- Accurate frequency response delivers smooth high-end extension with tight bass, and superior transient response for minimal distortion
- That same legendary Shure quality to withstand the rigors of everyday use yet lightweight, ergonomic fit with premium padded headband provide maximum comfort over extended periods
- Closed-back, circumaural design rests comfortably over the ears and reduces background noise while collapsible design with 90-degree swivel ear cups provides convenient storage and portability
- Bayonet Clip securely locks cable into ear cup and two included detachable cables (coiled & straight) provide flexible wearing options and easy replacement
- Replaceable velour ear pads included to ensure long product life and maximum comfort and a zippered hard travel case protects headphones when on the go or not in use
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Product Description
Model: SRH940 Professional Reference Headphones
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Designed for professional audio engineers and in-studio talent, SRH940 Headphones from Shure deliver accurate response across the entire audio spectrum for smooth high-end extension with tight bass. Superior transient response provides minimal distortion. The collapsible, lightweight design with premium padded headband offers superior comfort and portability. Two included detachable cables (straight and coiled) and a replacement set of velour ear pads ensure a long product life. Also includes a hard zippered travel case and a threaded 1/4" (6.3) mm gold-plated adapter. |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
70 of 71 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Comfortable, Portable, Very Detailed Headphones, the Best I've Heard
September 19, 2011
By narfybob
<< The Very Quick Summary >>
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
Comfort: 5/5
Design: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4.6/5
Pros: Very comfortable; deep low-bass; excellent for: orchestra, classical, jazz, vocals, and certain kinds of pop, R&B, and rock music; lots of bundled extras; able to fold-up nicely; detachable cable; can lie 'flat' (see the review for more details on that); headband has adjustment markers; can run from an iPod without an amp; really decent soundstage
Cons: Mid-bass could use a tad-bit more 'oomph' without using an EQ; very slightly fatiguing; cable is a bit too long or heavy; poorly recorded or mastered tracks sound bad
<< About Me >>
Believe it or not, I used to think bass was the one thing I liked from my music. I even considered buying a pair of Beats by Dre headphone *gasp*. Boy am I glad I didn't. For a $300 price point, the Shure SRH940's blew the Beats out of the water. I feel that my wallet is thanking me for buying a headphone actually worth the price in terms of audio quality and the coverage I have for the product's durability.
I'm just starting to dip my toes into the world of high-fidelity sound. I've listened through the V-Moda Vibe, Sennheiser CX-300, Skullcandy Hesh, Sennheiser HD 238, Sennheiser HD25-I-II, Beyerdynamic DT770 (32 ohm), Beyerdynamic DT800, Audio Technica ES7, Audio Technica ESW10, Audio Technica M50, Shure SRH440, Shure SRH840, Ultrasone HFI-780, Pioneer HD-1000, Sony MDR7506, AKG K240, and Beats by Dre Studio and Pro headphones (I personally own the first 4 headphones mentioned).
This is my first time posting a major review of an audio product and it addresses many of the questions I had when I was searching for my next major headphone. I am still learning about the technical terms and details of how to describe a headphone's sound, but I will try my best to convey my thoughts.
<< The Package >>
These headphones have a lot of things bundled in the rather large box.
Inside the box:
Official product manual
2 year limited warranty
Large hard-foam/plastic storage case
Shure SRH940 headphones
4 velour pads total (two on the headphones, two extras)
9.84 ft. (3 m) detachable coiled cable (when coiled it's around 3.5 ft or 1 meter) with 3.5 mm gold-plated straight jack
8.2 ft. (2.5 m) detachable straight cable with 3.5 mm gold-plated straight jack
1/4 in. (6.35 mm) gold-plated stereo audio jack (screw on)
Headphone specifications (from the Shure official website)
40 mm drivers
42 ohm impedence
5 Hz - 30 kHz frequency range
320 g mass (without the cable attached)
With an extra cable and replacement pair of ear pads, I'm sure the 940's were packaged with durability in mind. There is a Velcro-secured compartment in the hard-case to store the extra velour ear pads, and a nylon pouch inside the lid to store the second cable and 1/4 in. stereo jack adapter. These bundled extras make me feel secure about my purchase should the ear pads or cable break.
<< The Comfort >>
For a full-sized headphone, the circum-aural (the ear pads surround the ears) 940's are very comfortable. The clamp force is moderate, not too tight, not too loose. I found that the squishy velour pads help relieve the clamping force. Compared to the 940's brother, the SRH840's, they are actually heavier by measurement. Don't let that fool you though, I found the 940's to be lighter on my head than the 840's. It might be because of the cushioned bumps located on the 940's headband, which the 840's lacked. Despite others' opinions about the 940's having the same "crown of death" discomfort effect as some AKG headphones, I found the headband quite comfortable. I do have to mention that the headband+weight of the headphones does cause me to have "flat baseball cap hair" if I wear the 940's long enough.
The 940's have marked levels on the headband to make it easy to adjust one side of the headband equal to the other side. I have a small-ish sized head and I find that the 940's are most comfortable with the headband set at size 2 (out of 10) on both sides, so I think the 940's will fit on most heads.
The velour ear pads are a huge welcome to me. I've tried a good amount pleather/leather headphones at my local Guitar Center store and I found most of them to be uncomfortable, not to mention how quickly they heated up. I don't know if it was the pleather ear pads of the 840's, but I found that the 940's didn't clamp as hard on my head as the 840's did. Even with glasses on, the 940's seemed to be just as comfortable.
<< Noise Isolation >>
For a closed headphone, the 940's provide decent noise isolation. They don't isolate as much as in-ear monitors nor pleather/leather, but they still do a good job. I can still hear surrounding noises while wearing them, but I find that to be good so that I can be more aware of my surroundings.
<< Durability >>
Despite the 940's being made of plastic for the most part (the outer ear piece and the SHURE logo are metal), the 940's feel pretty durable. The swivel and folding mechanisms on the 940's do squeak a little when I move them, but I don't think that will cause problems in the future (I hope). As I mentioned earlier, the extra ear pads and cables are good as backups should the first set break or malfunction. Shure does provide a 2 year limited warranty with the 940's, covering only product defects and not normal wear-and-tear damage.
<< Portability, Swivel Ear Cups, How to Wear them Around Your Neck >>
The 940's fold up pretty neatly, similar to the Beats by Dre headphones, making them fairly portable headphones (without using the hard storage case). One side of the headphone folds inward while the other side folds right on top of it (either side can be folded first, the order does not matter). The detachable cable makes storing the 940's a breeze without having to worry about the cable-ends being stressed or bent.
Although there is a swivel mechanism that allows the ear cups to swivel 90 degrees, there is one strange detail about the 940's swivel mechanism. There seems to be a spring mechanism that naturally prevents the 940's ear cups from rotating the full 90. Moving the headphones from listening position (on your ears normally) to your neck, the ear pads face upward at a 45-ish degrees and actually dig into my chin/neck. This is uncomfortable and I can barely move my head without bumping into the velour pads. However, moving the headphones from listening position, turning them around 180 degrees, and then placing them on my neck so that the ear pads rest on my shoulder, they are much more comfortable to wear. However, it is convenient to place the headphones directly from your head to a surface so that the ear pads lie on the surface rather than the top or sides of the ear cups.
<< Does it need an Amplifier? Does it work with an iPod? >>
No they do not require an amp to sound decent and they are capable of running straight out of an iPod. Like most high quality headphones however, having an amp will probably make it sound a little better (I don't own an amp myself) [PLEASE SEE THE UPDATE AT THE END OF REVIEW FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SRH940'S AND AMPLIFIERS]
<< Sound >>
Here is what most people read about.
Setup: Unibody aluminum Macbook 5.1 (FLAC files played in VLC with flat EQ); iPod Touch 2G (320 kbps CBR)
Tracks or albums used during the review:
Ayana - Last Regrets (Anime soundtrack)
Chiaki Ishikawa - Uninstall (Japanese vocal pop)
Dazzle Vision - To the Next (Japanese visual-kei screamo)
Deems Tsutakawa - Deems Greatest Hits (jazz)
Eason Chan - DUO Chenyixun 2010 Yanchang Hui, The 1st Eleven Years Ranhou Ne?, U87 (Mandarin Chinese vocal pop, Cantonese Chinese vocal pop)
Fighter X - Unreleased (chiptune)
Fish Leong - Chongbai, Ai De Da Youxing Live Quan Jilu, Yanwei Die: Xiading Ai De Juexin (Mandarin Chinese pop)
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight (indie rock)
Gackt - Diabolos (Japanese rock)
Harlem Yu - Ha Lin Tiantang (Mandarin Chinese pop)
Hebe Tien - To Hebe (Mandarin Chinese vocal pop)
High and Mighty Color - Swamp Man (Japanese alternative metal)
Hungarian Chamber Orchestra - Vivaldi/Geminiani Guitar Concertos/Sonatas (orchestra classical)
Jane Zhang - Wo Ai Denglijun, Gaibian (older Mandarin Chinese vocal pop, modern Mandarin Chinese vocal pop)
Joanna Wang - Start From Here (Mandarin Chinese/English folk)
Joey Yung - Ten Most Wanted, EP2, Rong Zu Er, Yao Jue & Mo La Wei Ya Jiaoxiang Yuetuan (Cantonese Chinese pop, Cantonese Chinese pop/orchestra)
Jolin Tsai - J-Top Guanjun Jingxuan, J1 Yanchang Hui Yingyin Quan Jilu, Myself, Wu Niang (Mandarin Chinese pop)
Lia - Tori no Uta (Anime soundtrack)
