Sennheiser HD-555 Audiophile Headphones

 Great headphones...Got them on right now.
I have worn these headphones for hours straight and I hardly know they are even on. They are light and comfortable. They sound incredible. The cord is super long, at first I was unsure of my feelings until I plugged them into the tv and could sit in my recliner, nice. The open air style phones allow some background noise in but if you cover the sides with your hands you can hear the effect it has. They create a great spacial sound as if the sound is coming from across the room, but accurately diverting every sound into your ear.

I can't comment on durability since I just got them a few days ago but I can say, they seem to be built to handle everyday use. I bought them mostly based on price and the reviews I read here on Amazon. Price meaning I couldn't spend a fortune on headphones, a man's gotta eat, but I will keep looking for a pile of money in my backyard so I can get some HD-600 or 650's. These will do for now.

On a special note, before you judge these headphones check your equalizer settings or examine the source of sound and use a quality music. First I put them in my laptop (which has no problem powering them) and they sounded normal (by normal I mean like inexpensive phones). This was my fault. I tweaked my settings and tried to find a few quality mp3's. Good, but not good enough. I can do better. To enjoy them put them in a reciever with great environments and even more settings. Whoa. I am now running all over the house trying to find music to listen to in a futile attempt to unleash their true potential. Beware! You will hear every pop and snap, get better quality music not poor quality headphones to hide it.

I added this special note because of a review I read where someone had a terrible experience with the HD600 I believe it was. That got me thinking. Don't blame these phones first, be sure you're trying your best to truly hear them and you wont be disappointed.

 Holy crap!!
I've written maybe three reviews online before, and they're all about things I've hated and felt the need to denounce. This will be my first positive review. I've wanted a pair of Sennheiser headphones since I was little and I put them on in an Audio King. They were so comfortable. Unfortunately, if I were to have one complaint about the 555s, it'd be that they could be less tight (although I haven't had them that long, so there may be a way to adjust that).

I write music as a hobby and have an okay set up, but my headphones were not very good. I did get a pair of the Bose Noise Cancelling headphones and although the noise was nearly eliminated, I didn't think the sound quality was much better than the $30 pair of Philips over-ear regular headphones I'd had for years. They weren't as comfortable either. I rarely listen to music through headphones where it isn't silent, except on the street (while walking), which is somewhere I'd prefer not to be hearing-impaired (car noises are important indicators in the city). So for me, noise-cancelling wasn't the right choice. If you want an amazing pair of monitors, these absolutely are just that.

You can feel the music, and I don't mean that in the way you can feel a stereo turned up too loud. It feels like you're there. The first thing I did with these was listen to an arrangement of mine to look for problems I might've missed while using my iPod headphones (I've had to use those while finding a replacement for the Bose, which I sold on eBay for the same price I bought them for!). When the bass drum hits it's clearer and more real than when I played it in my junior high band. Everything is very crisp and clear, and they do block out a little bit of noise.

These headphones are worth every penny. Words can't express the quality of the sound, so you really have to try it out if you're unsure. I think they're getting more comfortable too.

 I don't write reviews,
But oh my, this really is an exception. I'm a pretty big music fan, and like a diverse type of music. I'm mostly into digital hardcore, industrial, experimental, and some pop. So far, these headphones make every song I listen to sound even more amazing.

I really don't have much to say, I'm just very happy that I spent the money, it was WELL worth it.

 i'm in heaven...
these are the best headphones that i have ever owned. i was a bit skeptical about purchasing the sennheiser hd-555 because of the price. i was used to the under $40.00 types of headphones. but, after putting it on i'm never going back to those cheap styles ever again! the sound quality is superb. even when listening to the radio these headphones bring the songs to life. i highly recomend them.

 Superb IF you like the Senn sound... Otherwise check out the Grados or others...
Pros:
1) Clean, detailed, open soundstage - perfect for classical, jazz music forms.

