Sennheiser HD555 Professional Headphones with Sound Channeling (Old Model)

As of writing this, it has been a hair under two years owning, and VERY frequently using these. For the price, I don't think you can find anything better, even though it's a bit higher now for either the discontinued model or the newer model, I'm sure both will settle eventually. Four main points that are worth noting: 1) The sound quality is terrific and balanced. Since owning them, I have not seen a noticeable dip in quality at all using them a number of hours a day at minimum, and sometimes as much as nearing 20 hours in the course of a day for mostly music. I've tried numerous Bose and other 'high-end' names, at much higher price points, and the other headphones in similar range and have had nothing hold up to the HD555s, until getting to better Sennheiser and much more expensive models in SOME other brands. And very few brands, at that. 2) They are built well, with a lot of strenuous use they have begun to crack in one spot (The plastic arm between the headphones and the band, just at the top where they are frequently flexed by taking on and off, particularly if you use one side on and swap them a lot as I do), it hasn't opened down any further than the half inch it developed to and it doesn't at all hinder performance or weaken it's structure. I have no doubt they'll last for another few years, both hardware and sound quality. I have broken numerous adapters, but it hasn't damaged the actual stereo jack at all. You can also get replacement parts relatively cheap from Sennheiser if needed. 3) They are very comfortable and have a great range to fit about anyone comfortably. They aren't too tight, you don't feel them too much on you, and they're not loose as to actually fall off if you walk around, bend over, do simple tasks, and so on with them on. The velour ear cups feel great and I have no problem wearing them for a dozen hours on end. 4) One other great thing to note, is that Sennheiser has wonderful customer service in my experience. I only needed to contact them for a couple things, but the response time was quite quick, and when I needed a simple replacement part (Which was entirely my fault, I tripped and damaged a piece) they not only linked me to where to buy them if it happened again, but he got a replacement piece, asked me for my delivery address, and shipped it, overnight, for no charge. I was beyond pleased with that, and it wasn't something that would be covered under normal warranties or anything. Overall, they're great entry-level audiophile headphones and not too expensive to cut out any average users unless you are extremely rough on them and break a pair of headphones too quickly to go for 100/150$ range. I am rough on electronics, but they have held up well enough. I will be sticking with Sennheiser for quite a long time, after owning these.

Almost everything that can be said about these headphones, has been said, so I'll keep this mostly to physical pros and cons Pros: The most accurate sound you can get for 100 dollars. Not up to par with my Beyerdynamic DT880's, but at one third the cost, you are getting atleast 3/4th's the sound (if that makes sense) so they are an excellent bargain. These are easily the best headphones you can buy at 100 dollars. The velour ear cups mean that the pressure applied to your head is very minimal, and these are indeed the second most comfortable headphones I've ever worn, next to the DT880's (I've had Grado's, AKG's, other Sennheisers etc) and the inclusion of a velour (I believe) head cushion means that the top of your head won't hurt even after hours of use. These cans are also very easy to drive from a PC soundcard, and even on my integrated sound card, they'll go to ear splitting volumes if I am so inclined. I bought these specifically because my beyer's can't be driven by my computer, and I got sick of having to move my headphone amp between devices (Between Ipod, computer, etc). The Bad: An all plastic frame makes me think that one good drop might be the end of these headphones. The ear pieces are attached to a swivel joint (for comfort, which does help) but the joint is plastic as well, so it's not hard to imagine it popping off. I may just be worrying too much though, because I have a pair of all purpose koss headphones that are entirely plastic, and they've lasted atleast 10 years (though they sound terrible in comparison) I said these were the second most comfortable headphones I've ever worn, and while that is true, there is one caveat; Even though they are comfortable, my ears are too large for the space provided (the velour sits around the ear, with your ear inside) so my ear presses against the outside of the ear pad. Not a huge deal, and not nearly as severe as with other headphones, but still an issue if you have big ears. The biggest complaint I have is probably how much sound leaks in and out. I realize that these are open headphones, but even at low volumes, everything you are playing is easily heard by anyone in the same room (so these aren't good for dorm rooms, planes, trains, etc). I was expecting that, but I wasn't quite expecting how much sound is let in. My DT880's are also open, but they don't let nearly as much sound in or out as these Sennheiser cans. The sound of my computer fan is easily heard through the headphones if I don't up the volume a little louder than would otherwise be necessary (meaning others will hear it even more). There is also a lack of bass with these cans. Others have said it is balanced, but I would almost go so far as to say it's a little bit diffused. Using equalization though, this problem is quickly fixed (if you see it as a problem). One last con; These headphones come with a large (1/8th inch I believe) plug, with a very rigid 1/4th adaptor (the plug on your computer, compared to the plug on your stereo). This doesn't seem like a huge deal, but this type of adaptor is very prone to snapping and damaging your headphone cord. I'd suggest spending an extra 5 or so dollars and getting a flexible adaptor. As with all headphones in the quasi-audiophile range (audiophiles will tell you that these cans aren't neutral enough to be audiophile quality. They are close enough at 100 dollars though) you first need to evaluate your own hearing before you spend any amount of money. I have friends that can't tell the difference between my 300 dollar Beyerdynamic headphones, and my old 30 dollar Koss headphones. If you don't have really sensitive ears, you are better off buying the cheaper Sennheisers and saving yourself some money (the 202's, the 212's, etc). I'd suggest going to a local audio store and trying these headphones side by side with a much cheaper pair, and seeing if you truly can tell the difference between the two (and then coming back to buy from Amazon, of course). Also, if you don't buy a whole lot of CD's, and most of your music is compressed MP3's you bought off the net, or songs from youtube/myspace/whatever, these headphones won't help you and they may actually make that type of music sound worse because they will expose flaws in the recording that you wouldn't have been able to hear otherwise. In conclusion, these are the best headphones you can buy at 100 dollars, and unless you need complete isolation (if you do, I suggest the HD-280's for the same price), or you really love bass, or you have really big ears, these headphones are exactly what you are looking for. UPDATE 03/10/10: After two years of use, I've got a few additions to make. The headband has developed a crack at both ear cups. I baby my equipment, so it's definitely a design flaw and not misuse on my part. I've noticed that this has happened to others as well, and it really is a shame. It doesn't degrade the sound quality, but I fear that the cracks may expand and eventually cause the earcups to come free from the headband (essentially making the headphones useless). As far as sound quality goes, now that these are burned in (I'd say I'm somewhere comfortably between 500 and 1000 hours on the phones) they sound much better than they did when I first received them. I modified them (when I passed the warranty date) to increase their bass response, and they are now basically converted into HD595's. They sound great, although they are still obviously no match for the HD600's or HD650's, which are 3-4x the price (much much more when you consider that you'll need an expensive amp to drive them). I'd still recommend these headphones despite the cracking issue, and for 100 dollars, I don't think that you can find a better set of (open) cans.

