Product Review: Shure SRH440 Professional Headphones

In June 2009, Shure Inc. from Chicago IL unveiled its first-ever professional headphone range consisting of the SRH240, SRH440 and SRH840 with MSRPs of $70.61 ,$120.54 and $234.66, US retail. Today I am reviewing the midrange SRH440.  Shure manufactures some of the finest pro audio products available today. Some of their  microphones have reached legendary status while many more are used everyday in recording and performance scenarios. I was very excited to hear about the new SRH professional headphones and could not wait to give them a try.

SRH Headphone Design

These headphones have been designed for use in live sound, in-ear monitoring, broadcast, studio or personal isolated listening. They come outfitted with blue and red markers that provide an easy guide to the headphone’s left/right orientation. The cans feature a neat folding design that reduces its size by about half for easy portability.

Headphone Types

In terms of headphone type, all the models in the SRH range are full-sized headphones, meaning they fully surround your ear. They are also closed-back, which prevents any audio leakage from the drivers to the surroundings as well as stopping external noise from entering the ears.

Detachable Coiled Cable

The SRH440 features a single-sided detachable coiled cable which extends to 3m. Another nice feature I particularly liked is the replaceable ear cup pads, given the fact that we’re tired of dealing with “pad rot”, a process in which the cushions disintegrate, leaving many of our previous headphones destined for the dump.

Sound quality

I was very pleased with the frequency response and sensitivity of the phones.  Bass response was clean and tight for headphones at this price point.  The treble and mid-range came in smooth and accurate.  In comparing the Shure SRH440 to its big competitor the Sony MDR7506, I found the Shure’s a bit more colored and open.  Overall the tonal quality was superior and the openness was more comfortable to listen to over a longer period of time.  I was able to discern each instrument and voice more clearly in the mix with the Shure’s.

Accessories

Included with the Shure SRH440 is a 6.3mm screw-on adapter and a carrying bag for the headphones. Though sparse, we’re used to the lack of accessories for professional-grade headphones.

Conclusion

If you are considering a new pair of headphones for yourself or the band you will be hard pressed to find a better quality set that is more comfortable or better sounding than the SRH440’s.  Street Price is $99.99 each.

Reviewer:
Mark Bradley is a sound and video tech at his local church
and the Recording Media Director for CCI Solutions