Shure SRH1840 vs Audeze MM-100

Short answer: the Shure SRH1840. It ranks #126 of 216 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.5/5, at $549. The Audeze MM-100 ranks #139, rated 3.4/5, at $399, $150 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.

Why pick 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.

Why pick the Audeze MM-100: The 90 mm planar magnetic driver has an 18 ohm impedance and 98 dB/mW sensitivity, so it gets loud from a phone dongle or laptop without a dedicated amp. Watch for: Oratory1990’s measurement shows sub-bass about 6.6 dB below target, falling 6 dB short by 50 Hz, so deep electronic bass and organ notes lack rumble.

Buy the Shure SRH1840. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $150 saving on the Audeze MM-100 is not enough to make up the difference.

Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

Related Headphone Comparisons

How Shure SRH1840 compares with other leading options:

• Neumann NDH30 vs Shure SRH1840
• Focal Azurys vs Shure SRH1840
• Shure SRH1840 vs Shure SRH1540
• Audeze MM-100 vs Shure SRH1540
• Focal Azurys vs Audeze MM-100

Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 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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The Two Headphones In Full

Shure SRH1840: $549.00 Amazon eBay

Pros: 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. The preference score of 71 and 2.29 dB deviation reflect a smooth, even midrange and treble. It is an open back at 268 g.

Cons: 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. A 4.4 dB peak near 3.1 kHz can make voices and strings sound forward or slightly harsh at higher volumes. At 65 ohms and 96 dB/mW sensitivity it benefits from a proper headphone amplifier, and the open back leaks sound. The Denon AH-D5200 earns a higher rating among its rivals. See headphone amps and DACs with enough power to drive it.

Full Shure SRH1840 review and specifications →

Back	Open
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.29 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 40mm dynamic
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	10Hz - 30kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	71 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	65 ohms
Sensitivity	96 dB/mW
Sub-bass Extension	Falls 6 dB below target at 38 Hz (-7.5 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	+0.91 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0.6 lbs (268 g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.2 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	+6.2 dB	0.70
Peak	3,060 Hz	-4.5 dB	1.40
Peak	581 Hz	+2.0 dB	0.95
Peak	4,732 Hz	+4.2 dB	3.22
Peak	180 Hz	-1.2 dB	0.82
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-1.1 dB	0.70
Peak	59 Hz	+0.5 dB	2.87
Peak	89 Hz	-0.2 dB	2.05
Peak	6,333 Hz	-1.0 dB	6.00
Peak	7,292 Hz	+1.3 dB	5.96

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Shure SRH1840 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Shure SRH1840 vs Focal Azurys
  • Shure SRH1840 vs Neumann NDH30
  • Shure SRH1840 vs Shure SRH1540

Audeze MM-100: $399.00 B&H Photo Video eBay

Pros: The 90 mm planar magnetic driver has an 18 ohm impedance and 98 dB/mW sensitivity, so it gets loud from a phone dongle or laptop without a dedicated amp. In oratory1990’s measurement the midrange tracks the Harman target closely from 200 Hz to 3 kHz, which keeps voices and instruments natural in tone. It suits listeners who prefer a warm, smooth presentation over an etched, bright one.

Cons: Oratory1990’s measurement shows sub-bass about 6.6 dB below target, falling 6 dB short by 50 Hz, so deep electronic bass and organ notes lack rumble. A deep 13.1 dB dip near 9.4 kHz and treble running nearly 7 dB low dull cymbals and air, and the open back leaks sound and blocks no outside noise. At 475 g it is heavy, and the cheaper Sennheiser Amperior rates the same.

Full Audeze MM-100 review and specifications →

Released	Apr 2023 (3 years ago)
Back	Open
Built-in Microphone	No
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	3.17 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Planar magnetic
Drivers	1 x 90mm planar magnetic
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	20Hz - 25kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	69 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	18 ohms
Sensitivity	98 dB/mW
Sub-bass Extension	Falls 6 dB below target at 50 Hz (-6.9 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.36 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	1 lbs (475 g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.0 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	4,762 Hz	+5.8 dB	2.44
Peak	8,491 Hz	+5.9 dB	1.63
Peak	323 Hz	-1.8 dB	0.18
Peak	2,975 Hz	-6.0 dB	3.54
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-3.7 dB	0.70
Peak	1,028 Hz	-1.8 dB	2.24
Peak	1,883 Hz	+2.8 dB	3.79
Peak	551 Hz	+0.9 dB	1.17
Peak	1,401 Hz	-0.6 dB	1.23

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Audeze MM-100 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Audeze MM-100 vs Shure SRH1540
  • Audeze MM-100 vs Focal Azurys
  • Audeze MM-100 vs Sennheiser HD 490 Pro