Are Sennheiser headphones supposed to sound this... bad?

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Liekomg

Limp Gawd
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Apr 26, 2006
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I purchased a pair of HD555's due to the great reviews, high recommendation for them, and great price (they seem to be a discontinued model now?). I also wanted an open model, as I don't like that "hands cupped over my ears" pressure feeling of closed headphones.

Now I didn't really have any expectations for them, as I rarely use ANY type of headphone outside of the run of the mill ipod headphones. However for my first listen, I couldn't have been more disappointed. There is almost zero bass. Please understand that i'm not looking for head thumping bass here, but in bass heavy songs, there SHOULD be a good amount, right? I even tried playing with the equalizer to turn the bass up, and it made almost zero change to the sound quality, other than it becoming slightly muddier. To me, this seems borderline broken. My ipod earbuds have more bass than this (yes I am serious).

The highs are also very pronounced and harsh. Coupled with the lack of bass, the headphones are literally painful to listen to, and after about 5 minutes I had to take them off as my ears were completely fatigued. Rock songs are completely unlistenable. Songs that don't have too much in the high frequency range and that tend to stay more in midrange sound more or less "okay", but trying to listen to anything outside of that narrow range sounds terrible.

Now, I understand that there needs to be a certain amount of break in time before they sound optimal. And i've been currently running them for several hours with music playing to attempt to break them in, with little effect. But at their current state, they sound like a cheap pair of headphones that I would buy at the 99 cents store. Is this how they are really supposed to sound, or do you think there is something wrong with them? I would hate to have to return them only to get the exact same experience again.

EDIT: Ended up sending them back, and getting a pair of DT-990 Pro's, which I am more than happy with!
 
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What are you connecting the headphones to? If you connect good headphones to a shitty source or a shitty amp, the phones will also sound shitty.
 
E4g1e said:
What are you connecting the headphones to? If you connect good headphones to a shitty source or a shitty amp, the phones will also sound shitty.
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I've tried 4 different sources, one of which is my friends Xonar STX, It sounds the same on all of them.
 
Liekomg said:
I've tried 4 different sources, one of which is my friends Xonar STX, It sounds the same on all of them.
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A saoundcard isn't anywhere close to the best output device for these headphones. They require much more power than any weak, underpowered consumer electronics device to sound their "best".
 
That sound card can power headphones beautifully with an impedance requirement up to 600 ohms.

It is not just any "weak, underpowered consumer electronics device" at all.
 
EarlKeim said:
That sound card can power headphones beautifully with an impedance requirement up to 600 ohms.

It is not just any "weak, underpowered consumer electronics device" at all.
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The headphones could have been faulty or (less commonly) "fakes".
 
EarlKeim said:
That sound card can power headphones beautifully with an impedance requirement up to 600 ohms.

It is not just any "weak, underpowered consumer electronics device" at all.
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Just because soundcard can drive any headphone loud doesnt mean it drives it properly. Low ohm headphones might actually require more from the amplifier than high ohm inefficient ones. Though I admit, HD555 shouldnt be sensitive to amplification AFAIK, be it efficient or inefficient.


In any case however, I havent heard HD555 but I have heard its enhanced version HD595 and it was indeed dissapointing headphone in general soundquality. I own HD600 though and that is miles better.

About bass, when you want open headphones you usually have to sacrifice bass unless that model has pronounced midbass. Subbass however is leaked out, its usually so weak that it adds nothing to the music. There are exceptions, like some orthodynamic headphones, but in that case we are talking about premium headphones.

HD555 aims for flatter presentation, and they might very well sound bassless because you are used to headphones with a clear midbass bump, earbuds or no. Drop the volume down and keep listening. After some time you might find bassier headphones unlistenable because they sound bloated and lacking details and texture.
But I wouldnt rule out the possibility of them being either broken or fakes either, if they really do sound cheap POS like you say.
 
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Thanks for the help guys. How can I tell they are fakes? I purchased them from amazon so I somehow doubt they are fakes, but you never know.

Dropping the volume does seem to help, somewhat. It makes it easier to listen to as in my ears don't get fatigued as quickly due to the high's not being as painful. However I don't always want to have to listen to music that low, otherwise I might as well just use my desktop speakers.

Most reviews i've read mention that the sound quality is "flat", which is what I would expect from quality speakers. However, if I decide to turn up the bass using an equalizer, shouldn't that artificially bump up the bass? As it stands now, it does very little to actually improve the bass output of the headphones. This is what makes me feel they might be defective somehow.

I'm not trying to bash Sennheiser here as I must admit these are some very comfortable headphones to wear, and the "open" aspect of them is great. But i'm not happy with the sound quality.
 
