Short answer: the Shure SRH440A. It ranks #169 of 216 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.0/5, at $109; the Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X ranks #192, rated 2.6/5, and costs $118.90, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
The Shure SRH440A is the better-sounding option. Bass is lifted about 3 dB below 60 Hz and 5.6 dB from 60 to 200 Hz, which gives kick drums and bass lines a strong punch. The catch: The low end is heavy enough to add warmth and some boom to the lower mids on bass-heavy music.
What the Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X does well: The open-back design gives a spacious, airy presentation, and the 48 ohm impedance with 100 dB sensitivity works directly from a phone or laptop. The catch: Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is about 9 dB below target and a 16 dB dip near 7.2 kHz removes cymbal and sibilance detail, so the sound is dark and veiled.
Buy the Shure SRH440A. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X and costs less, 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
| Shure SRH440A | Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $109.00 | $118.90 |
| Ranked | #169 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones | #192 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 60 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 50 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.73 dB standard deviation | 3.75 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.32 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -1.10 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.8 dB at 30 Hz) | Falls 6 dB below target at 56 Hz (-10.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Back | Closed | Open |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Impedance | 44 ohms | 48 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 105 dB/mW | 100 dB/mW |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs (311 g) | 0.5 lbs (235 g) |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 22kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 5Hz - 25kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Drivers | - | 1 x 53mm dynamic |
Related Headphone Comparisons
How Shure SRH440A compares with other leading options:
- Sennheiser HD 280 Pro vs Shure SRH440A
- Anker Soundcore Space One vs Shure SRH440A
- Razer BlackShark V2 Pro vs Shure SRH440A
- Shure SRH440A vs Sennheiser ACCENTUM
- Sennheiser ACCENTUM vs Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X
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 SRH440A: $109.00 Amazon eBay
Older model: the Shure SRH440 (ranked higher, rated 4.6/5). See every Shure SRH440 generation.
Pros: Bass is lifted about 3 dB below 60 Hz and 5.6 dB from 60 to 200 Hz, which gives kick drums and bass lines a strong punch. The midrange is close to target, within about 1.3 dB, and the response is fairly smooth with a standard deviation under 3 dB in oratory1990’s measurement. At 44 ohms and 105 dB/mW it runs fine from a phone, and the closed back isolates from outside noise.
Cons: The low end is heavy enough to add warmth and some boom to the lower mids on bass-heavy music. A 3.9 dB dip near 4.1 kHz recesses vocal presence, while treble above 10 kHz sits about 3.5 dB over target. It is wired only with no microphone listed, and the Anker Soundcore Space One has a higher rating with wireless and noise cancelling.
Full Shure SRH440A review and specifications →
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.73 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 22kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 60 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 44 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 105 dB/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.8 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.32 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs (311 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -5.3 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 | -0.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 160 Hz | -5.5 dB | 0.47 |
| Peak | 4,109 Hz | +5.0 dB | 3.87 |
| Peak | 1,427 Hz | +2.5 dB | 0.85 |
| Peak | 310 Hz | +5.5 dB | 2.14 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -4.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 51 Hz | -0.6 dB | 1.71 |
| Peak | 88 Hz | +0.7 dB | 2.65 |
| Peak | 189 Hz | -0.5 dB | 3.16 |
| Peak | 5,300 Hz | -0.7 dB | 6.00 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X: $118.90 Amazon eBay
Pros: The open-back design gives a spacious, airy presentation, and the 48 ohm impedance with 100 dB sensitivity works directly from a phone or laptop. At 235 g it is light for a full-size headphone. The lower midrange is within half a dB of target, so the body of voices and guitars sounds natural.
Cons: Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is about 9 dB below target and a 16 dB dip near 7.2 kHz removes cymbal and sibilance detail, so the sound is dark and veiled. Sub-bass is about 9 dB low under 60 Hz, so deep bass lacks rumble. Open backs leak sound and give no isolation. The Anker Soundcore Space One has a higher rating at a lower price.
Full Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X review and specifications →
| Released | 2012 (14 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Open |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 3.75 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 53mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 25kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 50 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 48 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 100 dB/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 56 Hz (-10.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.10 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.5 lbs (235 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.5 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 | +7.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 132 Hz | -4.4 dB | 0.44 |
| Peak | 8,349 Hz | +6.5 dB | 1.37 |
| Peak | 1,295 Hz | -3.9 dB | 1.00 |
| Peak | 2,506 Hz | +4.7 dB | 1.39 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 4,177 Hz | -3.9 dB | 5.95 |
| Peak | 3,282 Hz | +3.3 dB | 5.84 |
| Peak | 2,773 Hz | -1.6 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 4,931 Hz | +1.7 dB | 6.00 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons