Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Sennheiser HD 550

Apple AirPods Pro 3

Apple

8.8

Excellent

Sennheiser HD 550

Sennheiser

8.2

A neutral, comfortable open-back that's the new pick of the 5-series

Apple AirPods Pro 3

What Reviewers Agree On

ANC is dramatically improved — best-in-class for earbuds, rivals some over-ears
Hearing health features are genuinely groundbreaking and FDA-approved
Sound quality improvement is noticeable with richer bass and clearer mids
Transparency mode remains the best in the industry
USB-C case with Find My speaker is a welcome upgrade

Deal Breakers

No lossless Bluetooth audio support (still AAC only)

Pros & Cons

Apple AirPods Pro 3

Pros

ANC is dramatically improved — best-in-class for earbuds, rivals some over-ears
Hearing health features are genuinely groundbreaking and FDA-approved
Sound quality improvement is noticeable with richer bass and clearer mids
Transparency mode remains the best in the industry
USB-C case with Find My speaker is a welcome upgrade

Cons

Detailed Comparison

Sound Quality

Apple AirPods Pro 3

A genuine step up from AirPods Pro 2, though audiophiles may still prefer dedicated music earbuds.

Bass is noticeably richer and mids have more detail — Apple has finally made earbuds that sound genuinely good, not just convenient.
The lack of lossless codec support remains frustrating — you're not hearing the full potential of Apple Music Lossless through these.

Sennheiser HD 550

Reviewers converge on the HD 550 as the best-sounding model in Sennheiser's HD 500 series — a neutral, well-extended signature with a more complete bass body, an organic midrange and a slightly forward treble that can occasionally turn gritty. It is honest rather than exciting, and rewards critical listening.

Having heard almost every HD 500 series headphone, Headfonics calls the HD 550 the best-sounding one of the series, crediting refined bass and treble for a small but real step up over its predecessors.
The bass is one of the most potent in the series — fuller and more satisfying than older 5-series models, with the usual sub-bass dip far less pronounced, though it could still use a touch more punch and dynamism.

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$249 price is steep vs excellent $150-200 competitors

Sennheiser HD 550

What Reviewers Agree On

The best-sounding headphone in the HD 500 series — improved bass body and a more balanced, neutral tuning over the HD 560S and older 5-series models
An organic, well-articulated midrange with clear, centred vocals is the HD 550's standout strength, true to the classic Sennheiser house sound
Genuinely comfortable for long sessions thanks to a featherweight ~237g build, reduced clamping force and breathable velour earpads
A 150Ω open-back that is easy enough to run from a dongle but clearly rewards a proper DAC/amp with extra detail and low-end control
Modular, serviceable design — easily replaceable velour pads and a detachable cable — gives the HD 550 strong long-term ownership value

Deal Breakers

The lower treble can get edgy, gritty or scratchy, especially at higher volumes — the most consistent sonic criticism across reviews
The thinly padded headband with no central V-cutout creates a top-of-head pressure point that undercuts the otherwise light, comfy fit
The proprietary 2.5mm twist-lock cable connector limits third-party cable and boom-mic choices, and only a basic 3.5mm cable is included

No lossless Bluetooth audio support (still AAC only)
$249 price is steep vs excellent $150-200 competitors

Sennheiser HD 550

Pros

The best-sounding headphone in the HD 500 series — improved bass body and a more balanced, neutral tuning over the HD 560S and older 5-series models
An organic, well-articulated midrange with clear, centred vocals is the HD 550's standout strength, true to the classic Sennheiser house sound
Genuinely comfortable for long sessions thanks to a featherweight ~237g build, reduced clamping force and breathable velour earpads
A 150Ω open-back that is easy enough to run from a dongle but clearly rewards a proper DAC/amp with extra detail and low-end control
Modular, serviceable design — easily replaceable velour pads and a detachable cable — gives the HD 550 strong long-term ownership value

Cons

The lower treble can get edgy, gritty or scratchy, especially at higher volumes — the most consistent sonic criticism across reviews
The thinly padded headband with no central V-cutout creates a top-of-head pressure point that undercuts the otherwise light, comfy fit
The proprietary 2.5mm twist-lock cable connector limits third-party cable and boom-mic choices, and only a basic 3.5mm cable is included

The midrange is where the HD 550 excels — vocals are warm, organic and clearly centred, with enough detail for critical listening, classic Sennheiser house sound done well.

Trusted Reviews praises a beautifully neutral, even-handed frequency response with high detail retrieval and good bass control, but says the presentation lacks energy and excitement — analysis over entertainment.

The treble is the recurring weak point — Trusted Reviews notes it can get edgy and gritty especially at bigger volumes, and Headphones.com calls the lower treble rather scratchy and dry.

Headphones.com rates the HD 550 perhaps its favourite Sennheiser midrange tuning yet, with better bass extension than the HD 6 series and less upper-midrange glare than the HD 505.

Audio46 describes an uncoloured, natural signature with articulate, non-boosted bass, an honest midrange and a smooth, fatigue-free treble — a well-tuned reference headphone for both casual listening and studio work.

The Headphone Show says from a tonality perspective this is a better midrange than 99.99% of headphones, with more bass extension than the HD 600 and only a minor 5-6kHz region that stands out as a problem.

Christian Svedin describes the HD 550 as a great representation of the Sennheiser sound — analytic, with great stereo imaging and depth — though bass-heavy listeners may find it a little thin.

Reddit owners in the r/Sennheiser appreciation thread call the tuning fantastic for their ears and a very good value set, with one describing a discounted pair as the best money ever spent on headphones.