Shure SRH840 Headphone Product Review

These days, it is always good to reference your mixes on headphones.  Sometimes listening to your mix on an iPod with earbuds just isn't enough…

Recently I had the opportunity to try out a pair of Shure SRH 840 headphones.  Shure is a company known for quality, durable, professional products.  We know that about their microphones, and their headphones are certainly set to the same bar.  Before you even put them on your head, the SRH 840s stand out.  Opening the box reveals sturdily built headphones that come with a convenient carrying bag, nearly 10 ft. detachable cord (love that length!), replacement pads for the ear cups, and a high quality, gold plated 1/8’’ to 1/4’’ adapter.

If you want your investment to last, the replacement pads are a great benefit, and even if you wear both included sets out, you can buy more pads sold separately for under $20.00, or swap them out for SRH440 pads if you like those better.  The detachable cable makes a big difference as well.  It makes replacing the cable of the headphones both amazingly easy and really affordable.  Of course, with Shure-like robustness, they made certain the cable won’t fall out of the headphones mid-take with a special bayonet clip. 

Decidedly, the importance of sonic quality heavily outweighs all this out-of-the-box appeal, and the SRH 840’s sound live up to the same standard of quality.  My first impression was that there was a clarity and tightness in the bass, and still a consistent balance of all the frequencies in the mixes I referenced.  When producing headphones it’s easy to screw up the bass, the high end, and the mids, and it’s a great treat to listen to a pair with such accurate bass, smooth highs, and a midrange that creates a good mix, consistent with my reference speakers.  So many headphones have a scooped out midrange that sounds hyped, but as a professional, I don’t want hyped, I want precise.  I need to know what frequencies are being produced.  Professional grade equipment should absolutely be different from consumer gear, and Shure’s SRH 840s were truly built for the professional engineer or musician. 

Certainly, if you’re in the market for a new pair of headphones, the SRH 840’s are a worthy candidate.  Comfortable enough that those long hours of headphone use won’t leave your ears in pain, one of the best headphones sonically I’ve ever heard, and the same durability the Shure name is known for.  These headphones are an incredible bargain, as well.  Priced at only $199.95, the SRH 840’s are a sure bet (pun intended).  

I’ve outlined a few specs for you below.  Have any of you used the 840’s?  What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Transducer Type: Dynamic neodymium magnet

Frequency Range: 5Hz – 25kHz

Max Input Power (1kHz): 1000 mW

Impedance: 44 Ohms

Sensitivity: 102 dB/mW

Driver Size: 40 mm