In this short video, Matt Engstrom and Chris Lyons cover the basics of frequency range, frequency response, sensitivity and impedance as they relate to making the right earphone and headphone choices.   They also discuss the one variable that makes everyone’s experience unique and offer a final tip for choosing with confidence.

Running through April 2013, the exhibit displays 78 guitars that’ll make any red-blooded gearhead weak in the knees. (And that’s not even Nielsen’s whole collection! That’s just the highlights. Yowzahs.) Dave Grohl, Brian May, Todd Rundgren, and Conan O’Brien contributed pieces from their personal guitar collections as well. Visitors also can view videos and thousands of pieces from Nielsen’s amazing rock memorabilia collection accumulated during his decades-long career.

What does this have to do with Shure? Cheap Trick has been a Shure artist endorser for many years. We are HUGE fans and crazy-proud to share a home state with them. Shure fans who visit the exhibit will notice our headphones in the video area and—get this—in the area that features vintage audio of Nielsen composing on the fly, digitally converted from the original cassettes.

Check out this video for a taste of what awaits you at the exhibit:

Plus, in spring 2013, Nielsen will hit the stage of the beautifully restored Coronado Performing Arts Center in downtown Rockford, along with Cheap Trick bandmates and many special guests. Visit rickspickslive.com for details as they unfold.

Our own Michael Pettersen visited the exhibit and graced us with some great pics. Plus, check out the vintage shot (courtesy of Mike Graham, Graham Images) of Nielsen wielding no less than three guitars. Enjoy!

I love doing artist interviews.  It’s not just sitting down and picking the brains of our endorsers that I find engaging.  In a way, it’s a bit like doing live sound.  We Artist Relations guys often function as interviewer, camera operator, and audio engineer when we go out and shoot interviews.  There is a rush in getting everything set up quickly and making sure it all looks and sounds decent for those ten to fifteen minutes you’re hosting artists. It has been a learning process for me – much of what I’ve come to know has been through trial and error.  Like live sound we have our good and bad days.  Fortunately we’ve gotten some new production tools that have made things easy.

Shure has added quite a few broadcast production tools in the last two years and it’s been fun for me to get to know them in this capacity.  They’ve sure made my job easier.   Here’s a rundown on the gear we take to the gigs.

Mics:

VP89M medium shotgun

RPM89S short shotgun cartridge

WL51B or MX150 lavalier mic

A dynamic mic – SM57, SM58, or Beta57A

My first go-to for a mic is the VP89M.  I just love it.  I’ll engage the low-frequency roll-off because we’re working with human voices.  The mic sits in the A89M-PG pistol grip mount, made by Rycote.  In the event we find ourselves in a small space where I’m very near multiple subjects I will swap out the medium shotgun tube for the short one.  This gives a wider pickup pattern.  Lavalier mics come in handy for very noisy environments.  Some on our team prefer them over the shotgun mic.  I’ll use them if I have to, but I’ve had interviews where some unpredictable element has caused me headaches.  People move lapels, scratch necks, shake their heads vigorously, wear noisy jewelry…trying to plan for those unknowns takes time I’d rather spend getting to know the interviewee, conversing, finding a good starting point for the interview.   Of course, the most dead-simple thing to do is put the UR3 plug-on transmitter right in to the back of a mic, and for that having a dynamic mic is handy.  However, it is really only for single subject interviews and, like the lavalier, I’m dependent on the subject’s behavior.

Wireless:

UR3 plug-on transmitter

UR5 portable diversity receiver

UR1 or UR1M bodypack transmitter

Most of the time I’m using the UR3 and the UR5 together.  The UR3 fits right at the bottom of the A89M-PG pistol grip holding the VP89M shotgun mic.  The UR5 has a shoe mount and fits our HD DV video camera and our photographer’s DSLR for when he’s shooting video.  The best practice is to turn on the UR3 with the RF off.   We do an on-site scan with the UR5 receiver to find an open frequency, then sync the transmitter and turn the transmitter’s RF on.  This is to avoid stepping on anything that the show might be using at the moment.  In the event we prefer to use lavalier mics, we’ll have a bodypack transmitter in the kit.

Monitoring:

SE earphones (interviewer’s preference)

SRH240A or SRH440

If I’m flying solo I’ll just do my monitoring from the camera with my SE425-CL earphones.  I use those most of the time.  We also have a set of SE315-K earphones in the kit in the event that we left our personal earphones at home.  Earphones are not for everybody, so if we’re going to have Paul Natkin shoot the interviews on his DSLR we know to bring some headphones.  Those are usually SRH240A or SRH440.  Those take up much more space in an audio kit than earphones though.

