Notice: Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Isolation
- Microphone
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
Westone W40 vs Shure SE215
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Westone W40
Shure SE215
Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Updated Apr 10, 2024 08:13 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTested using Methodology v1.5
Updated May 17, 2024 02:46 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
TypeIn-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessNo
TransducerBalanced Armature
Noise CancellingNo
MicYes
TypeIn-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessNo
TransducerDynamic
Noise CancellingNo
MicNo
Variants
- W40
- SE215 (Black)
- SE215 (Blue)
- SE215 (Clear)
Our Verdict
Westone W40
Shure SE215
The Westone W40 are better wired in-ears than the Shure SE215 if you want a mic and controls. Unlike the Shure, the Westone have a mic and in-line controls, making them a bit more versatile. The Westone also come with a better case and more accessories than the Shure. Their sound is very midrange-focused with a steep bass roll-off. On the upside, the Shure have a more balanced sound profile, although the treble is somewhat recessed. They also have a slightly better noise isolation performance, but it's dependent on the tip and fit in your ears. Both headphones have a similar performance for isolation and leakage.
Check Price
Standard
W40
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack
SE215
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comStandard
W40
SEE PRICE
Walmart.comBlue
SE215
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comStandard
W40
SEARCH
B&HClear
SE215
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comStandard
W40
SEARCH
BestBuy.comNotice:
Two or more of the products selected have been tested with different test methodologies, so some of the results below aren't directly comparable.
Learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and read more about the latest changes to our
headphones test methodology.
Read more
Main Differences forMixed Usage
Mixed Usage
Threshold
Mixed Usage
6.8
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Type
In-ear
In-ear
Enclosure
Closed-Back
Closed-Back
Wireless
No
No
Transducer
Balanced Armature
Dynamic
Comfort
7.5
7.5
Comfort Picture
Weight
0.04 lbs
0.06 lbs
Clamping Force
0 lbs
0 lbs
Controls
7.4
0.0
Controls Picture
OS Compatibility
iOS
No Controls
Ease Of Use
Good
No Controls
Feedback
Decent
No Controls
Call/Music Control
Yes
No
Volume Control
Yes
No
Microphone Control
No
No
Channel Mixing
N/A
No
Noise Cancelling Control
N/A
No
Talk-Through
N/A
No
Additional Controls
No
No
Breathability
9.3
9.1
Breathability After Picture
Avg.Temp.Difference
0.7 °C
0.9 °C
Portability
8.8
8.6
Portability Picture
L
2.4"
2.0" (5.1 cm)
W
2.6"
2.0" (5.1 cm)
H
0.8"
1.5" (3.8 cm)
Volume
4.9 in³
6.00 in³ (98.32 cm³)
Transmitter Required
N/A
No
Case
9.0
7.5
Case Picture
Type
Hard case
Soft case
L
2.7"
4.2" (10.7 cm)
W
3.4"
3.0" (7.6 cm)
H
1.7"
1.0" (2.5 cm)
Volume
15.6 in³
13.00 in³ (213.03 cm³)
Build Quality
8.0
8.0
Build Quality Picture
Stability
7.5
7.5
Stability Picture
Headshots 1
Angled Picture
Side Picture
Headshots 2
Front Picture
Rear Picture
Top
Top Picture
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Sound
Sound Profile
Frequency Response
Frequency Response
Bass Amount
-3.56 dB
-0.43 dB
Treble Amount
-4.31 dB
-4.85 dB
Frequency Response Consistency
9.4
9.1
Consistency L
Consistency R
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.12 dB
0.19 dB
Raw Frequency Response
Raw FR L
Raw FR L
Raw FR R
Raw FR R
Bass Accuracy
7.1
8.1
Std. Err.
3.88 dB
2.71 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
56.57 Hz
16.34 Hz
Low-Bass
-5.08 dB
-2.33 dB
Mid-Bass
-0.11 dB
1.27 dB
High-Bass
5.38 dB
4.25 dB
Mid Accuracy
7.0
8.4
Std. Err.
4.06 dB
2.07 dB
Low-Mid
6.02 dB
3.2 dB
Mid-Mid
2.36 dB
-0.79 dB
High-Mid
2.32 dB
-0.02 dB
Treble Accuracy
5.5
6.0
Treble
Treble
Std. Err.
