Headphone and sound card advice (possible upgrade over SRH840)

[Gonzo100100]

I am not an audiophile; I am not ‘crazy’ about any kind of music or sound but I do enjoy the fact that my headphones with a wonderful sound separate me from all the surroundings.

For many years (around 10) I have owned SRH840 and I love them. I also have Xonar DX (sound card) with it. Unfortunately, the plastic element holding one headphone broke and they are falling apart. I already glued the part twice in the last year but it broke yet again and I guess it will only happen more often.

Because I like them so much, I can easily get them for around £120 what is way cheaper when I bought them years ago anyway.

However, I am considering to buy something better. The only problem is I am a little ignorant when it comes to device specifications and technical side of the subject. I just enjoyed awesome headphones for years where I could clearly hear difference between my SRH840 and much inferior products that could be bought from Amazon for up to £30.

With all my ignorance I came across an offer for SRH1840 for £250 (which is 50% off).

Should I get them? If yes, do I need to get another sound card or my Xonar DX will be still OK?
The other thing is that my SRH840 are closed back and this is what I like.
SRH1840 are open back and I don’t have an experience in comparing 2 models, 1 open and 1 closed of similar price. However, in theory I like closed back way more.

If not them, could you recommend me some other model that would be an upgrade to my SHR840? And again, would I need a new sound card to that other model?

Regarding the budget, I could stretch but I would be happy to fit within £250 (If less, then even better).

 

[EsaT]

What's the main use?
Is it just music, or gaming and movies?
In case of gaming/movies do you prefer details like foot steps, or would you be after "fun factor" of more bass for explosions etc?

SRH840 has actually very little bass for closed headphone.
Though that's good for details, because in closed design stronger bass starts easily burying simultaneous details.

As open design SRH1840 would basically have even less of bass immersion.

 

[Gonzo100100]

It is hard for me to decide what I want. I use them on my main desktop computer. On one hand I like to watch a movie, listen to music or play a video game completely isolated, and it is what I love about my SRH840. Sometimes however, I need to be aware of my surroundings and I have to ‘readjust’ the headphones to have a gap what is not very comfortable or to put them down and listen on speakers (about 50% of time I spend on my PC I can allow myself to be fully immersed).

I don’t think I need more bass although I probably wouldn’t complain if there was more of it.

I would be really happy if whatever I buy, I could hear an improvement in quality over what I’ve got but it’s all uncharted territory for me because I never experienced any better headphones than my SRH840. Basically, in my current understanding SRH840 are the best headphones I ever tried; they are just perfect. In all things that really matter for me, there is nothing I don’t like about them. The only reason I want new is because my old are falling apart as mentioned in my previous post.

What I read online I see that basically a step up (within Shure brand) from my SRH840 would be SRH1840 if I want open and SRH1540 if I want closed. However, in case of SRH1840 I found an offer, ‘open but unused’ which is in my view superior to ‘used but in good condition’. I am a bit reluctant to spend £500 on a brand-new pair.

I am leaning more to have closed back that’s a big thing that stopped me from taking that £250 offer for SRH1840 immediately but I haven't ruled it out either.

 

[EsaT]

Sometimes however, I need to be aware of my surroundings and I have to ‘readjust’ the headphones to have a gap

Open headphones leak outside sounds throught mostly unmuffled and if you're not listening anything, it's almost like you weren't wearing headphones.
Though if environment is always noisy, then you can cover that only by rising volume.
And in that case closed design is needed.
But sound of most closed headphones is sensitive to making good contact with head and especially those with (p(leather pads loose bass if that contact is broken by any gap.
(so that isn't ideal either also form other perspective than comfort)

So do you have quiet environment, except for those occasional/"not-normal" sounds you would need to hear?
Or is environment noisy as rule and would need muffling most of the time?

You don't have to worry about sound leaking out from open headphones, unless there's someone at close proximity.
At hearing friendly SPL any sound from open headphones won't be heard far, unless environment is super quiet.
And single wall/door is enough to block anything even that case.

 

[Gonzo100100]

Thank you very much for your help as I honestly say it influenced my decision. Anyway, I went with SRH1840 because I believe I got a good offer ‘ex retail, open box but unused’ for £250 and also, the way you explained it convinced me that open back is not what I feared it may be.

I got them today and so far, I am very satisfied.

I would like to use the opportunity and ask is my XonarDX will be sufficient or may I need an upgrade here as well?

Second question, I have my old SRH840 that works alright but its ‘construction’ is falling apart. Is there anything you could point me to in terms of DIY to replace the ‘construction’ (sorry for the strange terminology but I’m not talking just about the headband – I think).

