How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a closed-back, wired studio workhorse you can fold up and toss in a bag, choose Shure SRH440; if you need an open-back planar magnetic headphone for immersive, detail-first listening at home, choose HIFIMAN Deva-Pro Over-Ear Open-Back.
• Shure SRH440 — biggest strength: A closed-back, circumaural, collapsible design with a detachable coiled cable and a 6.35 mm jack, built around studio and home recording work.
• Shure SRH440 — biggest trade-off: It's a wired, closed-back plastic-bodied headphone with no wireless option, so it's tethered and aimed at monitoring rather than casual open-air listening.
• HIFIMAN Deva-Pro — biggest strength: Open-back planar magnetic drivers with Stealth Magnet design and a NEO "supernano" diaphragm, plus a lightweight headband and a socket that accepts balanced cables.
• HIFIMAN Deva-Pro — biggest trade-off: Open-back means it leaks sound both ways, it's wired-only in this version, and its 18Ω/93.5dB spec means it wants a decent source to sound its best.
• Pick Shure SRH440 if you record, track, or need isolation and a foldable, travel-friendly closed-back.
• Pick HIFIMAN Deva-Pro if you listen at home in a quiet room and want open, airy planar sound.
The SRH440 is a closed-back, circumaural headphone with a collapsible frame. That combination tells you most of what you need to know. Closed-back means the cups seal around your ears, which keeps your audio in and the room out — the exact behavior you want when you're tracking vocals, monitoring a mix, or working in a space where you can't have sound bleeding everywhere. The circumaural (around-ear) fit also spreads pressure over a larger area than on-ear designs, which matters during long sessions.
Look at the spec sheet and a few things stand out. The dynamic drivers cover a 10 Hz to 22 kHz range with a 44 ohm impedance. That impedance is on the higher side for a headphone, which generally means it pairs better with something that can deliver a bit of voltage — an audio interface, a mixer, a headphone amp, or a decent laptop output. It's not a spec that screams "phone dongle," and that fits the studio-first positioning. The detachable coiled cable is a genuinely useful detail: coiled cables stretch and retract so they don't drag across your desk, and if the cable ever fails you replace the cable instead of the headphone. The included threaded 1/4" gold-plated adapter is the standard for plugging into interfaces and consoles, and the carrying bag plus collapsible design make it something you can actually pack.
HIFIMAN Deva-Pro Over-Ear Open-Back: Who It's For
The Deva-Pro is a different philosophy entirely. It's an open-back planar magnetic headphone, and that single word — planar — changes the character of everything. Where a dynamic driver moves a cone, a planar magnetic driver moves a thin diaphragm across a grid of magnets. HIFIMAN's take uses Stealth Magnets, shaped so sound waves pass through the magnet structure with less interference and diffraction. The company also uses its NEO "supernano" diaphragm, which it says is 80% thinner than previous designs, for fast response and a detailed, full-range image. I'm taking those as design claims, not measurements — but the intent is clear: lower distortion and a cleaner, more spacious presentation.
The open-back part is the trade-off you have to accept. Open cups let air move freely, which is usually why open-back headphones sound airier and wider. The cost is that sound leaks out and the room leaks in. This is a quiet-room, home-listening headphone. Don't plan on using it on a train or in a shared office.
The specs back up the "needs a good source" story. Impedance is just 18 ohm, sensitivity is 93.5 dB, and the frequency range runs 20 Hz to 20 kHz. That low impedance combined with moderate sensitivity means it isn't hard to drive to volume, but planar headphones generally reward a clean amplifier. The socket is a nice piece of flexibility: it accepts both a dual-sided unbalanced 3.5 mm cable and a single-sided 3.5 mm balanced cable on the left socket, and it's designed so you can connect HIFIMAN's Bluemini R2R module (sold separately) on that left socket if you later want to go wireless. That's a smart upgrade path built into the hardware.
Comfort gets real attention here too. The headband is described as lightweight and ergonomically shaped for hours of listening. Weight is 360 g in a metal-and-plastic frame. That's not featherweight, but the suspension-style approach is aimed at spreading it out.
Who should buy it? Home listeners who want an open, detailed, planar sound and are willing to sit in a quiet room with a wired connection. Who should skip it? Anyone who needs isolation, anyone who wants a closed-back for recording, and anyone who wants wireless out of the box — the Deva-Pro wired version is wired, and the wireless route is a separate purchase.
• Best for recording and monitoring → Shure SRH440. Closed-back isolation and a coiled detachable cable are built for the job.
• Best for open, spacious home listening → HIFIMAN Deva-Pro. Open-back planar drivers are designed for air and detail.
• Best for travel and folding up → Shure SRH440. It's collapsible and comes with a carrying bag.
• Best for quiet-room immersion → HIFIMAN Deva-Pro. Open-back sound is wasted in noisy environments.
• Best for easy-to-drive volume → HIFIMAN Deva-Pro at 18Ω, though it still benefits from a clean amp.
• Best for plugging into studio gear → Shure SRH440, thanks to the included 1/4" adapter and 44Ω impedance.
• Best for cable flexibility and future wireless → HIFIMAN Deva-Pro, with its balanced-capable socket and Bluemini R2R compatibility.
• Best for isolation from the room → Shure SRH440. The Deva-Pro offers none by design.
In my opinion, these two don't really compete — they solve different problems, and you should buy the one that matches yours. If you record, monitor, or need isolation and portability, I'd buy the Shure SRH440. If you listen at home in a quiet room and want open-back planar detail with a wireless upgrade path later, I'd buy the HIFIMAN Deva-Pro. I lean toward the SRH440 for most people starting out, because a closed-back, foldable, adapter-included headphone is useful in more situations. But if your goal is pure immersive listening and you have a decent amp, the Deva-Pro is the more interesting headphone. Check the current price on Amazon for whichever fits your setup.
For recording and monitoring, yes — in my opinion. The SRH440 is closed-back, so it isolates, and it ships with a coiled detachable cable and a 1/4" adapter. The Deva-Pro is open-back and leaks sound, which is a poor fit for tracking.
Not strictly. At 18Ω and 93.5 dB sensitivity they're easy to drive to volume, but planar magnetic headphones generally reward a cleaner source. A dedicated amp or a decent interface output will get more out of them.
I wouldn't recommend it. Open-back designs let sound in and out, so you'd hear the room and everyone would hear your music. The Shure SRH440's closed-back design is the better choice for shared or noisy spaces.
Both are built for it in different ways. The SRH440 uses an around-ear, circumaural fit; the Deva-Pro uses a lightweight, ergonomically shaped headband. Comfort is personal, so the deciding factor should be whether you need isolation or open-back airflow.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: JVC Gumy vs iKeloah 2, BEVCEFCC Mini vs MINISO MS217: Sleep Earbuds, commountain Earpiece Compatible vs KCTIN Walkie Talkie Headsets, Cubilux 3.5mm vs awatrue Kids