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Shure SRH550DJ headphones review: Great for DJs and desk jockeys

The Shure SRH550DJ Professional Quality DJ Headphones' folding earcups, extra-long wire, and deep bass push are a boon for DJs who prefer tough cans that emphasize the lower end of the sound spectrum.

Justin Yu Associate Editor / Reviews - Printers and peripherals
Justin Yu covered headphones and peripherals for CNET.
Justin Yu

The Shure SRH550DJ headphone's folding earcups, extra-long wire, and deep bass push are a boon for DJs who prefer tough cans that emphasize the lower end of the sound spectrum.

Watch this: Shure SRH550DJ
Sarah Tew/CNET

These are Shure's $100 budget DJ headphones, but you wouldn't know it by their robust sound and build quality. Their price point puts them in tough competition with the classic Sony MDR-V700DJ, a favorite among traveling DJs and musicians for the past decade.

The 50mm drivers hold ground against high listening volumes and sudden signal dips, but keep in mind that you won't hear the balanced midrange shine like you would with cans designed for natural audio mixing. That said, the overall tonal balance is appropriate for club DJs who listen at loud volumes.

DJs are also largely concerned with the soundstage of headphones, or how accurately they present the location of the instruments in relation to the microphones recording the music. The Shure SRH550DJs do a fine job of separating each instrument instead of mashing them all between your ears, and vocals are impressively precise as well.

Did I mention they also fold up for easy storage? Check out all the details in my full review of the Shure SRH550DJ headphones.