Is the HiFiMAN Arya worth the upgrade from the Shure Srh1540?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The HiFiMAN Arya scores 6.0 points above the Shure Srh1540. That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. The gains are concentrated in value (7.0 to 8.0) and sound (9.0 to 9.5). Worth checking: active noise cancelling goes No to No and weight goes 286 g to 430 g. That costs $220 more, or about $37 per point of score - steep unless the specific gains above are ones you care about. Worth doing if you're replacing anyway; harder to justify as a pure upgrade if what you have still works.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound9.09.5
- Value7.08.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Srh1540 | Arya | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | No | No | |
| Weight | 286 g | 430 g | |
| Driver | dynamic | Planar | |
| Frequency response | 5Hz-25kHz | 8Hz-65kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Srh1540 to Arya". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across over-ear and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.