Sennheiser HD 550 - Measurements & Official Discussion

I can compare the HD550, which I have in my hands now for 2 weeks, to my HD560S bought end of 2023.
The HD550 sounds slightly more warm and full, but the reduced frequency range of the lower treble makes the common peak around 7-8 kHz much more noticeable.
“S” and “T” sounds more pronounced to me, while the HD560S’s treble is more consistent.
As far as I know, Sennheiser released a silent update to the HD560S sometimes around 2022 and 2023, and measurements (including those by oratory1990) confirm this; the 4-5 kHz peak on the “new” model is significantly reduced and more pleasant.
I’ve spend the HD560S only some EQ on the mid-bass, which makes it sound both warm enough to me, but also balanced in the treble region.

1 Like