The NEW AKG K550 First impressions. Added pics! - Page 6

Quote:

Originally Posted by BRSxIgnition 

If I have to choose between the ATH-PRO700MK2 and the AKG K550 which would it be for my needs?

I haven't heard either, but it's almost hard to imagine two cans more different.  Pro700Mk2 is supposed to have massive bass to compete with headphones like the Beats, XB-500 and such, whereas K550 is to try and capture a neutralish K701/HD600/DT880 sound in closed-back form.

 These finally landed in Melbourne today - very few units available, not sure what's going on with international

 numbers...

The box is unnecessarily heavy on it's own.

If only more of these headphone manufacturers would provide proper padded strong boxes for us to transport the headphones. Just like for a weekend away from the city or something.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BRSxIgnition 

 

How long is the cable for the AKG K550? And where's the cheapest place to buy it that has shipping to US/Canada?

 

And is the AKG K550 that horrible when it comes to portability? Why?

 

If I have to choose between the ATH-PRO700MK2 and the AKG K550 which would it be for my needs?

 

 

Hey,

I don't know if you've already purchased the K550 or moved on from it, but I live in Vancouver and there is a store called the Headphone Bar near Cambie and Broadway. I just bought the K550 from there. The soundstage is outstanding. I find the treble a little excessive right now, but damn that soundstage. I only have a Sennheiser HD558 and a Grado Sr60 to compare it to, but I find the clarity to be pretty damn good. And did I mention that soundstage?

I love it after 15 minutes. I can't wait to hit 150 hours...

To the OP:

Stroke of luck for me that you also own the K242 HD. How do the K550s compare to them? I'm looking mainly for comparisons in terms of sound stage, mids, bass, treble (though I find my 242s to be slightly lacking in that area), and imaging. Comfort is a non-issue, since I already found them to feel really nice on my noggin, though a noisy store isn't the best place to audition headphones (even closed-back ones).

Cheers!

The PRO700 MKII is essentially an ATH-M50 with a huge emphasis on the lower freq. Forgot how the sound stage was on those cans (managed to audition them quite a few months ago), but I recall them to be rather clear despite the bass-heaviness. Overall, the PRO700 MKIIs are good, but if you're into anything other than hip-hop or... anything that sounds even remotely like hip-hop (that last bit was lame, I know ), then the K550s would be a better option; even a five-minute trial was enough to convince me of that.

P.S.

Both cans were auditioned in noisy environs with my PMP (an unamped but Voodoo Sound-modded i9000).

Hopefully the price on the K550 will drop near Christmas time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleAngel 

Hopefully the price on the K550 will drop near Christmas time.

That seems like quite a long time to wait!
 

I got my K550 4 days ago. I am used to Beyerdynamic dt770 pro 250 ohm for a about a year - commuting 2,5 hours in train 4 times a week. I have never been disappointed with the dt770 pro's but since I got the K550 I switched over. I think it will last. Mainly the openness and the way the vocals are presented convinced me. Also the ever present deep bass was nice to hear, not over emphasized which might be said of the Beyer's. THe Beyer has a slight edge when it comes to resolution of complex passages with a crowd of instruments. But somehow the K550 sounds more natural to me. I really did not expect to be persuaded to another headphone, at least not AKG. But it is nice when one is counterargued with sheer sound quality. That's what I am after all the time. Also, being easily driven, even by a Samsung Galaxy S is not bad. Makes things easier - do no always need an extra amp.

//Ivan

Has anyone been able to compare the sound of the K550 to some of the older classic AKG's like the K500/501 or K240M/DF/Sextett?  Hoping this new can is not just a closed version of the K70X.  Looks wise it's pretty clean minimalistic which I like.

Do the K550's sound good with all music types? I listen to a little bit of everything.

Hi Rezound Sound,

THe K550 are really good at all-types of music.

As Tyle Hertzen on Innerdidelity puts it:

"The AKG K550, on the other hand, is a very well balanced sounding headphone, and, to my ears, bests the above mentioned cans in terms of overall performance. They're nice and tight in the bass, where I find the SRH840 woolly, and the Denons a bit loose. The midrange clarity is very good and quite even for a sealed can, presenting the upper mid-range/low treble beautifully and giving voices their full throat. The best of the bunch here"

(He compares with the Denon headphones.)

BR
Ivan

Quote:

Originally Posted by headed 

Hi Rezound Sound,

THe K550 are really good at all-types of music.

As Tyle Hertzen on Innerdidelity puts it:

 

"The AKG K550, on the other hand, is a very well balanced sounding headphone, and, to my ears, bests the above mentioned cans in terms of overall performance. They're nice and tight in the bass, where I find the SRH840 woolly, and the Denons a bit loose. The midrange clarity is very good and quite even for a sealed can, presenting the upper mid-range/low treble beautifully and giving voices their full throat. The best of the bunch here"

 

(He compares with the Denon headphones.)

 

BR
Ivan

Thanks! Now, if I decide to actually buy headphones (like I've wanted to for a while), I will probably get those. My parents are not gonna like me spending this much money on headphones!
 

hey 

i've had the Pro 900s for almost a year now and I love them, but I just sometimes wish for more "umpf?" in vocals when I'm listening to like Adele or slow RnB songs. Beyond these, I mainly listen to Kpop (all kinds), classical, and lots of ballads. Would the K550 answer my wish for that extra "wow" factor? Sometimes I get bored from my Pro 900s sounding too hollow in a sense, maybe due to a lack of a good amp. I certainly hope K550s would be an improvement when listening to the genres I mentioned before.