Sennheiser HD 555 Headphones

tanis38

Member Since
Jan 2008

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User has 2 Weeks of experience with this product

Very good, depending on your taste and what you will use them for . . .

Strengths:

Good value, spacious soundfield, good for DVDs, extremely comfortable

Weaknesses:

Soft, almost muted sound in music

Posted Feb 29, 2008 - I found the HD555's pretty suitable for watching DVD's and gaming, but I was not very found of their music performance. I found their sound too soft when listening to music, almost as if there was a barrier between the music and my ears. The sound just wasn't as sharp as I was hoping. In comparison, my Grado SR60's and Ultrasone HFI 700's I find very detailed. I think it just came down to my personal sound preference. The HD555's were not a band set of cans, but try them out before purchasing if you can to see if you like their sound signature. I believe the warmer, softer sound is common in Sennheiser headphones, and many people love it. Also, these have probably been the most comfortable headphones I have used. The ear cups surround your entire ear, so there is absolutely no pressure on them. I would forget I was wearing them at times.

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gloriajk from MD

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Oct 2000

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User has 5 Days of experience with this product

Great sound, great comfort

Strengths:

Great sound, great comfort

Weaknesses:

Not suitable for use in public

Posted Jul 13, 2007 - These pick up sounds that I never heard before. Wonderfully designed - can replace pads when they wear out and soooo comfortable to wear even with glasses. Note the open design, though - if you are planning to use them in the office, don't. For the price I payed, the pair is a winner!

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Gohoos81

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Apr 2007

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User has 3 Months of experience with this product

Incredible, absolutely amazing phones

Strengths:

Circumaural, open design is second to none. Sennheiser is a winner with these. Great for gaming

Weaknesses:

CAnnot think of a single weakness. Two things maybe, not good for work, since they are "open" and people can hear some noise, and they aren't free.

Posted Jun 19, 2007 - Absolutely fabulous headphones. Sennheiser has come out with a real winner on these HD555. I bought these for gaming, and with my sound card, the position effects are incredibly. I can game late at night and not wake my roommates. They are exceptional for movies and have tremendous range from bass to several octaves about this, for symphonies or classical music. These were $xx when I bought them, and at the higher end of the $xx, but worth every penny. I absolutely love these headphones, but cannot use them at work because they are "open" headphones. If you want something for work, try "closed" headphones such as the HD 280 Pro from Sennheiser, which are great circumaural and are "closed", are good, but nothing compares to the HD555. These fit well, are easily adjustible, have a very long cord, and can fit nearly any adapter. The foam padding around the ears is very comfortable, places the units away from the ear contributing to the surround effect. There is a hard angled plate in the back (which doesnt touch the ear) which helps redirect sound through deflection and increase the sense that sound is coming from BEHIND you. Awesome idea. If the foam padding wears out, it can be replaced without replacing the entire unit. GREAT IDEA. These units have been battered, dropped, kicked, punted, and still sound as good as ever. IF you burn them in (just play music through them non-stop for > 5 days), the sound gets better. Most users of Sennheiser headphones agree to this. This product just gets better with age. Would absolutely buy this again and recommend it to anyone. My wife loves these, too.

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Meyerson

Member Since
Mar 2003

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User has 1 Day of experience with this product

Good sound, some shortcomings

Strengths:

Comfortable fit, good sound.

Weaknesses:

Substantial sound leakage could disturb nearby non-listeners. Jack configuration not optimal.

Posted Jan 2, 2007 - Great sound from these headphones. But those concerned about disturbing others nearby (in a car, on a train) may want to consider other models. These do not contain sound well. Also, while Sennheiser should be commended for including a headphone jack adapter (1/8") for the headphone's native 1/4" adapter, the resulting mass threatens destructive leverage to smaller audio jacks if it gets bumped. Sennheiser ought to make this unit available with the reverse configuration for those who prefer to use it with iPods and other portable devices.

