Sennheiser - HD 550

I have had the 550 HD for a few days, and I have had many, is that sound outside the headphones moments where I took off the headphones to see if the sound in a game was outside, like a plane or strong wind etc.

hd550 is a fairly affordable and safe pick imo. If you don't mind eq the 560s is another good set. If you love vocals get something from the hd6-line. HD660S2 can be found anywhere near $400 these days

Thanks! Do you have a budget in mind? Sennheiser has a number of comfortable open-backs that are tuned more on the warm side, such as the HD 505 (though I prefer the more neutral HD 550), HD 650, and HD 650. This is probably a good starting point. Comfort on these is pretty good as well (especially the newer models).

This would be my answer too (assuming you're okay with open-back headphones, which the MMX 300 are as well). The [HD 550](https://us.sennheiser-hearing.com/products/hd-550) is a great headphone and one of the best releases Sennheiser has had in a while. The fact that you can just buy the [HD 500 BAM](https://us.sennheiser-hearing.com/products/hd-500-series-boom-arm-microphone?srsltid=AfmBOorZqkuybKgnWmJBwoCu4j8UB528DRc3YF0hoooX74_GfoXoaI-M) for any HD 500 series headphone (and the [HD 660S2](https://us.sennheiser-hearing.com/products/hd-660s2)) really opens up your options (there are a lot of good headphones in the Sennheiser HD 500 series). The HD 550 does benefit from an amp as well, so I'd grab something like a Schiit [Fulla 2](https://www.schiit.com/products/fulla-2) (or [Gunnr](https://www.schiit.com/products/gunnr) if you have the budget) to go with it. The Schiit gaming DAC/amps are pretty good units that also have good quality microphone inputs (most 3.5mm microphone inputs are pretty low quality). One other note: The Beyerdynamic MMX 330 is also a great option if you're looking for an open-back. I wouldn't take it over an HD 550, but it's still a solid choice.

I just got a pair a couple weeks ago to replace my HD 599SE's and they are a fantastic upgrade. I was surprised by how much more dynamic they were, and have a good amount of eq headroom. If you are really into the 6 series then these probably wont sway you. But if your like me and find the 6 series too uncomfortable then I think these are the best of the 5 series yet. One thing to note is they are a tighter clamp than the 599's, but nowhere near as much as the 560s had. Its a good middle ground where its not a vice on your head, but also not going to move or fall off if you bend over.

Koss KPH40 or Porta Pro are both a great start. They sound good, and are more comfortable than any other headphones on the market IMO. A step up would be the Sennheiser HD 550. Balanced sound and comfortable chassis. I'm internally debating whether I like it more than my HD 600. Those options are all open-back and offer zero sound isolation. If you need something closed, IEMs are the only game in town below $100. Above that, the Sennheiser HD 620S offers excellent sound isolation.

Have a 600 and a 550. I’m not completely sure which one I prefer, but I like the 500 series chassis more.

The exposed parts on the 550 are all plastic and faux leather. I haven’t tried bending it, and don’t plan to. The clamp is much, much lighter than the 600.

Ok, so first of all, let me give you some context: Around 10 years ago, I had the Sennheiser PC363D for gaming. For me it was almost all I wanted: Excellent sound quality and positional sound, lightweight, comfortable, never made you sweat. I really liked it and it was also good for listening to music. But it had two problems: * First, the software was abandonware. Sennheiser stopped updating the drivers and those didn't work well on newer operating systems. * Second, the build quality was not good. It was made of cheap plastic, and after 10 years of heavy use, it was starting to fall apart, specially the flexible rubber of the mic boom. So, when I relocated 5 years ago I sold it. Surprisingly, someone paid for it more than what I paid for it new, because the guy really wanted it. I then got (yeah, I'm an idiot) a wired Razer Blackshark. Not only the sound quality is waaay worse than the PC363D, but the rails to adjust the ribbon band are crap, and the Razer software is horrible: Buggy as hell, and in the past it attempted to install cryptominers. I had it for a few years to recoup my investment, but it is time to let it go. This time I do not want to repeat the mistake, and want a proper headset. I've read good things about the **Beyerdynamic MMX** **~~300~~** **330 Pro**, and I'm also considering the **Audio Technica ATH-M50xSTS**. I owned the normal ATH-M50x at the same time I owned the PC363D, and honestly I thought the PC363D sounded better with most music and games. Is the MMX ~~300~~ 330 Pro as good or better than the PC363D was? Any other contender? My sole requirement is that any recommendation has an integrated mic and equals or surpasses thr PC363D in sound quality for gaming and media. I do not care jack or USB. Detachable cables and mic are a nice to have. Price is not a problem (within the gaming realm), but please do not recommend me some crazy expensive audiophile headset of >500€ because it is not what I need. I am also not interested in gaming crap, such as Logitech headsets. I got one once because it was what all review websited highlighted as "best gaming headset" and I returned it inmediately. Crappy plastic toy with white noise and money spent on rainbow leds. Thank you if you read so far! Edit: there were a couple of typos in my original post. While I originally wrote MMX 300 Pro, I really meant MMX 330 Pro (the newer, open end version). Edit 2: my motherboard has the Realtek ALC4080, which seems to be fine driving headsets up to up to 600Ω. If possible, I'd like to avoid having to buy a separate and big and bulky DAC because my desk is very crowded already. If it is something small like the DAC which came with the P363D (similar to a USB dongle) then it is ok. Edit 3: winner combo and the rationale for my purchase: [https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/1ozzhod/comment/nqc6vts/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=mweb3x&utm\_name=mweb3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/1ozzhod/comment/nqc6vts/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)

