Movie Audio

We returned to the same section of Lord of the Rings for our second round of movie tests. All in all, the HD555 left us much more impressed. We didn’t think something would top the crispness of the movie audio of the HD435, but we were wrong. A hoof beat next to you is the same as it sounds in these headphones, which is really saying a lot. Moving on to the bass sections: this is one competition that the HD555 loses to the HD435. The bass on the 555 was ok, but the 435 simply did it better. Neither was overbearing, but the 555 simply under-did it. At high frequencies, the HD555s trounce the 435s in quality. It comes across strong and solid enough to hurt your ears at really high pitch sounds. Of course pain isn’t something we particularly enjoy, but here at GotFrag Hardware we’re willing to be a little masochistic for our readers, if necessary. The HD555s had no problems maintaining the purity of sound at crazily high volumes, which also impressed us. A final note must be made of the ability of these headphones to separate sounds. As with the music test, the 555s do an incredible job putting the sounds in the right spots. Hoofs from the left are noticeably on the left side, the Nazgül on the right is easily heard coming from there. It’s a good experience.

Comfort

The HD555s don’t push against your ear; they push against the area of your head around the ear. They completely encompass your ear, but they still allow all outside sound in. The result is a comfort level that is well above the HD435, but as what seems to always be the case, falls short of the Siberia. Nonetheless, it’s a solid headset that can be worn for hours.




Bells n' whistles

The HD555 is a no-frills, no-nonsense device that sells itself on its abilities. The only included device that’s really worth mentioning is the 1/4'” to 1/8” adapter, which would be a must-have for anyone doing PC gaming. Beyond that, the HD555 is simply what it is.

Pros:

• Best sounding headphone we’ve yet tested
• Has a few bass issues in games
• Comfortable

Cons:

• Very skimpy on the frills
• A bit pricey

Rating:
9/10

After getting banned from 10 avalanche servers, listening to the same 8 minutes of the 9th symphony about 20 times, and seeing Gandalf’s white staff get shattered 15 times, we’ve reached our final conclusions. The HD435s are solid headphones that get the job done, and they get it done well. Retailing at $49.99 on newegg, they are worth every penny. We are not aware of any other headphones in this price range with this quality of sound. The lack of a mic isn’t a major issue, as even a $10 Wal-Mart mic gets the job done in vent. The HD555s retail for $124.99 on newegg, but they are the better buy. Yes, they sound that good. If you have the money to spend, the 555s are the way to go. Both are quality products from Sennheiser, and we appreciate their sending them to us for our review. We proudly present the Sennheiser HD555 with our Editor's Pick award.