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mcattack86 from AL

Member Since
Jun 2005

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User has 2 Months of experience with this product

Great sounding, but leak sound

Strengths:

Exceptional sound quality, quite comfortable, all wires concealed inside headphones

Weaknesses:

A little loud for everyone around you, input cord is NOT removeable, plug-in is 1/4"

Posted Jul 16, 2006 - I bought a pair of the Sennheiser EH2270 Evolution headphones and they were excellent...until they broke. The right headphone would not produce any sound. I had them for about 8 months and fortunately they were still under warranty. Sennheiser sent me this pair as a replacement since the EH2270's were discontinued. The sound is very similar to the EH2270's. It is a big step up from the cheap Sony MDRQ22LP headphones I originally had. I use these for personal listening - I'm not a DJ or music producer - and usually listen to hard rock. All other reviews I've read say all Sennheiser headphones are mainly suited for classical music, but I think they sound great for my genre. I can set the equalizer to any settings and still get uninterrupted playback. The EH2270's would pop/click whenever I had the equalizer on "rock" and force me to turn it off. The bass also has a positively noticeable difference in comparison. The HD555's are very comfortable in my opinion, although the material makes the top of my head itch from time to time. The earphones are very comfortable though, much better material than the EH2270's, which tended to sweat after extended periods of use. They are very stylish too, the design makes them look compact and not bulky like other models. It seems like it is built to last - very sturdy - and there are no loose wires like the EH2270's (probably why they broke). All other reviews talk about a huge difference in sound quality between open and closed headphones - how open headphones have a fuller sound - but I don't agree. They all sound the same, especially for this pricerange. From a personal-use point of view, these headphones suit my needs perfectly for under 100 bucks.

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rohan66 from GA

Member Since
May 2004

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User has 6 Months of experience with this product

Investment you won't Regret

Strengths:

Comfort, sound quality, Long cord

Weaknesses:

Portability-not really a weakness

Posted Dec 31, 2005 - I purchased the HD555 after much deliberation (price) for use with my Ipod and home system. I considered a variety of Bose and Sony products. None compared. The sound is crisp and clear and the bass is not overwhelming. I listen to many genre ranging from Jazz, Reggae, R&B, some Rock, and Gospel. Sound is phenomenal! I did not and still don't understand the "break in" period. They continue to sound better with more usage. The size and portability is not an issue for me since I use these solely at home. I would not recommend jogging in these. The HD555 are great with the Ipod, but are even better connected to my Laptop (HP zd 7000), more so plugged directly into my home systems Sony CD player, and even better plugged into my Harmon Kardon AV240 receiver. I have no experience with Sennheisers customer service, but understand they are excellent from others who have had dealings with them. In a nutshell, buy these headsets, you won't regret it!

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ckt20 from TX

Member Since
Oct 2005

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Good Headphone

Strengths:

very comforatble, good sound quality

Weaknesses:

No so far

Posted Oct 20, 2005 - I have considered the headphones between Bose's and this one. Therefore, I think HD555 has a wonderful price and quility. Bose Also is a good headphone, but the price is very high for me. After that I bought HD555.

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Prim8Pal

Member Since
Jul 2005

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User has 3 Days of experience with this product

Strengths:

Very comfortable despite the bulky size. Excellent sound.

Weaknesses:

Looks a bit large and clumsy

Posted Sep 17, 2005 - I was a bit nervous paying so much for these headphones while never having listened to them (these days stereo stores don't have sample headphones to test out). I was surprised when I got them because they looked somewhat large and clumsy. However, once I tried them on they felt light for their size, and the velour pads made it comfortable to listen to music for long periods of time. The sounds seems sharp without being too overwhelming in either bass or treble. They seem to do a pretty good job in shielding outside noises as well (although I only wear them at home). Overall I'm glad I spent a bit more than I intended to get these and I'm quite happy with the purchase. It was important to me to get something with easily replaceable parts, as my previous headsetss all had problems with the vinyl or foam on the earpieces eventually distintegrating.

