Shure SRH240A Review

The Shure SRH240A is a relatively cheap headphone cashing in at $59.  Coming from Shure, it stands to reason this headphone isn’t going to suck, but how much headphone do you get for the price?

Shure SRH240A Review

The SRH240A doesn’t feel too cheap or plasticky.  There is no aluminum in the extenders, and the cables aren’t removable.  Apart from the headphones, the only other item in the box is a simple 1/4” adapter plug.  Suffice to say, it’s a pretty basic offering.

Wearing these headphones isn’t uncomfortable, though.  As pared-down as this headphone is, the cups are still large with decent padding on the earpads and headband.  So even with my giant ears, I can still keep them on my head for hours of listening.

Specs

Glancing at these specs, you can see that the Shure SRH240A offers a standard frequency range and a lower nominal impedance.  There’s also some decent volume levels.

Low End

The lows on the 240A are decent enough, with good detail resulting in a relatively full sound.  Bass has impact to it, and any bleed in the low end is kept to a minimum.

Mids

Where the lows on the 240A are fairly good, the midrange is excellent – as long as you keep the price in mind.  Sure, there’s some distortion in there, but it’s still a very, very accurate sound for $59.  That, and male vocals sound almost perfect.

High End

Highs sound pronounced, resulting in a sound that leans just a little bright.  At times, the sound can get downright piercing, but this is usually with very high-frequency notes – violins and such.  Female vocals remain accurate and luscious.

Soundstage

Not the best soundstage out there, there still a sense of depth and placement with the SRH240A.  A slight amount of compression might take away from the sense of space, but that sense is still pretty awesome for a cheaper headphone.

Overall Impressions

The Shure SRH240A isn’t going to be anybody’s endgame.  The only way it’s going to make a list is if you are REALLY on a budget.  But that being said, these budget headphones still kick ass where it counts – they offer a good level of detail throughout the frequency range and some soundstage while also remaining comfortable and cheap.

Recommendations

Are they the best headphones at this price point?  If you’re looking for tons of bass, there are other headphones out there for you.  Where the SRH240A really kills the competition is detail.  If you’re looking for massive amounts of detail, there is no better headphone for the money – not even the Audio Technica M20x or M30x.  If you’ve got more money though, options like the M40x, or Shure’s own SRH440.

Get these headphones for the best price here:

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