The goal is to be set up and ready to go inside of five minutes if need-be.  The options available in our audio kit have been honed over time, though I expect that new situations will cause further changes over time.  Right now the main concerns are finding some place with decent lighting, enough space to get a tripod set up, and an area where the artist will be comfortable.  That’s very important.  If you’re going to go for great lighting but there is no place to sit or elbow room to move it’s likely that information sought will be in shorter supply.  I try to remain empathetic and listen for a natural point to start and end the interview.  Having the tools to execute the technical side of the interview without too much effort allow for the human side to show itself.  Hopefully that’s reflected in the finished interview.

Richard

Noise cancelling headphones have become very popular in consumer markets over the past few years.  Especially around the holidays, TV spots featuring de-stressed travelers in headphone Nirvana seem to dominate the airwaves. This has caused a little bit of confusion about the difference between sound isolation (as used in Shure earphones) and noise cancellation headphones like the ones you see advertised on television.

Noise cancellation is an electronic process.   It was originally developed to improve radio communications in noisy environments like aircraft cockpits.  There’s a microphone built into each cup of the headphones that samples the ambient noise near the ear. That noise signal is fed into an electronic circuit that analyzes it and creates a mirror image of the noise, then adds the noise back into the music signal.   Some of the real noise is cancelled out by the mirror image inverse noise.

It works best on steady low frequency noise below a thousand hertz or so, for example, the drone of aircraft engines.  It doesn’t work as well at removing speech or other rapidly changing sounds.  Because this is an electronic process, noise cancellation circuitry requires a battery to function.  And like all circuitry, it has some degree of hiss and even some digital processing artifacts.  Some people complain that when they’re wearing noise-cancelling headphones they hear a whooshing or a rushing sound  - or detect varying air pressure in their ears.

Which Shure headphones are noise-cancelling?

The answer is none.   Shure doesn’t manufacture any noise-cancelling  headphones.

Sound isolation earphones work passively, the same way that earplugs do.  The soft pliable sleeves that Shure supplies with its earphones fit snugly into your ears and physically block the outside noise from entering the ear.  Just like earplugs, the fit is very important and that’s why Shure supplies multiple sizes and multiple styles of sleeves with all of their earphones so you can experiment to make sure that your earphones are fitting perfectly into your ear.

Sound isolation actually provides greater noise reduction than noise cancellation circuitry does.  In fact, a couple of years ago researchers at Virginia Tech concluded that Shure earphones performed significantly better than other brands when they were measured head to head.   Sound isolation works across the entire audible spectrum, not just low frequencies and not just slow, droning kinds of noise.  Sound isolation is great for blocking speech, a noisy television, music – it works in all kinds of environments whether you’re sitting on a plane, a train or walking down the street.  And no electronics means that there are no batteries, no added hiss, no digital artifacts – nothing except the music, the movie or the game itself.

Which Shure earphones are sound isolating?

The answer is: all of them.

Listen, listen.

Everybody wonders whether you can really hear the difference between the earbuds that came with your MP3 player, sound-isolating earphone and noise-cancelling headphones.  The answer is ‘Yes!’ Click on the audio links below to see what differences you can detect.

In an airplane

Here’s a sample recording what you might hear in an airplane using the earphones that came with your standard MP3 player:

This is what you’d hear if you were wearing a pair of noise-cancelling headphones

This is what you’d hear if you were wearing a pair of sound-isolating earphones in the same environment.

On the street

Here’s a sample recording what you might hear on the street using the earphones that came with your standard MP3 player:

This is what you’d hear if you were wearing a pair of noise-cancelling headphones

This is what you’d hear if you were wearing a pair of sound-isolating earphones in the same environment.

On a train

Here’s a sample recording what you might hear on a train using the earphones that came with your standard MP3 player:

This is what you’d hear if you were wearing a pair of noise-cancelling headphones

This is what you’d hear if you were wearing a pair of sound-isolating earphones in the same environment.

Assuming that the earphone are fit properly, which admittedly tends to take a little bit of experimentation, we think that sound isolation does a better job of eliminating the background noise in a noisy environment so that all you have to do is pay attention to the music, the movie or whatever you’re listening to on your music player, computer or tablet.

