Shure SRH1540

I purchased there headphones for my studio and was looking for a decent set of reference headphones. However the SRH1540s are better than I expected and not only sounds great but are also very comfortable. The sound isolation is also pretty good where I need to remove the headphones to hear what someone else sitting next to me is saying. Surprisingly you also get a spare cable and ear pads included.

I have had and used the Shure SRH1540 for over two years now and they have steadily become little more than a decoration / headphones I sometimes use for sound design.

Short version:

If you want to enjoy music (regardless of the genre) I guarantee you there are better and more dynamic sounding headphones than the SRH1540, which are still accurate for the same price or cheaper. The SRH1450 does what they are designed to do - very neutral sound, nothing exciting, very 'true', so for music it sounds 'nice'. I own a small army of high-end over ear headphones and these have very quickly become the last ones I would consider to simply listen to music.

If you are looking for very accurate neutral headphones for video or sound editing - these are great, although pricey for what they deliver considering the alternatives.

Finally;

For anyone arguing that they just need a 'burn in' time - the sound signature on mine has not changed much after hundreds of hours of use and in my opinion if you are hoping they will 'improve', they wont.

If you buy these and try them the first time with your favourite amp or DAC and they don't make you smile from ear to ear, send them back as they will most likely not grow on you.

The build quality is excellent, they are super comfortable for a bigger head and the included cables and extra ear pads etc are great, although the case is very impractical for anything other than storage (its HUGE).

After a couple of months of use, I decided to sell these headphones and explore other options. The excessive mid-bass made them unsuitable for the purposes I originally purchased them for, and adjusting the EQ wasn’t a viable solution. Additionally, I found them uncomfortable to wear for extended periods as the headband caused discomfort on my scalp. That said, the build quality is excellent, with a premium feel that stands out. However, despite their solid construction, the drawbacks ultimately outweighed the benefits, making it hard to justify keeping them.

Edit: I couldn’t find a buyer despite offering a great price so I decided to give them another shot. With the correct EQ they sound amazing. So I’ll be using them for listening to music more often. But that headband is still horrible XD.

I've been using these for a couple of years now. They sound really great. No complaints there. However, I was a bit disappointed.

1. The cable to the headset is short and not great to handle. It's a bit stiff and feels cheap.
2. The ear pads fall off OFTEN. It could be as simple as grabbing them the wrong way or pulling the headphones off, and the pads pop off. They're a bit clumsy to get back on as well.
3. For me, they are a little uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time. I get a mild headache after a couple of hours. (I don't have that problem with my DT770s or Bose QuiteComfort)
4. The materials in the headphones itself also feel a bit cheap. My DT770s feel more robust. (Not a huge issue)

No biggies, but if you're deciding between these and say, Sennheiser HD650s, then this might be useful to know.