14 DAY TRIAL // The first time I saw the new 550 series from Sennheiser in wasn't very impressed. Since they looked like every other earphones I paid no attention to the quality of the product itself. But that first idea was going to change dramatically with the first audition using these ear pluggable headphones.
First, let me point out some technical details, as some might prove of great importance for you. Frequency response goes from 18Hz to 21KHz (not that you can actually hear a sound that's higher than 16KHz but it is impressive nevertheless) and the rated impedance is 16 ohm with a maximum recorded SPL of 113dB. The length of the cable goes from 1 to 1.4 meters depending on the version of the product and I have to say I would have preferred it to be a little longer. Technologies like Basswind and Metal Sound Protection System are present here in order to give you the maximum amount of sound without having to hurt your ears.
Quality-wise, the sound produced by Sennheiser MX 550 is superb. Use them to listen to MP3s on your Ipod or while watching movies on a notebook and they won't disappoint you. Especially when coupled with a good mp3 player (such as Ipod or Zen from Creative), they will literally blow you away. The sound is very clear and crisp with the MX550s producing an output which is way better than the one coming from standard earplugs that are being shipped with most MP3 players.
The size of the earphones puts the 550 line among the smallest and lightest ones and that translates into longer listening time without having to remove them because your ears might hurt. On the downside, the integrated volume control is pretty crappy and loses the ability to linearly increase/decrease the volume. But if that's of no importance to you and you've got the $30-$35 that represent the price tag for MX 550 you're in for a pleasant surprise.