The bad: The plastic housing lining the joints about the headband is prone to creaks and could break down after prolonged use.
The bottom line: The Shure SRH550DJ headphones strike a good balance of durability and respectable sound definition, worth hard-hitting DJs who play pop, rock, hip-hop, as well as electronic music.
The $100 Shure SRH550DJ headphones's are Shure's entry-level headphones for that budget-minded DJ, but their futuristic, sealed-back design also makes them an advisable noise-cancelling option for desk jockeys. Their acoustic image takes them a step nearer to the club than I'm used to hearing in the company's natural-sounding earbuds, but DJs expecting durable headphones with clear definition and brain-rattling bass defintely won't be disappointed by the Shure SRH550DJ Professional Quality DJ Earphones.
Design
The Shure SRH550DJ headphones are tough competition for the Sony MDR-V700DJ Studio Monitor Series DJ Headphones which have earned the recommendation of discerning DJs for on the decade, but Shure offers modern visual appeal more than Sony, which hasn't updated the MDR-V700DJ design because its introduction.
Luckily, Shure also features a pleather carrying pouch that keeps the headphones as well as earpads intact. You can also buy replacement cushions from Shure once they eventually wear out, but I prefer the modular snap-padding about the Aiaiai TMA-1 headphones, which just feels more secure from the hardware.
The headphones weigh slightly over fifty percent a pound with the cord included, but the plastic lining about the headband that keeps them light also makes them vunerable to creaking. The weakest part on headphones is the joint connecting the band towards the earcups, so the Shure SRH550DJ headphones ' fragility makes me personally question their long-term durability, especially considering the tough way that travelling DJs treat their gear. Nevertheless, the Shure SRH550DJ headphones's get Shure's generous two-year warranty, that protects against structural damage.
Performance
DJs are also largely worried about the soundstage of headphones, or how accurately they present the location of the instruments with regards to the microphones recording the music. The Shure Shure SRH550DJ headphones's perform a fine job of separating each instrument instead of mashing all of them between your ears, and vocals are impressively precise too.
I want to make it clear, however, how the high frequencies definitely take a backseat to the actual bass depth for these headphones, which is probably an attempt by Shure to ensure their appeal for DJs. You will possibly not mind, or may actually prefer the extra bass if you are just using these for your computer rig, but listeners who desire a distinct sparkle from treble tones should appear elsewhere--these are headphones for groovier genres.
Conclusion
The actual Shure SRH550DJ Professional Quality DJ Headphones' folding earcups, extra-long cable, and deep bass push are a boon with regard to DJs who prefer tough cans that emphasize the low end of the sound spectrum. Their lightweight design sacrifices a little bit of durability over the long term, but Shure's two-year warranty along with a sub-$100 price tag even the score and solidify my recommendation of those earphones for DJs and everyday listeners of rock and roll, rap, and electronic music.