Yes, it should boost the bass though it cant do miracles. It can add distortion too. Are you using foobar EQ? Boost 55Hz 3-4 notches and 77Hz two notches and press autolevel. It should help with the weak subbass a bit, try it out with some song that has guttural deep bass.

Also if you feel like treble is too sharp, particulerly cymbal clashes are piercing, drop 10khz few notches, perhaps 7khz a notch or two too. This combined with above mild bass boost might help you to listen louder.
 
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The 595s are definitely not a bass-heavy headphone and I believe the 555s share a similar sound profile based on what I've read (I've only had 595s, not 555s). I didn't find my 595s very good for the music I listen to either (metal), but my 650s are much better suited for it (comparatively speaking at least).
 
FYI The xonar essence STX has a decent headphone amp built in. HD-555's are "Neutral" sounding cans, I have a pair myself, they don't see much action anymore. But when I did use them they had bass, not in the quantities of higher end cans, but it was there, it covered a good deal of the frequency spectrum down to 20hz, you may have a bad set... That would be rare. I can EQ mine to have some bass impact, but its not natural and a bit muddy.
 
The 555s are a decent sounding pair of cans...and has the generic sennheiser bright sound, IMO...

I mean, I want something better myself, just not sure where I want to go. I wanted some DT880 600ohms for my Darkvoice 336 amp, but I then also need to invest in a proper USB dac :)
 
I have the dt880's (250ohm) along with the dt770's (80ohm). I prefer listening to the dt770 most of the time since the dt880's don't have the dt770's BASS :eek:

I'd rate the 880's very analytical, but somewhat flat sounding bass. I'd say the 880's are like a very high quality pair of bookshelf speakers with a small sub level matched to the bookshelf speakers.
The 770's sound alot like the 880's, but instead of the small sub it has a pair of 12" subs in each corner of the room kicked up a notch so that you can really get a very good sense of what's going on down low :D
 
The 555's shouldn't be that hard of a load for a portable device like a ipod. sounds like you've tried quite a few combos of headphone/soundcard setups.
I'd suggest also trying a ipod (bigger ones) or better yet a home theater receiver. that should give you a better idea what to expect from the headphones.

If you still don't like them try the Audio-Technica ATH AD700. they seem like a much better pair of cans for not alot more (first reviewer compares the 555's to the ad700's ;) ):
http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATH-AD700-Open-air-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B000CMS0XU
 
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How loud do you listen to the headphones and how much noise is there in the environment you are in when listening to them? If you are using the headphones to drown out outside noises, you will get some horrible sounds. Especially given that they are open with minimal/no isolation, the bass will all leak out and it will generally sound terrible. Is your room quiet when you have these headphones on?

It is definitely likely/possible that your headphones are broken in some way. Still, I know some people who say that "good" headphones suck -- and their opinion is based on listening to them 3x as loud as it is necessary to make my ears bleed while they are in a noisy subway train. Circumstances of listening make a difference!
 
Something must be very wrong OP, the Sennheiser stock sound is non-fatiguing with rolled off highs. Back to the shop with them.
 
Thanks for the continued feedback guys. I've been running them for a couple of days now to try to break them in. Their sound has improved somewhat, though its hard for me to tell if there is really much improvement, or if my ears are simply getting used to them.

I listen to them in a quiet room, so i'm not trying to drown anything out. I don't run them loud at all. I am certainly not one of those individuals who blasts their ipods at 100% volume and still wants 3x more volume.

I was considering the AD700's, however I thought they looked a bit strange, and some people commented that they weren't all that comfortable. However, if their sonic quality is more towards what i'm looking for, I would certainly consider exchanging them. The price difference is negligible.
 
Just on a hunch, but please if you have a chance go ahead and try Grado SR60. Yes, Grados are notorious for their treble spikes but still their midrange is almost to die for and bass also has a nice snap even though they do not reach deep. Overall their sound signature is very attention catching without sacrificing the finer aspects, except soundstage (how far the sound spreads "outside" of your head and how defined the instrument placements are within that space). Even though I have moved on to technically better headphones like Hifiman orthodynamics Grado headphones still hold a special place in my heart (or ears) and I still give my SR225 and HF2 a run now and then.
 
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Liekomg said:
Thanks for the help guys. How can I tell they are fakes? I purchased them from amazon so I somehow doubt they are fakes, but you never know.
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Was it Amazon itself or a third party seller? Usually Amazon is pretty reputable but the third party sellers are not always so good. It might be worth a shot to contact Amazon and see if they will send you a new set. The HD555's aren't supposed to be the higher end, but they should definitely have better bass than what you describe. They're essentially a HD595 purposely made to sound worse, which is possible to undo but it will void your warranty. I have a modded pair of PC350's (same driver as the 595) which sounded MUCH better after the mod.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvQ8PzBrHXE
 
Haven't read the other replies but I myself went through a couple Sennheisers that just didn't work out for me. I don't like the way they sound (for me it's like a muddied tuna can and yes, I had them driven properly) whereas Grados have always been the cat's meow for me. Sure, they are a bit bright but overall, they are perfect.
 
