Back to Back: Introducing the HD 550

[jbarrentine]

Please Sennheiser, do a limited run HD600 kitchen countertop marble in 2027 (30th anniv.).

One that doesn't peel over time.

I've never heard of them peeling. Mine have been fine for 10 years now.

 

[ericpalonen]

I've never heard of them peeling. Mine have been fine for 10 years now.

20+ for mine

 

[zilax002]

Thx for the remarks! The thing about the 600 series chassis is that it was never designed to support a closed headphone, never mind one at scale. Otherwise it would have been done.

That said, closed headphones generally have more clamp force to encourage a good coupling to the head. The tension found in the 620S and 550/505 are different (the latter of course being more tame). All round the newer 500 models are more polite than their predecessors while being more engaging... both from a comfort and sound perspective.

Indeed!

I appreciate the clamp of the 620S since it gives me a much better seal than other closed backs and I don't lose as much bass, which has been a real problem with other headphones. So I appreciate the purpose the clamp serves in that context!

Very nice to have open backs with less clamp though

I'm looking forward to getting my 550 unit in early April hopefully!

 

[Rainblind]

Has anybody done / seen the comparison measurements of HD 550 and 660s2?

 

[ericpalonen]

Has anybody done / seen the comparison measurements of HD 550 and 660s2?

I presume you don't want my comparisons but we've got another week or so until they start arriving on doorsteps and I don't want to leave you hanging.

I'm happy to walk you through the technical specifications and sound profile for each, but want to encourage the rest of the community to chime in once they get their 550s.

From the highest level, an audiophile will noticed that the 660S2 is warmer with a very engaging resonant frequency for thump. I would argue the 550 leans neutral but has a little warmth in just the low end. Also the soundstage is panoramic on the 550 whereas the 660S2 imaging, while still pretty engaging, is not nearly as dramatic. Clamp force is more relaxed on the 550 and there are some other build differences (materials, single-sided versus dual entry cable, baffle etc)... The transducers inside are of course different.

We publish charts on the product pages but keep it at frequency response. You will see the measurement folks chime in with their focused measurements regarding channel balancing, thd, impedance-weighted response once they have time to test.

The overall impedance spec is different to and I think that it makes the 550 a bit more versatile when it comes to achieving a similar sound on multiple devices. Like all 600 series, the S2 has a chameleon like quality and is quite fun to experiment with different combinations of amplifiers and tube ecosystems. Not that the 550 isn't fun to experiment with but I think of the S2 is an actor, it will give you more "range".

I keep both on me so if you have any particular questions please let me know! Like you, I am looking forward to the community comparisons, as you will get far more heads ears and rigs to compare/contrast

 

[silver2nd]

I presume you don't want my comparisons but we've got another week or so until they start arriving on doorsteps and I don't want to leave you hanging.

I'm happy to walk you through the technical specifications and sound profile for each, but want to encourage the rest of the community to chime in once they get their 550s.

From the highest level, an audiophile will noticed that the 660S2 is warmer with a very engaging resonant frequency for thump. I would argue the 550 leans neutral but has a little warmth in just the low end. Also the soundstage is panoramic on the 550 whereas the 660S2 imaging, while still pretty engaging, is not nearly as dramatic. Clamp force is more relaxed on the 550 and there are some other build differences (materials, single-sided versus dual entry cable, baffle etc)... The transducers inside are of course different.

We publish charts on the product pages but keep it at frequency response. You will see the measurement folks chime in with their focused measurements regarding channel balancing, thd, impedance-weighted response once they have time to test.

The overall impedance spec is different to and I think that it makes the 550 a bit more versatile when it comes to achieving a similar sound on multiple devices. Like all 600 series, the S2 has a chameleon like quality and is quite fun to experiment with different combinations of amplifiers and tube ecosystems. Not that the 550 isn't fun to experiment with but I think of the S2 is an actor, it will give you more "range".

I keep both on me so if you have any particular questions please let me know! Like you, I am looking forward to the community comparisons, as you will get far more heads ears and rigs to compare/contrast

Thank you for the explanation.
I just have a question.
When Sennheiser say the HD550 or hd505 are entry level, are they referring to their prices or their performance, compared to the HD600 and HD650 for example.
Thank you in advance.

 

[ericpalonen]

Thank you for the explanation.
I just have a question.
When Sennheiser say the HD550 or hd505 are entry level, are they referring to their prices or their performance, compared to the HD600 and HD650 for example.
Thank you in advance.