Creating a seal between your ear and ambient noise is part of the magic of sound-isolating earphones.   Shure offers a variety of sleeves with its earphones to assure the listener of a perfect fit.

Experts and audiophiles like blogger Salman Ashraft tend to agree.  Here’s what he had to say in a recent post:  “Sound-isolating headphones simply work better in my opinion. Since sound is never introduced to the ear in the first place (because of the seal), you don’t have to fight sound with sound. It’s akin to solving a problem before it happens. With noise cancelling headphones/earphones, the external noise already gets into your ear and music while it is simultaneously alleviated with opposing frequencies. Sound Isolating gets the vote from me in preserving good audio quality”.

Other considerations

There are two other factors to consider in making a choice: convenience and cost.  It may be a challenge to keep the cords from tangling, but it’s a lot easier to carry a pair of earbuds in your pocket or backpack than it is to tote a big pair of headphones around. Plus they’re inconspicuous and they don’t require batteries.

Since sound-isolating earphones lack the additional electronics needed to cancel noise, they tend to be much less expensive.  All Shure earphones are sound-isolating and are available in a wide range of prices – starting at $99.  Compare that to entry level noise-cancelling headphones three times the price.

Like most decisions audio, making the best choice is just a matter of your personal preferences.  Check out the reviews, borrow a pair of headphones from a friend or associate and decide for yourself.

What’s the advantage?

Open back headphones have ports that allow sound to enter and exit through the earcups. Audiophiles and engineers choose them because the sound can be more natural, open, and accurate (than closed back headphones); offering a wide stereo image and increased depth of field. For mixing and mastering, the sound produced by open back headphones more closely approximates monitor speakers. The advantage, according to Shure Product Manager Michael Johns?  “Purely acoustic accuracy.”

We asked session player and recording engineer Cliff Goldmacher about his experience with these headphones and here’s what he said:

“Open back headphones are for critical listening.  That’s a different headphone application than the typical recording studio tracking session.   Since I’m also a session guitarist, a lot of my listening situations involve being in front of a beautiful large diaphragm microphone that picks up everything.   In a situation like that, I’ll use the Shure SRH440 or SRH840 closed back headphones.  They do a beautiful job of containing the clicktrack or whatever else is going on in my headphones.

But there are certain times when I really want to have a second opinion from the studio monitors  – where sound isolation is not mission critical but detail is critical.  The kind of detail I can get from open back headphones, the kind of response and evenness across the frequency spectrum makes a huge difference.  For me, it’s a secondary or a tertiary way of critically listening to mixes so I am sure that the detail is there.”

How to Make the Best Choice for Your Application

First of all, let’s take a quick look at the other type of headphone: closed back.  These, of course, don’t have openings that let sound enter or exit the earcup. This makes them ideal for recording tracks and broadcast applications such as podcasting, because the microphone won’t pick up sound that’s bleeding from the headphones.

They’re also a good choice if you want a private listening experience, since they provide a degree of isolation from what’s going on around you, whether it’s the ambient noise of an airplane or the television in the next room.

Next, let’s assume that you’re a recording engineer or an audiophile and you’re looking for the accuracy of open back headphones.  Which of the two new Shure models is right for you?  Michael Johns, Product Manager at Shure, provided the guidance.

 SRH1440

  “SRH1440 headphones have lower impedance and higher sensitivity. That means this headphone can be driven by a consumer electronic or mobile device since it requires less voltage to get the best output. For the consumer, it can be used very well with a portable device.”

Choose this one if you are a:    Recording engineer or personal listening user who may want to use them with mobile devices like your smartphone or MP3 player.

SRH1840

  “SRH1840 headphones have lower sensitivity and a higher impedance. That means they require more voltage, so they’re better suited for professional applications where there’s an external amplifier like the kind you’d find in a recording studio or home stereo system.”

Choose this one if you are a:   Recording engineer or an audiophile with an external amplifier

The Backstory

When you stop to think about it, headphones are speakers. And according to Michael Johns, there are almost as many types of headphones as there are loudspeakers.  Certainly, Shure’s headphone category is growing, from the SRH240 and SRH440 introductions just three years ago to over eight today, including the new open back models.

When those of us old enough to remember think about headphones, we cast our minds back forty years or more, thinking about the “cans” we plugged into our tube amplifiers back at the dorm.  The effect was mind-blowing.

But headphones go back much further than that.

Radio days: Earphones like these were used for broadcast applications.

