Shure SRH440 and SRH840 Boston MA

www.shure.com

When I was at AES, a Shure representativesuggested the SRH440 for mixing—which is at the lower-priced endof the line—because he felt it was moreaccurate. When someone in marketingrecommends a lower-priced product,that gets my attention!

But Shure sent both the SRH440and SRH840 so I could decide formyself. The rep was right on: I muchprefer the 440 for its more balancedresponse, particularly in the low endand low mids, that would make it better-suited to mixing. The 840 seems toemphasize the high end somewhat,which is okay when listening to commercially-recorded music but not ashelpful when mixing.

So let’s look at the 440. Itslevel of comfort is average;you would have no troubleusing it for hours at a stretch.The ear pads cover your earswell, and help reject noise.Like other headphones, itcomes with a detachablecoil cord and 1/8" to 1/4" adapter; butthe end that goes into the headphonecan lock, making it difficult to pull outaccidentally.

The overall sound quality is slightlyless transparent than more expensivecontenders, but that’s the tradeoff forthe lower price. The crucial point hereis the response (which tells you thetruth), and the low cost.

In terms of value, you simply can’tbeat the SRH440. It may lack thefinesse of higher-priced models, butfor mixing, it does the job remarkablywell—which is even more surprising,given how kind it is to your wallet.

More from this roundup:

• Can You Really Mix On Headphones?
  
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50 ($199)
• AKG K 271 Mk II ($299) And AKG K 702 ($539)
• Sony MDR-7509HD ($265)
• Monster TurbinePro Gold ($299.95)
• Ultrasone Proline 750 ($389) and Edition 8 ($1,499)

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