The AKG K550 Appreciation/Discussion Thread! - Page 19

I would get these right now if they had a removable cable.

Guys!!! I found the best mod for K550 to increase the clamping force :)))) :

Looks smart I got a big enough head for k550 but the owner of the akg I sold had to little head. I helped him bending it perfect for him with 100% success.

ok, can anyone suggest any replacement pads? velour pads maybe? 

the current ones make me sweat 

and one more thing, i want the cable shorter, should i replace it entirely with a braided one or cut it and put a plug at 1,5m?

thanks

it's either this or i sell them and get dt 770 LE

p.s. not the lcd 2 pads, really cannot afford paying 100$ for pads :)

I remember reading here that LCD-2 pads should fit perfectly. Can't be sure tough.

Quick notes from AKG to my broken AKG 550: Got a new one brand new in box with no questions asked. Apparently this is a common problem with people bending the headband and breaking the cups.

Just got a pair of these and I am very happy with them. But, they are huge, definitely not what I would consider portable.

Any recommendations for something over the ear, foldable, with similar sound characteristics?

OK so I just picked up a pair of these bad boys. I've only had a few hours with them so far, but to me they seem pretty much the same as others are describing: bass is tight, controlled - the only headphones I have other than these are the HD650s and the bass definitely sounds 'better' on the K550s. I still prefer my HD650s overall, however, I live on a military base and the sound of jets taking off repeatedly throughout the day kind of nullifies the point of having an open headphone.

If these require extensive burn-in, then I am making premature judgments. With that said, these headphones at high volume definitely outperform their lower-volume counterparts. Songs sound, simply put, worse when listening at low levels. This is a direct comparison to my HD650s, from which after a year of using I have grown to like their low-volume sound (although, perhaps I just like 'the veil').

My chain: 320kbps MP3s (iTunes) --> Fiio E7/E9 AMP/DAC --> HD650's/K550's

A smidge of bass boost in Poweramp gives these things near D7000 bass if wanted

Hey K550 owners: has anybody here listened to both these and the K271s?  I'm down to choosing between these two.  The K271s are really highly regarded and are currently *super-cheap* on Amazon -- $125 vs. $289 for the K550.  Basically, what I'm wondering is if the K550 is really twice as much headphone quality-wise.

I'm seeing in various reviews that the K550 has a much more open soundscape, a bit more color, and more bass, while the K271 is often considered to be more comfortable, and more analytic.  I'm going to be running through a tube amp, so the amp will provide a bit of color, and if there's any "harshness" in either phone, I won't hear it.

Anybody have enough experience with both phones to have an informed opinion?

(P.S.: I'm a 6'4" (1.93m) guy who wears size-8 hats, so I'm not worried about fit on my massive head.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Venasa 


Would have to agree on the volume thing, I almost feel like these headphones should be amped though the impedence is pretty low. I also recently used the accudio app by golden ears on them and it revealed that these cans have a but of a boost in the bottom end that appears to cover the top end just sligjtly in certain songs. I am actually not sure whiether i prefer the "flater" sound the accudio app gives to these as I really enjoy their bass, really tight and airy.

I'm using them with a Fiio E10, with "bass boost" enabled and they are pretty fantastic amped. I do not have super sensitive audiophile ears or anything, but I find the quality of the bass and soundstage is largely dependent on the soundstage of the recording itself.  Sounds obvious, but what I mean by that is, they won't cover up bland/flat sound. They will, however, bring to life well put together music. Especially classical.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by pencechp 

Hey K550 owners: has anybody here listened to both these and the K271s?  I'm down to choosing between these two.  The K271s are really highly regarded and are currently *super-cheap* on Amazon -- $125 vs. $289 for the K550.  Basically, what I'm wondering is if the K550 is really twice as much headphone quality-wise.

 

I'm seeing in various reviews that the K550 has a much more open soundscape, a bit more color, and more bass, while the K271 is often considered to be more comfortable, and more analytic.  I'm going to be running through a tube amp, so the amp will provide a bit of color, and if there's any "harshness" in either phone, I won't hear it.

 

Anybody have enough experience with both phones to have an informed opinion?

 

(P.S.: I'm a 6'4" (1.93m) guy who wears size-8 hats, so I'm not worried about fit on my massive head.)

I have been told that the 271/272/272HD are good, but not great. The K550's were definitely worth the money for me. They are much funner, and better sounding (in my opinion) than my Sennheiser HD598's which people tend to gush over. 

For that kind of money though, I'd say it's a toss up. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by zuk0v 

OK so I just picked up a pair of these bad boys. I've only had a few hours with them so far, but to me they seem pretty much the same as others are describing: bass is tight, controlled - the only headphones I have other than these are the HD650s and the bass definitely sounds 'better' on the K550s. I still prefer my HD650s overall, however, I live on a military base and the sound of jets taking off repeatedly throughout the day kind of nullifies the point of having an open headphone.

