I think this was an attempt at "giant killing" which I think is a major problem in this hobby as it's a reverse snobbery race to the bottom. I bet there are cheaper Shures they trade blows with the SRH1540. And even cheaper ones that trade blows with the cheaper ones.
The SRH1540 probably has more a complete sound signature out of the box than the LCD-4. But go ahead and apply EQ, and the LCD-4 becomes a better value than the SRH1540 (yup).
But yes, invoking the AKG K812, I am sure the SRH1540 sounds better than many more expensive, universally reviled headphones.
EDIT 3/16/2024: I've had the mod applied for about two weeks now, and I'm still very happy with it. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone with these headphones.
Gentlemen. I have been trying different mods with my 1540 in an attempt to tame its resonant bass response. I believe I have nearly cracked it.
Previously, I tried large pieces of butyl rubber or foam in different arrangements. But these all seemed to have negative side effects that I wasn't too happy with, even if they did indeed reduce the bass resonance. My most recent mod, however, uses four small pieces of butyl rubber in each cup. I've placed them on the largest areas of carbon fiber as I believe this is the main source of resonance. Here's a crappy diagram:
The result is a dramatic reduction in low-end resonance without much if any negative effects to the rest of the sound signature. I'm gonna keep listening to see if my thoughts change, but so far I'm really happy with it.
I'm also getting less noise through the cable, which is a nice added bonus. You can also tell there's less resonance in the cup by just tapping it from the outside. It's far less ringy than before.
If your SRH1540 headphones headband buys the farm, Shure sells them for $12.67 each. I ordered two. Part RPH1540. Fireblast, it's excellent customer service at Shure! These headphones are durable and will never take the last train west.
Now that I have replaced the headband, these seven year old Shure SRH1540 headphones are in mint condition. I am very happy with the Shure parts department.
The width is spot on, but the height causes it to ride a little high on the edges since the HD280 headband is like 4x thicker. But it's mega comfortable!
I recently got the Schiit Midgard amp and a balanced cable for the SRH1540. I actually ended up taking out the dampening material and going without it while using the Midgard. For some reason it becomes unnecessary on that amp. Maybe it's placebo, maybe it's something to do with the amp's design. I don't know. Either way, it's a great amp for the 1540. I was running it off a Magni+ before and was shocked with the difference.
Balanced, the Shure SRH1540 headphones are just spectacular from the Gen 1 Sony Signature DAPs!!! I sometimes wonder if Shure built these headphones specifically for my ears. They are alway the most frequently used of all my headphones, and they are the only ones that I have owned since day one of my audio journey. hmmm....There have been some pricey, overly detailed cans that have etched painfully on my ears. These are just right, for whatever reason.
Well, I fell at work. I completely tore off my quadricep tendon, and my right knee doesn't work at all. I guess my Sony NW-WM1Z and Shure SRH1540 headphones will increase in their use. It's a hard way to get in more listening time! I am taking pain meds pretty frequently.
I feel you. To me, it happened with the IT band on the left leg. I've been limping for 2 weeks now and still can't do stairs. I remember I used to heal much quicker in my 20s.
Get off those pain meds mate and onto THC/CBD - best thing I ever did. I found big pharma meds to have too many side effects. I wish you well and a speedy recovery.
Get off those pain meds mate and onto THC/CBD - best thing I ever did. I found big pharma meds to have too many side effects. I wish you well and a speedy recovery.
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