Shure SRH240

I needed a pair of headphones for portable use that would be good enough for quick mastering jobs, yet not be so expensive that I'd be afraid to leave home with them. The Shure range had gotten good reviews so I thought the SRH240 was worth a try.

In the studio I use an expensive closed-back headphone for detail work so I was hoping the SRH240 wouldn't be too much of a disappointment in comparison. In actual fact I've been pleasantly surprised and quite often use these simply for portable listening as they're both comfortable and relatively inconspicuous (especially now as wearing full headphones on the street has become fashionable!).

The one thing I would criticise is that the fixed cable is light and seems quite flimsy, so care needs to be taken to keep it wound up, as I imagine tripping over it would probably damage it quite easily. It's not easily replaceable so you're looking at a soldering job if that happens, on the other hand it looks like it's possible to open the cans, making them at least repairable if out of warranty.

So overall, good value with very good sound for a closed-back headphone, with some corners cut in terms of the casing, which is not a major minus point considering the cost. Recommended at the price!

Firstly, here's what I wanted from this product.

Good overall sound - yes! Given that this product is reasonably cheap, the sound quality was not that different to the Dr Beats, I just compared them with. Maybe the Shure's lack a little in the bass end but then again, they're not in the same price range.

There are a couple of reasons why I'm not going to give these a 'five' and one of them is comfort. I had these headphones on for about 3 hours without taking them off. They were a little sweaty - not too much, and they're light enough to wear for long periods and the headband doesn't compress your head like some others I've worn.

The build quality is fine but they won't last a lifetime and also in my opinion, they're a bit too 'shiny'. I think satin plastic looks cooler but this is a minor point. I'm not trying to look 'cool' outside of the house as these were bought in order to do some recording (and mixing to 'demos'). I'm a bass player primarily so bass response is a chief concern but as I said, you get a good overall sound from these SRH240A's. There is a lot of clarity in all ranges from the neo-speakers.

I won't regret buying these. Overall, I've marked these as GOOD.

The Shure SRH240's are a great set of headphones for a very acceptable price. It has a great frequency response range and are amazingly comfortable to wear. They bring me right into the sound and are great for isolating other external sound sources.

They're very comfortable and the build quality is great as to be expected from the Shure brand. I would say that they compete with headphones that are four times the price very easily.

They feel sturdy so they wont twist and break off in a bag and are cheap enough that you wouldnt feel bad just throwing them into a backpack for a daily commute but they also carry a sound quality that is much higher than the price range. All round great quality and great value.

These are very comfortable and sound great when used with both a Line6 Pod (Their primary use for me) and during a test with an iPod.

The adapter for the larger size jack plug is the screw on type, which is a very good thing. I've just other headphones that used a push on adapter and any time you unplug them the adapter gets left in the socket which most frustrating. The shure system is a really good design.

Very comfortable for prolonged use. I use themnfor guitar practise for around 60 minutes at a time with no comfort issues at all.

My only thing I'd like to see improved is the length of the lead, buts thats a minor point. They have a 2m lead, and 3m would be better.

Great headphones for the price.

I bought these headphones as my first pair of monitor headphones for using in my home studio, seeing as these are shure and within my price range I took the gamble and got them. I'll keep this short for basic studio work they will do the job, the sound is clear and has detailed highs and mids however they lack in bass, very much so in fact. The bass response on these is not good at all and can be awkward for mixing with however having said that they do give you a good idea of what's happening in the mix. Could just do with a little bit more bass.

Comfort and build quality: Regarding build quality there not as good as I would have thought for shure, they feel a bit flimsy and the plastic feels cheap however they are fairly comfortable to wear and block out a lot of outside noise.

In conclusion if your budget isn't large then these will do the job but I would adivse to look at something different in this price bracket and also if you are willing to pay more then do so, you will benefit it in the long run.