Mongo Santamaria - Montreux Heat (Latin jazz/percussion)
Ottmar Liebert - Up Close (binaural acoustic)
Pet Shop Boys - The Most Incredible Thing (electronic/orchestra)
Rainie Yang - Banshu Xuanyan (Chinese vocal pop)
S.H.E - Play, Shero, Super Star (Mandarin Chinese vocal pop)
Sammi Cheng - Xinzhe De Ai (Mandarin Chinese vocal pop)
Trash80 - Icarus (chiptune)
Twelve Girls Band - Dunhuang, Qiji (Chinese folk)
Usher - My Way (R&B)
Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (piano jazz)
Vitas - Philosophy of Miracle (Russian pop/opera)
Initial Impressions:
Great extension on both ends of the sound spectrum. Lows are present but seem quiet compared to the mids and highs. They lack the bass punch that most headphones have. Mids seem laid back and upper-mids are more forward. Read more ›
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
Comfort: 5/5
Design: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4.6/5
Pros: Very comfortable; deep low-bass; excellent for: orchestra, classical, jazz, vocals, and certain kinds of pop, R&B, and rock music; lots of bundled extras; able to fold-up nicely; detachable cable; can lie 'flat' (see the review for more details on that); headband has adjustment markers; can run from an iPod without an amp; really decent soundstage
Cons: Mid-bass could use a tad-bit more 'oomph' without using an EQ; very slightly fatiguing; cable is a bit too long or heavy; poorly recorded or mastered tracks sound bad
<< About Me >>
Believe it or not, I used to think bass was the one thing I liked from my music. I even considered buying a pair of Beats by Dre headphone *gasp*. Boy am I glad I didn't. For a $300 price point, the Shure SRH940's blew the Beats out of the water. I feel that my wallet is thanking me for buying a headphone actually worth the price in terms of audio quality and the coverage I have for the product's durability.
I'm just starting to dip my toes into the world of high-fidelity sound. I've listened through the V-Moda Vibe, Sennheiser CX-300, Skullcandy Hesh, Sennheiser HD 238, Sennheiser HD25-I-II, Beyerdynamic DT770 (32 ohm), Beyerdynamic DT800, Audio Technica ES7, Audio Technica ESW10, Audio Technica M50, Shure SRH440, Shure SRH840, Ultrasone HFI-780, Pioneer HD-1000, Sony MDR7506, AKG K240, and Beats by Dre Studio and Pro headphones (I personally own the first 4 headphones mentioned).
This is my first time posting a major review of an audio product and it addresses many of the questions I had when I was searching for my next major headphone. I am still learning about the technical terms and details of how to describe a headphone's sound, but I will try my best to convey my thoughts.
<< The Package >>
These headphones have a lot of things bundled in the rather large box.
Inside the box:
Official product manual
2 year limited warranty
Large hard-foam/plastic storage case
Shure SRH940 headphones
4 velour pads total (two on the headphones, two extras)
9.84 ft. (3 m) detachable coiled cable (when coiled it's around 3.5 ft or 1 meter) with 3.5 mm gold-plated straight jack
8.2 ft. (2.5 m) detachable straight cable with 3.5 mm gold-plated straight jack
1/4 in. (6.35 mm) gold-plated stereo audio jack (screw on)
Headphone specifications (from the Shure official website)
40 mm drivers
42 ohm impedence
5 Hz - 30 kHz frequency range
320 g mass (without the cable attached)
With an extra cable and replacement pair of ear pads, I'm sure the 940's were packaged with durability in mind. There is a Velcro-secured compartment in the hard-case to store the extra velour ear pads, and a nylon pouch inside the lid to store the second cable and 1/4 in. stereo jack adapter. These bundled extras make me feel secure about my purchase should the ear pads or cable break.
<< The Comfort >>
For a full-sized headphone, the circum-aural (the ear pads surround the ears) 940's are very comfortable. The clamp force is moderate, not too tight, not too loose. I found that the squishy velour pads help relieve the clamping force. Compared to the 940's brother, the SRH840's, they are actually heavier by measurement. Don't let that fool you though, I found the 940's to be lighter on my head than the 840's. It might be because of the cushioned bumps located on the 940's headband, which the 840's lacked. Despite others' opinions about the 940's having the same "crown of death" discomfort effect as some AKG headphones, I found the headband quite comfortable. I do have to mention that the headband+weight of the headphones does cause me to have "flat baseball cap hair" if I wear the 940's long enough.
The 940's have marked levels on the headband to make it easy to adjust one side of the headband equal to the other side. I have a small-ish sized head and I find that the 940's are most comfortable with the headband set at size 2 (out of 10) on both sides, so I think the 940's will fit on most heads.
