Shure SRH550DJ: Reviews and Impressions
Apr 7, 2011 at 3:14 AM Post #16 of 33
I got the 750's a couple weeks ago but I'm sending them back to Best Buy this week. I don't notice any creaking when I'm wearing them but I don't care for the sound. Bass is deep but the mids are too recessed and it all feels too enclosed.... like I'm in a small room. I don't think I like closed headphones. They're incredibly uncomfortable and sweaty too.
 
Apr 7, 2011 at 5:08 AM Post #17 of 33
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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.  :\


Yes the headband itself is very similar to the 750dj, which I stated earlier is a bummer. I think its kind of unfortunate that shure is commited to this headband design. I wouldn't consider any of the shure headphones I've tried extremely comfortable. For me, they're not uncomfortable either. I returned the 840s because I found them too heavy. The 750s were lighter weight and were keepers even though they creaked. To me, the fun bassy sound easily made up for their faults. The 550djs with 750 earpads feel almost the same as the wearing the 750s, but are even lighter weight.
 
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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)
 

 
This is the the first instance I've heard of the 750dj's headband cracking. Regarding the creaky noises; yes, this was a problem with the 750djs. The 550djs don't creak as bad. They make some noise, but not as loud or outrageous as the 750's creaking. The size adjustment sliders actually feel better on the 550djs because they click into each position. Overall I would say that so far the 550djs are an improvement in build quality over the 750s. There are some things that remind me that this is a sub-$100 headphone though, like the plastic back of the earcups instead of the aluminum like on the 750s and the cable seems a little thin. I actually prefer the lighter weight thin cable though.
 
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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.   
 

 
Seems like a pretty strong statement to me, but if your really that much concerned with the whole headband situation, I guess I can see where you coming from.
 
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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.
 

 
The adjustments on the 550djs actually extend a little bit longer. They go "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 max". The 750djs goes, "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 max". The actual difference is about 1/2in. on each side.
 
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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

 
Yes, fitwise they're near identical. Max size adjustment is larger on the 550dj. The 750 headband is a little wider and the underside of the headband has a little more padding. The weight difference makes this an equal tradeoff for me. I have a preference for lightweight headphones. I don't like that heavy helmety feeling I get from some larger headphones. Do you have an example of what size your ideal DJ headphone would be?
 
The 550dj's performance is the greatest where it counts the most. Reproducing sound. I put them on, play some music and they pretty much disappear. Only the music is left. I know that this can be a matter of preference, but right now I place their sound reproduction ahead of my ms1, hd25 and the 750dj. No, they might not be for everyone and they are not perfect. I think that for the money, they are a very good set of headphones.
 
Apr 7, 2011 at 5:27 AM Post #18 of 33
Anything small is ideal for a DJ.  Just because some companies slap DJ headphones on the box or advertise them that way doesnt at all mean they are designed for DJ use heh.  Like the Ultrasone DJ1/pro for example.  The set is massive, heavy, bulky, and clunky, and you can hardly bob your head around like real DJs do with that set on.  Anything bigger than something like the phiaton ms400 and you will never see a real dj use them
 
What really upsets me is a lot of companies call them MONITORS for studio use.  Well, real studio technicians spend 12+ hours in the booth mixing and editing, no real tech would ever wear the shure 840, the m50, or anything large like that for half the day, every single day.  They all use light and comfortable sets like the DBI pro or something similar.  Even the Beyer DT series is much better for studio use and is much more acceptable for long periods of use.   
 
May 15, 2011 at 10:05 PM Post #20 of 33


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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


Got the Shure 550dj  NIB with ridiculous  discount, I did not really expect much but they are much better than I expected. Neither harsh nor sibilant on HF. Vocal is clear and smooth. Lightweight and do not put pressure on my ears. 
 
As usual, I put some Diana Krall CDs for vocal reproduction , I can say these baby are   "perfecto" for vocals  No artificial roll-off to have the wana-be-lust sound. I like them , period.
 
 
May 17, 2011 at 3:25 PM Post #21 of 33


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Got the Shure 550dj  NIB with ridiculous  discount, I did not really expect much but they are much better than I expected. Neither harsh nor sibilant on HF. Vocal is clear and smooth. Lightweight and do not put pressure on my ears. 
 
As usual, I put some Diana Krall CDs for vocal reproduction , I can say these baby are   "perfecto" for vocals  No artificial roll-off to have the wana-be-lust sound. I like them , period.
 


Updated : After three days burn-in period, the 550Dj sounds change drastically: Harsh and bright. They are nowhere near the performance of the Sony MDR v6.  Not a good pair of cans : SQ + build quality.  They were returned to seller without any remorse.
 
Jun 26, 2011 at 11:48 AM Post #25 of 33
okay after reading this I got to set the record straight. Basically, if you want to buy these, buy them AND the srh750 earpads. These are NOT AT ALL bad phones.
 
The are comfortable and sound good after you replace the stock pads with the srh750 pads. The stock pads **** the sound up really badly (more on that later).
 
Having owned the 440s and the 750s (tested for a week each; both returned: 440 not comfy, 750 too tight fit and creaky), I would say this is a cross between those two.
It does without the brightness (some ppl consider harsh) of the 440s and without the crazy bass hump of the 750s.
So the best of both worlds - a smooth sounding pair with good mids and detail and spatial imaging.
 
I've owned these for a month now and yes, they require at least 3 days of burn in with at least 12 hrs continuous sound playing through them. They're DJ headphones; they can handle it.
 
This is what I did:
 
1. Download: http://rapidshare.com/files/86309077/Bass_test_1_2__MFX150_.WAV (its from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH_sUK7hJxE&feature=channel_video_title)
 
2. Setup AIMP2 with ASIO4ALL through my laptop's Realtek HD soundcard (bought last year so its decent).
 
3. Set your volume output on windows to between 70-80% as to not damage the phones.
 
4. Play the file on loop for 12 hrs straight. Maybe rest it 5 mins every 3 hrs or 6 hrs if you want to. Do this for A WEEK if you can.
 
5. Ordered the 750's pads. (Ordering online (~$10) for me is a bitch because shipping nearly doubles the price. I live in Toronto so I ordered from Long&Mcquade for $12. Took 2 weeks.)
 
6. Enjoy!
 
How the stock 550 pads **** the sound up:
 
Looking at the pics in OP's post you can see they obviously do not cover the ear. I wear glasses - these we painful to wear for a long time and also made my ears red and warm.
The extra padding does something to the resonance of the sound which makes the bass muddy, mids harsh, highs recessed as crap. Burn in as long as you want its not going to matter.
Now putting on the 750s pads opens up everything. No more weird resonance, the highs are smooth and not recessed, mids and bass become more detailed.
 
This is what the 550s are SUPPOSED to sound like.
 
I'll be happy to answer any more questions and suggestions on things you'd like to have me test.
 
Aug 29, 2011 at 10:19 PM Post #27 of 33


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Bumping to see if anyone else has tried these, I need something to exchange for my HP700s and these are real tempting.



Well from what I see as user reviewers on best buy's website it looks bad. I would be cautious.
 
Apr 4, 2012 at 2:37 AM Post #28 of 33
I know this is a thread resurrection but can someone please give me some measurements on those 550 pads inner and outer as well as height.
 
Thanks
 
 
 
Sep 27, 2012 at 12:52 PM Post #29 of 33
Im considering if i should get the 750DJs or the 550DJS. Is the 550DJs much lighter and more convenient? How does the bass compare? Is the overall sound quality of the 750DJs much better?
 

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