The AKG K550 Appreciation/Discussion Thread! - Page 14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc-holliday 

Seriously K550 owners if you are wanting to get a little more midbass, sub bass and bass punch out of your phones try using an impedance adapter. I am using the one that came with one of my iems for airplane use (i believe it is 75ohm). There are adapters on ebay. I was listening last night with my Lyr again and that really brings the bass closer to the level of my HD650. Using that rig last night I got more out of my K550 than I have with any other setup. The separation and layering of instruments was phenomenal. The nearly open sound of the K550 got even bigger. Vocals and guitars shined with a realism and just the perfect sparkle and detail.
I was just PMing a buddy that these phones have just suddenly moved to a SOLID number two on my favorites. By far my favorite closed cans at this point ever.
K550+impedance adapter+lyr =

I looked at these because someone in another thread once suggested it to me when I was hearing a hum on my Darkvoice. I've since discovered the culprit (it was the power tubes) and forgot about it. But this...this tickles my fancy. You think one of those Hong Kong cheapies on eBay would have the same effect?

The headband is secured with double sided tape. A simple press the headband will stick back in place.

Another way of looking at it is the headband is easily replacable. : )

If you find the headband uncomfortable, make your own and stick it in place.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dweaver 

I have one of these at the office so will bring it home tomorrow night and see what happens.

Report please

sorry forgot to grab it. I will have to do it next week.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc-holliday 

Seriously K550 owners if you are wanting to get a little more midbass, sub bass and bass punch out of your phones try using an impedance adapter. I am using the one that came with one of my iems for airplane use (i believe it is 75ohm). There are adapters on ebay. I was listening last night with my Lyr again and that really brings the bass closer to the level of my HD650. Using that rig last night I got more out of my K550 than I have with any other setup. The separation and layering of instruments was phenomenal. The nearly open sound of the K550 got even bigger. Vocals and guitars shined with a realism and just the perfect sparkle and detail.
I was just PMing a buddy that these phones have just suddenly moved to a SOLID number two on my favorites. By far my favorite closed cans at this point ever.
K550+impedance adapter+lyr =

Will the sound of my K550 increase if I use an impedance adapter with a Fiio E6 (not the best amp) and a LOD for my Ipod classic?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc-holliday 

I would doubt it honestly. I have to turn my lyr nearly halfway with the adapter on it. The e6 isn't going to hit output levels anywhere near that.
Fellas I am going to measure the impedance of the adapter i have tomorrow and post it.

Thanks for your reply,

I'm planning to buy the Schiit Magni Amp.

Will the sound improve if I then use an impedance adapter?

Guys, one crazy idea occurred in my mind today :D 

I have received a gift from audeze 2 months ago for expressing my feelings about lcd2 on their support page after i had a little argument with them . The gift contained a pair of lcd2 ear-pads.

I was curios to see if they fit the k550, and they did. They are exactly the same diameter. They fit perfectly and with the same mechanism as k550. 

They are perfectly isolated now, and actually i think the sound improved a little but i am not sure. the pads may get the driver to far from the ear, must do a little testing, though i enjoy the sound with this mod quite a lot too.

The comfort has also increased a lot! (before this i applied the mod explained in post no 1).

Edit:.

After a little testing, i came to the conclusion that the audeze pads take the driver too far away from the ear. It doesn't sound bad, it is a little more laid back, but so are the bass and details. Maybe someone with a bigger head than mine would like this mod.

I think this could be resolved by making the bigger part of the earpad smaller by taking off the leather and bind them with thread in 2-3 places. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan.gheorghe 

Guys, one crazy idea occurred in my mind today :D 

 

I have received a gift from audeze 2 months ago for expressing my feelings about lcd2 on their support page after i had a little argument with them . The gift contained a pair of lcd2 ear-pads.

 

I was curios to see if they fit the k550, and they did. They are exactly the same diameter. They fit perfectly and with the same mechanism as k550. 

 

They are perfectly isolated now, and actually i think the sound improved a little :D The comfort has also increased a lot! (before this i applied the mod explained in post no 1).

 

 

 

Very interesting,indeed.

May I ask something,in the first picture,I can see that there is a little gap between the headband pad and the metal headband on your K550,at one side. That was the reason I returned mine although I liked their sound. I had this issue with my pair,the headband padding was not so well glued to the headband,leaving some little gaps at the sides,where I could notice some glue too.

So I returned them back,thinking that it may get worse in the future,and I expected perfect build quality from these cans at this price.

When you first bought it,it was like that,or it occured later with usage?

Quote:

Originally Posted by john53 

Very interesting,indeed.

 

May I ask something,in the first picture,I can see that there is a little gap between the headband pad and the metal headband on your K550,at one side. That was the reason I returned mine although I liked their sound. I had this issue with my pair,the headband padding was not so well glued to the headband,leaving some little gaps at the sides,where I could notice some glue too.

So I returned them back,thinking that it may get worse in the future,and I expected perfect build quality from these cans at this price.

When you first bought it,it was like that,or it occured later with usage?

I have bent them because apparently I do not have a big enough head for those headphones (like said in the first post here). I went to carting and only xl helmets were big enough for my head but apparently these headphones are made for xxl or xxxl heads :)) .The gap appeared from my bending. It does not affect me. Actually with the mod from the first post the sound improved a lot :) Thank you Curly21029

So what are the overall feelings people have about the treble on the K550? Tyll at Innerfidelity describes the highs as somewhat "zazzy and indistinct." Then, there are people who think the highs are great, like Mike at Headfonia. Personally, from my experience with K271, 272 and a whole bunch of other closed back headphones, I found that pretty much all of them have some issues with the treble that are uncommon in open backs. I found that open back headphones tend to offer a fuller, crisper, more refined, smoother and airier treble than closed backs. $ for $ I find that open backs tend to do much better in the highs than closed cans. HD555 has a more natural treble than D2000 and DT880 has much nicer highs than T5p for example IMO, even though the open headphones cost a lot less. I also found AKGs K271 and 272HD to have somewhat harsh, peaky unnatural highs that just didn't sound quite right compared to a well designed open headphone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pianist 

So what are the overall feelings people have about the treble on the K550? Tyll at Innerfidelity describes the highs as somewhat "zazzy and indistinct." Then, there are people who think the highs are great, like Mike at Headfonia. 

The top end is fine. There's plenty of them but they are clean highs, not harsh or tizzy. Sometimes the "tizz" is not from the headphones anyway. You can't believe everything you read from supposed experts. What they hear is not always what you will hear. Look for a "reviewer" who hears headphones (that you both own) the same way that you do, then there would be a sort of mutual "trust" there.

The upper mids and lower treble of the K550 are very weird.  Not natural.  It's a plasticy, echo-like feeling.  They're not the most harsh of headphones, but the top-end isn't really that clean either.