Hi guys, quick update: First of all, thanks to all of you who gave feedback in this thread. I was surprised by the kindness of everyone who replied!! Today, I went to a shop in japan and tested the Sennheiser 550 HD, Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO X, and the MMX 330 Pro which were the most recommended in the replies. I could not tell the difference in sound quality or crispness. To be honest, it was not a very quiet environment and also I did not have the need to do exhaustive testing. All sounded good, so it was a draw for me. In the end, I got the HD 550 for the reasons mentioned below, but it was a close fight. Price: Listed below are the final prices after the TAX-Free 10% discount. Also the japanese yen is extremely cheap today, so it was a good deal. -HD 550: 43641 JPY  (270 EUR / 306 USD as of today).  -DT 990 PRO X:  35064 JPY (203 EUR / 241 USD as of today).  -MMX 330 Pro: 53550 JPY  (301 EUR / 376 USD as of today).  Build quality:  -HD 550: It looks and feels very cheap. Same plastic used in the PC 363 D. But mine was fine after 10 years of heavy use (as I mentioned in OP, what was falling appart was the ribbon of the mic boom, that the HD550 does not have). So it is not bad quality plastic. It just does not feel and look like a headset of this price. -DT 990 Pro: Looks clearly more premium, but adjusting the headband was a bit of a hassle. It offered way to much resistance. The pads are plushier and softer than the Sennheiser, but round instead than oval. -Comfort: This was a total win for the HD 550. It feels like the PC363D that I loved. Soft clamp, velvety pads, and headband that is easy to adjust but does not loses the adjustment like my current razer does. The problem with the Beyerdynamic is that the circular pads were not big enough for my ears, so while plushy, didn't feel as confortable. -Mic: I wanted to buy the HD500 BAM recommended in the replies, but it was out of stock unfortunately, so I will need to get it at the european price. The guy from the shop offered me a cable that uses the DT 990 connection and has an integrated mic and DAC, but it was out of stock as well, and the mic was an inline (hanging / lapel) mic, not a boom mic, so I was not interested. It might be an option though for those of you who have the DT 990 or other headsets with similar connector.

Not the OP, but had a dying pair of HD560s and recently upgraded to the 550s and picked up a Fulla as well. Greatly appreciate your advice.

EQ is the way to get it all. AR5000 is good without. 105 AER likely has blunted detail like 109 Pro so AR5000 would be better from that perspective as well. X2HR are an easy comfy listen just a bit lofi and 130ish USD seems pretty pricy for them (often $80). HE400se, HD550 and Fiio FT1 are worth considering if you don't want to EQ. Ananda Nano with EQ is excellent for example, but almost unlistenable without.

Without EQ HD550 (650 close second) and with EQ Ananda Nano. 550 is the best tuned easily, but lacks a bit of 650 magic that would work with Adele pretty well, but still needs EQ to overall beat 550 imo. Nano is pretty bad in stock, but excellent when the treble is balanced and bass risen a bit.

what's wrong with an amp? It's just one thing, the problem with headphones for movies is that movies are mastered with a wide dynamic range and are usually really quiet and that's where an amp helps cus it amplifies the signal with more power than your computer could provide. For music, my pc or laptop are fine but i couldnt really watch movies without an amp. Even something as tiny as a Moondrop Dawn Pro 2 ought to be better, depending on how poor your pc/laptop's amp is that is. Anyways, I'd suggest the 550 or 600, yeah, they're as all rounder as things can get. Though i'd say for movies i'd look for a closed back option like the Fiio FT1 due to the sub bass. However open back headphones will give you a wider soundstage and nicer immersion, at the cost of worse noise isolation and heavy sound leakage. Pros and cons for everything. I'd personally have gone for a Moondrop Dawn Pro 2 + Edition XS route with EQ or if i wanted better vocals i'd have gone for the HD 550. It's all upto you tho, are you ok with high treble/bright headphones? Do you want perfect mids? Do you want more bass?

I recently got the HD 550s from Sennheiser mainly for battlefield and they have been fantastic. Sounds great and spatial clarity is extremely accurate. I'm also using their BAM mic attachment and it has been very clear according to the guys I play with