Shure SRH550DJ Headphones - Flippin' Good

Twist and Flip

Shure has a long and illustrious history of producing top notch sound equipment. Starting off as a manufacturer of products for radio, the company seems to be returning to its roots with its headphones designed to offer DJ level quality. Meeting the needs of individuals involved with audio and its manipulation on a daily basis, the Shure SRH550DJ Headphones are versatile and boast features that are applicable in both a professional and everyday setting.

The DJ moniker is based on the fact that both ear cups are rotatable by 45 degrees in the horizontal plane along with having the ability to flip out 180 degrees to let you strike the classic DJ-mixing-at-the-console pose ingrained into our minds by pop culture. While it would not have a lot of practical application for a vast majority of the consumers, it does help make the cans extremely portable after they have been folded up.

Another high level feature is a threaded gold plated 3.5mm input jack. The threads ensure that the connector can be converted into a different one with the help of screw-on attachments. Currently a threaded 0.25-inch adapter is available from Shure themselves if you feel like using your SRH550DJ Headphones with a different device. Sound is pumped by 50mm drivers with neodymium transducer magnets which give the SRH550DJ Headphones an impressive frequency range of 5Hz to 22000Hz. Closed back ear cones ensure a certain degree of noise canceling as well.

Increasing the functionality of the headphones is the adjustable headband which has been refined from previous models and offers click feedback when adjusted. Ear cup padding, which is the part most susceptible to wear and tear can be removed and replaced. Rounding up the list of features is a 2m long cable which allows you to have a great degree of freedom when using the SRH550DJ Headphones.

While different users may have certain preferences for particular sonic palates, we try to remain as neutral and balanced as possible when reviewing audio devices. With that in mind our test materials span across a diverse range to find out how adaptable the headphones are to derive an accurate conclusion. Gamers are not this cans' intended user group, but we've included game testing into the mix for the more diverse users.

Testing was conducted in our office with our standard audio testbed, which is a Shuttle XPC SD37P2 (Intel 975X) machine with an Auzentech X-Fi Prelude sound card. Note that although this headphone set is DJ friendly,  we maintained indoor testing to ensure our experience with the headphones can be cross-compared with others we've tested before.  With that, here's the full list of test tracks used:-

CD Testing:
 

• Pod Race Scene from Phantom Menace
• Tyrannosaurus Rex Sound Effects from Jurassic Park
• Theme from Jurassic Park
• Apollo 13 Lift-off Sound Effects
• Theme from Cutthroat Island
• Fanfare for Louis, performed by the Dallas Wind Symphony

MP3 Testing:
 

• Hotel California - Eagles
• Sail on Soothsayer - Buckethead
• Melt My Heart to Stone - Adele
• Elements of Life - Tiesto

DVD Testing:
 

• Lord of the Rings - (Starting sequence)
• Swordfish (Starting sequence)

Game Testing:
 

• Battlefield 2: Bad Company 

An Eye for Detail

Performance is a highly subjective matter. We try to offer as impartial and as thorough a review as possible and for this reason we evaluated the SRH550 DJ Headphone’s across a variety of different applications.

Music

With the words “Professional DJ Quality” emblazoned in the title, music was expected to be the forte for this unit. During our listening, the headphones fared extremely well. The techno track Elements of Life by Tiesto came to life when played with great detail for the phasor effects used for the synths. The tempo and feel of the music was retained and replicated proving to be an enjoyable listen.

For Sail on Soothsayer Buckethead’s chiming guitar notes cut through the mix and the subtle nuances of his guitar playing taking center stage for the song, as they should. The interplay of all the different melodies was melded together in an excellent, spacious soundstage enhancing the overall experience. Adele’s voice on Melt My Heart to Stone also soared above the base tracks with all of her voice’s husky tones preserved. Two individual and distinct shaker beats could be heard on Hotel California which provides further proof to the same effect.

Overall we found that the SRH550DJ Headphones were excellent at reproducing every detail of the music tracks. However The treble for the headphones felt weak and thin during our listening and on the whole you can expect the tone to have a warm tinge about it. This is was where it let us down slightly. But any music aficionado would be pleased with the music capabilities of these cans. It seems that the DJ Quality title is well merited.

