Sennheiser HD 550

[Marcus89]

Below HD550 vs HD650 (= HD6XX) with acoustic smoothing applied.

HD550 has less warmth (more neutral) and is better extended. Also less forward/clear (1-5kHz) and a bit more sparkle (8-15kHz)

View attachment 464086

How do they compare in soundstage and imaging?

 

[solderdude]

The HD650 is considered to be very narrow in imaging.
The HD550 is 'wider' in that aspect (similar to the HD560S).

Note: soundstage is a personal (brain) thing so there is no way to tell if imaging/sound stage is better or similar for you (or others).

 

[Marcus89]

The HD650 is considered to be very narrow in imaging.
The HD550 is 'wider' in that aspect (similar to the HD560S).

Note: soundstage is a personal (brain) thing so there is no way to tell if imaging/sound stage is better or similar for you (or others).

But does the 550 suffer from the same "three blob effect" or is the sound more evenly spread?

 

[solderdude]

This is a brain issue combined with how music is mixed.

 

[adelaidestevens]

But does the 550 suffer from the same "three blob effect" or is the sound more evenly spread?

no, 3 blob effect is only present in 600 series drivers and chassis. 550 is a completely different platform and sound is similar to that of the 560s - although the 560s can be perceived as more expansive due to it's treble response which can be fatiguing to some people. but overall the 550 is a more refined headphone than 560s. Music wise the 600 series is still superior imo

 

[Marcus89]

no, 3 blob effect is only present in 600 series drivers and chassis. 550 is a completely different platform and sound is similar to that of the 560s - although the 560s can be perceived as more expansive due to it's treble response which can be fatiguing to some people. but overall the 550 is a more refined headphone than 560s. Music wise the 600 series is still superior imo

But for movies and games, is the 550 better than the 6XX in all regards? Or does the 6XX/650 still have an edge on sound authenticity despite the narrower stage?

 

[adelaidestevens]

But for movies and games, is the 550 better than the 6XX in all regards? Or does the 6XX/650 still have an edge on sound authenticity despite the narrower stage?

For movies I would say the sound signature/tonal balance from the 6XX is still better than the 550/560s - but the soundstage is very narrow which is a dealbreaker for me so I mainly use the 550 for that use case with a bit of eq to extend the Subbass. Gaming I use the 560s since find the soundstage to be wider than the 550, plus they’re probably the most comfortable set of Sennheiser, so ideal for long session. If I were to rank these 3 in categories:
Comfort:
HD 6XX - 4 HD 550 - 4.5️ HD 560S - 5️
Bass Quality:
HD 6XX - 3.5️ HD 550 - 4️ HD 560S - 3.5️
Mids:
HD 6XX - 5️ HD 550 - 4.5️ HD 560S - 4️
Treble:
HD 6XX - 4.5️ HD 550 - 4️ HD 560S - 3.5️
Overall Musicality/Tonal/Timbre:
HD 6XX - 5️ HD 550 - 4️ HD 560S - 3.5
Soundstage:
HD 6XX - 2️ HD 550 - 4️ HD 560S - 4.5️
Imaging:
HD 6XX - 4.5️ HD 550 - 4️ HD 560S - 4️

 

[isostasy]

I agree with @adelaidestevens except that soundstage has never been an effect I experience, so the HD550 were no better for me in this regard. My recommendation would come down to comfort first - just go for the ones you find most comfortable as both sound good.

 

[Marcus89]

For movies I would say the sound signature/tonal balance from the 6XX is still better than the 550/560s - but the soundstage is very narrow which is a dealbreaker for me so I mainly use the 550 for that use case with a bit of eq to extend the Subbass. Gaming I use the 560s since find the soundstage to be wider than the 550, plus they’re probably the most comfortable set of Sennheiser, so ideal for long session. If I were to rank these 3 in categories:
Comfort:
HD 6XX - 4 HD 550 - 4.5️ HD 560S - 5️
Bass Quality:
HD 6XX - 3.5️ HD 550 - 4️ HD 560S - 3.5️
Mids:
HD 6XX - 5️ HD 550 - 4.5️ HD 560S - 4️
Treble:
HD 6XX - 4.5️ HD 550 - 4️ HD 560S - 3.5️
Overall Musicality/Tonal/Timbre:
HD 6XX - 5️ HD 550 - 4️ HD 560S - 3.5
Soundstage:
HD 6XX - 2️ HD 550 - 4️ HD 560S - 4.5️
Imaging:
HD 6XX - 4.5️ HD 550 - 4️ HD 560S - 4️

That's really helpful. But I've got to ask, what gives the 6XX a slight edge in treble in your opinion? Isn't the treble supposed to be rolled off on them?