[LugBug1]

Been a while since I bought some new headphones. The HD800's put an end to that for the last couple of years... But I wanted some closed back for certain times and so snapped these up. 
 
The balance of these is very good indeed, as is the tone. The AKG sound in a closed back pretty much. More midcentric than the KXXX with a closer image - slightly warmer but still with plenty of bite at the top. I'm impressed with the isolation as well- wasn't expecting too much. The comfort of the pads is another plus. 
 
The mid frequencies are much better on these than the KXXX and this is most welcome. (no nasty peak at 4k)
 
I wouldn't normally recommend any closed back hp for classical music but these sound great. Obviously not as airy as their older open back brothers, but the imaging is very focused and certainly open enough for large scale orchestral works. The detail retrieval is on par with the KXXX imo, only more smeared at the lower end. 
 
Yup, an absolute bargain for what they are going for these days!   

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

  Been a while since I bought some new headphones. The HD800's put an end to that for the last couple of years... But I wanted some closed back for certain times and so snapped these up. 
 
The balance of these is very good indeed, as is the tone. The AKG sound in a closed back pretty much. More midcentric than the KXXX with a closer image - slightly warmer but still with plenty of bite at the top. I'm impressed with the isolation as well- wasn't expecting too much. The comfort of the pads is another plus. 
 
The mid frequencies are much better on these than the KXXX and this is most welcome. (no nasty peak at 4k)
 
I wouldn't normally recommend any closed back hp for classical music but these sound great. Obviously not as airy as their older open back brothers, but the imaging is very focused and certainly open enough for large scale orchestral works. The detail retrieval is on par with the KXXX imo, only more smeared at the lower end. 
 
Yup, an absolute bargain for what they are going for these days!   

I think the detail on these is quite good for a closed back. One thing I am not so keen on is the mid range. Although it is very clear and pleasant to listen to, it seems to sound extremely thin even though the bass is very deep. The bass and mid range sound very separate to each other and I sometimes wish that that mid range would have a bit more warmth to it if you know what I mean. The bass on my open backed Audio Technica ATH-AD700s have much less bass, however the mid range sounds warmer. The treble is very good for a closed back headphones but I agree with others that it does sound a bit unreal at times. My AD700s have even more treble than these but they don't sound like they are trying as hard. Probably just the difference between open and closed.

 

[Shaffer]

I think the detail on these is quite good for a closed back. One thing I am not so keen on is the mid range. Although it is very clear and pleasant to listen to, it seems to sound extremely thin even though the bass it very deep. the bass and mid range sound very seperate to each other and I sometimes wish that that mid range would have a bit more warmth to it If you know what I mean. The bass on my open backed Audio Technica ATH-AD700s have much less bass, however the mid range sounds warmer. The treble is very good for a closed back headphones but I agree with others that it does sound a bit unreal at times. My AD700s have even more treble than these but they don't sound like they are trying as hard. Probably just the difference between open and closed.

I agree. Even though I have a number of amplifiers, I only use the K550 with a LDIII (upgraded tubes). Can't stand the sound of these things even with a very warm sounding Vio V200. For whatever reason, the OTL fills in a lot of gaps.

 

[LugBug1]

 
I think the detail on these is quite good for a closed back. One thing I am not so keen on is the mid range. Although it is very clear and pleasant to listen to, it seems to sound extremely thin even though the bass is very deep. The bass and mid range sound very separate to each other and I sometimes wish that that mid range would have a bit more warmth to it if you know what I mean. The bass on my open backed Audio Technica ATH-AD700s have much less bass, however the mid range sounds warmer. The treble is very good for a closed back headphones but I agree with others that it does sound a bit unreal at times. My AD700s have even more treble than these but they don't sound like they are trying as hard. Probably just the difference between open and closed.

Compared to another once popular closed back- the D2000, the midrange is much more focused and balanced with the rest of the spectrum as the midrange doesn't actually dip. I know what you mean by 'thin' but that for me is the AKG sound. A flat FR can sound distant and because these are pretty flat apart from a boost at the bottom and a peak at about 8-10k, the midrange will seem a little further back. Now, without these two peaks at either end, these could have sounded very dull indeed. Especially without the air and separation of an open hp. 
 
The way bass molds or feathers into the midrange is one of the hardest things to pull off. Boosting the lower mids causes smearing of details but can be pleasing for some who want powerful drums or a bass kick for instance. Boosting the lower sub bass instead can be more pleasing, as you keep more detail but this is sometimes at the expense of 'booming'. I Think the K550 have this a little. It gives the impression when the bass comes in that it is more separated rather than integrated. The original K701/2 had the bass spot on for critical listening - detailed and deep. But unfortunately there simply wasn't enough for most folks and so they ended up boosting and smearing with later incarnations to please the masses of bass junkies hah.  
 
Another point in reference with the older open models would be to compare only the midrange. Instrumental timbre sounds much more realistic on the K550. The unnatural boost at about 4k on the open cans adds that famously quoted 'plasticky' tone to certain sounds. Yes it brings out the vocals for mixing but this is useless and annoying when listening for pleasure. 
 
But getting things into perspective... These are never going to be contenders for best headphone. But what they do offer is the bargain of the decade for folks who need some isolation with a very good hifi sound. 

