Samson Z55 Review

Fresh on my review desk from parts unkown, the Samnson Z55 looks like the swankiest pair of cans you’ve never heard of.  But once you put them on your ears, the story changes.  That being said, just how good are these headphones, and are they worth your cold hard cash?

Samson Z55 Review

The Z55 comes with three detachable cables – a short 4-10 ft (1.2-3 m) coiled cable, a 4 ft (1.2 m ) straight cable with mic and remote, and a long 8 ft (2.5 m) straight cable.  There’s also a 3.5 mm to 1/4 in adapter and a soft carrying pouch.

It’s built well, despite a mostly-plastic construction, with protein leather on the headband and earcups.  Thanks to the lightweight design and padding, though, you’ll probably forget its on your head in short order, especially once you cue up some music.

Because these headphones sound pretty amazing.

They sport a frequency range of 10-25000 hertz, and a 45 mm driver, as well as a 32 ohm impedance.

Plugged into my FiiO X5 II, they deliver a sound that is articulate and enveloping.  While the bass might seem a tad bit relaxed, the mids come across as strong, and the high-end of the frequency range is a little rolled off – but without a loss of detail.

Compared to other pro reference models in this price range – the AKG k553 Pro and the Shure SRH840, the Samson Z55 more than holds it own.  The K553 might offer slightly stronger bass and treble.  Overall, this headphone gives a harsher impression.  When we move on to the Shure SRH840, we see an even more relaxed sound than that of the Samson.  Bass and treble seem much the same between these two models, but the Shure seems to sport more relaxed mids, giving me the impression of a slightly v-shaped sound signature.

While there are plenty of great options for reference headphones in this price bracket, the Samson Z55 seems to walk a very narrow, middle-of-the-road line.  It’s not completely neutral, but it sounds damn close.  For those who want to hear detail, and lots of it, this headphone makes a compelling case.  For those seeking deep bass notes, or a more v-shaped sound, other options abound.

You can find these headphones for the best price here:

Audio 46 (Use our promo code, “majorhifi” to get 10% off)