Headphones are REALLY subject to the listeners preferences and ears. WHat you like you like, what you hate you hate.

If you want a clearer sound, go with the AD-700. No bass impact but the tones are there and the detail is much better than the 555.

Now, when you have money, go with some Stax or some of the other new models of Summit Fi.
 
Well I've had a 555 for about 6 months now, unmodded and it still sounds great. At $70 it was the most expensive cans I'd bought, but the sound quality improvement even over usb headsets that supposedly had decent sound quality was amazing. I picked up a zalman mic and I'll never buy another usb headset again. I do plan on upgrading to some $200+ cans at some point or I might go a bit further and get some 650s, but that could be a while since I'm still happy with the 555s.

Mine work just fine running off a computer mobo headphone jack, cheap laptop headphone jack, car headphone jack or my GBA/DS, No amps or sound cards required. Which is why 555 is a great set of cans, pretty low budget, but audiophile entry-level sound quality, good for almost any
 
spaceman said:
Headphones are REALLY subject to the listeners preferences and ears. WHat you like you like, what you hate you hate.

If you want a clearer sound, go with the AD-700. No bass impact but the tones are there and the detail is much better than the 555.

Now, when you have money, go with some Stax or some of the other new models of Summit Fi.
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Its not that the 555's aren't clear - its almost that they are TOO clear. Very little bass and far too much high's. Midrange seems more or less okay.
 
Liekomg said:
Its not that the 555's aren't clear - its almost that they are TOO clear. Very little bass and far too much high's. Midrange seems more or less okay.
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Again, this is the signature Sennheiser sound. Go grab a beyer can for more balance. I'm likely going to grab a DT880-600 myself at this point to match my Darkvoice amp and build myself a USB/SPDIF DAC.

Also, if you're OK with IEMs, look up the UM3Xs and SE535s. The former is balanced and VERY much up front; the latter is more bassy.
 
Beyer 880 is my favorite all around dynamic headphone. Comfort level is max too with the Velour Blueberry pads. DV 336 is an excellent amp too. You don't need much more than a good soundcard for the 250ohm or even less for the 32ohm versions.
 
Liekomg said:
Its not that the 555's aren't clear - its almost that they are TOO clear. Very little bass and far too much high's. Midrange seems more or less okay.
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Sennheiser headphones are reference sound. They play the sound as it was recorded and intended to be heard by the audio engineer who down-mixed the recording.

I don't believe it's possible to have too much detail. Sennheisers are notoriously known to be quite laid-back so their highs are not fatiguing at all. There is definitely such a thing as too much treble to the points where its quite fatiguing listening to a pair of headphones but I've never heard of anyone who had this complaint from Sennheiser. I don't associate treble with detail. There is plenty of detail to be found in the midrange and even the lows and bass. If your bass is overpowering or boomy then it's just covering up all that possible detail from being heard and enjoined.

I don't think my HD600s lack bass at all. Do they have super loud boomy bass like I hear coming from so many peoples car trunks? No, but that's a good thing. That's not how the music is supposed to sound.
 
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spaceman said:
Beyer 880 is my favorite all around dynamic headphone. Comfort level is max too with the Velour Blueberry pads. DV 336 is an excellent amp too. You don't need much more than a good soundcard for the 250ohm or even less for the 32ohm versions.
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Well, again...I've got a darkvoice tube amp and my X-Fi has a hiss to it...so I'm going to be building a DAC of some form - don't know which one yet, pairing it with my PC and a tube amp...

and I want the 600ohm version because there's less mass to the speaker, so it should theoritically sound clearer.
 
HD555s and 880s are pretty much the opposite in terms of frequency response.

"http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=563&graphID[]=2751"

Select and copy the whole link without quotes, it won't work with URL tags.
 
Cabbs said:
HD555s and 880s are pretty much the opposite in terms of frequency response.

"http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=563&graphID[]=2751"

Select and copy the whole link without quotes, it won't work with URL tags.
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Sure, I know...I also don't put much stock into freq response charts...they can give you numbers, but that's it. Anyway, I'm in no way trying to compare the 555s to the 880s; a proper comparison is the 650s to the 880s....though there is a decided price gap there.
 
rampantandroid said:
Sure, I know...I also don't put much stock into freq response charts...they can give you numbers, but that's it. Anyway, I'm in no way trying to compare the 555s to the 880s; a proper comparison is the 650s to the 880s....though there is a decided price gap there.
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They may just give you numbers but I feel they're worth looking at. Of course, they're not something you should solely rely on.