耳にはすっぽりとフィットし、とてもキレイなサウンドで満足しています。

Davvero soddisfatto dall'acquisto, ottime cuffie, e con una semplice modifica è possibile trasformarle nelle HD 595, su google si trovano vari articoli che spiegano come fare questa modifica e perchè sono in realtà delle 595.

L'utente può' scoprire nuovi suoni ed una stereofonia difficilmente ascoltabile altrimenti! Prodotto eccellente!!! Un "must" per chi ama la musica.

Ich besitze seit ca. 2 Jahren den Sennheiser HD 202, der zugegebener Maßen in einer anderen Preisliga spielt. Aber der Tragekomfort ist furchtbar. Die Ohrmuscheln sind relativ klein und nach nichtmal einer Stunde halte ich es nicht mehr aus (trotz keiner Ohren). Ganz anders der HD 555, den ich mir vor 3 Wochen gegönnt habe! Hatte ihn vorher beim Elektro-Discounter "anprobiert" und war begeistert. Die großen Muscheln sind mit samtartigem Polster überzogen und sitzen fest, ohne Druck auszuüben. Die einseitige Kabelzuführung trägt ihr übriges zum Komfort bei. Beim HD 202 führen 2 dünne Drähtchen zu den Kunstleder-Muscheln - furchtbar. Die offene Bauweise ist garnicht so schlecht wie ich befürchtet hatte, da ich bisher nur geschlossene Kopfhörer getragen habe. Man setzt ihn auf und hört nachwievor seine Umgebung genauso wie vorher. Das ist erstaml ungewohnt, aber in den meisten Situationen sinnvoll denke ich. Und es ist beileibe nicht so, dass jemand in ein paar Metern Entfernung alles mithören kann was man hört. Wenn man mit normaler Lautstärke hört, dann dringt zwar etwas nach Außen, aber das stört meiner Meinung nach nicht. Ist aber nicht "porn friendly" ;-)) Zu guter letzt der Klang: Ich bin kein Musikfreak der jedes Detail hört und dementsprechend beurteilen kann. Aber dieser Kopfhörer ist das Beste was ich bis dato gehört habe! Super sauberer Klang, leichte gute Bässe, nichts verzerrt, sagenhaft. Ist halt Sennheiser! Pros: + Tragekomfort sagenhaft + Kabelführung einseitig und hochwertig + offene Bauweise -> Umgebung wird wahrgenommen, man kann sich mit Mitmenschen unterhalten + super Klang Contras: - 6,3 mm Klnike am Kabel, Adapter auf 3,5 mm (umgekehrt wäre mir lieber) - offene Bauweise -> Umgebungsgeräusche können stören, im Umkreis ist wahrnehmbar was man gerade hört - Kabel fest am Kopfhörer montiert Also eine klare Kaufempfehlung für alle die nicht zwingend einen geschlossenen Kopfhörer brauchen! Noch ein Wort zum Druck auf die Ohren: frisch ausgepackt sitzt der HD 555 recht stramm; ich habe ihn für ein paar Minuten über ein kleines Kissen "gezogen" um ihn etwas zu dehnen -> danach sitzt er perfekt!