Great question. Don't mind the slight philosophical monologue here lol. Inside our Head-Fi ecosystem, it's fair to say these are entry level, as we are used to more significant purchases that give us better sound quality than everyday headphones/earbuds. For many average consumers, spending more than $100-$200 on a wired headphone is still uncharted territory, but a well-researched purchase can unlock a lot of fun in this hobby. Someone looking to get into audiophile listening has some expectations that mirror those of the seasoned audiophile: detail, imaging, comfort, and accuracy in tonal balance.

I say all that to reinforce the notion that the seasoned audiophile has a better understanding of what they are looking for when it comes to personal preference, and has a well-trained ear for those traits. Entry-level can be about price, performance, or a combination of both (usually the latter). The 600 series has, for most discussions, a more capable transducer system (it's always much more than just the driver) but indeed costs more to produce. In that simple relationship alone you have established both a price and performance tier. For those new to the game, yes, the HD 600 series unlocks a lot of listening enjoyment, but could be a bit steep for some (especially if you want to pair it with an amp or DACamp).


These days, tiers have become a bit more relative to an audiophile's own personal ecosystems, but when it comes to bringing in new faces to the hobby, it's a bit clearer that there's a good/better/best. As the markets (and resulting portfolios of product) evolve, these tiers will continue to shift. If we step away from the painting, the last 10-15 years are radically different than the decade before it (streaming, IEMs, dongle life, gaming overlap, source/amp synergy), but seasoned audiophiles have all evolved along with it (even though we're all still hunting those core expectations). To someone new? Wow, what a buffet!!!! lol

 

[silver2nd]

Great question. Don't mind the slight philosophical monologue here lol. Inside our Head-Fi ecosystem, it's fair to say these are entry level, as we are used to more significant purchases that give us better sound quality than everyday headphones/earbuds. For many average consumers, spending more than $100-$200 on a wired headphone is still uncharted territory, but a well-researched purchase can unlock a lot of fun in this hobby. Someone looking to get into audiophile listening has some expectations that mirror those of the seasoned audiophile: detail, imaging, comfort, and accuracy in tonal balance.

I say all that to reinforce the notion that the seasoned audiophile has a better understanding of what they are looking for when it comes to personal preference, and has a well-trained ear for those traits. Entry-level can be about price, performance, or a combination of both (usually the latter). The 600 series has, for most discussions, a more capable transducer system (it's always much more than just the driver) but indeed costs more to produce. In that simple relationship alone you have established both a price and performance tier. For those new to the game, yes, the HD 600 series unlocks a lot of listening enjoyment, but could be a bit steep for some (especially if you want to pair it with an amp or DACamp).


These days, tiers have become a bit more relative to an audiophile's own personal ecosystems, but when it comes to bringing in new faces to the hobby, it's a bit clearer that there's a good/better/best. As the markets (and resulting portfolios of product) evolve, these tiers will continue to shift. If we step away from the painting, the last 10-15 years are radically different than the decade before it (streaming, IEMs, dongle life, gaming overlap, source/amp synergy), but seasoned audiophiles have all evolved along with it (even though we're all still hunting those core expectations). To someone new? Wow, what a buffet!!!! lol

Wow great answer.
You just described me when you said knowing what they are looking for.
The reason I asked is because, me personally I'm talking not about everyone, I own a big collection of headphones it's a bless for sure
But all the time I default to headphones that aren't necessarily the most expensive.
HD 650, ie600, etc.
Which is the reason why I'm super excited to listen to the HD 550.
As you eluded in your very precise and insightful reply, for me the tiers are flexible, it depends on what I perceive to give me the best performance.
Very good response thank you.
I don't know how advanced and capable the drivers are in the hd550 but if the hd560s is anything to go by then it's super capable for sure.

 

[ericpalonen]

Wow great answer.
You just described me when you said knowing what they are looking for.
The reason I asked is because, me personally I'm talking not about everyone, I own a big collection of headphones it's a bless for sure
But all the time I default to headphones that aren't necessarily the most expensive.
HD 650, ie600, etc.
Which is the reason why I'm super excited to listen to the HD 550.
As you eluded in your very precise and insightful reply, for me the tiers are flexible, it depends on what I perceive to give me the best performance.
Very good response thank you.
I don't know how advanced and capable the drivers are in the hd550 but if the hd560s is anything to go by then it's super capable for sure.

Well thanks for the great question! From an engineering and technical perspective the 550 transducer is more capable than that of the 560S. It has to do with the voice coil, the membrane, and the baffle... The combination yields a sound that is neutral but still engaging. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it for certain.

