[H]ot Sennheiser HD555 @ $94 shipped

T

The Red

[H]ard|Gawd
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Sep 13, 2006
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These are just the best headphones ever for the best bang for the buck out there. I have worn them for over a year, it took a month to break in that really warm sound they have and now they sound 100% audiophilic. I have also abused them with wearing and yanking and leaning my head on them, nothing ripping and nothing cracking, really good build quality.

I have a big head, these are comfortable for wear 24/7 during long stretches of watching star trek voyager and endless hours of mmos... the sound quality will make you never turn your speakers on again, like me, where I regret getting my 5.1 stereo system after hearing the quality of this set.

HIGHLY recommended for ppl with odd shaped rooms (like mine which has a slanted sealing) that warp speaker sound.

here they are at amazon for $94 ... shipped here

NewEgg is $136 shipped here
 
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Great find. have a pair as well! Bass could be a bit more but very good nonetheless!
 
Sennheiser makes some fantastic stuff!

I've owned 535, 590, and 600's.

All awesome headsets!

I've not heard the 555's, but if the are anything like the other three sets I've owned you can't hardly do better.
 
I got mine for $95 back at Christmas. Best $100 audio purchase I ever made. Do not hesitate to buy this.
 
J&R has em for 99 w/ free shipping (which comes n goes).

Wouldn't call this hot by any stretch of the imagination.

Just sayin. I've had my eye on these phones waiting for a real steal.
 
yeah it really, really is.

Those headphones are the best headphones you can get. You wont notice a differeance between those and the higher end audiophile headphones. They cover the entire human audiable hearing range! The base can literally be so low its infrasound! The energy they use to clean diamonds!!!

human audiable hearing range, 20Hz - 22KHz, conservative (you have really effin sensitive ears) 16Hz - 26KHz.

edit:
MC FLMJIG said:
Great find. have a pair as well! Bass could be a bit more but very good nonetheless!
Click to expand...

why would you say that? A friend of a friend of mine has a pair of these, hes an audio engineer and he says the sound quality is impecable, just as good as a pair of $500 audio technicas (which are so pricy because of the name and because you get a ton of frequency you cant even hear... and gold cables).

IF they shipped to canada I'd buy three.
 
I don't want to disagree with MrWizard6600, but frequency coverage and frequency response within that coverage are usually two different things. I've got some JVC in-ear buds that say they go down to 5hz. I tried 5hz, sine wave, nothing ... I tried a 40hz to 5hz sweep, nothing after 30, not even any audible crackle/pop of the drivers trying too hard. I'm not even sure any can's can create audible bass that low.

Anyway .. nonetheless, I may jump on this deal. TY OP for linkage.
 
I have a pair of these and it's less than what I paid for them. They sound great. Definitely the best pair of headphones I've used (not a big spender though, so take that with a grain of salt ;) ).
 
I am sure the sound quality on these are fine so that is not what I am worried about. My question before jumping on this is.. Does anyone use these and wear glasses? How is the comfort level? Do they constrict your head as badly as the 280pros?

I have had my Senn 280's for a couple years now and I usually overnight even leave them stretched out to try and improve on that. I have been doing this for two years now and they still are uncomfortable after 20 minutes or so. I find myself wearing cheap over the ear radioshack ones instead.
 
MUCH more comfy than the 280 pro's. The 280's hurt me after while. They were not bad sounding actually very good but hurt after a while.

The 555 sound better but the bass on the 280's was a tad better. Not saying that the 555's bass isn't good just that the 280's is better. Overall the 555 is much better though.
 
I wear them with glasses at times. Depends on what kind of glasses. If they have a large frame, they will interfere, but if you adjust your glasses after putting on the headphones they sit alright.
 
Too bad I just paid $120 for these a few weeks ago. It was the lowest price I could find through amazon stores at the time.
 
Are these that much better that the 485 ones? It's a $35 difference and Iam trying to choose between the two. Thanks!
 
The HD555 is awesome. I picked up a pair on this same deal from amazon last christmas.

They are very comfortable, and very true sound. This means they are true to the source you plug them into and what you play on them.

Another thing they are awesome for is directional surround sound type stuff. With my XFI I use them gaming and it feels like full surround sound even though there are only two speakers. I can instantly pin point where noises are coming from. This is a known strong feature of the HD555.

