We said these fabulous Sennheiser audiophile headphones were too expensive and now they're not—welcome to the simplest headline I'll write this Prime Day

Sennheiser HD 550 | 38 mm drivers | 6-40,000 Hz | Wired | Open back | $349.95 $249.95 @ Walmart (save $100)
Sennheiser makes some of the best headphones money can buy, but money is the operative word—you'll usually need to spend a whole lot of it to get the good stuff. These audiophile-ready HD 550s, though, are now down to a very good price, so we can fully stand behind them and say they sound superb. They're a little reference-like, so don't expect the sweetest tuning in the world, but for sheer accuracy you'll struggle to do any better than this for the cash.

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It's always a bit of a downer when we review a product that's very good, but a bit too expensive for its market segment to wholly recommend. Our Jacob found himself in such a position recently when he reviewed a pair of Sennheiser HD550 headphones, which are brilliant, but usually a bit expensive compared to some of the competition.

But lo and behold, look what I've just found—a deal for these very beauties, down to $250 at Walmart. That's still not chump change, you understand, but it's enough of a knockdown for us to break out the party balloons and declare that you should seriously consider buying a pair.

Now, let's get the caveats out of the way nice and early. These are open-back headphones, which means anyone around you will be able to hear what you're listening to. It also means, however, that the soundstage is truly immense, which in turn means crystal clear, expansive-sounding gaming audio and music reproduction. Some of the best headphones in the world are open-backed for this very reason, and are highly coveted as a result.

You also don't get a mic, like one of the best gaming headsets, by virtue of the fact they aren't one. A gaming headset, I mean. These are high-end-style headphones with a gaming badge, but they'll sound utterly fabulous for gaming audio, and standalone microphones come remarkably cheap these days.

Oh, and they're wired. So you won't be getting up to make a cup of coffee mid session, unless you keep your coffee maker at your desk. In which case, I salute your forethought, and your lack of risk-aversion. Good job.

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Those are... well, all the drawbacks I can think of. Oh, they're also a bit reference-like in their treble reproduction, which means they're not the smoothest-sounding pair of headphones at the very top end.

What they're capable of, however, is providing properly accurate and expansive sound, and when it comes to audio gear, that's about the highest praise you can possibly give.

And, unlike many other reference-style headphones I can name, the HD 550s are still capable of a weighty chunk of bass. And the mid-reproduction is fantastic, which means they'll be wonderful to listen to for gaming, music, movies... I mean, what do you listen to? The Sennheisers will reproduce it with aplomb. That's their one role in life, and it's something Sennheiser gear does better than almost anything else, in my opinion.

At least until you get into the $500+ range, anyway, and then you get drivers massaged by professional therapists and fed beer until they fatten up into delicious steaks. Something like that, anyway.

What was I saying? Oh yes. These Sennheiser headphones are fabulous, are often slightly too expensive, and right now, are not. That's about the sum total of it. I'm going for a lie down.

Best gaming headset 2025

👉Check out our full guide👈

1. Best overall: HyperX Cloud Alpha

2. Best budget: Corsair HS55 Stereo

3. Best wireless: HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless

4. Best mid-range wireless: Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3

5. Best audiophile: Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro

6. Best wireless audiophile: Audeze Maxwell

7. Best for streaming: Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet

8. Best noise-cancelling: AceZone A-Spire

9. Best earbuds: Steelseries Arctis GameBuds