Sennheiser HD 555

...Introduction ==

Sennheiser are a well known name in the music industry in terms for high quality, producing mainly headphones and microphones, both for businesses and personal use.

The HD555s are one of Sennheiser's "audiophile" offerings according to the website, sitting between the HD515 and the HD595.

Currently selling for £69.99, these are hardly the cheapest headphones, but with so many rave ...
...needed though - why don't Sennheiser offer a shorter cable? The only place to get them pre-made is through audiophile websites, and these sites are hardly cheap - $70 for a cable?

These negative points aside, I was still very much looking forward to trying them out, so I connected them up to my PC...

== Testing ==

To test them, I decided to play 3 very different tracks, from a variety of genres.

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Introduction

Sennheiser are a well known name in the music industry in terms for high quality, producing mainly headphones and microphones, both for businesses and personal use.

The HD555s are one of Sennheiser's "audiophile" offerings according to the website, sitting between the HD515 and the HD595.

Currently selling for £69.99, these are hardly the cheapest headphones, but with so many rave reviews around I decided it was worth at least trying them out.

Features

Most of the headphones specifications go straight over my head, so instead I'll quote the features list:

" * Enjoy music in a completely new way: “Eargonomic acoustic refinement” (E.A.R.) design channels the audio signal directly into your ears
* Advanced Duofol diaphragm technology almost eliminates standing waves inside the capsule
* Optimized neodymium ferrous magnet systems
* Outstanding wearing comfort for long listening sessions
* Long life due to easily replaceable parts
* Lightweight aluminium voice coils for high efficiency and excellent dynamics
* Extremely comfortable velour ear pads
* Surround reflector for an extremely spatial sound reproduction"

There are a couple of specification points which I do want to point out though.

The first is the cable length of 3m - I plan on using the HD555s both on the go and in my room, and 3m is quite long...

Second is the fact these are open-ear headphones - this is quite important. Closed ear headphones will let in, and out, far less noise, so if you want something that you can listen to in busy or silent areas (such as on a train or in a library) these are not highly recommended.

The Headphones

The headphones come in a box much larger than them with a clamshell design, with the HD555s right in the middle. The first thing you'll notice is the size; they are quite big, but not huge.

The next thing I noticed was the padding - there is some around both of the ears, and some more just under the headband, and its very, very soft. Like cotton wool. Lovely.

Upon taking them out of the packaging I noticed the size of the cable - it's definitely not short. It's also relatively thick. The connector, by default, is a 6.3mm stereo connector, such as the one you'd find on guitar amps. While a 3.5mm adapter is supplied along with the headphones, this pushes the total length of the connector up to well over 5cm. Not a problem for a computer, but very awkward for on the go.

It isn't possible to buy a new, shorter cable from Sennheiser, although they do have instructions on how to remove the cable. If you, or someone you know, is good at soldering, producing a new cable shouldn't be too hard (the headphone end of the cable has a special connector so you'd need to cut this off and solder it onto a new wire). This shouldn't be needed though - why don't Sennheiser offer a shorter cable? The only place to get them pre-made is through audiophile websites, and these sites are hardly cheap - $70 for a cable?

These negative points aside, I was still very much looking forward to trying them out, so I connected them up to my PC...

Testing

To test them, I decided to play 3 very different tracks, from a variety of genres.

The first was Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5 In C Minor: 1st Movement".

This quite simply blew me away compared to my PC speakers. The sound quality is amazing, and very crispy - each different instrument can be heard individually, while still blending together. Deep sounds sound rich and powerful, while high sounds avoid being squeaky or tinny.

The second track was something with a bit more baseline punch - Chase & Status's "Call To Prayer", a drum n' bass track.

I was a bit disappointed with this track - while the sound quality was excellent, as with the first song, there seemed to be a lot of bass simply missing. However, after playing with my EQ and upping the bass on that slightly, results were a lot better. While bass isn't extremely punchy, its definitely there, and sounds great. The main thing you notice when listening to the HD555s is their excellent sound reproduction - you really can hear every different part of the music, rather than just the end result.

The final track I listened to was something I'd listen to a bit more regularly; Static -X, "Cannibal" - heavy metal.

Setting my EQ to Rock, I quickly found myself nodding along. Bass was again slightly lacked a bit of punch, but quality was very good again.

My Opinions

Having owned these headphones for about 6 months, I feel I'm in a good position to point out both the good points and the bad points.

The good: Sound quality is extremely good, and they are very comfortable. A plus to the open ear design is that your ears don't get as sweaty as with some other headphones I've used. They are very durable, although I wouldn't like to stand on them!

The bad: Cable length essentially rules out using them on the go - there is simply too much spare cable, plus the connector gets in the way. A replacement cable from Sennheiser would be awesome, but I wouldn't expect to find one anywhere. The bass is slightly lacking, but adjusts well with the EQ. Open ear design means you can hear a lot of what goes on around you.

These headphones are definitely worth a look if your into music without wanting huge amounts of bass, or for watching movies/general usage. If you do want lots of bass, take a look at Sony's X-Bass MDR-XB700, available for the same price. 

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