Sennheiser HD 550 - over-ear open-back wired headphones.
Features:
- HD 550 - your gateway to a new world of detailed audiophile sound
- Comfortable fit on the head and ears with minimal pressure
- Suitable for listening to music, watching movies, remote work, and gaming
- 150 ohm drivers made in Ireland provide an open, natural sound from 6 Hz to 39.5 kHz
- Enjoy added comfort with soft ear cushions and headband
- Durable, with replaceable parts
Your media holds secrets. No, not encrypted bitcoins or Banksy's real name - audio secrets: a singer's soft sigh, a guitar fret squeak, quiet backing vocals hidden in the mix, distant footsteps in an online game. The HD 550 headphones are your key to hearing them all - in the finest detail and with realism. And you don't need a room full of expensive equipment for that.
Hear details you never noticed before. Feel like you're in the center of the action. That's what HD 550 sound offers in a light, comfortable, and affordable package. Many popular audio products provide a "soft" sound. They call it that because the frequency response curve looks like a bathtub. Sennheiser, like anyone else, enjoys a nice soak, but in a bathtub sound, you drown in bass and highs, vocals sound weak, and some frequencies resonate too loudly.
In the HD 550, everything is different - no gaps, peaks, or dips. This means instruments don't get lost in the mix. You can hear everything with maximum clarity. Deep low frequencies reproduce frequencies you feel more than hear. High frequencies extend far beyond human hearing range. Plus, there's a "soundstage." High-end headphones create a sense that each sound comes from a specific place. Not just left, right, or center, but close and far, in front or behind you. Your ears are capable of perceiving a three-dimensional image in real life. And with properly selected headphones, this works with recordings, games, and soundtracks.
Balanced headphone design.
Many modern headphones use electronics to achieve desired sound. However, with the HD 550, there is none of that: you get a direct channel for transmitting analog signals from source to ear. This means clean, authentic sound without extra noise or artifacts. But this posed a challenge for engineers: it meant the headphones had to be acoustically flawless.
They started with the excellent 150 ohm driver in the proven HD 500 shell. By the way, Sennheiser manufactures drivers in Ireland, so you get superior quality and perfect channel matching. To create a three-dimensional sound and wide soundstage, the drivers are angled towards the ears, mimicking real hearing. A special dust cap that protects from dust is acoustically transparent. Even the ear cushion materials were chosen for their acoustic properties. And a strategic layer of foam ensures smooth integration of high frequencies and controlled bass. The result is a neutral balance that even the most demanding fans will appreciate. Open and airy, yet never sharp, the HD 550 headphones are pleasant enough to be used every day.
Light as a feather.
Did they hold a competition for "maximum performance per gram"? If so, the HD 550 probably won. At just 237 g, they are maximally unobtrusive. The design of the HD 550 was greatly influenced by feedback from people like you. And you said, "Make headphones light, comfortable, and great sounding." So Sennheiser redesigned the headband using high-quality synthetic leather and softer foam. With such a low overall weight, less clamping force was required. This allowed engineers to use soft, comfortable velour ear cushions. You get a secure fit, but so imperceptible that even during long sessions, there are no problems. Work, play games, or listen for as long as you like - without clamping, pressure, charging, or pairing.
Sennheiser knows for sure: people still use Sennheiser headphones from the 1960s. How can headphones released during the days of the first "hip shake thang" still be successful? German engineering simplicity and quality materials. And they remain unchanged. From mechanical components to steel housings, they are designed to withstand daily use or to be pulled out of the closet and dusted off by collectors for decades. You can purchase spare parts, such as ear cushions, for these headphones and many other Sennheiser products now and years later. And, of course, all accessories from the HD500 series are compatible with your new HD 550 headphones.
Frequency Response Graph close to Harman Curve
Headphone frequency response graphs look very different from speakers, which ideally should have a linear response. Here you can see a big rise on the right (high-frequency) side, followed by a sharp drop. But in reality, this is very close to what is considered ideal for headphones. Because leading manufacturers base their goals on extensive psychoacoustic research of listener's subjective preferences.
For example, it turns out that headphones negate the function of the outer ear, which otherwise amplifies sounds in the 3 kHz range. So the ideal response for headphones is much higher there. Resonances in the inner ear also amplify sounds in the 7 to 10 kHz range, causing the graph to sharply drop around 8-9 kHz. Here we see that the HD 550 develops the already excellent characteristics of the HD 599, further expanding the low-frequency range while maintaining strong, analytical mid-frequencies and superb high frequencies without hissing or sharpness. The graph reflects confident, satisfying bass characteristics of HD 550, balanced mid-frequencies, and precise and airy high frequencies.
Package includes:
- Headphones
- Cable
- 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm adapter
- Storage pouch
- Manual
