdex5682]

Aonic 50 or 840a? Scene. Details. Were is better?

[@ryanhostudio]

I remember listening to the Aonic 50 briefly at microcenter because some guy next to me was blasting speakers and I wanted to use a closed back. I listened for fun maybe like a minute lol, I just remember thinking pretty good tuning but I wasn't seriously analyzing it at all

[@leksdex5682]

Ryan Ho tnx. Now on my list aonic 40 50 or 840a. No reviews on my favorite channels ( in my country all new shures not appears.

[@chefsteve8381]

Nice review, i always think comparison's are the most important thing's in reviews, now you gone done it, i found a used pair (10 hours use) for $60 picking it up tomorrow, i let you know what i think if you like...thanks new subscriber.

[@ryanhostudio]

thats a good price

[@chefsteve8381]

@@ryanhostudio that's what i thought...

[@chefsteve8381]

@@ryanhostudio well i got the 840 and first impressions are sub bass is present and rumbly, mid bass pushed up and thumpy, mids slighly shouty and forward, treble detailed and no sibilance, soundstage is good for a closed back and imaging is very good to, the clamp force is a little to much for me, its also made of alot of plasic so no chance of bending the headband to loosen the clamp, pads get a bit hot and sweaty i will try some other pads to see if it can be made more comfortable, without changing the sound for thr worse, for a closed back its ok, but for value and a great sound try the AKG K612 pro. cheers

[@Isaacthompson]

Thanks again for doing these!

[@ryanhostudio]

no problem!

[@lakshmisankararaju4493]

When are they officially releasing 440A worldwide?

[@ryanhostudio]

i see them available on US shure store and amazon

[@lakshmisankararaju4493]

@@ryanhostudio i am from India. Is there any difference in sound signature from old model that is 440

[@ryanhostudio]

i havent heard the new 440a, i found the old 440 to be to treble focused for myself

[@anatol1204]

Soundstage separation??

[@ryanhostudio]

tall soundstage not very wide as its a closed back.

[@altermoremusic]

Перед тим як почати огляд, було би добре, якби ти коротко давав зрозуміти чим ти займаєшся. Це потрібно для того, щоб мати уявлення про твій досвід та рівень розвитку твого слуху, в цьому випадку. Тобі може подобатися звук, проте професійні мікс інженери та композитори, слух яких має більше досвіду, можуть не погодитися з тим що навушники справді кращі або гірші. Це для чесності з глядачами 🙂

[@hidermowen6708]

OMG, I just have the dt900prox...

[@sizif717]

Plastic headband again? How hard it is to make it sturdy and light with a thin metal headband, like the one on a $20 headphones? Every Shr840 breaks on the bottom part of the headband sooner or later and that amazing otherwise sound - goes to the garbage can. And now again.. 😢I like the sound signature and the balance of Shure's sound the most of all, but their headbands are . Just look at the AKG, Bayer and Sennheiser - how thin, light, comfy, simple and sturdy their headbands are.. And are enduring for decades.

[@ryanhostudio]

yeah they cheaped out

[@y.k.9705]

It's like good like. Like nice like

[@frantzyre7396]

Ans On your head 😤

[@sebastiancronin1505]

Subscrib:3

[@ryanhostudio]

h3h3