Audio Shure SRH440 vs Audio Technica ATH M50

[red dragon]

Help me out guys,between these two.
Source will be an unamped ipod touch or cowon D2 or MBP.
Isolation is must with minimum sound leakage.
Mids should be good.
Probably looking for a fatigue free sound signature of IE7.
Any other alternatives?(budget 10k max)

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....Anyone?

 

[abhi_jollyguy]

Have a look at AKG K181DJ having superb isolation also fatigue free sound, with likely gud comfort, if u want everything top-notch so there is a Phiaton MS400, If u want the bass to go very deep though very gud excellent sound quality with lil bit less comfort and isolation so there is a M-Audio Studiophile Q40, If u want very rich, lush mids with very gud isolation and comfort so there is a B&W P5 with gud bass and smooth sound.

 

[bennysachdev]

Personal preference.......M50 anytime of the day

 

[strategy]

i heard the 440 and 840 some time back , i wont recommend it. 840 is way better HP.

and from what i have read about the m50 , i think m50 is also better .

the thread should be like 840 vs m50

 

[FaH33m]

^ +1 . The 840 and M50 are more of in the same league and comparable . The M50 being more fun with slightly more bass and warm mids and 840 with a more close to neutral / darker sound signature .

 

[red dragon]

I do not have an amp and according to some head fi guys,SRH 440 and unamped 880 sounds same.

I am kind of worried about M50`s bass,I am no basshead and the music I listen to do not need the thumps.

Is 9.5k a decent price for SRH880?

 

[Obi-Wan]

M50 sounds way too boxy . its just a huge bump in the low mid range. sounds artificial. good only if you are looking for headphones to play drums (but trust me my ears ache after 30 minutes of usage) , otherwise forget it. you should check M Audio Q40 and AKG 271MK-II if you are looking for a 'balanced' sound. i'd pick the Q40's anyday.

about the Shures, have you used them ? i 'm not familiar with this model but in general, shures just don't have an edge. the head-fi guys are right.

 

[asrphani]

No, I will not pay 9.5k for them ,thats way too much.

Because you are after mids you should look at the srh-440s and the 271MKII's.But the MKII's require a decent amp(at least a decent portable amp).The shures have excellent liquid mids and they are much more comfortable with the 840/940 pads.

 

[bennysachdev]

I do not have an amp and according to some head fi guys,SRH 440 and unamped 880 sounds same.
I am kind of worried about M50`s bass,I am no basshead and the music I listen to do not need the thumps.
Is 9.5k a decent price for SRH880?

The M50 would perform pretty well with your macbook sans an amp.
I wouldn't call it a basshead's headphone, the HD25-1 II or the A900 probably are basshead's headphones, not the M50(the bass doesn't dominate or spill over any other part of the spectrum). The M50 is super fun to listen to, whereas I found the Shure 840 to be too dry for my taste. There was no track in my playlist which could make me say that this headphone is perfect for this genre(I tried Alanis Morissette, Seal, Dire Straits, Anjunabeats). I'm not saying the M50's are reference, they're certainly not, but all the technicalities go straight outta the window with these. I find the AT CK10 to be the most technically perfect sounding iem and head-fiers will write pages about how superior they are, but I can't enjoy them for more than 30seconds, they lie in a corner of some shelve, simply cause they're too dry and analytical for my taste.

If you don't want any subbass, i'd say go for open-back headphones like the AD series of Audio Technica or the Grados. They should fit you budget as well.

P.s. I just saw you own a sm3 as well......Congratulations on that. Are you enjoying the sound signature?

 

[red dragon]

^^Thank you,I like the sm3`s sound signature but the built quality is scary.

Overall I somehow like the sound signature of IE7 more.

 

[anubhav2345]

I own both SRH 840 as well as M50 too .

From doing a A-b long back , i remember i used to pack my SRH-840 for months .

M-50 are more pleasurable in every sense .

Just for comfort i would say SRH-840 takes the lead , M-50 puts a lil strain after say 25-30 mins of listening .

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^^Thank you,I like the sm3`s sound signature but the built quality is scary.

Overall I somehow like the sound signature of IE7 more.

In IEM's , even if , if i compare IE7 vs IE8 , the i would come to the conclusion that IE7 > IE8 . ( Personal View )

 

[strategy]

yeah i guess if you are using them unamped , m50 is a better choice than both 440 840.

you can consider the ad700 also ( donno about how it performs unamped though )

@benny: sm3 + red dragon + congrats ..... ???

i think he was the first person here to get sm3 , it has been around 9 months now ( i think )

 

[edge111hussain]

You want, less bass, gr8 sound sig, good mids and overall comfort with unamped sound... hmmmm.... Beyer DT-880 - 32 ohms is tailor made for you mate.... Maybe ultrasone 750's too.

Shure 840's definitely need amping to sound anywhere close to fun. I have never heard the grados, but guys, wouldn't 1 of the grados fit into his taste/budget?????

 

[red dragon]

M-50 are more pleasurable in every sense .

Just for comfort i would say SRH-840 takes the lead , M-50 puts a lil strain after say 25-30 mins of listening .

In IEM's , even if , if i compare IE7 vs IE8 , the i would come to the conclusion that IE7 > IE8 . ( Personal View )

I feel exactly the same way about IE7 and 8.IE8 is great but it produces fatigue after 30 minutes or so.
So probably I want something which is
a.closed
b.does not require an amp
c.suitable for prolonged use
d.little laid back(whatever that means!)

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

You want, less bass, gr8 sound sig, good mids and overall comfort with unamped sound... hmmmm.... Beyer DT-880 - 32 ohms is tailor made for you mate.... Maybe ultrasone 750's too.

Shure 840's definitely need amping to sound anywhere close to fun. I have never heard the grados, but guys, wouldn't 1 of the grados fit into his taste/budget?????

Where can I get those for a reasonable price in India?

 

[asrphani]

I feel exactly the same way about IE7 and 8.IE8 is great but it produces fatigue after 30 minutes or so.
So probably I want something which is
a.closed
b.does not require an amp
c.suitable for prolonged use
d.little laid back(whatever that means!)

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Where can I get those for a reasonable price in India?

I am curious to know why the sennheisers are completely ignored and the Fischer FA-03's are also worth considering.

 

[red dragon]

^^Why don`t you suggest something?I could not find a decent closed hp from Sennheiser.

 

[Brendon]

Sennheiser has few good models in the lower spectrum of headphones. The PX100 is the only one in the budget category and in your price range only the HD25 comes to mind. However the HD25 is an agressive headphone and it won't match your tastes IMO.

If you want to save a bit you can consider the Audio Technica M35. Its got a smooth fatigue free sound, is portable as it can fold up and is reasonably comfortable to boot.

 

[abhi_jollyguy]

@OP

Did u audition any of my given option, I think or m sure that u will like one from them.

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Yes It's true that Sennheiser HD-25 is an aggressive sounding HP's and OP won't like such SS.

 

[asrphani]

^^Why don`t you suggest something?I could not find a decent closed hp from Sennheiser.

I think the HD448's are decent for the price but you can do much better for your budget ...you're right nothing in sennheisers

 

[edge111hussain]

For ur taste in Sennheisers, you can consider the hd 280's and hd38o pro's, though i aint sure about local pricing.

Beyer, higher end models r not available locally, you will prolly have to get em shipped.