Originally Posted by mikebeauchamp /img/forum/go_quote.gif

This just leaves the actual construction of the two headphones to justify the price difference. The ONLY construction difference I can see is that the HD555's have a piece of foam stuck onto the inside of the rear vents blocking about 40% of the vents. In marketing terms, this would be the "special internal Surround Reflector, which generates an extended spatial sound field,making it the ideal headphone for home theater,as well as music."



Very nice pics and comparison. Thank you. I have owned the HD555 and HD595 (120 Ohm, not the 50 Ohm) at different times. I ran the HD555 from a SB Live Value sound card with a $100 portable amp and the HD595 from a Harmon Kardon receiver, and they sounded quite different with the HD595 a noticeable step up. I'm a little surprised to see the internals appear to be identical except for the foam.The "special internal surround reflector" is the triangular piece of plastic protruding into the diaphragms of the HD555 and HD595, not the foam in the HD555.From this thread and my experience with these two headphones, I now attribute the factors responsible for the HD595's superior sound to be its ear cups, possibly different cables (?), what I plugged them into, and their Ohm ratings. Between the two, the HD595 seemed much more capable of scaling well with better associated equipment. I would be surprised to find them sounding similar if I compared the two 50 Ohm models side by side with the same equipment, especially with a better source and amp than I used. Hopefully those who have compared both in this way will post.Quote: