The Audio-Technica SJ55 headphones is the highest level in the SJ series. It starts out with the SJ11, followed by the SJ33, and finally the SJ55. Among the three this is definitely my favorite and I wouldn’t hesitate recommending these cans over a lot of other headphones in the market today. The Audio-Technica SJ55 delivers balanced, powerful, clear, and detailed sound. It cuts across a lot of genres and it’s amazing that it just costs Php3,499.
Packaging and Build
All the SJ series have similar plastic and cardboard packaging. The cans are prominently displayed with the ear cups at the front. The design of the box definitely makes it stand out compared to the other more “tame” headphones that you’ll find on the shelves of different stores. Audio-Technica is going for a more fun and playful look but still maintaining the professional quality of sound that they’ve been known for all these years.
Unboxing is pretty straightforward. You take out plastic holders at the back, pull out the front plastic cover, and get the headphones. If you’ve tried the SJ11 before you’ll instantly notice that the SJ55’s are bigger and feel much better to handle. It’s definitely not as portable as the SJ11 but it does still fold up so that it takes less space in your bag when you store it. I really do hope that Audio-Technica starts offering branded pouches to go with these portables!
Here’s a photo of the SJ55 beside the SJ11:
Sound Quality
The strongest feature of the SJ55 is that it’s truly one of the most balanced headphones I’ve ever used. The bass is there and it’s definitely punchy but it’s not overwhelming. The vocals are clear and the separation of the instruments is noticeable. Compared to the SJ11, the SJ55 delivers far superior sound quality. It’s better in clarity, bass, soundstage, detail, isolation, and over-all build.
The only problem I think with the SJ55 is that when you crank up the volume the highs “screech” a bit. This can be remedied by having amplifiers though like the FiiO E5.
Verdict
It looks like the over-all theme of the SJ series is balance. That’s the focus of the SJ55 as well but all other elements are much better compared to previous SJ models. If you like listening to a variety of genres, the SJ55 would definitely be a good buy. The additional Php1,500 (from the Php1,999 SJ11), is worth it.
The Audio-Technica SJ55 comes in black or white and sells for Php3,499. If you want to get it at 10% off, just head over to WeeMall.com and use the discount code unbox1107ph. Note that you need to make an account first before you apply the code to get the discount.
We also encourage you to join the Audio-Technica Philippines Facebook Community. 🙂
