[Rocksteady]

Thought I'd start a thread for these.
 
I have them now and impressions are pretty good so far. Seems like they're built well. They don't make creaky noises when adjusting them like the SRH750DJ. They still have the flat top/square head syndrome though, so that's kind of a bummer. The ear pads are pretty comfy so far. I'll have to see how they hold up over time. I haven't had them on long. I did a little experimenting and the 750dj pads fit right on. The cable is straight with a simple y-split. It has the two cables stuck together after the y-split and the jack is like the 750dj, 840,etc. Love the color and they look really good except for the flat top/square head thing I mentioned earlier.
 
I haven't done much listening, but out of the box they sound pretty good so far. Warmish and smooth and not as bright or edgy as the hd25 or 750dj. Maybe the sound will change over time. I'll have to listen more. I have an E9, touch4g, clip and fuze I could use these with.
 
Right now I'm seeing some potential for these. Perhaps swapping the 750dj drivers into this headband? Most of my listening has been done with the 750dj pads on. The overall construction really seems like and improvement over the 750djs, which was my major concern about these.
 
I'll be adding pics, more impressions and maybe a review as I add updates.
 
Update #1: added some photos
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

I like the "warmish" and "smooth" comment so these could possibly be more to my liking than say 750DJ for example as I like warm and neutral to slightly dark sounding highs. What about bass, more or less than 750DJ and is it like more punchy/fast or deep/soft/slow/rumbling?
 
I thought the headband looked more round on 550DJ compared to 750DJ on pictures at least. Headphone.com's got it listed now but they haven't reviewed it yet, looking forward to that if we could get a frequency response graph of it to compare against 750DJs...
 
At least I think it looks much rounder comparing these pics http://www.headphone.com/productphotos/large/0020330550_6516.jpg and http://www.headphone.com/productphotos/large/0020330750_5079.jpg and 550DJ's headband looks to be about as round as on other headphones and definitely less wide than on 750DJ.

 

[Trikky99]

I hope to see a comparison between this and the 750 after burn in.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Would be nice if you also could try compare the stock pads to the 750DJs pads if it changes the sound any.

 

[Rocksteady]

I updated my original post with pics.
Quote:

I like the "warmish" and "smooth" comment so these could possibly be more to my liking than say 750DJ for example as I like warm and neutral to slightly dark sounding highs. What about bass, more or less than 750DJ and is it like more punchy/fast or deep/soft/slow/rumbling?
 
I thought the headband looked more round on 550DJ compared to 750DJ on pictures at least. Headphone.com's got it listed now but they haven't reviewed it yet, looking forward to that if we could get a frequency response graph of it to compare against 750DJs...
 
At least I think it looks much rounder comparing these pics http://www.headphone.com/productphotos/large/0020330550_6516.jpg and http://www.headphone.com/productphotos/large/0020330750_5079.jpg and 550DJ's headband looks to be about as round as on other headphones and definitely less wide than on 750DJ.

Right now I would say that there is slightly less bass than the 750dj and it is more on the deep/soft/slow/rumbling side. Not punchy or fast like how the hd25 is. The parts of the frequency spectrum that are standing out are actually the lower mids. Vocals are forward but not thin sounding. I added some photos of the 550dj and the 750dj side by side for comparisons. I think that the problems with their headbands are that their mechanisms for size adjustment and swiveling are too far up towards the top. If it were lower, then that would make a longer headband portion and allow it to better conform to the wearer's head.

 
Quote:

I hope to see a comparison between this and the 750 after burn in.

 
Right now I would say that they are pretty much as advertised. The 750dj is more for monitoring and the 550dj is more for personal listening. 550dj is more laid back while the 750dj is more dynamic and "fun" sounding, all while still resolving a little bit more. I hope the sound reproduction of the 550dj can catch up towards the 750dj more. Maybe its the earpads? More time is needed to better answer this.
 
Quote:

Would be nice if you also could try compare the stock pads to the 750DJs pads if it changes the sound any.

 
My 750dj pads are pretty worn out at the moment. Earlier I just checked to see if they would fit and did some light listening. I think I will have to order a couple of new pairs for my shures. If you didn't know, the 750dj pads harden over time. I felt that this also slightly changes the sound. It's kind of a hassle but imho not a dealbreaker, but something to consider. From what I can tell so far, there are no significant changes in sound. I imagine the 750dj pads sets the drivers closer to the ear and the 550dj further, making some slight changes to the soundstage. The 750dj earpads might also provide more clarity and of course they have a larger opening. I'm really not sure right now, I'll have to do more listening. Whats nice is that the 750dj pads pretty much convert the 550djs to circum-aural headphones. The stock earpads are making my ears warm, and I've always found circum-aurals to be more comfy. Isolation is good though. I really need to find myself a pair of new 750dj earpads now.