 

If these require extensive burn-in, then I am making premature judgments. With that said, these headphones at high volume definitely outperform their lower-volume counterparts. Songs sound, simply put, worse when listening at low levels. This is a direct comparison to my HD650s, from which after a year of using I have grown to like their low-volume sound (although, perhaps I just like 'the veil').

 

My chain: 320kbps MP3s (iTunes) --> Fiio E7/E9 AMP/DAC --> HD650's/K550's

 

Honestly, for me the 550 sounded noticeably better after 100+ hours. It's hard to give an exact time, it was one of those experiences where I put it on and thought "huh, when did this happen?" I have the 650 also... I'd say the 650 has better mids, more impact on the bass, better soundstage, but the 550 was more reference/balanced. For a closed back it's a great headphone for a great price! (A friend now has them. As a musician, she opted for the 550 reference sound over the 650.)
 

A quick note on your chain; For me the E17/E9 sounded really good with the HD650s, but the 550s sounded better right out of the E17 then from the E9. I can't speak for the E7, but try turning off the gain and playing the 550 it right out of the E7...(Though if you like the sound of the 650, this might not be the sound you're looking for.)

I just got these and very happy with the sound no problems with a fit. Quite impressed with the low end bass.

Altho, It seems like they are not going loud enough for me? Seems like I need an amp. Any suggestions? 

THE SEAL is very important on these. Alot of the no bass complaints are due to a bad seal imo.

EDIT: It seems like burning in is helping that not being loud enough. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by pencechp 

Hey K550 owners: has anybody here listened to both these and the K271s?  I'm down to choosing between these two.  The K271s are really highly regarded and are currently *super-cheap* on Amazon -- $125 vs. $289 for the K550.  Basically, what I'm wondering is if the K550 is really twice as much headphone quality-wise.

 

I'm seeing in various reviews that the K550 has a much more open soundscape, a bit more color, and more bass, while the K271 is often considered to be more comfortable, and more analytic.  I'm going to be running through a tube amp, so the amp will provide a bit of color, and if there's any "harshness" in either phone, I won't hear it.

 

Anybody have enough experience with both phones to have an informed opinion?

 

(P.S.: I'm a 6'4" (1.93m) guy who wears size-8 hats, so I'm not worried about fit on my massive head.)

Sounds like I need to do a little write-up here. Challenge accepted.

What you've noted so far are pretty spot-on. Let me add a few things to what you already know.

First up is the K27X's roll-off in both directions. Bass extension is poor. The highs are pretty good, but the very top frequencies are noticeably missing in some tracks. Crashing cymbals and pizzicato on violins seem a bit dull. On the bright side, totally not fatiguing. No sibilance whatsoever. On the other hand, the K550s have more treble detail and sparkle. I do remember a little bit of treble spikiness in the K550 which might be irritating to sensitive ears (it was okay for me). I've never used the K550 with a tube amp so I don't know how they will sound with  your setup. I also want to mention the wonky upper mids - which sounded a bit too forward for my tastes and according to some has a "plasticky" timbre. I wish I could A/B these, but I hear no issues with the K272's mids. They sound natural, smooth, and detailed. Female vocals sound pretty good out of them.

Also, I don't think the K272 is more analytical than the K550. Just because the K550 has a livelier sound doesn't mean it is any less analytical. In fact, I think it is more revealing than the K272- although the K272 is also very good - with a lot of detail and instrument separation.

You've already noted that the K550 has more bass, but even so it's pretty close to neutral. I just want to reiterate that the K27X really lacks punch- even more so than notoriously bass-light K701. If you plan on listening to any bass-heavy music then you probably want to go with the K550s.

Build quality wise, it seems obvious the K550 is better. However, it's also much heavier. The K27X is as light as a feather... The headband is flexible and tough despite feeling cheap, so I feel safe hurling it across the room. Due to the weight of the K550s, though, I feel like even a slight bump will leave a nasty scratch or something. So it's ironic that despite using all the high quality plastics and metal components, I have to baby the K550 more than the K272.

Finally, comfort is very good on both. I do remember the K550 headband becoming a bit hot/uncomfortable after ~2 hours, probably due to the narrow headband and weight of the headphones digging into my skull. No problems with the K272HD, though.

In sum, I probably made the K272 seem worse than it really is, but please note that I am exaggerating most of these "differences" for the sake of comparisons. I picked up my pair of K272HD's for ~$100. Is it worth 3x the price to get the K550? Not necessarily.

Hope this helps.

And oh are those PL notation I see in your avatar? I happen to be taking a symbolic logic course atm and couldn't help but notice.