We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-05 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a wired, open-back over-ear headphone for mastering and critical listening at a desk, choose Shure SRH1840; if you need a wired hybrid in-ear monitor with deep bass and adjustable tuning, choose FiiO FH5s. Neither is a workout product, and I want to be direct about that up front: if your goal is a for workout setup — the kind of thing people search for as best noise cancelling bluetooth earbuds for workout, neckband headphones for workout, or an anc bluetooth headset for workout — both of these are the wrong tool. This comparison is for the buyer who wants an accurate, wired monitor for the desk, the studio, or a focused listening session.
• Shure SRH1840 — biggest strength: open-back, circumaural design with individually matched 40 mm neodymium drivers, built for a natural sound, wide stereo image and "increased depth of field" — the classic open-back monitor recipe.
• Shure SRH1840 — biggest trade-off: it's fully open, so it leaks sound in both directions and needs external amplification to sound its best; there's no isolation and no noise control of any kind.
• FiiO FH5s — biggest strength: a triple-driver hybrid setup (12 mm beryllium-plated dynamic bass, 6 mm beryllium-plated dynamic mid, Knowles TWFK-30017 balanced armature treble) with three tuning switches for eight possible sound profiles.
• FiiO FH5s — biggest trade-off: it's an in-ear monitor with a semi-open rear cavity, so it's a wired, ear-sealing design — comfortable for long sessions, but not a headphone you'd wear to the gym.
• Pick the Shure SRH1840 if you mix, master or critically listen at a desk and want an open, speaker-like presentation.
• Pick the FiiO FH5s if you want a portable wired IEM with deep bass, tunable treble and a swappable plug for different sources.
The SRH1840 is Shure's flagship open-back headphone, and everything in its spec sheet points in one direction: accuracy over convenience. The 40 mm neodymium drivers are individually matched, which is a meaningful detail — matching drivers left and right is what gives you a stable center image and consistent tone across the pair. The open-back, circumaural enclosure is the other half of the story. Open backs let air move freely behind the driver, which is why Shure describes the result as exceptionally natural sound with a wide stereo image and increased depth of field. In practice that reads as a spacious, out-of-your-head presentation rather than the closed-in feel of a sealed headphone.
The build is clearly aimed at long-term professional use. The yoke is aircraft-grade aluminum alloy, the grilles are stainless steel, and the driver frame uses a vented center pole piece to improve linearity and cut internal resonance so the sound stays consistent at different listening levels. The dual-frame padded headband is adjustable, and the cable is a detachable dual-exit design with gold-plated MMCX connectors and Kevlar-reinforced oxygen-free copper — replaceable rather than disposable. Impedance is 65 ohm and the frequency range is 20 Hz–20,000 Hz. You also get a 6.35 mm jack with a threaded ¼" gold-plated adapter, two detachable cables, a zippered hard case and a spare pair of velour ear pads.
FiiO FH5s: Who It's For
The FH5s takes the opposite approach: instead of one big open driver, it splits the frequency range across three drivers and lets you tune the result. A 12 mm beryllium-plated diaphragm dynamic driver with a polyurethane gasket and N52 magnets handles the low end — FiiO's own framing is deep, potent but controlled bass. A 6 mm beryllium-plated dynamic driver covers the midrange with improved sensitivity and lower distortion, and the Knowles TWFK-30017 balanced armature handles treble, mounted directly in the sound tube so it sits as close to the ear as possible to reduce high-frequency loss.
The tuning flexibility is the standout feature. Three sound adjustment switches give you eight possible sound profiles, letting you shift bass, mids and treble to suit the music or your taste. That's unusual at this level and genuinely useful if you listen across very different genres. The rear cavity is semi-open, designed to balance air pressure front and rear — FiiO says this yields a larger soundstage, a more natural sound and, importantly, more comfortable long listening sessions because pressure on the ear is relieved. The shell is a five-axis CNC machined aluminum-magnesium "TRISHELL" sandwich that clamps the rear shell, body and front covers at three points to cut resonance and distortion, and the cable is a four-strand, 120-core high-purity monocrystalline silver-plated design.
Specs worth noting: 40 ohm impedance, a 10 Hz–40,000 Hz frequency range, a 3.5 mm jack, and a twist-lock swappable plug so you can move between 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm heads depending on your source. There's a two-year warranty and a cable plus swappable plug in the box.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for mastering and critical listening → Shure SRH1840. The open-back, circumaural design and matched drivers are purpose-built for it.
• Best for deep, tunable bass → FiiO FH5s. The 12 mm beryllium-plated dynamic driver and three tuning switches give you far more low-end control.
• Best for portable use → FiiO FH5s. In-ear, 40 ohm, 3.5 mm jack and a swappable plug for 2.5 mm/4.4 mm balanced sources.
• Best for wide, speaker-like soundstage → Shure SRH1840. Open-back enclosures are designed for exactly that sense of depth and space.
• Best for long sessions without ear pressure → FiiO FH5s. The semi-open rear cavity is specifically there to relieve air pressure on the ear.
• Best for replaceable, pro-grade cabling → Shure SRH1840. Detachable dual-exit cable with gold-plated MMCX connectors and Kevlar-reinforced OFC.
• Best for source flexibility out of the box → FiiO FH5s. The twist-lock swappable plug covers three different connector types.
• Best for a workout → neither. For training you want wireless, sweat-friendly gear — think ANC earbuds or a neckband — not an open-back studio headphone or a wired IEM.
If I were buying for a desk-based mastering or critical-listening setup, I'd take the Shure SRH1840. Its open-back, matched-driver design is the whole point of the product, and with a proper amplifier it's the more honest monitoring tool of the two. If I wanted a portable wired IEM with serious bass and the freedom to tune it, I'd take the FiiO FH5s — it's the more versatile everyday listener.
But if your actual goal is a for workout setup, I'd buy neither. Reach for wireless ANC earbuds or a neckband designed for sweat and movement instead, and save these two for the desk.
Open-back headphones leave the outer shell of each earcup vented, so air can move freely behind the driver instead of being trapped in a sealed chamber. That's why the SRH1840 can produce a wider stereo image and a more natural, out-of-your-head presentation — but it also means sound leaks out and outside noise leaks in.
It's an over-ear headphone with a vented earcup, intended for mixing, mastering and critical listening in a quiet room rather than for tracking or commuting. The Shure SRH1840 is exactly this: a circumaural, open-back design with individually matched 40 mm neodymium drivers.
Not universally — they're better for accuracy, soundstage and long mixing sessions, and worse for isolation, portable use and anything where you need to block noise. The FiiO FH5s is the better pick for portable listening, deep bass and tuning flexibility.
In my opinion, the Shure SRH1840 is a strong choice if you want a lightweight, durable open-back monitor with a stainless-steel grille, an aluminum alloy yoke, detachable MMCX cabling and a hard case. Whether it's "best" for you depends on whether you already have amplification and a quiet room — check the current price on Amazon and compare it against the FiiO FH5s before deciding.
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