 

[vaibhavp]

 
I think the detail on these is quite good for a closed back. One thing I am not so keen on is the mid range. Although it is very clear and pleasant to listen to, it seems to sound extremely thin even though the bass is very deep. The bass and mid range sound very separate to each other and I sometimes wish that that mid range would have a bit more warmth to it if you know what I mean. The bass on my open backed Audio Technica ATH-AD700s have much less bass, however the mid range sounds warmer. The treble is very good for a closed back headphones but I agree with others that it does sound a bit unreal at times. My AD700s have even more treble than these but they don't sound like they are trying as hard. Probably just the difference between open and closed.

 
if you want audio technica warm mid range, you wont get it on these. these are akg house sound and are different.
 
bass puches through the mid range and gets out. i like it a lot.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

if you want audio technica warm mid range, you wont get it on these. these are akg house sound and are different.

bass puches through the mid range and gets out. i like it a lot.

Some people who have the AD700s think that the lack of bass effects how warm the midrange sounds. They diffinately won't have the wamth that many Audio Technica headphones have as they are very bass light. That doesn't bother me much though because the sound and detail is so good.

 

[MLandreth]

Hey everybody!

So I'm still enjoying my K550s but never did get around to an amp for them since the more I read, the more I feel like the amp would likely just be overkill. I've been using them with an antlion modmic to completely replace my gaming headset and I'm wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of an external soundcard that'll allow me to manage the AKG eq and the mic settings while also maybe looping in a DAC? I've looked at a few and found that they're either really expensive or dirt cheap and get completely mixed reviews. Does anyone have any experience with them on these cans?

Thanks in advance!

 

[episiarch]

MLandreth, I don't know anything about soundcards, but FWIW I've used the K550 ampless and with a few different amps, and I truly love how they pair with a Schiit Vali.  My tastes aren't everybody's but for me the K550+Vali (plus decent source in my case an ODAC) is a very sweet combination.

 

[MLandreth]

MLandreth, I don't know anything about soundcards, but FWIW I've used the K550 ampless and with a few different amps, and I truly love how they pair with a Schiit Vali.  My tastes aren't everybody's but for me the K550+Vali (plus decent source in my case an ODAC) is a very sweet combination.

Thanks for the feedback! Have you had any issues with microphonics at all? My original plan was to run the K550 through a modi/vali combo but people had told me there were some issues with tube sounds (pings).

 

[sludgeogre]

Thanks for the feedback! Have you had any issues with microphonics at all? My original plan was to run the K550 through a modi/vali combo but people had told me there were some issues with tube sounds (pings).

Microphonics were way too much for me with the Vali/K550 combo. I couldn't handle it and traded my Vali for a friend's Magni. He is using HD598 headphones, which have a higher impedance and match better with the Vali. He heard no microphonics through his headphones and the Vali.
 
Long story short, I'd recommend the Magni over the Vali for the K550. Looooove my Magni with the K550.

 

[lawrecedent]

Microphonics were way too much for me with the Vali/K550 combo. I couldn't handle it and traded my Vali for a friend's Magni. He is using HD598 headphones, which have a higher impedance and match better with the Vali. He heard no microphonics through his headphones and the Vali.

Long story short, I'd recommend the Magni over the Vali for the K550. Looooove my Magni with the K550.

I have the Vali / Modi combo and find it quite good with the K550's. As long as I dont tap on the case, plug or unplug the headphones I don't hear any microphonics. However, I have read about people who have experienced far worse. I think the later versions of this amp might suffer less from microphonics as Schiit were fully aware of the problem.

 

[sludgeogre]

I have the Vali / Modi combo and find it quite good with the K550's. As long as I dont tap on the case, plug or unplug the headphones I don't hear any microphonics. However, I have read about people who have experienced far worse. I think the later versions of this amp might suffer less from microphonics as Schiit were fully aware of the problem.

I noticed a bit of microphonics on a black background, but when music was playing it was generally OK, the big problem was when I would type with a little force (like when playing a first person shooter) it would rattle the case enough to cause some ringing. I didn't have any place to put it to isolate it so it was a big problem for me. It also didn't play nicely with my Grado SR325is at all.

 

[LugBug1]

My second week with the K550 and the two things that are impressing the most are the detail/resolution and dynamics. Seriously, the detail retrieval is on par with pretty much any other hp I've owned (including the HD800) -this is focused on the midrange upwards.
 
Regarding dynamics, they can sound very delicate as they relay intricate passages of orchestral/ensemble music and then have the speed and attack when needed. Apart from the normal lack of air in the highs associated with closed back hp's the dynamic range is very fast and doesn't seem restricted.
 
I would say to anyone new to these, that they are a grower. It takes a while to get accustomed the sound - especially if you are coming from open hp's. I'm also noticing these mellowing out over time. The sound has less contrast (as discussed previously) with the bass and mids. I've had some headphones that have appeared to change over time and some that defo have not. But these seem to relax over time for whatever reason - still AKG biting treble, but not harsh unless the recording is asking for it! 

 

[episiarch]

Returning to the Vali/K550 discussion for a moment, for what it's worth I have no microphonics problems with mine whatsoever.  (By none whatsoever I mean literally none.  If I hadn't read about microphonics complaints I would be completely unaware there was any issue.)  Mine's pretty recent – early 2015 – and I understand they made some small changes to give the tubes a little more mechanical isolation than they'd had originally. 

 

[sludgeogre]

  Returning to the Vali/K550 discussion for a moment, for what it's worth I have no microphonics problems with mine whatsoever.  (By none whatsoever I mean literally none.  If I hadn't read about microphonics complaints I would be completely unaware there was any issue.)  Mine's pretty recent – early 2015 – and I understand they made some small changes to give the tubes a little more mechanical isolation than they'd had originally. 

 
Crazy. I bought the Vali I had over a year ago (I think) so there must have been improvements because WOW that thing was sensitive.