Summary – Shure SRH1540 Headphone
The Shure SRH1540 are quality headphones with natural sound performance and clear and even full-range sound reproduction from the highs, midranges to the bass. This means that you would be able to hear everything in your music clearly without the headphone emphasizing one frequency over the other, providing you with really detailed sound quality. The SRH1540 headphones are equipped with 40mm neodymium drivers with really crisp acoustic sound performance and an expansive soundstage. They have a closed-back circum-aural design that ergonomically conforms to the size of your ears for a comfortable listening experience and reduces noise leakage. The headphones have a lightweight construction with air-craft grade aluminium alloy and a carbon fiber cap for enhanced durability; it also has a steel driver frame with a vented center pole piece which eliminates resonance for consistency sound performance. Overall, the Shure SRH1540s are really good headphones for those who prefer a more analytical sound signature – they deliver great sensitivity and detailed sound performance with nice timbre ranges and crisp vocals.
The Pros & Cons
The Pros. The Shure SRH1540 are high-fidelity headphones that have very even and natural sound reproduction. The highs, midranges and bass are reproduced evenly without emphasizing one frequency range over another – they sound true to the audio source recording.
The Cons. While the SRH1540 produce really natural sound, they lack soundstage and detail separation as compared to the open-back HD 800s. They have even sound reproduction which does not make these headphones particularly exceptional for certain types of listeners or for bass lovers.
Sound Performance
The Shure SRH1540 headphones have a frequency range between 5 Hz to 25 kHz which is really wide. The headphone utilizes 40mm neodymium drivers that provide relatively good soundstage with clear extended highs and warm bass response. When we tested the SRH1540s, we found that these headphones are capable of reproducing the entire audio spectrum in an even and natural way without any artificial enhancements. This means that no frequency overrides another frequency and they have really well-balanced highs, mids and lows. The SRH1540s are capable of transitioning from deep punchy lows to crisp highs very smoothly. The highs and midranges sound detailed and crisp and the headphones also retain a solid bass response which does over muddy at all into the midranges. Vocal performances sound natural with dynamism and crystal clear timbre ranges. Instrumental and guitar performances sounded natural without being too warm – they sound exactly how they should be on the recording without any alteration. Compared with the Sennheisers and the Beyerdynamic headphones, the Shure SHR1540 has the most natural and evenly sounding signature across all frequency ranges. They also provide relatively good soundstage and detailed separation, although they do not sound as open and airy as the HD 800s.
Comfort & Design
The SRH1540s are a very comfortable set of headphones to wear. The ear pads are padded with micro-fabric which makes them feel softer and lighter on the ears. It also comes with a strap-like headband that feels more stretchable and conforming to your head shape – the headband is fully adjustable. The headphones look really sleek and modern when worn and have a premium feel to them with its aluminium alloy and carbon fiber construction. The SRH1540s have dual-exit cables with gold-plated MMCX connectors which provide a secure connection and detachability for easy storage. The headphone uses oxygen free copper cables with Kevlar reinforce jacket to prevent tangling and improve sound performance. It also comes with replaceable ear pads made with Alcantara and low density memory foam for comfort. We liked the fact that Shure also provided additional cables, replacement ear pads and a zipped storage case. The headphones also come with a user manual for easy reference. Do note that the SRH1540s have to be properly amped for the best sound performance and are relatively sensitive to the source audio files.
The Verdict?
The SRH1540s are analytical headphones designed to produce natural sound exactly as the artist intended it to be heard. We were able to hear the highs, midranges and lows evenly with great clarity – it has a frequency range of 5 Hz to 25 kHz which is great. Where these high-end headphones shine is the ability to reproduce the audio spectrum evenly without emphasizing one frequency range over another – the highs sound crisp with good timbre ranges, and the bass hits hard and feels impactful without muddying into the midrange frequencies. The sound performance from the SRH1540 headphones is spacious with detailed separation, although they do not sound as open as open-back headphones such as the HD 800s. The SRH1540s use 40mm neodymium drivers that deliver really natural sound performance and can be driven easily by a headphone amplifier, with relatively good sensitivity to the audio source. They are capable of picking up details in the music which you might not have noticed before. It also comes with a full lightweight construction with aluminium and carbon fiber frame construction that makes it feel lightweight and very comfortable to wear. The headband is fully adjustable and conforms easily to the size of your head with a very flexible design. Overall, the SRH1540s are analytical headphones designed for those who value high-fidelity sound that is true to the audio recording with crystal clear accuracy.
If you are looking for audiophile headphones for high-end listening, be sure to check out our top picks for the best sounding headphones here.