The velour ear pads are a huge welcome to me. I've tried a good amount pleather/leather headphones at my local Guitar Center store and I found most of them to be uncomfortable, not to mention how quickly they heated up. I don't know if it was the pleather ear pads of the 840's, but I found that the 940's didn't clamp as hard on my head as the 840's did. Even with glasses on, the 940's seemed to be just as comfortable.
<< Noise Isolation >>
For a closed headphone, the 940's provide decent noise isolation. They don't isolate as much as in-ear monitors nor pleather/leather, but they still do a good job. I can still hear surrounding noises while wearing them, but I find that to be good so that I can be more aware of my surroundings.
<< Durability >>
Despite the 940's being made of plastic for the most part (the outer ear piece and the SHURE logo are metal), the 940's feel pretty durable. The swivel and folding mechanisms on the 940's do squeak a little when I move them, but I don't think that will cause problems in the future (I hope). As I mentioned earlier, the extra ear pads and cables are good as backups should the first set break or malfunction. Shure does provide a 2 year limited warranty with the 940's, covering only product defects and not normal wear-and-tear damage.
<< Portability, Swivel Ear Cups, How to Wear them Around Your Neck >>
The 940's fold up pretty neatly, similar to the Beats by Dre headphones, making them fairly portable headphones (without using the hard storage case). One side of the headphone folds inward while the other side folds right on top of it (either side can be folded first, the order does not matter). The detachable cable makes storing the 940's a breeze without having to worry about the cable-ends being stressed or bent.
Although there is a swivel mechanism that allows the ear cups to swivel 90 degrees, there is one strange detail about the 940's swivel mechanism. There seems to be a spring mechanism that naturally prevents the 940's ear cups from rotating the full 90. Moving the headphones from listening position (on your ears normally) to your neck, the ear pads face upward at a 45-ish degrees and actually dig into my chin/neck. This is uncomfortable and I can barely move my head without bumping into the velour pads. However, moving the headphones from listening position, turning them around 180 degrees, and then placing them on my neck so that the ear pads rest on my shoulder, they are much more comfortable to wear. However, it is convenient to place the headphones directly from your head to a surface so that the ear pads lie on the surface rather than the top or sides of the ear cups.
<< Does it need an Amplifier? Does it work with an iPod? >>
No they do not require an amp to sound decent and they are capable of running straight out of an iPod. Like most high quality headphones however, having an amp will probably make it sound a little better (I don't own an amp myself) [PLEASE SEE THE UPDATE AT THE END OF REVIEW FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SRH940'S AND AMPLIFIERS]
<< Sound >>
Here is what most people read about.
Setup: Unibody aluminum Macbook 5.1 (FLAC files played in VLC with flat EQ); iPod Touch 2G (320 kbps CBR)
Tracks or albums used during the review:
Ayana - Last Regrets (Anime soundtrack)
Chiaki Ishikawa - Uninstall (Japanese vocal pop)
Dazzle Vision - To the Next (Japanese visual-kei screamo)
Deems Tsutakawa - Deems Greatest Hits (jazz)
Eason Chan - DUO Chenyixun 2010 Yanchang Hui, The 1st Eleven Years Ranhou Ne?, U87 (Mandarin Chinese vocal pop, Cantonese Chinese vocal pop)
Fighter X - Unreleased (chiptune)
Fish Leong - Chongbai, Ai De Da Youxing Live Quan Jilu, Yanwei Die: Xiading Ai De Juexin (Mandarin Chinese pop)
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight (indie rock)
Gackt - Diabolos (Japanese rock)
Harlem Yu - Ha Lin Tiantang (Mandarin Chinese pop)
Hebe Tien - To Hebe (Mandarin Chinese vocal pop)
High and Mighty Color - Swamp Man (Japanese alternative metal)
Hungarian Chamber Orchestra - Vivaldi/Geminiani Guitar Concertos/Sonatas (orchestra classical)
Jane Zhang - Wo Ai Denglijun, Gaibian (older Mandarin Chinese vocal pop, modern Mandarin Chinese vocal pop)
Joanna Wang - Start From Here (Mandarin Chinese/English folk)
Joey Yung - Ten Most Wanted, EP2, Rong Zu Er, Yao Jue & Mo La Wei Ya Jiaoxiang Yuetuan (Cantonese Chinese pop, Cantonese Chinese pop/orchestra)
Jolin Tsai - J-Top Guanjun Jingxuan, J1 Yanchang Hui Yingyin Quan Jilu, Myself, Wu Niang (Mandarin Chinese pop)
Lia - Tori no Uta (Anime soundtrack)
Mongo Santamaria - Montreux Heat (Latin jazz/percussion)
Ottmar Liebert - Up Close (binaural acoustic)
Pet Shop Boys - The Most Incredible Thing (electronic/orchestra)
Rainie Yang - Banshu Xuanyan (Chinese vocal pop)
S.H.E - Play, Shero, Super Star (Mandarin Chinese vocal pop)
Sammi Cheng - Xinzhe De Ai (Mandarin Chinese vocal pop)
Trash80 - Icarus (chiptune)
Twelve Girls Band - Dunhuang, Qiji (Chinese folk)
Usher - My Way (R&B)
Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (piano jazz)
Vitas - Philosophy of Miracle (Russian pop/opera)
Initial Impressions:
Great extension on both ends of the sound spectrum. Lows are present but seem quiet compared to the mids and highs. They lack the bass punch that most headphones have. Mids seem laid back and upper-mids are more forward. Read more ›
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
By electrograv
Amazon Verified Purchase
EDIT: After a few more months of listening, I'm updating this review to be more realistic and critical. It's important for buyers to be aware of flaws as well as the areas the SRH940 does exceedingly well. I also had a chance to listen to more high-end headphones for comparison. I've also removed parts where I say what other reviewers say, since that's a useless and misleading thing to add to my own review.
