Verdict
The Shure SRH440A are a solid and relatively inexpensive pair of earpiece for mixing , specially if you ’re dealing primarily with voices .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
earpiece used for production purposes do n’t get much of an spreading on this site , but we ’re look to widen our remitment to cover all type of headphones .
And so after calculate at theShure SRH840Ain 2022 , it ’s the turn of the more low-priced SRH440A. Both the 840A and 440A are part of Shure ’s line - up of earpiece for professional musician , creators and mixers optimize for studio hearing and decisive listening .
Are the Shure SRH440A deserving the investment for your plate or professional studio ? Here are my two cents on whether they are .
Design
First things first , the Shure SRH440A are wire headphones , coming with a long 3 thou cable to plug into whatever beginning you ’re using them with . They only occur in a fateful version that ’s discerning and anon. ; and though it ’s very plain made from plastic – hard plastic for the earcups – they ’re lightweight at 268 g.
I ’ve receive them well-situated to wear over longer session with no pinching around the ear , and a good spate of boneheaded cushioning on the underside of the headband . The padding on the earcups themselves are not necessarily the most plushy or gentle , but the headphones ride on the head without producing much pressure sensation . The space inside the phone is large enough for my ears to slip in quite easily .
The headphones are n’t collapsible , but can be folded flat . These earpiece do n’t have a carry case , so they ’re not peculiarly a candidate for being transport around , but are loose enough to stow away .
The Shure SRH440A have a closed - back invention so they wo n’t leak sound like an exposed - backed duo , nor will they leak it in . The noise - isolation is okay , certainly better than a AKG K52 that I used from time to time , but these headphones do n’t blot out all the sound around me .
Features
It ’s not exactly a roll - call of feature for a twain ofwired headphones , but I ’ll go through what there is , starting with the frequency response .
10 to 22000Hz indicates a broad frequency reaction , panoptic in fact that human audition is potential of , but stand for the Shure will be accepting of audio signals within that frequency range . predisposition is 97dB and electric resistance is 40 ohm , so this should be a comparatively soft pair of headphones to force back and it can get loud enough .
The driver is a low-spirited deformation 40 mm active neodymium number one wood that Shure says offers a “ natural and balanced frequency answer ” , while the 3 metre cable length come with a 6.3 mm gold - plated adapter that lock into the phone with a twist so it does n’t easily settle out .
Sound Quality
The shallow earcups of the Shure SRH440A means that the soundstage wo n’t be the wide – in fact , it is quite narrow compared to most other shut - back headphones . I do n’t do any mixing in my spare time ( at least not yet ) , but I do listen to audio data file for transcription and that ’s in the first place what I ’m using the SRH440A for .
I ’ve receive two other earphone as alternatives : a beaten-up and tattered brace of AKG K52 and Meters Novu-1 headphones . The Shure lock onto voices much good than the AKG does ; it vocalise slightly lovesome and thickset , but its focus on the midrange helps bring voices to the stem , while on the AKG they retreat into the background .
There are ripe level of clarity and detail afforded to voices without causing a sibilant tonus , with voices that sound more natural and dynamic . It has the event of making a rickety speech sound recording substantially , as if an actual conversation is taking place rather than faraway off into the space .
It ’s the same when the Shure is measured against the Meters . When hoi polloi ’s voices get smooth or sound more remote on the transcription , the Shure is still able to pick them out whereas with the Novu-1 I feel as if I have to raise the volume . Conversations dumbfound to the Shure like mucilage .
Would you use these headphones for listening to music or more critical listening ? Initially I would have say no , but now I ’d say it reckon on what you ’re listen to . With some racetrack ( Doves ’ Sea Song ) the Shure produce punchy bass and picks out well mid - bass detail than the Novu-1 does .
With dual frequencies ( GoGo Penguin ’s Atomised ) , the Shure can produce a bright and exonerated performance with a lovely sense of lucidness . You would reckon it all hang together well across the frequency mountain chain .
But the SRH440A ’s magnanimous job is how it describes the soundstage and the stage of definition it offers . It ’s a broad speech sound , but in the vaguest Mary Jane the Meters Novu-1 lay out a more tenacious soundstage than the Shure is subject of .
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Should you buy it?
Though the RRP states the Shure SRH440A as £ 105 , you may get them for less than £ 90 in a few places if you ’re after a relatively cheap distich of headphones for merge .
The Shure are fine for euphony , but the soundstage is not as coherent or as defined as electrify phone that cost half the damage . That ’s not their design .
Final Thoughts
As comparatively affordable headphones for intermixture , I would n’t look past the Shure SRH440A if you ’re using them for podcasts or any audio mix that has a focus on voices . It has a practical design , is well-fixed to take without any external gain required , and most significantly , it put in a sound performance .
You could go for the more expensiveSRH840A , which also boast a careful coming to audio frequency but with a wide of the mark frequency reply . At least you have the option , depending on what you need it for and workflow .
Trusted Score
How we test
We try out every set of headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time . We use diligence standard tests to compare features properly . We ’ll always tell you what we retrieve . We never , ever , admit money to review a intersection .
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FAQs
There ’s a 3 megabyte cable that terminate in a 3.5 millimetre connective . There ’s a 6.3 millimetre arranger let in in the accoutrement .
