Pioneer SE-550
Little is officially documented about the Pioneer SE-550. No original brochure, service manual, or spec sheet has surfaced, no production years or original retail price are recorded, and no period magazine review has been located in the archive. A period HiFI-Stereo listing from 1982 documents contemporary Pioneer headphone models with frequency responses of 20-20,000 Hz and coiled cords, which places the SE-550 in that era (HiFI-Stereo, 1982, p.106). Several independent databases agree on the rest: a closed-back, over-ear dynamic headphone with a 40mm driver, 16-ohm impedance, and a rated sensitivity of 103 dB/mW. Low impedance and high sensitivity made the SE-550 easy to drive from virtually any vintage receiver or even a weak portable source. Vintage headphone enthusiasts still note that favorably.
The frequency response is generally listed as 20 Hz to 20 kHz. At least one source garbles the upper figure, claiming kHz rather than Hz, but the underlying range is consistent across sources. Weight is a light 160 grams without cable. The cord is a 1.5-meter coiled type ending in a 3.5mm jack, with a 6.3mm adapter included.
One unusual technical note comes from a hifi-wiki entry. It describes the magnets as "very small" yet capable of a high flux density, stated there as 140-145 T. That is almost certainly an error for milliTesla and should be treated cautiously. Forum owners report more useful things about the sound: clear mids, decent bass for the size, and very high sensitivity. The SE-550 is remembered as one of the better-sounding vintage closed headphones of its era.
On the secondhand market, functional pairs typically list between $40 and $70. There are two common failure points. The foam pads degrade and are no longer available from Pioneer, so third-party replacements are the standard route. The coiled cable often loses contact at the strain relief and needs re-soldering.
Known Specs
- Type: Closed-back, over-ear dynamic headphones
- Driver: 40mm dynamic
- Impedance: 16 ohms
- Sensitivity: 103 dB/mW
- Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Weight: 160 g (without cable)
- Cable: 1.5 m coiled, 3.5mm plug with 6.3mm adapter
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