I've owned a number of very high quality headphones (Sennheiser HD 650, Audio-Technica AD2000, Beyerdynamic DT880, Ultrasone Pro 900, and for over 5 months now the Shure SRH940). I also tried some other ultra-hifi ones like the Audeze LCD-2 and as of recently I own the Sennheiser HD 800. I've also owned some mid/low fi ones way back (Sennheiser HD 280 Pro).
Simply put, the Shure SRH-940 is an incredibly detailed sounding dynamic headphone with TREBLE better than any headphone I've heard under $900. Keep in mind that every headphone has different strengths and weaknesses, and you should first make sure the SRH-940's sound signature (treble leaning) is to your tastes, but if it is, I'm not aware of many alternates even close to this price range. That said, I've come to realize a few major weak points in the SRH-940, namely, the mids and bass are only what I would call "good", and the overall tonality/coloration is a bit unnatural. In short, the SRH940 will render complex subtleties (fast electric guitar music for example) with unrivaled speed and fine detail, however it struggles to render classical music and some vocals naturally -- that is to say, violins, guitar, voice, etc. will sound detailed but distinctly artificial, compared to competing headphones.
Sidenote: First of all, I'd address the notion one reviewer brought up of the SRH940 comparing favorably to Sennheiser HD800s. Short answer: No. Long answer: To my ears, the SRH940 treble beats many well-regarded headphones near its price-point like HD650s, DT880s, etc. It however does not even come within a mile of the HD800 treble quality or detail -- and to say the SRH940 mids or bass deserve being mentioned in the same sentence as that of the HD800 is just... almost insulting. The HD800 is so astoundingly good, I can't even fully put into comparative words. Not in the same league by far. That said, the SRH940 treble is still ahead of its competitors in the price point.
Edit 2: I have now purchased a Sennheiser HD800 myself and have listened to it for at least 20 hours. I can confirm the above sidenote. Unless you are hearing impaired, the SRH940 in no way even comes close to the sound quality of the HD800. The sound *signature* (that is to say, the relative volume of the bass, mids, and highs) is similar (although the HD800 has more bass), but frequency response has nothing to do with sound quality. The rest of the review to follow I left in the perspective of when I did not own the HD800 (which is still valid because I'm comparing it to headphones within its price range).
(Pros)
I currently have a Sennheiser HD 650 as well as these Shure SRH-940s, and I keep both (for reasons described below). It's not an exaggeration that after several months of comparing both, the SRH-940 is considerably better than the Sennheiser HD 650 in upper highs and treble detail. This says a lot, because the HD650 is one of the best headphones you can get under $500. It's surprising how crystal clear and detailed sound these SRH940's can reproduce.
I have personally compared the SRH-940 with Sennheiser HD650s, Beyerdynamic DT880s, and Audio Technica AD2000s. My overall evaluation is that the SRH-940 beats ALL of them when it comes to treble quality and ability to reveal subtle details in the music. It's that "I'm hearing things I've never heard in the music" feeling that the SRH940 absolutely excels at. [Before you get too excited though, it has one big "flaw" that I've come to realize with extensive listening over the past few months: The bass and mids are only "good" quality, and the tonality is a bit unnatural. More on that in the cons section.]
Particular strengths that stand out are:
- Incredible detail, accuracy, and resolution - you hear EVERYTHING. These could literally reproduce a pin drop across a room and if your ears could hear it in real life, you would hear it crystal clear with these. This is the area it destroys the Sennheiser HD 650 in direct comparison.
- Pristine treble, the best I've ever heard under $900. The Audio Technica AD2000, DT880, and Sennheiser HD650 are known as some of the best for good midrange frequency reproduction, and the SRH940 is a league ahead of both of these (I've owned all of them). The treble, and similarly the detail of this headphone, is THE selling point of this headphone IMO. The upper treble on the SRH940 (10+khz) is just brilliantly good to my ears. Extremely detailed and accurate, very present (not recessed), yet somehow very smooth. Many headphones with pronounced treble suffer from sibilance issues (that harsh "SSssssss" sound on some high notes), and the SRH940 manages to avoid this entirely (unless the recording itself contains it).