Sennheiser is pretty easy to figure out quality with (generally). The higher the model number the truer sound and hence more $$$. For example the HD555 is better than the 485 but not quite as good as the 595.

Like others have said, I regret even having speakers now. I never use my surround sound computer speakers anymore, I just use the HD555 :)


EDIT: Also, note that these are headphones meant to be true to sound! They do not distort the music to try and be more pleasing like some others do *cough* bose *cough*. So you need a good source to appreciate them, do not plug them into a $20 tape player and say they sound like crap! They also are open cans which means there is really no noise isolation. So people can hear what you are listening to (sorta) and you can hear things around you easily. I sorta like that though as I do not have to turn them off to talk to someone in the room, just turn them down :p
 
If you guys are looking around the $100-150 pricerange, I'd recommend the DT-770 PRO (80ohm) if you are a basshead.
 
discobiscuits said:
If you guys are looking around the $100-150 pricerange, I'd recommend the DT-770 PRO (80ohm) if you are a basshead.
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Agreed, very nice cans as well. A bit less true to the sound since they pump the bass up a bit more, but still very very nice.

I opted to just get a buttkicker gamer and that adds all the bass you would ever want :eek:
 
good find. I've had both the HD-555's, HD-595's both sounded fantastic, 595's were a bit better, lil better bass. Comfort wise I can't recommend these to anyone they started to hurt my ears after 2 weeks of use. I'm not talking about my inner ears either, I'm talking the outside.

Since then I've gone with Audio Technica ATH-900's and I have to say they sound better are more comfortable and are around the same price as the sennys.
 
ya, if you dont have them positioned just right they can make the outside of your ears a bit sore if you have bigger ears (I do).

You learn to live with it after awhile though, especially when the music is blaring :D
 
I personally cant say i've had any issues with comfort with these... the material on the headband and on the cups seems to be some kind of fabric. Its very soft with padding inside and just a tinge of plush on the outside. It does not feel cheap and has no wear and tear what-so-ever after a year. Just thank god its not pleather, and just in-case you think about it, do *not* go with leather of any type.

My only complaint was that it can take a month of post-5:00pm gameplaying to break in the drivers. On the upside, the sound just improves the longer you use them :) ... mines are over a year old and they are still just as accurate as day 1, but the sound is warmer.

Though warmer really only impacts human voice.. and unless you listen to accapella all the time, you wont mind, as regular speech is not impacted, only the warmth of certain sections of the human vocal range is lacking till you break them in... I feel its because of the exactness of the replication signals, is too perfect for the first month and needs to learn its tolerance.

The bass is not amplified on these btw, as people have said, everyone is just too use to stereos and headphones giving absurd bass from regular songs that they dont realise that unless it was a rap song intended for you to drive by the cops with, with home-brew speakers in your Civic and get your ass ticketed for disturbance with... the bass you're actually hearing is *EXACTLY* the bass with which it was recorded.

These are high quality precision headphones, not bass booming street-wear iPod fodder. The only difference between these and the ones I used in the studio is that the studio ones never get warmer, while these keep their original precision but get warmer as they adapt to more correctly expressing the vocal ranges... in effect, more accurate that studio, because they can replicate the way you would actually hear a human voice without the studio interface of mics, headphones, and instruments in a caged room.

btw, I have a BA in Media Study: Production.. I do mostly 3d modeling and web programming, but I did have a handfull of classes directed at audio design specifically in those 4.5 years, and I can tell you that these blow away anything the university had paid 5x the amount of money for. If I had known then what I know now, I would have brought these into the studio so I could listen to vocals better.

Lastly, I cant comment on the HD595s unfortunately, because I had never had the privilage of using them. However I have had the privilage of using audio technicas, bose, samsung, sony, and a meriad of other headphones. While I cant say that I have had $150 headphones from each to compare with, I can say that these have exceeded my expectations, the ones I formed during my studio learning days. I surely did not expect better-than-studio headphones for the $95 I paid for them over a year ago. Pure audiophelia.
 
Nice summary...although you're preaching to the choir as I already have mine :D.
 
