Short answer: the Edifier STAX Spirit S5. It ranks #200 of 481 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $569.99. The Shure SRH1840 ranks #240, rated 3.5/5, at $549, $20.99 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
The case for the Edifier STAX Spirit S5: A planar magnetic headphone that works wirelessly, with an 80 hour rated battery, Bluetooth 5.4 and an unusually broad codec list including LDAC, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive and LHDC, plus a wired option. The tradeoff: There is no active noise cancelling, so the closed back is the only defense against commuter noise.
The case for the Shure SRH1840: The response leans neutral to slightly bright, with upper mids about 1.8 dB above target and presence and treble within about 1 dB, which makes vocals and instrument detail clear. Watch for: Sub-bass is about 7.5 dB under target and bass is about 1.8 dB low, so kick drums and bass guitar are thin and lack rumble.
Buy the Edifier STAX Spirit S5. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $20.99 with the Shure SRH1840 does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
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A planar magnetic headphone that works wirelessly, with an 80 hour rated battery, Bluetooth 5.4 and an unusually broad codec list including LDAC, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive and LHDC, plus a wired option.
Amazon $569.99 eBay
The response leans neutral to slightly bright, with upper mids about 1.8 dB above target and presence and treble within about 1 dB, which makes vocals and instrument detail clear.
Amazon $549.00 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Edifier STAX Spirit S5 | Shure SRH1840 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $569.99 | $549.00 |
| Ranked | #200 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones | #240 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 75 (median of 2 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 71 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.72 dB standard deviation | 2.29 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.26 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.91 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.9 dB at 30 Hz) | Falls 6 dB below target at 38 Hz (-7.5 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wireless and wired | Wired |
| Back | Closed | Open |
| Driver Type | Planar magnetic | Dynamic |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs (347 g) | 0.6 lbs (268 g) |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 10Hz - 30kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Active Noise Cancelling | No | - |
| Battery Life | 80 hours (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LHDC | - |
| Drivers | - | 1 x 40mm dynamic |
| Impedance | - | 65 ohms |
| Sensitivity | - | 96 dB/mW |
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