Sennheiser HD 558

In the modern era of headphones, the focus is often on compatibility with mobile devices and computers, not to mention booming bass or wireless use. Thus, it's truly refreshing to see a no-frills headphone pair like the Sennheiser HD 558 . At $179.95 (direct), its primary competitors?in terms of price?are designed for use with iPhones, but the HD 558 lacks a remote or microphone. It's intended for use with home stereo systems and has no extra features, but its lush bass and an expanded spatial presence make this one of the best-sounding headphone pairs in this price range, netting it our Editors' Choice award.

Design
With velour padding on the earcups and the underside of the headband, the black matte design of the HD 558 puts comfort before visual appeal. The HD 558 is by no means unattractive; it's just a bulky headphone pair without much flair aside from the Sennheiser logo in metallic-colored plastic. The circumaural design encloses your ears completely, but the open design of the earcups projects some sound outward, through the black cloth grille covers on the outside panels of each ear. This means that, to some extent, anyone near you will be able to hear the music you're playing, and it also makes the HD 558 a non-candidate for tracking in home or professional recording studios?the sound leakage will easily be picked up by a nearby microphone.

The HD 558 ships with no carrying case or even protective pouch?its lone accessory is a 3.5mm adapter for use with smaller headphone jacks. It can be used with mobile devices, but it's more than a little unwieldy with the adapter attached. The HD 558 is almost a case study in what $180 buys you when you eliminate any added features, accessories, or celebrity endorsements?and its audio-focused design offers a strong explanation for why the HD 558 sounds better than nearly every competitor in the same price range.

Performance
One of the best design elements: Sennheiser employs an "Internal Sound Reflector," which basically means that the slightly recessed inner panels of each earcup not only push sound toward the ear, but away from it. The effect is stunning?it sounds as if the audio is playing elsewhere in the room rather than right against your ear. And it's not a digital effect, it is simple design, and can be found in other headphones, as well, like the magnificent?and extremely expensive?Grado GS1000.

While the HD 558 isn't completely immune to the current trend of seriously boosted bass response, it treats low frequencies with grace. On deep bass tracks, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the HD 558 reaches maximum volume without a hint of distortion. For your long term hearing health, we don't suggest listening at this level, but the drivers can handle it without issue. The added spatial presence allows the bass to simultaneously sound powerful without overpowering the other crucial elements of the mix. On instrumental tracks like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," the bass presence adds a nice resonance to the booming drums and lower register strings without lending things an unnatural sound.

Highs and mids are all on seemingly equal footing, allowing vocals and percussion to shine. Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild" is delivered with emphasis on the details, from the subtle vinyl crackle in the quieter moments of the intro to the menacing resonance of deep bass synth hits. The HD 558 does a particularly great job when dealing with both vocals and deep percussion?whether it's Jay-Z or Bill Callahan's ominous baritone on "Drover," we get equal, exciting servings of crystal-clear vocals and bass drum thumps, a perfect marriage of hi-mids and bass, and an excellent example of how well-balanced headphones can sound powerful and exciting.

If you can't commit to a stay-at-home headphone pair, you might be able to make the HD 558 work on-the-go by tucking it in a messenger bag or purse, where the cumbersome mini-adapter can be out of the way and out of sight. But you'll be forgiven if you'd rather just have a solid headphone pair that is designed to work with your phone. Bowers & Wilkins makes two excellent options, the Bowers & Wilkins P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones ?and the Bowers & Wilkins P3 ?both are supra-aural (on-ear) headphone pairs designed for mobile use. The recent Harman Kardon CL ?is another well-designed, phone-friendly pair with strong audio performance, though it can't match the HD 558 in the comfort department.

If you like the idea of a straight-up headphone pair with no phone controls, but the HD 558 is more expensive than your budget allows, the Shure SRH550DJ ?is a quality, affordable option, intended for recording studios and DJs, but perfectly suitable for home stereo systems, as well. For the price, however, the Sennheiser HD 558 knocks it out of the park?it's a bargain, and wins our Editors' Choice award easily.

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