Sennheiser HD 550 review

You can't go wrong with a pair of Sennheiser headphones for gaming. They're punchy in all the right places and lightweight enough to be comfortable over long periods, which makes them a dab hand for gaming for hours. The Sennheiser HD 550 are no different, which explains why they're also the first set of headphones Sennheiser is pitching directly to gamers outside of the company's long-lost gaming lineup.

The new HD 550 have all the makings of a top-notch Sennheiser headset. I've used the older HD 650 for years on my gaming rig and the HD 550 feel pretty familiar. That's a good thing; it has faux-velour ear pads that feel the same on your ear and these are attached to largely-open metal mesh ear cups for the full open-back experience.

If you're new to the world of high-quality headphones, open-back refers to the rear of the earcup being open, usually with a metal mesh as is the case here, to offer a wide and airy soundstage. This tends to result in a more natural sound than the alternative, closed-back. Closed-back headphones do have their benefits. They're naturally adept for noise isolation and suffer less sound leakage and that makes them better for noisy environments or taking out of the house, but they're not as conducive to long-term easy-listening as open-back.

As a pair of wired, open-back headphones with a mid-to-high impedance, the HD 550 aren't going to be great for taking outside. You could drive them easily enough with a compact amp, but your next Steam Deck headphones, these are not. They are mostly aimed at the desktop crowd, and sitting at a desk is where you'll get the most out of them for gaming.

Coming with a 1.8-metre cable and a 3.5 mm jack, you don't have to worry about compatibility with a wide-range of devices. It'll plug into the back of your gaming PC just fine, or via the front panel (though I'd always recommend the direct rear connection). This cable terminates in a single connection on the headset, a twist-to-lock jack connection, which is one of the key differentiators from the HD 650 with a connection on either earcup. The HD 650 also includes a lengthier 3-metre cable.

A dedicated amp is preferable for pushing these headphones. In which case, the included 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm adapter comes in handy. I've hooked the HD 550 up to my Schiit Magni and Modi stack for testing, but you needn't bother with all that if you don't want to spend the extra cash. You can make do with a lot less and get similar results. I've used these plugged in direct to my motherboard and they're easily loud enough to game with.

I've pushed them close to an uncomfortable volume through my motherboard but it wasn't possible to go any higher than that. I'm a bit cautious about listening at high volume levels and this was just about bearable. So, basically, if you really like to crank the audio, you will likely need an amp. Otherwise you're probably all good.

The HD 550 sound great. Look to the frequency response charts provided by Sennheiser and you can see a slight extension on the lower bass frequencies compared to the HD 599 and that is noticeable even compared to the HD 650s. It's still a Sennheiser headset, however, so you shouldn't expect thumping bass to rattle your bones. It's a subtle change for a little more punch at the low-end, but noticeable enough when switching between the HD 550 and HD 650.

Though what's also noticeable is the slightly scratchier treble response on the HD 550. While listening to All I Need by Maribou State, it's only subtle, but in the more lively Round To Ya Speaker by Anaïs, it makes for a touch more uncomfortable listening. That's maybe more of a compliment to just how easy listening the HD 650 are. Perhaps that's to do with openness of the earcup on the HD 550, which is slightly reduced by a layer of foam and a smaller mesh compared to the larger, foam-free HD 650. Though with different drivers (38 mm vs 42 mm), it's tough to put it down to just one thing.

This isn't a detriment to playing games with the HD 550. It's pretty engrossing in something like Hunt: Showdown. Fire a powerful rifle and the sound cuts through the hubbub of the zombie-infested world a lot more on the HD 550 compared to the HD 650. The HD 550 is great for this sort of game.

That's a pretty specific picture but, more broadly, the HD 550 sounds fantastic. The mid-range is absolutely top-notch for whatever you throw at it, and it doesn't feel particularly lacking in bass response, either.

Onto comfort and it's no surprise that this lightweight headset doesn't wear on you over prolonged periods of time. Sennheiser has it at 237 grams and so do I—bang-on measurement there, Sennheiser—and that airy frame means the plush padding doesn't need to do much to stay comfy. It is pretty plush nonetheless, with those faux-velour ear pads and leatherette-clad headband cushion.

The headband cushion is the one place where this headset slightly loses out to the HD 650 in my books, which is a better fit on my head for its tapered cushioning, but that might just be me. The weight of the HD 550 prevent this from becoming any more of an issue, however. They're still very comfy.

Onto pricing and the HD 550 is pretty darn affordable by audiophile standards at $300/£250/€300. That's a lot compared to some of the best gaming headsets, and the lack of mic might be a dealbreaker for some, but we're talking a pair of headphones here, and for a multitude of reasons you might want to pick these up over your usual fare. The main one being sound quality and comfort.

But the Sennheiser does have competition in this space. There's the Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro that our Andy, a professional audio buff in a previous life, really raved about in his review. Those come with a mic for $330/€300. Then there are the Audeze Maxwell, which come with Planar Magnetic drivers, and I don't want to overlook those for both listening to music and playing games—they're great for both with a superb bass response.

And then there's the Drop + Epos PC38X, which I reviewed a few years ago, also from the Sennheiser stable. EPOS, now defunct, was Sennheiser Gaming once upon a time. It's all very complicated, and nowadays even headphones like the HD 550 are actually made under license by a company called Sonova. Anyway, the PC38X come with a microphone and really impressive neutral drivers for a lot less cash, originally around $135, though since they're going away, they seem to be less widely available and cost more. They might be out of the running entirely soon.

But the biggest competition to the Sennheiser HD 550? Well, the thing with high-quality headphones is the oldies are still great. They don't really go out of fashion. The HD 550 are $300, the HD 560S are $200, the HD 650 are $476, and the HD 600 are $355. Of the lot, it's tough to ignore the very capable and very similar HD 560S for $100 less.

It's tougher for the HD 550 in the UK. The HD 650 are just £229. Yep, that's actually lower than the HD 550, and I find myself reaching for the HD 650 more often out of preference. To make matters worse, the HD 560S are, bewilderingly, only £99. That's a ridiculously low price for a pair of very similar headphones, and it's not the first time those headphones have sat that low. While you'll find varying opinions on whether the HD 560S scratches that audiophile itch for everyone, it's tough to ignore for that reduction in price.

The price really is the sole sticking point with the HD 550. An all-round impressive pair of headphones that are an adept go-between for listening to music and gaming, hampered almost entirely by a launch price that isn't entirely grounded in the current market. At least it does feel like Sennheiser has nailed the formula for its mid-range offering with this set. With a good enough discount, I'd absolutely pick up a pair of the HD 550.