(Critique)
As mentioned above, I still kept my Sennheiser HD 650s, and I have recently been leaning towards the HD650s for general use. There are a few reasons for this.
- The SRH-940 is comfortable, but not nearly as comfortable as the Sennheiser HD 650 to me. Sennheiser's upper end and Beyerdynamics are known for amazing comfort - you can barely feel them on your head. This is quite nice for movies and long term listening. The SRH940 becomes mildly uncomfortable on my extra large head after ~4 hours. A Sennheiser HD650 becomes uncomfortable... never... at all (literally).
- The SRH-940's critical flaw to me is its tonality. The subtle sound "coloration" is not natural like the Beyerdynamic DT880s or Sennheiser HD650s. On the HD650, listening to a classical orchestral piece, the violin, flute, piano, etc. sound quite realistic -- you could almost believe you were hearing the real thing. The SRH940 might sound better on first impression due to its detailed sound, however there is something distinctly "off" about its tonality. Violins sound a bit unnatural, like there's something not quite right about their tonality. It's difficult to explain, but sadly it's the truth.
- The SRH-940 has good quality bass and mids, with bass just a bit shy of neutral. If you are used to bass boosted headphones you will notice there is less bass, but once your ears adapt you will notice some very good quality crystal clear bass. I don't necessarily have any problem with the SRH940's bass and mids, however they're not brilliantly good for the price range like the treble is -- they're just about average. The Sennheiser HD650's ($350-$500) mids and bass are much better than the SRH940 ($200-$300). In particular, the SRH940 bass is not as impactful (strong physical sensation of bass) or effortless as my Sennheiser HD 650s, and I believe the SRH940 has some resonance/balance issues on the lower end as well. For example, some bass tones sound great on the SRH940, while others seem rather lacking. Most music on the HD650 is absolutely brilliant in its warm and beautiful rendition of the lower end ("warm") frequency spectrum. The HD650 has the ability to really capture you "emotionally" in the music due to its stunningly accurate and liquid lower end. The SRH940 reproduces the lower end well, but there's something missing. I believe this is what largely contributes to the previously mentioend "unnatural" sound of the SRH940 on classical music.
- Not really a con so much, but the fact that the SRH-940 is extremely detailed and precise means it will reveal all the subtleties of your music; as a result, if you're used to listening to badly compressed music or random stuff from grooveshark or youtube, it will not sound so great. It won't sound worse than cheap headphones, but basically the SRH-940 treble sound quality is so good that you need to find sufficiently high quality recordings to reveal its full potential.
(Sound Signature)
As mentioned, make sure the SRH940 sound signature is for you. The SRH940 to my ears sound a bit on the bright side: Treble is very slightly louder than neutral, and low end bass is slightly quieter than neutral. Those who prefer headphones with excessive bass and suppressed treble may not like these. Those who hate treble also will not like these (even though it's very smooth and pleasant treble - not sibilant or harsh at all - coming from someone who experienced painful ear fatigue from listening to Sennheiser HD 280 Pros).
I should note that when I find a flaw in a headphone I try to correct it with equalization. On my HD650s for example, I found the treble to be recessed (a bit quieter than neutral), so I applied a treble boost equalization -- which fixed the problem perfectly. I have not yet been able to find any equalization solution to the SRH940s unnatural coloration issue mentioned above (and I'm thinking the coloration problem isn't one related to frequency response but a more complex interaction or resonance that effects timbre in a more complex way).
(Misc)
These do not *need* a high end DAC/Amp to sound good, but they will definitely max out your laptop's standard audio output port. Listening from a MacBook Air audio port, I'd say SRH-940s sound about 60-70% as good as they do on my desktop DAC/Amp (an Audio-gd NFB-12). This is actually pretty good, compared to something like the Sennheiser HD650, which sounds maybe 40% as good at most.
In short, you'll enjoy these a ton from your ipod or standard computer audio out, but with a higher quality DAC/Amp / sound card, they'll sound much much better. Read more ›
I've owned a number of very high quality headphones (Sennheiser HD 650, Audio-Technica AD2000, Beyerdynamic DT880, Ultrasone Pro 900, and for over 5 months now the Shure SRH940). I also tried some other ultra-hifi ones like the Audeze LCD-2 and as of recently I own the Sennheiser HD 800. I've also owned some mid/low fi ones way back (Sennheiser HD 280 Pro).
