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New model a Shure bet

SINGAPORE — Shure has been producing good audiophile-level headphones for a few years now and the company has just released its new flagship close-backed headphones, the SRH1540. Shure’s SE846 earphones were highly lauded on their release last year, so can these new headphones follow suit?

SINGAPORE — Shure has been producing good audiophile-level headphones for a few years now and the company has just released its new flagship close-backed headphones, the SRH1540. Shure’s SE846 earphones were highly lauded on their release last year, so can these new headphones follow suit?

The SRH1540 is a pair of understated-looking headphones: The mixture of black and silver gives it a touch of class, but the ear cups are made of non-flashy carbon fibre.

With those cups and the aluminium-alloy frame, the SRH1540 is extremely light and, matched with the Alcantara ear pads, the headphones are extremely comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

The SRH1540 has great sound, with an audio nowhere as bombastic as that of some bass-heavy headphones. What you get is a refined, subtle performance that does not scream bloated bass into your ear.

In fact, the rather balanced presentation might leave you feeling cold at first listen, but more time with the huge soundstage and its laidback sound will draw you in.

That is not to say the SRH1540 is entirely neutral: The headphones’ bass is textured and you will definitely feel its impact. This focus on bass, however, means that there are several tradeoffs — the highs on the headphones, while detailed, can seem muted and could do with a bit more sparkle.

And while the mids are fluid and warm, the lower mids can be overpowered when you listen to bass-heavy songs. Nonetheless, it remains very capable with many genres.

The SRH1540 comes with replaceable cables and earpads, and there are also spares in the box in case they get damaged. A solid zipper case provides protection for your headphones, but while they are lightweight, the bulk means that you might not want to carry it around.

There is a lot to like about the SRH1540, so other than a few minor issues, Shure is right in making these its top-of-the-line headphones.

The Shure SRH1540 is now available at S$699. ALVIN CHONG

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