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REVIEWS
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Products in this category are scored under Frontum Headphones Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
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Audio-Technica ATH A550z Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£130Form factor:over-earConnectivity:wiredBattery life:N/A hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):no

Audio-Technica ATH A550z Review: Compare 93 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Headphones category and whether it is worth buying.

5.9/10

Overall score

Score
5.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the headphones' quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best headphones on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 67% of models
Score components

80%

5.9

Technical score

20%

?

User score

â–¼Worse than 67% of headphones
7.1

Value for money

Value for money
7.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 67% of models
Score components

70%

5.9

Overall score

30%

9.8

Price

â–¼Worse than 67%
5.9

Technical score

Technical score
5.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 52% of models
Score components

52%

7.1

Sound

20%

4.4

Features

10%

5.8

Design

8%

4.6

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

3.8

Calls & Controls

â–²Better than 52%
?

User score

User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

  • No image
No image
Where to buy
    N/A~ £130
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of pair of headphones Audio-Technica ATH A550z

Technical score
Technical score
5.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 52% of models
Score components:

52%

7.1

Sound

20%

4.4

Features

10%

5.8

Design

8%

4.6

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

3.8

Calls & Controls

5.9
User score
User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

?
Popularity
Popularity
1.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you prefer headphones that have already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Popularity:
Audio-Technica ATH A550z has a popularity score of 1 point, which is lower than that of 73.4% of products in this category.
1.0
Value for money
Value for money
7.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 67% of models
Score components:

70%

5.9

Overall score

30%

9.8

Price

7.1
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
no
This pair of headphones does not support active noise cancellation. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
Driver type
dynamic
Driver size
53 mm
Market range: <10 mm – >50 mm
This pair of headphones uses a driver size of 53 mm, larger driver size than 94.8% of headphones and equal to 1.6% of headphones.
Number of drivers
1
Market range: <1 – >4
This pair of headphones uses 1 drivers, fewer drivers than 4% of headphones and equal to 96% of headphones.
Lowest frequency
5 Hz
Market range: <5 Hz – >20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 5 Hz, lower lowest frequency than 86.3% of headphones and equal to 10.8% of headphones.
Show more
Noise-canceling microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not support a noise-canceling microphone. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
Can be used as a headset
no
This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while 15.1% is. 84.9% of headphones can be used as headsets.
Number of microphones
0
Market range: <0 – >4
This pair of headphones has 0 microphones, fewer microphones than 73.2% of headphones and equal to 26.9% of headphones.
Boom microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not include a boom microphone. 13.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
Microphone SNR
N/A
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Connectivity
wired
This pair of headphones supports wired connectivity, less flexible connectivity than 49.2% of headphones and equal to 50.8% of headphones.
Bluetooth version
N/A
Maximum Bluetooth range
N/A
Audio latency
N/A
Multipoint support
no
This pair of headphones does not support multipoint. 30.6% of headphones support multipoint.
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Ambient sound mode
no
This pair of headphones does not offer ambient sound mode. 24.9% of headphones support ambient sound mode.
EQ support
no
This pair of headphones does not support EQ customization. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
Companion app
no
This pair of headphones does not work with a companion app. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
Adjustable ANC levels
N/A
Voice assistant support
yes
This pair of headphones supports voice assistants. 39.2% of headphones support voice assistants.
Show more
Battery life
N/A
Battery life with ANC
N/A
Charging time
N/A
Quick charge
no
This pair of headphones does not support quick charging. 33.1% of headphones support quick charge.
Battery capacity
N/A
Show more
Brand name
Audio-Technica
Form factor
over-ear
Weight
300 g
Market range: <14 g – >340 g
This pair of headphones weighs 300 g, heavier than 80.9% of headphones and equal to 1.3% of headphones.
Acoustic design
closed-back
Clamp force
?
Show more