Der Klang des Hd555 zeichnet sich durch eine schöne Räumlichkeit und Neutralität aus. Der Tragekomfort ist eines der Besten, den es auf dem Kopfhörermarkt zu bieten gibt. Zum Klang: Getestet wurde an drei verschiedenen Klangquellen (1. Logitech Z-Cinema, 2. Cowon S9 und Samsung YP-U5 MP3 Player, 3. Yamaha RX-V630 m. Sony DVP NS 78H DVD-Player und an Asus Xonar XD Soundkarte). Zum Test wurden MP3 Dateien mit 320kbs Datenrate, sowie normale Audio-CD's (Morcheeba, The Killers, Anna Ternheim, Wall-E O.S.T.) verwendet. Die Hochtonwiedergabe wirkt recht natürlich und abgerundet. Er lässt in diesem Frequenzbereich auch kein zischeln und keine schärfe zu. Sehr stressfrei und angenehm musiziert er daher vor sich hin. Allerdings fehlt es ihm dort auch etwas an Details und an Brillanz. Zu früh macht der Frequenzgang eine Beuge nach unten. In den Genuss der oberen Höhen stößt man daher vergeblichst. Einen eher warmen Charakter verleiht ihm dieser frühzeitige Abgang. Der Mittenbereich ist die eigentliche Stärke des HD555. Wirken Gesangstimmen sehr schön frei und offen, weisen diese aber leider einen leicht belegten Charakter auf, als würde sich eine weiche Decke über sie stülpen. Der HD555 trennt deutlich die Stimme des Sängers von der Instrumentation, ohne aber dabei deren Klangfarben zu vernachlässigen. Man fühlt sich von seiner räumlichen Musikwiedergabe umgeben und bekommt beim längeren hören nie das Gefühl vom Klang erdrückt zu werden. Der Bassbereich klingt angenehm rund und schön warm, jedoch etwas weich. Ihm fehlt etwas mehr Kontur und Präzision. Gerade im Rock-Genre klingt der Tiefbass doch etwas zu undifferenziert. Sehr tief reicht er allerdings auch nicht. Sein Durchsatz ist sehr pegelfest aber vorsichtig und richtet sich eher an jene Hörer, die sich von Badewannenabstimmungen genervt fühlen. ----------------------------- Bewertungen (max. 10 Punkte): Höhen---------6,5 Mitten--------8 Bass----------6,5 Räumlichkeit--8 Detailtreue---6,5 Dynamik-------6,5 Gesamt---7 von 10 Punkten ------------------------- Tragekomfort: Egal ob man abstehende oder große Ohren hat, sie passen hinein, ohne nach längerem Tragen weh zu tun. Die Verarbeitung ist sehr gut, der Anpressdruck optimal angenehm. Der Hörer besteht aus einem leicht flexiblen Kunststoff, dem es den Nutzer erlaubt ihn auch mal hin und her zu biegen, ohne das er zerbricht. Ins Schwitzen kommt man nur im Sommer. ________________________________________________________________________ Fazit: Wie bei allen anderen Kopfhörern gilt hier -> "Kopfhörer erstmal einige Stunden unter Last mit Musik beschallen. Danach einige Stunden probehören (man muss dem Klang schon seine Chance zur Eingewöhnung geben) und hinterher entscheiden ob man ihn behält, oder ihn lieber wieder an Amazon zurückschickt. Der HD555 klingt vergleichsweise gut für seinen Preis, wenn auch für meinen Geschmack etwas detailarm. Er sitzt sehr angenehm und ist gut verarbeitet. Im übrigen ist der Anschluss an einem Sony, Samsung oder Cowon MP3-Player möglich, ohne das der Klang darunter hörbar leidet (Labor-Messungen ergeben da ja stets was anderes). ---------------------- Bewertungen: Klang---------7/10 Sitz----------8,5/10 Verarbeitung--8/10 ---------------------- Pro + räumliche, verzerrungsfreie und pegelfeste Wiedergabe + sehr gute und luftige Stimmenpräsenz + sehr angenehmes Tragegefühl mit optimalen Anpressdruck + Adapter für kleine Kopfhörer-Buchsen inkl. + sehr langes und stabiles Kabel + Kabel ist einseitig (an der linken Muschel) angebracht + Kabel und Ohrpolster sind austauschbar + gute Verarbeitung Contra - Gesangsstimmen leicht belegt - etwas detailarmer Klang - Musik schallt stark nach außen ab - Kabellänge störend beim Hören mit einem MP3 Player