HeadphoneOverreview

Shure SRH840A

Reviewed as a neutral monitor. Measured as a warm one with a peak.

17 sourcesUpdated
$169Typical US price

Score aggregates reviewer opinions across topics.

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Shure SRH840A

The short version

What to know.

A closed-back studio headphone that nearly every source rates highly and almost none describe the same way. Reviews agree the midrange is uncoloured, that detail and separation punch above the price, and that it is easy to drive and good value. They split on whether the tuning is the neutral monitor Shure sells or a warm, bass-lifted voicing with a peak in the upper treble — a split that tracks which measurement target you accept rather than which reviewer has better ears. Comfort divides on head size and pad depth rather than clamping force, which measures low; and isolation, weaker here than on the outgoing SRH840, is the one place the redesign clearly went backwards.

About this product

The 2022 revision, sold in Europe as the SRH840A-EFS — not the 2009 SRH840 it replaced, whose pads, coiled cable and tuning all differ, and not the cheaper SRH440A that launched alongside it. Shure still hosts it at the old srh840 product path, which is a common source of mixed-up listings.

Shure's SRH840 spent thirteen years on studio desks before the SRH840A replaced it in January 2022. On paper almost nothing moved — the same 40 mm dynamic drivers, the same claimed 5 Hz to 25 kHz — but the headband was rebuilt around a metal core, the pads went to memory foam, the coiled cable became a three-metre straight one, and the silver trim turned gold. Shure described the sonic side of the change as “nuanced”.

It was more than nuanced. Every independent rig that has put the A next to its predecessor reads more bass and a reworked top end, and that gap is where the reviews part company. The trade press mostly hears a neutral monitor doing its job; the people with test benches, and most of the people living with it, hear a warm, slightly sharp headphone that rewards a small EQ cut. Both descriptions come from the same pair of headphones.

A good fit for

  • Tracking, editing and general studio monitoring, where a slightly warm closed back is no handicap
  • Listeners who want a fuller, more enjoyable closed back than a strictly flat monitor
  • Anyone happy to run a small EQ cut in the upper treble — most of the criticism disappears with it
  • Average and smaller heads: the headband is short at its longest setting
  • Buyers who want a locking detachable cable and replaceable pads at this price

Think twice if

  • You need a reference for final mix decisions — the measurement-led sources say don't
  • You want strong passive isolation; this is the weakest part of the redesign
  • You have a large head or deep ears — band length and pad depth are the recurring complaints
  • You loved the original SRH840's solidity; owners of both call the A lighter and less reassuring
  • You listen for hours in a warm room, since the pleather-and-memory-foam pads run hot

The reviewer consensus

Agreement &
disagreement.

5 / 12topics divide opinion
soundstagedynamicsbassmidsdetailimagingvaluetonalitytreblecomfortbuildisolation
2 Strong agreement5 Mostly agree5 Divided opinions

Common ground5

  • The midrange is uncoloured — the single most consistently praised thing about it
  • Detail and separation land above the price, from measurement, editorial and owner sources alike
  • Easy to drive: 34–35 Ω measured with high sensitivity, loud from a laptop or interface

Points of contention5

  • Whether the tuning is genuinely neutral or a warm, bass-lifted voicing wearing a monitor badge
  • Whether the top end has an audible peak that wants EQ, or is smooth to the point of restrained
  • Whether it stays comfortable for a long session — the answer tracks head size and pad depth, not clamp

A closer listen.

12 topics · 5 divided
Left: criticalRight: positiveTighter lines: more agreement

Tonality

Leans criticalDivided opinions
Reviewer sentiment10 supporting sources
CriticalNeutralPositive

Band: opinion spread · Dot: weighted average

The headline claim is the contested one. Three editorial reviews call it a neutral monitor with a touch of warmth; both compensated measurement rigs, the German bench, MusicRadar and the owner threads read a bass-lifted, warm tuning that is enjoyable but not flat. The split follows method, not taste.

Measured

oratory1990 scores it 71/100 for predicted preference before EQ against the Harman AE/OE 2018 target on a GRAS 45BC-10, an average deviation of 1.98 dB; DIY-Audio-Heaven's comparison against the old SRH840 shows the same 200 Hz–6 kHz stretch tilted warmer on the A.

vs. listeners — Mix mixed on them successfully and Trusted Reviews heard neutrality, while solderdude — reading the same product on a bench — says outright that it is not a mixing headphone. Both can be true: the deviation from target is modest (about 2 dB average), so the tilt is audible as character rather than as an obvious fault.

Where it splits
warm and bass-lifted — enjoyable, but not the flat monitor the badge implies70%

“In the studio these are fine for monitoring. Not suited to mix on because of the elevated bass and sharpness.”

solderdude, DIY-Audio-Heaven
a genuinely neutral monitor, warmed just enough not to sound sterile30%

“The Shure SRH840A have the neutrality required of a pair of monitor headphones, with just a little thickness in the upper bass or low mids to avoid sounding sterile.”

Andrew Williams, Trusted Reviews
Link to this topic

The hardware

Specifications.

Checked

Design

Type
Closed-back over-ear
Drivers
1 × 40 mm dynamic (Neodymium magnet)

Electrical

Impedance
40 Ω
Sensitivity
97 dB/mW≈ 111 dB/V
Frequency response
5 Hz – 25 kHz

Connection

Cable
Detachable, single-entry, 3 m
Plugs supplied
3.5 mm, 6.35 mm

Physical

Weight
273 g

Manufacturer-published figures, not measurements · from images.earpro.es.

Follow the evidence

Sources 17

1–6 of 17 sources

Read with context

Limitations & method.

As of

What to keep in mind 7

  1. A read of where the reviews land as of September 2026, and the price has moved with them — it launched at $149 and now sits nearer $169.

  2. Owner star ratings skew positive, because they mostly come from people who chose to buy it, and the two big shops don't quite agree: 4.4 out of 5 on Amazon, 4.6 at Thomann.

Where to buy Product & retailer links

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