ReTiCuLeX said:
good find. I've had both the HD-555's, HD-595's both sounded fantastic, 595's were a bit better, lil better bass. Comfort wise I can't recommend these to anyone they started to hurt my ears after 2 weeks of use. I'm not talking about my inner ears either, I'm talking the outside.

Since then I've gone with Audio Technica ATH-900's and I have to say they sound better are more comfortable and are around the same price as the sennys.
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The 590s are a godsend away from ear pain. I can barely even feel them on my head. Sometimes I won't realize they are on or think they are on when they are not. I've worn them for 12-14 hours a day (literally every day), for over a year now. They still look new and sound new. Unfortunately you cannot purchase them anymore.

My next ones, if these ever break, will definitely be of a similar design. The 595 looks like it has the same inner ear part.
 
Crucible1001 said:
The 590s are a godsend away from ear pain. I can barely even feel them on my head. Sometimes I won't realize they are on or think they are on when they are not. I've worn them for 12-14 hours a day (literally every day), for over a year now. They still look new and sound new. Unfortunately you cannot purchase them anymore.

My next ones, if these ever break, will definitely be of a similar design. The 595 looks like it has the same inner ear part.
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Ya, I think it depends on your ear shape/size. I can feel the soft fabric on my ear which does not bother me but sometimes after a really long time if listening my ear can feel a bit pinched at the bottom.

Really no problem though like I said earlier, they are still some of the most comfortable cans I have worn and have awesome sound.
 
MrWizard6600 said:
yeah it really, really is.

Those headphones are the best headphones you can get. You wont notice a differeance between those and the higher end audiophile headphones. They cover the entire human audiable hearing range! The base can literally be so low its infrasound! The energy they use to clean diamonds!!!

human audiable hearing range, 20Hz - 22KHz, conservative (you have really effin sensitive ears) 16Hz - 26KHz.

edit:

why would you say that? A friend of a friend of mine has a pair of these, hes an audio engineer and he says the sound quality is impecable, just as good as a pair of $500 audio technicas (which are so pricy because of the name and because you get a ton of frequency you cant even hear... and gold cables).

IF they shipped to canada I'd buy three.
Click to expand...

I hate to be rude, but you are very wrong on several levels. For starters, while the HD555 is a good headphone, there are many other pairs of headphones that are quite a bit better. Frequency range is not the only factor in quality. There is sheer quality of the driver that will effect sound, nevermind enclosure, cable, and other sonic properties. To say that these are the best headphones there are because of the frequency range is bullshit. I could probably find youa $10 cheap ass headset with the same range that sounds like horseshit, just as you would hear if you put on a pair of better quality headphones you would hear the difference.

As far as the Audio-Technica comparison goes, that too, is BS. Expecially if a pair you are refering too is really $500. There are lower end Audio-Technicas that may not stack up but the higher end AT's would be more pleasing to most. Of course, an open vs. closed issue could come into play, depending on which AT headphone we are talking, that could sway someone, but as far as headphone quality goes, the AT's would be better. Also, paying for a name? Walk into best buy and tell me what you see on the shelf, Sennheiser or Audio-Technica? Sennheiser is a much bigger name. Both have low end and high end products, but you are not buying a name at all with Audio-Technica. Also, gold cables... who the hell told you that? A gold plated plug maybe, but the HD555 probably have that. The actual wire is not gold on any audio-technica (or any headphone for that matter).

I don't know where you are getting your information, but you are flat out wrong. These headphones are a good deal, and if you want to preach that, by all means go ahead, but don't fill up a post with ignorance that is not even remotely true.
 
How does this compare to the AKG K240s? That's what I've been using for the last 4 or 5 years and a similar set from the 1980s before that.
 
Well,

I think some of MrWizard6600 claims are a bit off but these are still nice phones. I mean...different models as well as different brands have different sonics. If you get feedback from people that are really into phones...many of their comments about different models and brands are similar to what you will get from HeadRoom:
http://www.headphone.com/

This is a very nice place to get feedback about phones...(or cans) . They label the SD 555 as: "All in all, a killer entry-level or 'beginning audiophile' headphone" that are somewhat efficient at 50-ohms impedance that work fine without a headphone amp.

Nice set for $100!
 
Blahman said:
How does this compare to the AKG K240s? That's what I've been using for the last 4 or 5 years and a similar set from the 1980s before that.
Click to expand...