• Early 1900s:  Sound was transmitted along telephone lines, with uncomfortable,  sometimes shock-producing headphones that used ‘moving iron transducers’.  First users: telephone operators and the US Navy.
• 1920s:   Radio broadcasters adopt headphones.
• 1930s:  Germany’s Beyerdynamic begins marketing headphones to consumers.  Acceptance is limited.
• 1950s:  Jazz musician John Koss invents the first stereo headphone geared to audiophiles.
• 1970s:  Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation becomes SONY and toward the end of the decade, introduces the Walkman with MDR3 supra-aural headphones that weighed about 75% less than popular around-the-ear headphones
• 1980s:  SONY’s Discman debuts in 1984, followed by MP3 players  and eventually smartphones.
• 2004:  Shure establishes the Personal Audio Business Unit with the successful introduction of its E Series Earphones.
• 2007:  Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones names one of “100 Best Products of 2007” by PC World magazine.
• 2009:  Shure introduces three professional headphone models: the SRH240, SRH440 and SRH840.
• 2012:  Open-back Headphone models SRH1440 and SRH1840 debut. 

 The ubiquitous Walkman with its lightweight headphones 

Glossary

Here’s a helpful cheat sheet just in case you don’t know your supra-aurals from your circumaurals.

Cans – Slang for headphones

Circumaural – Headphones that surround the ear. (SRH1440 and SRH1840 are circumaural headphones.)

Earphones – Also called earbuds, these ubiquitous listening devices were first used by musicians with in-ear monitor systems and were later popularized by iPod users. (Shure SE535, for example.)

Open Back –  Headphones that are designed to allow sound to pass through the back of the earcup. The effect is sometimes described as having an open, accurate or natural sound. (Shure  SRH1440 and SRH1840 are examples.)

Noise cancelling – Headphones that reduce unwanted ambient sounds (i.e., acoustic noise) by means of active noise control (ANC). This involves using one or more microphones placed near the ear and electronic circuitry that uses the microphone signal to generate an “anti-noise” signal.

Reference headphones – Professional headphones that accurately reproduce the entire frequency heard by the human ear. (SRH940 is an example.)

Sound-isolating –  Characteristic of earphones or headphones that prevent unwanted sound from entering the ear by physical means – a snug fit, use of foam or other material to reduce ambient noise.

Supra-aural – Headphones that sit on top of the ear.  Walkmans came with this type of headphone in the days before iPods.

Cliff Goldmacher is an engineer, producer and owner of recording studios in Nashville, Tennessee and Sonoma, California. A multi-instrumentalist, Cliff has recorded, played on and produced thousands of demos for major and independent publishers, brand new songwriters and Grammy winners.

Michael Johns is a Product Manager at Shure managing PSM and Headphone products. Michael has a degree in Sound Engineering with a concentration in Recording from Columbia College Chicago. He has also been DJing for over 15 years and specializes in producing “mash-ups” and remixes using software such as Ableton Live and Apple Logic.

In May 2011, our SRH 940 Professional Reference Headphones went out into the world, and some pretty nice reviews have been making their way back to us ever since.

SRH940s are over-the-ear, closed-back headphones designed for audio engineers and in-studio talent from vocalists to voice-over pros, but savvy audiophiles know this means good sound in personal listening applications as well.

Or, as Gizmodo puts it, “amaaaaaaaaaaazing” sound. (Count ‘em: 10 extra as.)

Additional reviewer comments include, “Damn!” (MusicPlayers.com).

Reviewers have called the sound quality extremely clear, accurate, and detailed. They also appreciated the creature comforts, like the padded headband and swivel cups with soft velour pads—both of which make all the difference if you’re wearing them for multiple hours. And, since everybody likes a good deal, they consistently noted the exceptional quality for the money.

Check out the specs, the 360° demo, and all six reviews on the SRH940 page on shure.com.

Michael Johns introduces our first open-back headphone models: the SRH1440 and SRH1840. Designed for critical mastering, monitoring and unparalleled audiophile listening, the SRH1440 and SRH1840 deliver a unique sound signature that enables listeners to achieve and produce their best quality mix.

Shure SRH1440 Professional Open Back Headphones

Shure SRH1840 Professional Open Back Headphones

I checked out the first ever East Coast GRAMMY Camp last week, and was happy to see just as much talent represented in the East as out West. Converse Rubber Tracks hosted the evening’s open mic festivities, so I got a glimpse into the newly opened, community-based recording studio in Brooklyn, NY, and can’t wait to hear the recordings that emerge from those doors in the months to come.