Simply put, the Shure SRH-940 is an incredibly detailed sounding dynamic headphone with TREBLE better than any headphone I've heard under $900. Keep in mind that every headphone has different strengths and weaknesses, and you should first make sure the SRH-940's sound signature (treble leaning) is to your tastes, but if it is, I'm not aware of many alternates even close to this price range. That said, I've come to realize a few major weak points in the SRH-940, namely, the mids and bass are only what I would call "good", and the overall tonality/coloration is a bit unnatural. In short, the SRH940 will render complex subtleties (fast electric guitar music for example) with unrivaled speed and fine detail, however it struggles to render classical music and some vocals naturally -- that is to say, violins, guitar, voice, etc. will sound detailed but distinctly artificial, compared to competing headphones.
Sidenote: First of all, I'd address the notion one reviewer brought up of the SRH940 comparing favorably to Sennheiser HD800s. Short answer: No. Long answer: To my ears, the SRH940 treble beats many well-regarded headphones near its price-point like HD650s, DT880s, etc. It however does not even come within a mile of the HD800 treble quality or detail -- and to say the SRH940 mids or bass deserve being mentioned in the same sentence as that of the HD800 is just... almost insulting. The HD800 is so astoundingly good, I can't even fully put into comparative words. Not in the same league by far. That said, the SRH940 treble is still ahead of its competitors in the price point.
Edit 2: I have now purchased a Sennheiser HD800 myself and have listened to it for at least 20 hours. I can confirm the above sidenote. Unless you are hearing impaired, the SRH940 in no way even comes close to the sound quality of the HD800. The sound *signature* (that is to say, the relative volume of the bass, mids, and highs) is similar (although the HD800 has more bass), but frequency response has nothing to do with sound quality. The rest of the review to follow I left in the perspective of when I did not own the HD800 (which is still valid because I'm comparing it to headphones within its price range).
(Pros)
I currently have a Sennheiser HD 650 as well as these Shure SRH-940s, and I keep both (for reasons described below). It's not an exaggeration that after several months of comparing both, the SRH-940 is considerably better than the Sennheiser HD 650 in upper highs and treble detail. This says a lot, because the HD650 is one of the best headphones you can get under $500. It's surprising how crystal clear and detailed sound these SRH940's can reproduce.
I have personally compared the SRH-940 with Sennheiser HD650s, Beyerdynamic DT880s, and Audio Technica AD2000s. My overall evaluation is that the SRH-940 beats ALL of them when it comes to treble quality and ability to reveal subtle details in the music. It's that "I'm hearing things I've never heard in the music" feeling that the SRH940 absolutely excels at. [Before you get too excited though, it has one big "flaw" that I've come to realize with extensive listening over the past few months: The bass and mids are only "good" quality, and the tonality is a bit unnatural. More on that in the cons section.]
Particular strengths that stand out are:
- Incredible detail, accuracy, and resolution - you hear EVERYTHING. These could literally reproduce a pin drop across a room and if your ears could hear it in real life, you would hear it crystal clear with these. This is the area it destroys the Sennheiser HD 650 in direct comparison.
- Pristine treble, the best I've ever heard under $900. The Audio Technica AD2000, DT880, and Sennheiser HD650 are known as some of the best for good midrange frequency reproduction, and the SRH940 is a league ahead of both of these (I've owned all of them). The treble, and similarly the detail of this headphone, is THE selling point of this headphone IMO. The upper treble on the SRH940 (10+khz) is just brilliantly good to my ears. Extremely detailed and accurate, very present (not recessed), yet somehow very smooth. Many headphones with pronounced treble suffer from sibilance issues (that harsh "SSssssss" sound on some high notes), and the SRH940 manages to avoid this entirely (unless the recording itself contains it).
(Critique)
As mentioned above, I still kept my Sennheiser HD 650s, and I have recently been leaning towards the HD650s for general use. There are a few reasons for this.
- The SRH-940 is comfortable, but not nearly as comfortable as the Sennheiser HD 650 to me. Sennheiser's upper end and Beyerdynamics are known for amazing comfort - you can barely feel them on your head. This is quite nice for movies and long term listening. The SRH940 becomes mildly uncomfortable on my extra large head after ~4 hours. A Sennheiser HD650 becomes uncomfortable... never... at all (literally).
- The SRH-940's critical flaw to me is its tonality. The subtle sound "coloration" is not natural like the Beyerdynamic DT880s or Sennheiser HD650s. On the HD650, listening to a classical orchestral piece, the violin, flute, piano, etc. sound quite realistic -- you could almost believe you were hearing the real thing. The SRH940 might sound better on first impression due to its detailed sound, however there is something distinctly "off" about its tonality. Violins sound a bit unnatural, like there's something not quite right about their tonality. It's difficult to explain, but sadly it's the truth.