5.51 dB
5.79 dB
Low-Treble
-3.49 dB
-1.62 dB
Mid-Treble
-3.06 dB
-7.09 dB
High-Treble
-0.32 dB
-11.59 dB
Peaks/Dips
6.1
7.4
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks
2.65 dB
1.65 dB
Dips
2.07 dB
1.36 dB
Imaging
9.3
9.3
Phase Response
Phase Response Mismatch
Weighted Group Delay
0.14
0.08
Weighted Phase Mismatch
1.17
1.48
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.41
0.23
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
0.89
1.18
Passive Soundstage
0.6
0.4
PRTF
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
N/A
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
N/A
Openness
2.3
1.5
Acoustic Space Excitation
0.6
0.3
Virtual Soundstage
0.0
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No App
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
7.2
7.9
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.295
0.305
WHD @ 100
0.353
0.100
Test Settings
Firmware
No Firmware
Power
Passive
Connection
Wired
Codec
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz
EQ
No EQ
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Silicone (small)
Microphone
No Microphone
Isolation
Noise Isolation
7.7
8.3
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-21.12 dB
-24.62 dB
Noise Cancelling
No
No
Bass
-10.43 dB
-15.13 dB
Mid
-20.94 dB
-22.63 dB
Treble
-33 dB
-36.73 dB
Leakage
9.5
9.8
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
24.14 dB
22.36 dB
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
No
No
In-Line
Yes
No
Boom
No
No
Detachable Boom
N/A
No
Mic
Yes
No
Recording Quality
6.0
0.0
Microphone Frequency Response
Recorded Speech
N/A
LFE
479.46 Hz
N/A
FR Std. Dev.
1.64 dB
N/A
HFE
3,319.91 Hz
N/A
Weighted THD
27.987
N/A
Gain
27.89 dB
N/A
Noise Handling
6.6
0.0
SpNR
18.07 dB
N/A
Noise Gate
No
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
N/A
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
N/A
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
N/A
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
N/A
Active Features
Battery
0.0
0.0
Battery Type
N/A
No Battery
Continuous Battery Life
N/A
N/A
Additional Charges
N/A
N/A
Total Battery Life
N/A
N/A
Charge Time
N/A
N/A
Power-Saving Feature
N/A
No
Audio While Charging
N/A
No
Passive Playback
N/A
Passive Headphone
Charging Port
N/A
None
App Support
0.0
0.0
App Picture
App Name
N/A
No App
iOS
N/A
No
Android
N/A
No
macOS
N/A
No
Windows
N/A
No
Equalizer
N/A
No
ANC Control
N/A
No
Mic Control
N/A
No
Room Effects
N/A
No
Playback Control
N/A
No
Button Mapping
N/A
No
Surround Sound
N/A
Surround Support
No
Connectivity
Bluetooth
0.0
0.0
Bluetooth Version
N/A
No Bluetooth
Multi-Device Pairing
N/A
No
NFC Pairing
N/A
No
Line Of Sight Range
N/A
N/A
PC Latency (SBC)
N/A
N/A
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
N/A
iOS Latency
N/A
Android Latency
N/A
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
0.0
0.0
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
N/A
Wired
9.5
9.5
Cable Picture
Analog Audio
Yes
Yes
USB Audio
No
No
Detachable
Yes
Yes
Length
4.5 ft
5.00 ft (1.52 m)
Connection
1/8" TRRS
1/8" TRS
Wired Latency
0 ms
Analog/USB Audio Latency
0 ms
PC Compatibility
Analog
Audio Only
Wired USB
No
Non-BT Wireless
No
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
Audio Only
Audio Only
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
No
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
Audio Only
Audio Only
PS4 Wired USB
No
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
No
PS5 Analog
Audio Only
PS5 Wired USB
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio Only
Audio Only
Xbox One Wired USB
No
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
Audio Only
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
Base/Dock
0.0
0.0
Type
N/A
No Base/Dock
USB Input
N/A
No
Line In
N/A
No
Line Out
N/A
No
Optical Input
N/A
No
RCA Input
N/A
No
Dock Charging
N/A
No
Power Supply
N/A
No Base/Dock
Check Price
Standard
W40
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack
SE215
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comStandard
W40
SEE PRICE
Walmart.comBlue
SE215
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comStandard
W40
SEARCH
B&HClear
SE215
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comStandard
W40
SEARCH
BestBuy.com
Westone W40
Shure SE215
Comments
Westone W40 vs Shure SE215: Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.