I arrived just in time for some inspiring words from the GRAMMY Foundation’s Senior Director of Education David Sears, and Converse Chief Marketing Officer Geoff Cottrill. Following their remarks, Glee star Matthew Morrison treated us to an acoustic performance and took the time to answer questions from the campers. Then  the students took to the stage and proceeded to wow us all with their awesome skills.

After the (very impressive) performances, I had a chance to chat one-on-one with a few campers. Dertrick Winn, Jr. described his experience, “It creates a lot of confidence when you perform and recognize [that] the equipment you’re on is the same as what the professionals use.” Well said, Dertrick. And I’m willing to bet the SM58 mics and SRH440 headphones you used at the camp looked mighty familiar.

In total, 35 high school students participated in the inaugural GRAMMY Camp New York session, comprised of three different program tracks: music and business production; singer-songwriter; and performance – instrument or vocal. If these campers are the creators behind tomorrow’s music, then the future never looked so bright for this industry.

Excited yet? Visit grammyintheschools.com to apply for GRAMMY Camp 2012.

Day 1 – Friday, August 5, 2011

I entered the park through the main gate at about 12:30 and made my way to TAB the Band at the PlayStation stage.  Being a gear junkie (and this being a blog about microphones), I immediately spied a line of SM58® on UHF-R® across the stage.  It turned out that those were the house mics and they were used for almost every act at that spot.  After TAB the Band wrapped up I stopped for a few minutes to listen to Young the Giant at the Bud Light main stage.  I was quite a ways off, but could spy on the massive screen a Super 55 being used every so often.  Always nice to hear the updated classic in action.

After a few songs I made my way to the the Kidz stage.  Kidzapalooza is curated by one of the Shure family, endorsing producer and performer, Tor Hyams.  Before running backstage to say “hello” I stopped in stage’s bazaar to visit the Hip Hop Workshop.  This was a space where kids could come in and say a few lines in to a mic and, thanks to the talents of two DJs and an MC, end up on a real track made up on the fly.  They were using a few sets of our headphones, the SRH750DJs, and had some pretty high praise for them.  I have recently started using them myself around the office, and was happy to geek out with them over it.  I wound my way back stage to meet up with our endorser.

After a quick catch-up I made my way back to PlayStation to catch new endorsers, Smith Westerns.  I’d seen them earlier in the Spring at local venue, The Empty Bottle.  They were good then and much tighter still now.  We grabbed a quick word after their set and then it was off to explore the grounds.

Smith Westerns at the PlayStation stage

The most noticeable expansion from years past was at Perry’s, the area showcasing electronic music and DJ culture.  I ran past it several times over the weekend and each time it was either packed or really packed.  The festival organizers have stated that this is where they see the most growth happening for Lollapalooza in the foreseeable future.  Like it or not (and I do), electronic music is here to stay.

After an exploratory walk-about I ran backstage to see who I could see.  Lolla draws a crowd from anywhere and everywhere.  Back in the artist lounge I ran in to several touring guys and girls whom I’ve come to know in my years at this job.  It is a great place to catch up and see who has been up to what.  Some were working, some were just there to hang out.  The latter is something I find fascinating about Lolla – you probably have a good festival if you’re getting people that eat, live, and breathe the music industry every day to go and just hang out in their off-time.

I ended my evening with Muse, which is never disappointing.  After they tore it up it was time to head out for some late-night dining with some industry friends.  Nothing too crazy – there were two more days to go!

Richard

UPDATE: Day 2, Day 3

I wound my way down to the House of Blues downtown to see the man himself on Saturday night.  We met up before his set and caught up on all things geek and spoke about headphones for a bit as well.  He uses the SRH750DJ cans live to monitor and M44-7 cartridges on the decks.

Richard

Wired Microphones

1. Keep windscreens on vocal mics clean and unclogged – clogged windscreens can reduce the performance of a microphone. Double check screens especially after female vocalists that wear lipstick.
2. Double check that all contacts are clean – tarnished pins on an XLR connector can reduce conductivity and impair performance.
3. Use quality microphone cables – cheap cables tend to have bad solder connections and shields that don’t hold up after repeated coiling and can become very noisy.
4. Keep handheld microphones free of tape residue. Often times it is required to use gaffers tape on a microphone for one reason or another. Once the tape is removed some residue may remain and can contribute to the handling noise of the microphone.
5. Do not tape over, cup or cover the windscreen or vents of the microphone. The directional (acoustical) characteristics of the microphone will become compromised and can lead to poor sound quality and/or feedback rejection.
6. Microphone selection and placement can make all of the difference. For example: a microphone designed for vocal applications is likely to have a presence peak and would not be ideal for a bass drum or guitar cabinet.