Do you know precisely which K240 you have? There have been a lot of variants over the years. There have been different drivers and different baffles used, which will effect sound quality. The only K240 Sextett I've heard was a circa 1970's pair, and for the price, they were a smokin' headset. Left a lot to be desired as far as comfort goes, but they had a very warm and pleasing sound signature.

Depending on your primary usage, the K240 may be better. For music, I think I would take the K240 over the HD555. It's just more lifelike and exciting. The HD555 is somewhat laid back in comparison. However, perhaps the Sennheiser sound signature is more for you, that would really be a preference thing more than one specifically being better than the other. Likewise, the HD555 should be more comfortable and have better sound staging. For gaming, it would probably be much better.

If you are doing both music and gaming, and have money to spend, I would say go ahead and pick up the HD555. You may find yourself using one for music and one for gaming. If you find you prefer the HD555 in both areas, head on over to www.head-fi.org and put up your K240 for sale. You should be able to get a decent amount for them (I'd guess $60-$70, but research prices first).
 
WLDock said:
Well,

I think some of MrWizard6600 claims are a bit off but these are still nice phones. I mean...different models as well as different brands have different sonics. If you get feedback from people that are really into phones...many of their comments about different models and brands are similar to what you will get from HeadRoom:
http://www.headphone.com/

This is a very nice place to get feedback about phones...(or cans) . They label the SD 555 as: "All in all, a killer entry-level or 'beginning audiophile' headphone" that are somewhat efficient at 50-ohms impedance that work fine without a headphone amp.

Nice set for $100!
Click to expand...

Precisely. I do not at all mean to undermine the HD555. It's a nice set of cans for under $100. There are plenty of better headphones though for a bit more money... and to suggest otherwise is just pure ignorance.
 
I see the technical respects of your arguments, but really, frequency response differences are negligible when you get to the $100+ lvl of headphones. Unless you really do have bizzare hearing that can hear at dog lvl frequencies and you require a set of top end audio-technicas or the HD595s..

And if you're listening from games or mp3s, dont even worry about frequency response because they have internal limits. Only lossless audio would even be able to reproduce the kind of frequencies you guys are arguing about.

Lastly, I just want to add something I forgot to mention... that this set seems to have a very good 3D audio mapping function. In my games, such as Tabula Rasa which I'm testing atm, audio direction is very important and these give me an edge in competitive hunting where I need to know where the next wave of enemies is coming from. Just something that stood out for me today... didnt even think about it before.
 
The Red said:
Only lossless audio would even be able to reproduce the kind of frequencies you guys are arguing about.
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Exactly :D

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:D

The HD555 is a great snag at $99. For those looking for a different sound signature-something more smooth and creamy, I'd highly recommend checking out the Audio Technica AD700. Amazon has them for $113.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-technic...3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1189368951&sr=8-1

They have a much wider soundstage than the HD555, and in general sound like much higher end headphones. A lot of people consider the AD700 a gateway drug because it really gives you a good sense of what the $500+ Audio Technica's sound like (and thus ensues an endless upgrade cycle :D )
 
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The A-T AD700s are close, but I'd still prefer the HD555s. Since 99% of my audio is not lossless, and the HD555s dont require an Amp to sound both warm and responcive, for me they win.

If you're comparing frequencies.. the HD555 is 12Hz - 38.5kHz, while the AD700 is 5Hz-30kHz. Not an easy choice as both go beyond the spectrum just in different directions.

Do you like your frequencies high, or low? hehe... bass or treble ?

I'd worry the 5hz range of the AD700s might make sounds in games, especially repetitive sounds that have a low frequency starter (ie: gunshots / explosions) sound too artificial.

I would find it hard to recommend the AD700s for gamers, but for music, especially lossless, they do appear to perform better, particularly with an amp. However it should be noted, I have never tried the HD555s with an amp.. they are only 50ohms and generally dont need one unless you're a bass-head.

Have you personally compared heavily vocal music on both headphone systems?

*as a side note, please dont forget the AD700s are *not* adjustable, before you make your choice*

edit: important note

I have just purchased the AD700s listed above after reading the review, and I'll be posting my own review when I get them. The reviewer knows what he's talking about, but it just still leaves me with doubts as i've dealt with ATs that were even more expensive than the AD700 and I prefer the HD555s... I'll post my review when I get my hands on both. I need only one set, so after some testing, one of my sets will go up for sale.
 
