Short answer: the Shure SRH1840. It ranks #240 of 481 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.5/5, at $549. The FiiO FT5 ranks #281, rated 3.4/5, at $499.99, $49.01 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh 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. The catch: 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 FiiO FT5: Lower mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. Watch for: Presence sits about 3.7 dB low with a 9.4 dB dip near 10.3 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the Shure SRH1840. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $49.01 with the FiiO FT5 does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
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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 eBay
Lower mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Shure SRH1840 | FiiO FT5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $549.00 | $499.99 |
| Ranked | #240 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones | #281 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 71 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 67 (median of 6 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.29 dB standard deviation | 2.77 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.91 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.73 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 38 Hz (-7.5 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.9 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Back | Open | Open |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Planar magnetic |
| Drivers | 1 x 40mm dynamic | 1 x 90mm planar magnetic |
| Impedance | 65 ohms | 36 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 96 dB/mW | 96 dB/mW |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (268 g) | 1 lbs (456 g) |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 30kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 7Hz - 40kHz |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the Shure SRH1840 from auricularesargentina, sai and therollo9; the FiiO FT5 from gadgetrytech, kr0mka, kuulokenurkka, sai, superreview and vsg, all via squig.link.
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