I'm not bashful about this: as much as I love HE 1, HD 800S, etc, I have soooo much fun with our HD 550, IE 200, 620S, etc and the various combo rigs from around the industry. The 550 will go down as a special can for its flexibility and magical balancing act of tuning.

 

[silver2nd]

Well thanks for the great question! From an engineering and technical perspective the 550 transducer is more capable than that of the 560S. It has to do with the voice coil, the membrane, and the baffle... The combination yields a sound that is neutral but still engaging. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it for certain.

I'm not bashful about this: as much as I love HE 1, HD 800S, etc, I have soooo much fun with our HD 550, IE 200, 620S, etc and the various combo rigs from around the industry. The 550 will go down as a special can for its flexibility and magical balancing act of tuning.

I'm very excited to hear them for sure.
I love the hd620s too.
That why I said Sennheiser been doing great recently one great release after another.
Again thank you for your reply.

 

[Rainblind]

I presume you don't want my comparisons but we've got another week or so until they start arriving on doorsteps and I don't want to leave you hanging.

I'm happy to walk you through the technical specifications and sound profile for each, but want to encourage the rest of the community to chime in once they get their 550s.

From the highest level, an audiophile will noticed that the 660S2 is warmer with a very engaging resonant frequency for thump. I would argue the 550 leans neutral but has a little warmth in just the low end. Also the soundstage is panoramic on the 550 whereas the 660S2 imaging, while still pretty engaging, is not nearly as dramatic. Clamp force is more relaxed on the 550 and there are some other build differences (materials, single-sided versus dual entry cable, baffle etc)... The transducers inside are of course different.

We publish charts on the product pages but keep it at frequency response. You will see the measurement folks chime in with their focused measurements regarding channel balancing, thd, impedance-weighted response once they have time to test.

The overall impedance spec is different to and I think that it makes the 550 a bit more versatile when it comes to achieving a similar sound on multiple devices. Like all 600 series, the S2 has a chameleon like quality and is quite fun to experiment with different combinations of amplifiers and tube ecosystems. Not that the 550 isn't fun to experiment with but I think of the S2 is an actor, it will give you more "range".

I keep both on me so if you have any particular questions please let me know! Like you, I am looking forward to the community comparisons, as you will get far more heads ears and rigs to compare/contrast

Ah! Maybe my question was too strictly focused on measurements - of course I am interested in any substantive comparison of these two models, thank you very much for this answer. So do I understand correctly that the sound profile of the HD 550 is somewhere between the 660s2 and the HD 560s? I love the 660s2 in most styles of music (especially electric blues & jazz and classic rock), but there is one type of music where their calm upper midrange does not quite work for me - I mean contemporary music written for large orchestral ensembles. Then there is a lack of detail and some important part of the orchestral energy is too weakened.. However, when I used the 560s and the new version of the HD 600, their treble range was too sharp for me. So do you think there is a chance that the HD 550 will do better here?

 

[ericpalonen]

the sound profile of the HD 550 is somewhere between the 660s2 and the HD 560s?

I had not thought of it like this but actually (mostly) agree. I think an HD 650/560S comparison is more apt, but to a degree your "blend" is on target. The 660S2 bass is indeed warmer than the 550 and a bit thicc'er. The 550 is more polite with a lighter touch all around ("polight"? Lol)

 

[Rainblind]

@ericpalonen Thank you! So I have to give them a shot in the near future.

 

[Digital Enigma]

I agree with what you said.
But you can also think of it in a different way.
I think maybe the HD 600 chassis is acoustically limited, so this is why they focus more on the HD 500 chassis.
I mean the hd620s uses the HD 500 chassis because the HD 600 chassis won't produce the desired results, according to Sennheiser themselves.
Aside from cost of course especially in this economy.
But I think it has more to do with the technical aspects.

Would be nice to see a completely new and modern chassis design at this point.

 

[silver2nd]

Would be nice to see a completely new and modern chassis design at this point.

I would love this to happen too.
But as we know Sennheiser is a big company, their production lines must be super efficient by now, as efficient as it could get.
Making a new chassis would reset those efforts, especially if it doesn't share a lot of the design or resemblance from what they have right now.
Now in this economy too I don't think it's a good idea, because that means prices would go higher, because manufacturing it wouldn't be as streamlined as what they have right now, it's going to take sometime until they get it to the same level as what they are working with at the moment.