You're right, these two cans shouldn't be compared. Just thought it might be useful to someone since the 880s were brought up too.
 
SirMaster said:
Sennheiser headphones are reference sound. They play the sound as it was recorded and intended to be heard by the audio engineer who down-mixed the recording.

I don't believe it's possible to have too much detail. Sennheisers are notoriously known to be quite laid-back so their highs are not fatiguing at all. There is definitely such a thing as too much treble to the points where its quite fatiguing listening to a pair of headphones but I've never heard of anyone who had this complaint from Sennheiser. I don't associate treble with detail. There is plenty of detail to be found in the midrange and even the lows and bass. If your bass is overpowering or boomy then it's just covering up all that possible detail from being heard and enjoined.

I don't think my HD600s lack bass at all. Do they have super loud boomy bass like I hear coming from so many peoples car trunks? No, but that's a good thing. That's not how the music is supposed to sound.
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Yeah, there is definetly something odd about OPs HD555. Sennheiser is not known for bright headphones, HD600 is pretty much brightest headphone they've get, perhaps HD800 too not sure. But I've owned HD595 and I hated it due to odd veil in upper midrange / lower treble, and if I recall correctly HD555 should be warmer than that model, or so I read. :confused:
 
Well, i've decided to return the HD555's. I was slightly let down when I compared them to a pair of Bose (please no comments!) headphones that a friend of mine had, which sounded far easier to listen to. Yes, those tended to have a bit too much bass, but was overall a much better listening experience.

The real last straw however was when I attempted to play some games using the HD555's. Each and every gunshot in FPS games was quite literally painful to listen to, thats how pronounced the high's were. To actually play comfortably I had to lower the windows volume to 10%, which at that point the game was borderline whisper quiet - and not that much fun to play anymore.

Yes, I realize that the Sennheisers aren't necessarily meant for gaming. But being a quality pair, they should do at least a decent job.

So now the question is, what should I get instead? Budget is not much higher than $100-120, and must be open.
 
Liekomg said:
Well, i've decided to return the HD555's. I was slightly let down when I compared them to a pair of Bose (please no comments!) headphones that a friend of mine had, which sounded far easier to listen to. Yes, those tended to have a bit too much bass, but was overall a much better listening experience.

The real last straw however was when I attempted to play some games using the HD555's. Each and every gunshot in FPS games was quite literally painful to listen to, thats how pronounced the high's were. To actually play comfortably I had to lower the windows volume to 10%, which at that point the game was borderline whisper quiet - and not that much fun to play anymore.

Yes, I realize that the Sennheisers aren't necessarily meant for gaming. But being a quality pair, they should do at least a decent job.

So now the question is, what should I get instead? Budget is not much higher than $100-120, and must be open.
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Wow. Not sure what to say to that. You absolutely MUST have gotten a bad pair of cans.

I can't think of better cans at the price range really. Maybe some Grado's?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/tech-data/B000G3LCQC/ref=de_a_smtd/178-3391681-2800106
 
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I had the Grado SR-80 (among others, with the SR-225 and HF-1 being my favorites even over the MS-2 which was based on the SR-325) and loved them but I don't think Grados are what you're looking for. I would definitely be looking at the ATH-AD700s that were mentioned earlier. They get great reviews. I owned the HD-555 and HD-595 and wasn't blown away by either of them which seems to be a common sentiment (I much preferred my HD-580). If you could find a used set of HD-580s in your price range, they are fantastic headphones and sound nothing like the 555/595 IMO. It's too bad you are ruling out closed headphones, as there are quite a few good sets in that price range.
 
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Gmok - I was actually looking at the Grado's. Except when I started reading reviews of people complaining of the 'lack of bass', i had to think twice. I honestly don't want to run into a similar, or same, experience as I did with the HD555's, so I might have to pass them up.

imyourzero - its not so much that I WANT to rule out closed headphones. Its just that I really dislike that "middle ear pressure" sensation that I get with closed headphones, and it tends to fatigue my ears that much faster. I do not have such a problem with open headphones.
 
I've tried a lot of different headphones over the years and the sennheisers have always been trouble free for me. If you don't think they sound right just RMA them, they have a pretty decent RMA process.
 
Love my HD555s. They go great with a warmer source like my Marantz receiver. But I have no trouble driving them with my iPod or XFI sound card.

They dont have a ton of bass, they are natural sounding. So many come from crappy headphones and earbuds that ruin and create fake interpretations of material that it is an adjustment when you get into something that reproduces the source material much more truly.
 
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