Movie-related Content

Testing the SRH550DJ Headphones with a variety of material at our disposal gave us a better gauge of its abilities. Sound Effect heavy track such as the Lift Off Sequence from Apollo 13 has good upward momentum and clear dialogue. However the engine sounded weak and distorted. Similar problems were found when listening to the T-Rex Sound Effects where the entrance and roar of the carnivore lacked punch. Interestingly though, when the same tracks were heard in the lossless format as opposed to the more popular compressed format, the problems encountered were cleared up significantly. This was however unusual, because the compressed files were encoded in a reasonably high bitrate that rarely resulted in the delta of audio performance heard when compared with the loseless format. Nevertheless, it's an interesting finding.

DVD Testing with Swordfish provided a better look at the SRH550DJ Headphone’s soundstage. Stereo effects were passable. Coupled with our listening of the Pod Racing Scene from The Phantom Menace we found the overall soundstage to be slightly lacking when it came to the breadth of the soundscape painted. The attention to detail once again came to the fore in the scene where the ball bearings fizz around causing havoc during the opening sequence, proving that the headphones do provide some degree of versatility.

Orchestral tracks like the Lost World Theme and Fanfare for Louis provoked a mixed response. The SRH550DJ’s leaning towards a warm sound palate meant that the horns lacked color and vibrancy. However, the headphone’s eye for detail meant that each individual instrument could be heard and the collective melody was rich in texture. Overall, performance when handling movies could be considered good but short of spectacular as it lacked the punch and grandness, which one would have thought a DJ-class headphones would have no problem handling.

Games

Tested with Battlefield 2: Bad Company, we found that the Shure SRH550DJ Headphone’s quality with respect to rendering details enhanced the overall experience. Individual ambient sounds helped set the scene and build atmosphere when playing through the single player campaign. Slight nuances such as muffled footsteps, wind rustling through the foliage add immensely to the enjoyment of the game. And since the headphones are closed-back, they sufficiently cut out noise bleed to the surroundings ensuring that others do not get disturbed when you get down to some hardcore gaming.

Usage

The SRH550DJ offers a great degree of comfort and user-friendliness. The padding is soft and we found that our ears did not heat up even after extended usage. The adjustable headband means that everyone can find a level that sits on their head as they would prefer. This feature also helps in increasing or decreasing the snugness of the fit. The only feature which we found to be cumbersome was the 2m long cable which is a blessing when using it with your desktop, but annoyingly long if you intend to use the headphones with a portable music player.

Final Thoughts

From our testing we found the Shure SRH550DJ headphones to perform solidly across a variety of different applications. They shine when used for music and deliver good sound when tasked with handling movie and game scores.

The standout quality for the headphones is their ability to reproduce every minute detail of our test tracks without making them sound jarring or separate from the overall mix. This makes Shure’s claims of “Professional Quality Headphones” accurate and justified. However the downside to this is low grade files have their flaws and inconsistencies highlighted. We would recommend tracks encoded in at a minimum of 320Kbps to be used if lossless formats are not available.

Flipping ear cups give the SRH550DJ a wow factor, although we did not find any particular use for them during our use. But the fact that they add to the portability of the headphones and allow you to stow them away in a compact little bundle was extremely useful, especially if you intend to carry your headphones with you in your bag.

Due to the extremely long 2m cable, usage at your desktop or notebook is easy and provides a degree of freedom. The same feature functions as a double edged sword because if you intend to wear the headphones out, then managing the cable in conjunction with your portable music player is a tricky and messy proposition.

A threaded 3.5mm input jack and removable padding allow for some customization and flexibility. The adjustable headband has been improved as compared to older models and you can expect a level of comfort with these headphones, even though you will have to fiddle with the settings. Overall though the features and the design work in harmony to provide great ease of use.

What is refreshing about the SRH550DJ Headphones is the honesty from Shure. The headphones do live up to the billing of "Professional DJ Quality" to the best of their ability. They perform admirably with music playback, especially when you take its price into consideration. While it's not an all-rounder, it's versatile enough to perform adequately when tasked with other usage.

Retailing for S$169, the SRH550DJ Headphones should be within budget for most audio enthusiasts. While there are a lot of in-ear or ear-bud headphones available in that price category, over-the-ear headphone lovers usually have to settle for the few decent options available. This offering from Shure however adds to the list. If you are looking for a decently priced pair of headphones that have a smooth and warm tone, the Shure SRH550DJ fits the bill nicely.

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