The Shure 1540
Okay first of all, who would’ve guessed that the younger brother ($499 I was told) is going to better the 1840 on almost, if not, everything? And yes, the 1440 is out of the ring as well. I told Michael — not me, but Michael Shure’s Product Manager — that the 1540 is kicking his 1840′s ass and he seems happy to hear that! Gosh I feel bad for 1840 owners and also the 1840 I am trying to sell at the Store.
The 1540 sounds like a bigger, fuller version of the 1840, almost HD650 like. The bass is full bodied, though less tight and less impactful than the 650, is still pretty punchy. The midrange is very sweet and has a nice bloom that’s outright better than the HD650′s midrange. Treble is relaxed.
Soundstage, both width and depth, is more spacious than the open-back 1840 (who would’ve thought?!) and also the TIMBRE more accurate. I guess Shure really learned a lot of things during these two years.
Even if the comfort and fit remained the same as the 1840, the 1540 is already kicking the 1840′s ass just by the sound quality category but Shure didn’t stop there. Comfort is also better as I find the pads to have a bigger clearance (George special ordered this feature) and the perforated pads is also very comfortable and with the thicker headband padding the 1540 is just more comfortable than the 1840. ADD the fact that the 1540 is a closed back. This should be the flagship model, really. Call it 1940 or 2040 even.
