[Byrnie]

I heard these at the meet... very nice they were. Again, though, not noticeably a step up from the 1540s.

What do you consider s noticeable upgrade just so I'm following you. They were a noticeable upgrade to me but I still both.

 

[Sonido]

I heard these at the meet... very nice they were. Again, though, not noticeably a step up from the 1540s.

In my experience, it's always harder to discern a difference when upgrading, but when you listen to headphones you upgraded from after getting used to the new one, you'll recognize the difference immediately. I bet if you spent a month with HD800 or TH900, going back to SRH1540, you'll find them unrefined or congested.

 

[PFULMTL]

  Having played with my recently acquired 1540s for a week now, I echo some previously expressed sentiments.
 
The bass on the 1540 is perfect for low-volume listening (think built-in loudness contour), but at higher volumes I find it too bloomy and boomy.
 
I DID switch pads with the 940 and agree it seems to make both pairs sound better to my ears.  I may even prefer the 940 now.  I didn't get much head time last night after I switched the pads, so I'll have to do some more listening.

 
Ah, so I wasn't crazy.  I thought the 1540 had boomy bass on first listen too (which is unexpected for a Shure headphone), but I did have the volume up because I was in a loud electronics store.  I use the SRH940 daily, and although the 1540 will still be my next purchase, something didn't seem right when I was flipping through music.

 

[Stereolab42]

In my experience, it's always harder to discern a difference when upgrading, but when you listen to headphones you upgraded from after getting used to the new one, you'll recognize the difference immediately. I bet if you spent a month with HD800 or TH900, going back to SRH1540, you'll find them unrefined or congested.

 
Maybe. Neither would work for me though, since I do need a closed headphone with good isolation, and the TH900 isolation is awful according to just about everyone. Other potential upgrades all have issues... T5ps have anemic bass, closed Ultrasone Editions did not impress me at the meet, and Ultrasone DJ Pros/Sigs are impossible to find to demo. And now that I check Tyll's datasheets again, the LCD-XC's isolation is somewhat mediocre, although not enough to be a deal-killer.
 
I think we're entering a golden age in closed-headphone design, and I'm not the first to note that. Going to be interesting to see what else comes up over the next few years, and maybe one of those will indeed be a no-brainer upgrade.

 

[Change is Good]

It took me a while to find an end-gamish closed headphone. At first, the SRH1540 still wasn't there. Once I placed some alpha pads on them, the sound quality really to a step up when compared to stock. Haven't looked back since, and these have been in my possession for over nine months (longest time owning any headphone).

 

[Sonido]

Maybe. Neither would work for me though, since I do need a closed headphone with good isolation, and the TH900 isolation is awful according to just about everyone. Other potential upgrades all have issues... T5ps have anemic bass, closed Ultrasone Editions did not impress me at the meet, and Ultrasone DJ Pros/Sigs are impossible to find to demo. And now that I check Tyll's datasheets again, the LCD-XC's isolation is somewhat mediocre, although not enough to be a deal-killer.

I think we're entering a golden age in closed-headphone design, and I'm not the first to note that. Going to be interesting to see what else comes up over the next few years, and maybe one of those will indeed be a no-brainer upgrade.

Alpha dogs? Maybe you already mentioned why they won't work.

 

[Stereolab42]

Alpha dogs? Maybe you already mentioned why they won't work.

 
I like the Alpha Dogs a lot, but consider them to be comparable, not superior.

 

[Eugguy]

Are there any shorter cable options available? Something around the 1.2 m, 3 ft range? I'm interested in purchasing these to add to the collection. 

 

[Sonido]

Are there any shorter cable options available? Something around the 1.2 m, 3 ft range? I'm interested in purchasing these to add to the collection. 

It comes with two cables, one of which is about a meter. At least mine came with two cables.

 

[kimvictor]

  Are there any shorter cable options available? Something around the 1.2 m, 3 ft range? I'm interested in purchasing these to add to the collection. 

In theory, a IEM cable(without earguide) with MMCX connector would work. I used a 1540 cable on a SE846 before

 

[Eugguy]

  In theory, a IEM cable(without earguide) with MMCX connector would work. I used a 1540 cable on a SE846 before

Thanks guys....i also own the 846....maybe i'll try that...haha

 

[Byrnie]

Maybe. Neither would work for me though, since I do need a closed headphone with good isolation, and the TH900 isolation is awful according to just about everyone.

It's definitely not awful. Awful isolation would be HD800 or HD700 (or other open cans). It has ok isolation.

 

[HarleyZH]

   
Maybe. Neither would work for me though, since I do need a closed headphone with good isolation, and the TH900 isolation is awful according to just about everyone. Other potential upgrades all have issues... T5ps have anemic bass, closed Ultrasone Editions did not impress me at the meet, and Ultrasone DJ Pros/Sigs are impossible to find to demo. And now that I check Tyll's datasheets again, the LCD-XC's isolation is somewhat mediocre, although not enough to be a deal-killer.
 
I think we're entering a golden age in closed-headphone design, and I'm not the first to note that. Going to be interesting to see what else comes up over the next few years, and maybe one of those will indeed be a no-brainer upgrade.

ZMF x Vibro, Alpha Dog, JVC DX1000, Pandora Hope VI and Perfect Sound Dido are all high end closed cans that have good isolation. I think the pandora would be the one to audition if you could.

 

[M-13]

So I went to a audio shop intending to try out the HD800 for like the tenth time and tried out the 1540 on a whim and oh my they sounded great.
 
I went in thinking the bass would be bloated and the the headphones too dark in the upper-mids, but they sounded surprisingly balanced and the comfort was off the charts. Now I'm kind of lusting for one. They sounded fantastic off the DX90. I will probably go back this weekend to make sure my impressions weren't some kind of fluke and this time I'll bring my Sig Pro to make sure it's up against a strong rival.

 

[Stereolab42]

  So at the SF meet I heard a lot of high-end open and closed headphones for the first time and recalled my 1540s kept up with almost all of them, but it was not the most ideal environment for comparisons. Today I stopped at a local retailer and pitted my 1540s against the Audeze LCD-X and LCD-XCs using a variety of sources. The 1540s went toe-to-toe on absolutely everything. The open X's were a bit wider in soundstage, but as far as closed the 1540s are simply endgame. Considering open headphones, only ultra-nosebleed-expensive Stax setups at the meet were noticeably better than everything else. ($10k for a Stax SR-009 and a Blue Hawaii amp!) I am curious now to hear what the open Shure 1840s sound like, but open backs are not really practical for me.
 
I would consider the Alpha Dogs I heard at the meet to be comparable to the 1540s for a similar price, so that's a definite alternative for people to consider.

 
So I went back to the dealer who has LCD-XC and took a heavy-hitter source chain with me this time, and spent an hour there. (And this time there wasn't a crazy European guy in the back room demoing $50k speakers at 110db with big-band music...) I was able to identify areas where the LCD-XC was clearly superior... impact, staging, attack... the 1540s are extremely unveiled cans, but the XCs are that much more transparent, in the "tickle your eardrums" kind of way. But I'd still put the 1540s at a solid 85% of the LCD-XCs at almost 1/4th the cost... and that's with a source chain that costs more than the XCs. Something to consider if you can afford the absolute best, but for under $1k the 1540s and I'd say the Alpha Dogs cannot be beat for closed.