Audio-Technica ATH A550z vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • Hi-Res Audio certification
    This pair of headphones has Hi-Res Audio certification, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.1% of headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified.
  • 13 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (53 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    53 mm vs 40 mm
  • 13 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (5 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    5 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 15,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (35,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    35,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • Direct 3.5 mm plug
    This pair of headphones includes a direct 3.5 mm plug, the average pair of headphones does not. 39.8% of headphones have a 3.5 mm male connector.
  • 1.8 m longer cable length
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (3 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    3 m vs 1.2 m
  • 11 mm more spacious earcup width
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup width than the average pair of headphones (55 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    55 mm vs 44 mm
  • 10x higher input power handling
    This pair of headphones has a higher max input power than the average pair of headphones (1,000 mW vs 100 mW). The average headphones handle max input power of 100 mW.
    1,000 mW vs 100 mW
  • 1.8 m longer cable length
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (3 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    3 m vs 1.2 m
  • 11 mm more spacious earcup width
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup width than the average pair of headphones (55 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    55 mm vs 44 mm
  • Hi-Res Audio certification
    This pair of headphones has Hi-Res Audio certification, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.1% of headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified.
  • 13 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (53 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    53 mm vs 40 mm
  • 13 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (5 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    5 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 15,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (35,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    35,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 10x higher input power handling
    This pair of headphones has a higher max input power than the average pair of headphones (1,000 mW vs 100 mW). The average headphones handle max input power of 100 mW.
    1,000 mW vs 100 mW
  • Direct 3.5 mm plug
    This pair of headphones includes a direct 3.5 mm plug, the average pair of headphones does not. 39.8% of headphones have a 3.5 mm male connector.
  • 37.6% higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (300 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    300 g vs 218 g
  • Fixed cable
    This pair of headphones has a fixed cable, while the average pair of headphones has a detachable one. 62% of headphones have a detachable cable.
  • Not headset-ready
    This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while the average pair of headphones is. 84.8% of headphones can be used as headsets.
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This pair of headphones has fewer microphones than the average pair of headphones (0 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    0 vs 1
  • 5.87x less popular
    Audio-Technica ATH A550z is less popular than the average pair of headphones (1 vs 5.9).
    1 vs 5.87
  • 2 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (100 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    100 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • No travel bag
    This pair of headphones does not include a travel bag, the average pair of headphones does. 65.4% of headphones include a travel bag.
  • 5.87x less popular
    Audio-Technica ATH A550z is less popular than the average pair of headphones (1 vs 5.9).
    1 vs 5.87
  • 2.5% worse value for money
    Audio-Technica ATH A550z has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (7.09 vs 7.3).
    7.09 vs 7.27
  • 37.6% higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (300 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    300 g vs 218 g
  • Fixed cable
    This pair of headphones has a fixed cable, while the average pair of headphones has a detachable one. 62% of headphones have a detachable cable.
  • No travel bag
    This pair of headphones does not include a travel bag, the average pair of headphones does. 65.4% of headphones include a travel bag.
  • 2 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (100 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    100 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • Not headset-ready
    This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while the average pair of headphones is. 84.8% of headphones can be used as headsets.
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This pair of headphones has fewer microphones than the average pair of headphones (0 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    0 vs 1

Third-party reviews

What customers like about Audio-Technica ATH A550z

  • Wide soundstage that feels expansive and open for a closed-back headphone
  • Great price-to-performance ratio offering high-fidelity sound on a budget
  • Lightweight and comfortable design suitable for long listening sessions
  • Good instrument separation and clear positional tracking within the audio
  • Plush, soft earpads with a self-adjusting 3D wing support system
  • Effective passive noise isolation that minimizes sound leakage

What customers don't like about Audio-Technica ATH A550z

  • Non-removable, overly long 3-meter cable that gets in the way during portable use
  • Comically oversized and bulky footprint making them poor for travel
  • Earpads lack breathability and can cause ears to feel hot or sweaty over time
  • 3D wing support system springs can feel too soft or slide down on narrower heads
  • Some users report a slightly dark tuning, recessed vocals, or mid-bass distortion
  • Requires a powerful amplifier or high-power audio source to perform at its best

Verdict

The Audio-Technica ATH-A550Z is a high-fidelity, closed-back monitor headphone featuring large-aperture 53mm drivers with CCAW bobbin-wound voice coils, a broad frequency response of 5Hz–35,000Hz, and a 40-ohm impedance that makes it easy to drive without an external amplifier. Key characteristics include the Double Air Damping System (D.A.D.S.) for enhanced bass reproduction and a self-adjusting 3D Wing Support system designed for long-wearing comfort. Its main pros are a remarkably spacious soundstage for a closed-back design, detailed high-frequency performance, and a lightweight, low-clamping fit that is ideal for long home listening sessions. However, notable cons include its bulky, non-foldable frame that limits portability, a fixed 3.0m cable that is not user-replaceable, and some reports of a recessed treble or treble deficit in specific audio profiles.

Compare Audio-Technica ATH A550z with other products in the Headphones category

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