 

[EsaT]

Innerfidelity measured SRH840 needing 66 mV and 0.11 mW for 90 dB vs. 160 mV and 0.39 mW for SRH1840.
So it's more demanding, but really nothing special.
Though Xonar DX has lame 100 ohm output impedance, so hard to say what it's capable to with that "drag".
How high you've had to keep volume setting with SRH840?


I guess you mean head band, or parts attaching cups to it are the ones falling apart?
HD5xx-serie Sennheisers with their fancy looking design have weakness in that ear cup attachment part needing top qualtiy plastic alloy to last.

Not sure if there are any parts available.
In case of Sennheiser there might be actually some part models for 3D printing, but Shure is far smaller brand.

 

[Gonzo100100]

I would say that on my SRH840 I was never listening anything on more than 80% because it was simply too loud for me. I would keep the volume between 25 and 80% but most of the time kept it at 50% when gaming, listening to music or watching movies.

Now, with SRH1840 I can hear they are significantly quieter. I think that the volume of 80% would be equivalent of 50% on SRH840 but I am not totally sure on that because… I can’t compare the 2 pairs directly until I fix somehow the SRH840. Anyway, with SRH1840 at the moment I can’t set the volume “too loud” as I could on the previous pair.


The link leads to the image that shows my SRH840. ---> [click]

The gap on the image is the place that broke few times already and I successfully fixed it every time but this time I tried to repeat it and I failed because the two parts there can’t straighten up, thus that gap. (The gap on the image doesn't look like much but it's quite significant).

Then, this morning I tried to adjust the headphones with that gap on my head and because of it the headband snapped in the place where arrow shows ‘snapped’. I may have another attempt to fix this with two component resin adhesive but if it won’t work, I may try to get some cheap headphones to use its parts (I’ll have to think it through how will I do it and what to use). If it still won’t work, I will most likely trash it.

 

[EsaT]

Need to increase volume at least that much is in line with difference between headphones.
On high dynamic range music there's certainly chance that you'll be hitting 100%.
Those have average signal level lower compared to usual dynamic range compressed audio and hence you need to increase volume.

So new soundcard wouldn't be out of place.
Would you prefer internal, or external (USB) sound card?
Internal sound cards obviously keep table cleaner, but external sound cards have volume control if you don't have it in keyboard.


While different than Sennheiser's, all parts seem to be plastic.
Might be that plastic is starting to get more brittle/doesn't take stresses well anymore.

 

[bemaniac]

Try everbuild industrial grade superglue HV. I'd be shocked if they break after a good splat of that!

 

[Gonzo100100]

I think I could use external one because the external volume gauge sounds like a good thing, although I’m not 100% sure. Price to quality ratio would be a solid factor.

Somebody recommended me to look into two products as an upgrade for my Xonar DX:

FX-AUDIO DAC-X6 MKII

DX3 Pro+

The reviews of both products are very positive claiming they both are the best for their price range. Unfortunately, I find it hard to determine what I need. How much the more expensive one will be better over the cheaper. Or maybe the DX3 Pro+ has some features I don’t need but the quality of sound would be the same. I think I really would need to commit many hours to understand the subject what would be twice as hard when I can’t relate to an experience how a feature works.

 

[EsaT]

I think I could use external one because the external volume gauge sounds like a good thing, although I’m not 100% sure.

If keyboard has proper dedicated volume roll/wheel that's by far the most convenient, considering it's usually very close to where hands/fingers are.
(every expensive mechanical keyboard should have it)
And with 24 bit depth/resolution there's more than enough "decimals" to adjust volume digitally without rounding errors approaching anywhere near audible level.
"Audiophile" talk about digital level signal volume control being automatically bad is mostly plain audiofoolery/scammery.



As your use includes gaming and movies have you tried HRTFs/binaural sound simulation?
Those can improve immersion with headphones huge amount from typical speaker mix.

Though can well understand if you've deemed that as bad idea with Xonars using Dolby Headphone.
Its tendency for bass bloat (and public bath feel) was pretty shocking when I found gaming recordings of it.

There are far more neutral HRTFs.
First minute or two of this is excellent quick test for headphone's accuracy:

(here's another)
If your head shape is close to average there should be clear feel of directions and even sense of distance.
(with bad headphones that sounds like "head in bucket under water")
Just disable all sound "enhancement" processing/effects, because those mess binaural cues.

Though now Creative also has newer solution, which needs image of your face and ears to calculate customized HRTF matching your head shape more closely for better spatial cue accuracy.
(how we hear in 3D with just two ears is "simple" physics)

Sound BlasterX G6 would be with that old average head shape based HRTF and have very capable audio components.
As B-stock you cand find those far below £100 with superb bang for buck.

Newer Sound Blaster X3 would again take notch back in audio components, but have in also head shape customizable HRTF.
B-stock price is similar.