- The SRH-940 has good quality bass and mids, with bass just a bit shy of neutral. If you are used to bass boosted headphones you will notice there is less bass, but once your ears adapt you will notice some very good quality crystal clear bass. I don't necessarily have any problem with the SRH940's bass and mids, however they're not brilliantly good for the price range like the treble is -- they're just about average. The Sennheiser HD650's ($350-$500) mids and bass are much better than the SRH940 ($200-$300). In particular, the SRH940 bass is not as impactful (strong physical sensation of bass) or effortless as my Sennheiser HD 650s, and I believe the SRH940 has some resonance/balance issues on the lower end as well. For example, some bass tones sound great on the SRH940, while others seem rather lacking. Most music on the HD650 is absolutely brilliant in its warm and beautiful rendition of the lower end ("warm") frequency spectrum. The HD650 has the ability to really capture you "emotionally" in the music due to its stunningly accurate and liquid lower end. The SRH940 reproduces the lower end well, but there's something missing. I believe this is what largely contributes to the previously mentioend "unnatural" sound of the SRH940 on classical music.
- Not really a con so much, but the fact that the SRH-940 is extremely detailed and precise means it will reveal all the subtleties of your music; as a result, if you're used to listening to badly compressed music or random stuff from grooveshark or youtube, it will not sound so great. It won't sound worse than cheap headphones, but basically the SRH-940 treble sound quality is so good that you need to find sufficiently high quality recordings to reveal its full potential.
(Sound Signature)
As mentioned, make sure the SRH940 sound signature is for you. The SRH940 to my ears sound a bit on the bright side: Treble is very slightly louder than neutral, and low end bass is slightly quieter than neutral. Those who prefer headphones with excessive bass and suppressed treble may not like these. Those who hate treble also will not like these (even though it's very smooth and pleasant treble - not sibilant or harsh at all - coming from someone who experienced painful ear fatigue from listening to Sennheiser HD 280 Pros).
I should note that when I find a flaw in a headphone I try to correct it with equalization. On my HD650s for example, I found the treble to be recessed (a bit quieter than neutral), so I applied a treble boost equalization -- which fixed the problem perfectly. I have not yet been able to find any equalization solution to the SRH940s unnatural coloration issue mentioned above (and I'm thinking the coloration problem isn't one related to frequency response but a more complex interaction or resonance that effects timbre in a more complex way).
(Misc)
These do not *need* a high end DAC/Amp to sound good, but they will definitely max out your laptop's standard audio output port. Listening from a MacBook Air audio port, I'd say SRH-940s sound about 60-70% as good as they do on my desktop DAC/Amp (an Audio-gd NFB-12). This is actually pretty good, compared to something like the Sennheiser HD650, which sounds maybe 40% as good at most.
In short, you'll enjoy these a ton from your ipod or standard computer audio out, but with a higher quality DAC/Amp / sound card, they'll sound much much better. Read more ›
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I am loving/digging these headphones so far. I wrote a review, but it never materialized. I have listened to stuff from Future Sounds of London, Van Halen (currently addicted to "Best of Both Worlds" with these headphones), Arcade Fire, The Cars, The Temper Trap, Fleetwood Mac, The White Rabbits, Phil Collins (especially "Sussudio" extended remix version), Florence and the Machine and The Doors. I've been floating on a fine green cloud of rich, warm, wonderful full-bodied sound. These baby's can take some volume let me tell you! Try cranking up "Burning Down The House" by The Talking Heads. I tingled all over. OK, I didn't tingle, but I certainly should have.
It took a little while to pull the trigger because I couldn't quite decide between these and Sennheisers HD 600 & HD 650. The closed back style won out because I prefer as little extraneous noise as possible. They are quite comfortable and fairly light due to Plastic. I may not be the best judge of specific comfort levels because my ears take plenty of breaks.
I think you would be hard pressed to find better sounding headphones at this quality/price ratio. It is highly subjective of course. Hey, I am a happy camper!
Aug. 30 Update: I am more impressed than previously stated. One downfall stemming from such high quality is the fact that I catch far more anomalies, below par quality recordings and the like. Those are area's that I have interest in, so it doesn't bother me. I have certainly caught instruments in songs that I never knew existed. These headphones have inspired me to attempt to create the worlds finest playlist of Classic hits alternating with Alernative/Indie music. I bought the 940's without ever testing. Glad I did.
It took a little while to pull the trigger because I couldn't quite decide between these and Sennheisers HD 600 & HD 650. The closed back style won out because I prefer as little extraneous noise as possible. They are quite comfortable and fairly light due to Plastic. I may not be the best judge of specific comfort levels because my ears take plenty of breaks.
I think you would be hard pressed to find better sounding headphones at this quality/price ratio. It is highly subjective of course. Hey, I am a happy camper!
Aug. 30 Update: I am more impressed than previously stated. One downfall stemming from such high quality is the fact that I catch far more anomalies, below par quality recordings and the like. Those are area's that I have interest in, so it doesn't bother me. I have certainly caught instruments in songs that I never knew existed. These headphones have inspired me to attempt to create the worlds finest playlist of Classic hits alternating with Alernative/Indie music. I bought the 940's without ever testing. Glad I did.
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