2) Velour pads - quite comfortable... although not as comfortable as sound say (my Sony MDR4000s are more comfortable) - still very comfortable

3) Quality - seems to be of very high quality to me.

4) Portable player compatible - 50 ohms works with my iPod 5G. It can put out a good deal of sound. I listened umamped but I do believe these could benefit from an amplifier.

5) Plays well on a number of music genres.

Cons:
1) Not exciting or makes any song explode - it is a VERY good all around headphone - if this is your purchasing goal then spend away... if you are looking for something in this price range to blow you away then I would have to mark a contrast with the other esteemed reviewers. (FYI - this may have to do more with my like for the Grado sound signature vs. the Senn sound signature)...

2) Big headphones - not for outside, portable use.

3) Does leak - not as much as Grado (which leaks the most) but more than the Senn HD 497s.

4) Probably needs an amplifier to work - this is not a CON per se but if you buying for your iPod you may not get all you can out of the headphones.

Summary
Great quality, clear, very open soundstage with good bass extension (again not bassy)

Sound signature is definitely Sennheiser - not as exciting as I thought it would be

Some intangibles (see below)...

I really wanted to keep these headphones but the sound signature, and other minor issues (I was using an iPod and the 3.5mm adapter weighed against the iPod headphone jack).

 The best choice for the money
This phone is the cheaper version of the Sennheiser 595s which are some of the best phones you can buy(at least under the 500 mark). The are remarkably similar to the 595s both quality wise and sonic signature. The 595s have slightly cleaner treble and bass but for a good bit more money.

THe 555s have slightly warm and foward sound with a natural soundstage, with excellent detail... though not quite as good as the high end level phones. They are efficient phones, in that they can be driven by sources without an amplifier. A lot of people don't know that phones have to burn in to reach the sound to which they were intended. So give em a good 100 hours of burn in at least before making conclusions.

For this price though, these phones blow away everything in it's class. I'm coming from the HD 497s and and if you thought those were impressive you have to try these...these are in a different class altogether. The 497s sound like garbage compared to these bad boys. Plus they are very very comforable. If your coming from those crappy basshead sony phones...I dare say you'll think your ears are decieving you... they are that good.

555s>500 dollar speakers...that simple. Highly recommended.

 The most comfortable and great sounding cans
These are the most comfy headphones I've ever owned (or tried anywhere). They sound great too. In some cases they create a little too much ambiance. That's apparently due to the Sennheiser's desire to create a surround sound effect without a surround sound processor. Also, the headphones lack that perfect, precision clarity in high frequencies, which is common to most higher-priced headphones. Well, this one is not a very pricey unit, and worth every penny of its price.

To conclude, the Pros are: lightweight and very comfortable, produce very high quality sound. Being an open-type, they never trap soundwaves inside the cups, to cause any audible distortion. Seem sturdy, well-built. The Cons: a little "muddy" highs. Not suitable for studio monitoring, as they are "trying" to make music sound better, more spacious, than what it really is. Overall great product, if it meets your listening needs.

 These are truly amazing!
I have owned a pair of Sennheiser Hd-580 headphones for years and I really loved them but unfortunately I mistreated them at times and the left headphone wouldn't play and I was constantly stepping on the cable. For that reason I bought some quite low priced wireless headphones and they hurt my ears and the sound wasn't the greatest, not to mention the weird noise they would make at times. I returned those and ordered a pair of the 555's. I am not knocking the 580's but these are their equal. The cable only comes out of one headphone and its so much sturdier. The sound is just amazing but what else do you expect with Sennheiser (the king of headphones). I like most kinds of music and the first cd I listened to was Led Zepplin but to truly appreciate these you should try some Mark O'Connor or something classical. The sound is so amazing! If a violinist wiped his nose I dare say you would be able to hear it LOL! Do not let the price of these headphones put you off they are worth every dollar! Think of it as an investment in pure listening pleasure!