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memoman88

Member Since
Jan 2003

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User has 5 Days of experience with this product

Amazing Open Supra-aural Headphones!

Strengths:

Comfort-amazing Sound-incredible, realistic reproduction Durability, replacable parts, repairs from Sennheiser USA aren't too expensive, new design is quite attractive

Weaknesses:

Non-removable OFC cabling (unless you want to take it apart, check the manual on how to do that), non-folding design (which isn't necessary given the focus on home-use), only a two-year warranty

Posted Aug 27, 2005 - I'll just expand on some ideas from the strengths section. The weaknesses are self-explanatory and if you're looking at these you probably know all of them already and opted for them because you don't need folding headphones. Strengths: Comfort: The velour earpads are comfortable for extended periods even with my glasses. You could forget you're wearing them, if only it weren't for the beautiful sound coming out of them. Sound: I went to Flanner's AV and compared them to the HD-580's, and a variety of Sony headphones (closed and open) and the difference between the HD-555 and the HD-580 was noticable but not necessarily bad. The HD-580's sound a little different, as the frequency responce curves say they should but I wouldn't say the HD-555's have inferior sound by any means. No comparison to the closed-cup designs--the HD-555's blew them away. Sony's open designs weren't as comfortable as these were, at least in initial use. The speakers in each ear are pointed at the outer ear and give more natural sound with a greater soundstage-ideal for concert listening. I previously owned the HD-570's and find these to sound slightly better. Design: The one-sided attachment for each earpiece is really a lot sturdier than it looks. It feels sturdy and, though I haven't beat the heck out of mine, they have survived multiple drops, though this should be expected out of headphones for this price. In Summary: At $115 or so after shipping they are the best sounding headphones I've heard. Sure, there are better sounding headphones but they either cost more or aren't as comfortable (which is a big deal when you want to listen to your favorite music and movies). You can't go wrong with these cans at this price.

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beethozart from MI

Member Since
Nov 2003

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User has 11 Days of experience with this product

I like the design very much. A nice and fit curve ...

Strengths:

very comforatble, good sound quality for the price

Weaknesses:

sound leak, a bit heavy, need 1/4 to 1/8 converter, but it comes with the package

Posted Dec 18, 2004 - I like the design very much. A nice and fit curve of the earcup offers extra comfort. The velour paddings are very soft. After doing some research, the bass on this HD555 ($50 more than HD515) has much better definition and the treble is crisp and clean. Not too forward. The bass is great. Bass is deep and strong. For me, this is the experience I've been looking for. This phone is very nice for the price. This is the best choice for this price range. After breaking in for 100 hours, the sound quality has got a little bit better, enough to be noticeable.

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Gandhim3 from TX

Member Since
Aug 2004

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User has 1 Weeks of experience with this product

I purchased these phones for listening to my iPod ...

Strengths:

Amazing sound, quality materials, fit and finish. Very light weight for their size. Sound fine with my iPod

Weaknesses:

No so far - still need some break in time

Posted Aug 25, 2004 - I purchased these phones for listening to my iPod and watching DVDs on my home theater. The sound is amazingly detail. I have encoded my MP3s at 192kbps or higher, and all the details in the song that I never previously heard with the crappy signature white headphones that came with the iPod I can now hear distinctly and clearly with the HD555s. Best of all, I do not need a headphone amp as they run just fine powered directly through the iPOd. They are also great for watching DVDs and playing computer games with on those times when you do not want to disturb anyone else with your entertainment. As good as these sounds, they will only get better once they "break-in" so I am looking forward to that. The quality of construction and materials is top notch, as they should be for this price range. Bottom line, they are worth the price of admission.

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Sennheiser HD 555 Headphones

Open Air, 112 dB, 9.1 oz - MPN: HD555

Very good, depending on your taste and what you will use them for . . .

Great sound, great comfort

Incredible, absolutely amazing phones

Good sound, some shortcomings

Great sounding, but leak sound

Investment you won't Regret

Good Headphone