The Red said:
The A-T AD700s are close, but I'd still prefer the HD555s. Since 99% of my audio is not lossless, and the HD555s dont require an Amp to sound both warm and responcive, for me they win.

If you're comparing frequencies.. the HD555 is 12Hz - 38.5kHz, while the AD700 is 5Hz-30kHz. Not an easy choice as both go beyond the spectrum just in different directions.

Do you like your frequencies high, or low? hehe... bass or treble ?

I'd worry the 5hz range of the AD700s might make sounds in games, especially repetitive sounds that have a low frequency starter (ie: gunshots / explosions) sound too artificial.

I would find it hard to recommend the AD700s for gamers, but for music, especially lossless, they do appear to perform better, particularly with an amp. However it should be noted, I have never tried the HD555s with an amp.. they are only 50ohms and generally dont need one unless you're a bass-head.

Have you personally compared heavily vocal music on both headphone systems?
Click to expand...

The AD700 sounds entirely different than the HD555. I'd say that the best way to describe the HD555 is pretty flat across the frequency range, with a little aggressive upper-midrange spike that can sometimes make them painful to listen to over long periods of time. Overall, a pretty boring headphone, as is typical of most Sennheisers. The AD700 is completely different-it's warm, smooth, refined, and has a beautiful midrange. The AD700 sounds best with vocal type music. As for gaming, either headphone will do the job equally as well-it doesn't take an audiophile headphone to reproduce highly compressed gunshot soundclips.

As far as I'm concerned, frequency range is an overly used specification that has little to no relevance when it comes to what a headphone sounds like. There are so many other factors that go into what a headphone sounds like that the frequency range is almost insignificant. I wouldn't get too technical-just listen to the headphone and decide for yourself which sound you like better.

And finally:

The Red said:
*as a side note, please dont forget the AD700s are *not* adjustable, before you make your choice*
Click to expand...

Sorry, but what? :confused:

If you're referring to the headband, the ATs use a completely different 3d-wing system that automatically adjusts to the contour of your head-you do not need to manually adjust the headband in order to get a good fit. The 3d-wing system is honestly probably one of the most comfortable headband designs ever-there is simply no way you can knock it ;)
 
m3ta1head said:
The AD700 sounds entirely different than the HD555. I'd say that the best way to describe the HD555 is pretty flat across the frequency range, with a little aggressive upper-midrange spike that can sometimes make them painful to listen to over long periods of time. Overall, a pretty boring headphone, as is typical of most Sennheisers. The AD700 is completely different-it's warm, smooth, refined, and has a beautiful midrange. The AD700 sounds best with vocal type music. As for gaming, either headphone will do the job equally as well-it doesn't take an audiophile headphone to reproduce highly compressed gunshot soundclips.

As far as I'm concerned, frequency range is an overly used specification that has little to no relevance when it comes to what a headphone sounds like. There are so many other factors that go into what a headphone sounds like that the frequency range is almost insignificant. I wouldn't get too technical-just listen to the headphone and decide for yourself which sound you like better.

And finally:



Sorry, but what? :confused:

If you're referring to the headband, the ATs use a completely different 3d-wing system that automatically adjusts to the contour of your head-you do not need to manually adjust the headband in order to get a good fit. The 3d-wing system is honestly probably one of the most comfortable headband designs ever-there is simply no way you can knock it ;)
Click to expand...

I picked a set up to experiment, now Amazon only has 1 AD700 left for sale, I'll get back to you after some heavy testing when it arrives.

However, for now, I must point out that the midrange on the HD555s is perfectly smooth from what I'm listening to right now. I like to test my sets with the lows of Feist / Eric Clapton / Lyube and the highs of Daft Punk / Metallica / Lyube... thats right, Lyube is that varied. Sound so good you dont even need to understand Russian, but helps a lot if you do.
 
Just FYI, a lot of people can hear down to 12 Hz, not just down to 20 Hz... not that it makes a big difference, since almost nobody records down that low. Still, worth noting...
 
yay. i can replace my 555s that my gf stole from me. i thought there were pretty comfy since they fit over my ears but are there any other ones similar quality that would be more comfortable.
 
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