Sennheiser HD 550
The 150-ohm transducers and open-back design produce an expansive, detailed soundstage with punchy bass and lifelike mids across a 6Hz–39.5kHz range. The 237g chassis, soft velour pads, and detachable cable provide exceptional all-day comfort and versatile wired connectivity. It’s ideal for home listeners and gamers seeking audiophile transparency without the higher price of reference headphones.
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong social proof (100th percentile) 100th
- Strong user sentiment (99th percentile) 99th
- Strong build (78th percentile) 78th
- Strong comfort (68th percentile) 68th
Cons
- Below average mic (18th percentile)
- Below average anc (32nd percentile)
What owners think
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
Based on 60 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Design
| Form Factor | over-ear |
| Open/Closed | open |
| Foldable | No |
| Weight | 0.2 kg / 0.5 lbs |
| Ear Cushion | velour |
| Headband | synthetic leather |
Audio
| Driver Type | dynamic |
| Freq Min | 6 |
| Freq Max | 39500 |
| Impedance | 150 |
| Hi-Res Audio | No |
Noise Control
| ANC | No |
| Transparency | No |
Connectivity
| Wireless | No |
| Wired Connector | 3.5mm |
| Detachable Cable | Yes |
| Cable Length | 1.8 |
Microphone
| Microphone | No |
vs Competition
| Spec | Sennheiser HD 550 | Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 | Sony ULT WEAR WHULT900N/B | Apple AirPods Max Midnight | Technics EAH-A800 | Bose QuietComfort Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | over-ear | over-ear | over-ear | over-ear | over-ear | over-ear |
| Driver Type | dynamic | dynamic | dynamic | dynamic | dynamic | dynamic |
| Driver Size (mm) | - | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | - |
| Impedance Ohms | 150 | - | 314 | 16 | 34 | 32 |
| Wireless | false | true | true | true | true | true |
| Active Noise Cancellation | false | true | true | true | true | true |
| Open Closed Back | open | closed | closed | closed | closed | closed |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 5.3 |
| Battery Life Hours | - | 30 | 30 | 20 | 50 | 24 |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Anc | Mic | Build | Sound | Battery | Comfort | User Sentiment | Connectivity | Social Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sennheiser HD 550 | 32.1 | 18 | 77.7 | 40.8 | 44.7 | 68.2 | 99.4 | 42.5 | 99.8 |
| Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 Compare | 98 | 99.3 | 95.7 | 99.4 | 76.1 | 53.6 | 87.2 | 97.7 | 98.4 |
| Sony ULT WEAR WHULT900N/B Compare | 98 | 85.3 | 77.7 | 95.6 | 76.1 | 53.6 | 70.7 | 98.9 | 87.5 |
| Apple AirPods Max Midnight Compare | 98 | 83.2 | 92.4 | 93.2 | 69.8 | 32.3 | 87.2 | 94.4 | 98.4 |
| Technics EAH-A800 Compare | 93.4 | 98.3 | 77.7 | 97.2 | 85.9 | 53.6 | 53 | 97.4 | 60 |
| Bose QuietComfort Ultra Compare | 93.4 | 79.2 | 95.7 | 52.9 | 72.7 | 81 | 70.7 | 99.2 | 73 |
Price
Value & Pricing
We started tracking prices for this product on May 4, 2026. The chart appears once we have more data.
Usage Scores
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.
