Sennheiser IE 40 Pro vs Shure SE215

Short answer: the Sennheiser IE 40 Pro. It ranks #355 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.5/5, at $109; the Shure SE215 ranks #384, rated 3.1/5, at $109. Close enough in price that the sound-quality gap is the deciding factor.

The Sennheiser IE 40 Pro is the better-sounding choice. Oratory1990’s measurement shows bass 1.0 dB and low mids 1.4 dB above target, a gentle warmth that suits relaxed listening, and the preference score of 67 is acceptable. The tradeoff: Presence is 4.5 dB under target across 3 to 6 kHz, with a 6.4 dB dip near 3.1 kHz, so vocals and guitars sound recessed and detail is dulled.

What the Shure SE215 does well: Bass from 60 to 200 Hz is lifted by about 4.2 dB with low mids up 2.2 dB, giving a warm, full sound that suits rock, pop and hip hop. Watch for: Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is about 3 dB low with a 5.9 dB dip near 6.7 kHz, and the top octave is down 2.7 dB, so cymbals and air sound dull.

Buy the Sennheiser IE 40 Pro. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Shure SE215 at the same price, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.

Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.

Specifications Side By Side

Related Headphone Comparisons

How Sennheiser IE 40 Pro compares with other leading options:

• KZ PR1 vs Sennheiser IE 40 Pro
• Sennheiser IE 40 Pro vs iBasso IT01S
• Sennheiser IE 40 Pro vs FiiO FH3
• FiiO FH3 vs Shure SE215
• iBasso IT01S vs Shure SE215

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The Two Headphones In Full

Sennheiser IE 40 Pro: $109.00 Amazon eBay

Pros: Oratory1990’s measurement shows bass 1.0 dB and low mids 1.4 dB above target, a gentle warmth that suits relaxed listening, and the preference score of 67 is acceptable. A 20 ohm impedance and 115 dB SPL/V sensitivity mean a phone drives it with ease, which suits monitoring and portable use. The balance leans toward warm and V-shaped tastes.

Cons: Presence is 4.5 dB under target across 3 to 6 kHz, with a 6.4 dB dip near 3.1 kHz, so vocals and guitars sound recessed and detail is dulled. Sub-bass is 3.6 dB light, so deep rumble is absent. Then the top end swings the opposite way, with a peak of 8.3 dB at 11.9 kHz and air 5.7 dB over target, which can add a brittle sheen. Tonal balance is clearly uneven, with a deviation of 2.94 dB.

Full Sennheiser IE 40 Pro review and specifications →

Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.94 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 10mm dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	20Hz - 18kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	67 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	20 ohms
Sensitivity	115 dB SPL/V
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-5.1 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	+0.03 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -5.6 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+5.6 dB	0.70
Peak	2,997 Hz	+5.7 dB	1.48
Peak	75 Hz	-4.1 dB	0.38
Peak	1,267 Hz	-0.8 dB	2.09
Peak	261 Hz	-1.1 dB	1.70
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-3.7 dB	0.70
Peak	9,787 Hz	-3.3 dB	1.71
Peak	4,341 Hz	+1.1 dB	3.77
Peak	6,644 Hz	+2.1 dB	5.97
Peak	7,958 Hz	-1.2 dB	5.41

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sennheiser IE 40 Pro (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Sennheiser IE 40 Pro vs KZ PR1
  • Sennheiser IE 40 Pro vs iBasso IT01S
  • Sennheiser IE 40 Pro vs FiiO FH3

Shure SE215: $109.00 Amazon eBay

Pros: Bass from 60 to 200 Hz is lifted by about 4.2 dB with low mids up 2.2 dB, giving a warm, full sound that suits rock, pop and hip hop. A 17 ohm impedance and 107 dB SPL/mW sensitivity make it easy to drive from a phone, and the single dynamic driver keeps the design simple. Upper mids sit right on target, so vocals are not pushed back.

Cons: Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is about 3 dB low with a 5.9 dB dip near 6.7 kHz, and the top octave is down 2.7 dB, so cymbals and air sound dull. The warm balance can make the mix feel thick. The iBasso IT01S and the FiiO FH3 both have higher ratings.

Full Shure SE215 review and specifications →

Released	Jan 2011 (15 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.78 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	22Hz - 17.5kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	63 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	17 ohms
Sensitivity	107 dB SPL/mW
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.0 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.78 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -5.7 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+0.3 dB	0.70
Peak	174 Hz	-4.6 dB	0.68
Peak	811 Hz	+3.1 dB	1.42
Peak	3,430 Hz	+3.8 dB	4.37
Peak	6,943 Hz	+5.4 dB	2.76
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+3.8 dB	0.70
Peak	5,725 Hz	+8.1 dB	1.13
Peak	5,056 Hz	-10.9 dB	2.93
Peak	7,269 Hz	-6.3 dB	3.47
Peak	2,278 Hz	-2.1 dB	2.94

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Shure SE215 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Shure SE215 vs BGVP DN3
  • Shure SE215 vs FiiO FH3
  • Shure SE215 vs Etymotic ER3XR
  • Shure SE215 vs iBasso IT01S
  • Shure SE215 vs Jabra Elite Active 65t