 

[LizardKing1]

Quote:

 
My 750dj pads are pretty worn out at the moment. Earlier I just checked to see if they would fit and did some light listening. I think I will have to order a couple of new pairs for my shures. If you didn't know, the 750dj pads harden over time. I felt that this also slightly changes the sound. It's kind of a hassle but imho not a dealbreaker, but something to consider. From what I can tell so far, there are no significant changes in sound. I imagine the 750dj pads sets the drivers closer to the ear and the 550dj further, making some slight changes to the soundstage. The 750dj earpads might also provide more clarity and of course they have a larger opening. I'm really not sure right now, I'll have to do more listening. Whats nice is that the 750dj pads pretty much convert the 550djs to circum-aural headphones. The stock earpads are making my ears warm, and I've always found circum-aurals to be more comfy. Isolation is good though. I really need to find myself a pair of new 750dj earpads now.

Use blue-and-white soap (I don't know what you call it in America), it's basically a neutral pH soap which won't react badly with the leather (I'm still convinced the SRH750's pads are real leather). Just use a wet cloth, rub it on the soap, then on the pads for about 30 seconds, then with another wet cloth clean it off. This absorbs the grease from our skin that is accumulating on the pads, making them crack. Trust me first time I did this I noticed a huge change, they became much softer, like right out of the box.

 

[Rocksteady]

@LizardKing1, Thanks for the heads up. However, I'm pretty sure there's no way for these pads to be like new. They've been due for a change for awhile now. I'll remember your tip once I get replacements though. Thanks again.
 
 

 

[bcasey25raptor]

wow you have both. i wish i had both but i cannot get the shure 550dj yet.

is it cheaper then the 750dj? and i read that you mentioned they have more emphesis on the mids. does this mean its better for rock? thanks. glad to hear your results after burn in. good luck.

 
oh and i disagree on build quality of the 750dj's they seem well built to me.

 

[LizardKing1]

Well I have to agree that the constant creaking of the joints is anoying, although this makes it harder for the cups to swivel and move around your head, they stay firmly in place. If they managed to fix the creaking noises and the flat headband when building the SRH550, Kudos to Shure!

 

[Rocksteady]

I've had these for about a month now and I think it's safe to say that they have been burned in. I'm really liking these headphones. Here's a frequency graph I found:
 

 
This graph and the graphs they have for some of my other headphones match my observations pretty closely. I've been using the 750dj earpads. I feel like they open and brighten up the sound a little. So they go from slightly warmish to sounding more neutral to my ears. The earpads improve clarity, focus and widen the image/soundstage slightly. The best part is that they are way more comfortable with than the ordinary earpads. I really like the way these headphones sound now. Bass is linear, mids are articulate and the highs are smooth. All together very cohesive sounding.

 

[swbf2cheater]

I'd love to give these a try but man they still seem so large for a DJ set.  They headband angle is still almost the same as the 750dj which I am guessing leaves gaps on the sides of your head, radar dish style.  Man, what dj would ever want to wear these?   I'm sure they sound awesome, but man thats upsetting that they put 0 effort into a better design.  Everything is virtually the same, just 5% smaller.  :\

 

[ourfpshero]

Quote:

wow you have both. i wish i had both but i cannot get the shure 550dj yet.

is it cheaper then the 750dj? and i read that you mentioned they have more emphesis on the mids. does this mean its better for rock? thanks. glad to hear your results after burn in. good luck.

 
oh and i disagree on build quality of the 750dj's they seem well built to me.

my 750s cracked on me on one of the sliding adjusters. the 750 feels like a low quality piece of junk. even before the break i have never heard such a creaky headphone! extreme disappointment. this is sad considering the other full size headphones are built so well. the drivers went into a corsair headset (seller was understanding a made me a deal)
 

 

[swbf2cheater]

Yea, I am very saddened by this.  Unless the set is absolutely free or they gift me one and pay me to use it...thats really the only way I would ever use it heh....and even then it would just end up sitting on my headphones stand being unused.  Shure dropped the ball on the new 940 and 550.    

 

[jerg]

The SRH750DJ which is larger could not fit my head properly even with both extenders extended (the two drivers can't actually rest on my ears straight). This model, being smaller (according to swbf2cheater), would be even worse.

 

[swbf2cheater]

Well, I never said that.  I only spoke of the headband being the same angel and size, the only difference is its width at the top of the headband.   It looks a bit skinnier but its literally the same everything.  The earpads were stiff as a rock, but due to the lack of clamp on the 750dj, it was still comfortable.  Just too big to be a DJ set, WAY TOO BIG.  No real dj would ever wear this for hours during a session.  Even the 550 looks too big, and man look at the earpads!! they look thinner than the 750dj!!! epic fail :[
 
but im sure they sound fantastic despite it heh, the 750dj sounded excellent