Product Listing

Shure SRH550DJ Headphones - Flippin' Good

By Hurrairah bin Sohail - 14 Jun 2011
Launch SRP: S$169

Introduction and Features

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 Shure SRH550DJ Headphones with the ear cups rotated to their maximum 45-degree angle, lying flat against the table in our labs.

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.

A better depiction of the swivel and flip features of the SRH550DJ. Here is the top view of the compact bundle the headphones can be folded into, making them highly portable.

Another view of the folded SRH550DJ Headphones. The reduction in size and bulkiness makes it easy to stow them away in your bag to carry around when on the move.

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.

The 3.5mm gold input jack. The threaded head allows for screw-on attachments which can change the input plug you can use with the SRH550DJ. Currently there is a an attachment to convert it to a quarter-inch plug.

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.

A click sound and numbers provides feedback for actuation and setting level respectively, to help with adjusting the headband for the SRH550DJ.

The padding can be removed and replaced allowing users to customize the comfort level according to their own preferences. 

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 
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8.5
  • Design 8
  • Performance 8.5
  • Features 8.5
  • Value 8
The Good
Good representation of audio detail
Adjustable headband and replaceable padding
Portable and easy to carry
The Bad
Treble could be better; dull highs
2m cable gets tangled easily
Appearance is average
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