Wireless Microphones

1. Gain set-up is crucial for the proper operation of the wireless transmitter. Handheld transmitters can be overdriven by a vocal presenter if the gain is set too high and under-driven if the gain is set too low. Both situations can lead to poor end results. Always try to adjust for the talent of the day – not all talent are the same; some sing or speak softly requiring more initial gain and others are very loud and require minimal gain. Body-pack transmitters are frequently used with guitars that have a higher output and therefore require less gain (or more pad).
2. Batteries: Use fresh batteries with a full charge for each event. Using rechargeable batteries is a great way to save money and landfills as long as you or someone on your staff is able to effectively manage them. Remove batteries from transmitters after each performance. This will keep you from using half-dead batteries the next time you need them and will also prevent an accidental leak from damaging your transmitter if stored for an extended period of time.
3. Make sure that you have chosen a clean frequency in which to operate your wireless system. You can use the frequency calculator on Shure’s website to help determine which TV channels to avoid. If you still have questions, Shure’s tech support group is glad to help.
4. Antenna placement and set-up is important. Try to keep antennas as close to transmitters with line of sight as is possible. Antennas can also be frequency band specific – don’t try to use an antenna from another system without double-checking the frequencies first. Make sure all connections are solid. For antennas, double-check the center pin on the BNC connectors to make sure it isn’t bent or broken. If you need to remotely locate an antenna, be sure to use the correct cable – not all coax cable is the same. Cable used for television will not perform the same as cable designed for use with antennas. Consult the Shure website or tech support group for assistance in picking the right product for your application should you have any questions.
5. Many times a body pack transmitter can get wet from a performer (sweat). It is important to try and clean off the body pack and dry before storing. Using a hairdryer (set to low or no heat) is a great way to speed up the process. Storing BPs with silica gel desiccant packets also works well.

Monitors/Earphones

1. Make sure that you have a good coupling between earphone and ear canal. The foam sleeves provided with your earphones are designed to expand in the ear canal and seal off the outside world. When a good seal is provided the earphone couples to the ear canal and they act as one providing maximum bass response as well as optimal clarity and isolation from loud stage volumes.
2. When using earphones for monitoring, use both earphones. Performers that pull one earphone out during performance break the isolation and protection in that ear from the stage volume that using both earphones provides. Often the performer will end up turning the volume up to potentially unsafe levels in order to compete with stage volume. Both ears should be isolated throughout the performance and ambience can be added in via one or two condenser mics strategically placed on stage and fed only into the performer’s mix.
3. Earwax is something that nobody wants to talk about, but we all have it and eventually it can clog up your earphones. Keep your equipment clean using the tools provided and you can continue to enjoy your product for years to come. Consult your product manual for proper care instructions.
4. When using Shure earphones, if you prefer to use the yellow foam sleeves, be sure to check them regularly as they can harden over time and can become uncomfortable. Regularly replacing your old sleeves with new ones not only increases the comfort level, but also helps ensure a good coupling between earphone and ear canal. All other Shure sleeve options are washable and reusable, check the user guide for instructions on cleaning them.
5. Check the cable assembly on earphones regularly. Should a cable become frayed or compromised, this can lead to harsh artifacts or no sound at all. Shure SE315, SE425 and SE535 earphones have a replaceable cable assembly.

Headphones

1. Use the carrying pouch that came with your headphones when transporting them, and be sure to detach the cable (in models SRH440/SRH840/SRH750DJ) when you fold and store them. This will provide extra product and cable protection.
2. Replace ear pads that are worn, not as comfortable or provide less sound isolation.
3. If the signal is breaking up or you are hearing distortion, your volume level may be too loud. Prolonged high volume levels that create distortion could damage the headphone drivers. If you experience distortion at a lower volume, check your signal chain to determine the source of the problem.

Bill Ostry joined Shure in 2010 and has been professionally involved in the audio industry for over a decade. He travels the US and Canada as part of the Market Development team providing product education and support to end-users, customers and consultants.