The AKG K550 Impressions and Discussion Thread!
May 2, 2016 at 10:31 AM Post #2,296 of 2,839
Cup,

That's awesome!! I'm sure you'll really enjoy the K550 MK II!! I know I do! lol

Again, what are you playing your music on? Your smartphone, or a DAP (separate player)? If it's a phone, then we NEED to talk DAC/amp. lol These K550 MK II headphones will ONLY sound their best with proper amplification, and a quality DAC (digital to analog converter) as well. Let me know.

Not entirely true... They will definitely sound best if you have a more powerful amplifier running them, but the sound from a DAC is highly subjective. Sure some are definitely better at relaying the details in a song than others, but for most songs the important thing is the sound signature and not how "pure" it sounds. A good example would be older CD players which have decent DACs when sound quality is concerned but tend to have a thinner sound signature (just my experience with the older 1bit DACs), so in all honesty the sound signature is very likely the most important thing here. You also want to have a decently shielded unit, which may be a problem with some phones.
 
A good and cheap alternative to listen to these with (assuming the sound quality from the phone is decent, which tends to be the case) is a CMoy amp.
 
May 2, 2016 at 11:25 AM Post #2,297 of 2,839
  Not entirely true... They will definitely sound best if you have a more powerful amplifier running them, but the sound from a DAC is highly subjective. Sure some are definitely better at relaying the details in a song than others, but for most songs the important thing is the sound signature and not how "pure" it sounds. A good example would be older CD players which have decent DACs when sound quality is concerned but tend to have a thinner sound signature (just my experience with the older 1bit DACs), so in all honesty the sound signature is very likely the most important thing here. You also want to have a decently shielded unit, which may be a problem with some phones.
 
A good and cheap alternative to listen to these with (assuming the sound quality from the phone is decent, which tends to be the case) is a CMoy amp.

 
Well of course the quality of your music content matters. But for now I wanted to make sure Cup has a proper amp/DAC b/c all headphones IMO, esp the K550/K550 MK II, only sound their absolute best when properly amplified, but also the DAC will play into it too of course. I've seen (videos) and experienced what a difference a good DAC can make. It will help filter out the crap you don't want like tape hiss, it can help to improve soundstage by making it sound even wider, and also I feel it helps to remove that "thin veil" off the sound so you REALLY hear everything. 
 
But yes, the original content matters. That's why in the last year and a half I've slowly acquired a TON of Hi-Res albums and tracks into my collection. I feel Hi-Res has been a game changer, and it's the catalyst that got me into the Hi-Fi world too. 2 years ago I didn't know a damn thing about headphones, nor did I care either. lol Oh but A LOT'S changed in 2 years. lol 
 
May 2, 2016 at 11:46 AM Post #2,298 of 2,839
   
Well of course the quality of your music content matters. But for now I wanted to make sure Cup has a proper amp/DAC b/c all headphones IMO, esp the K550/K550 MK II, only sound their absolute best when properly amplified, but also the DAC will play into it too of course. I've seen (videos) and experienced what a difference a good DAC can make. It will help filter out the crap you don't want like tape hiss, it can help to improve soundstage by making it sound even wider, and also I feel it helps to remove that "thin veil" off the sound so you REALLY hear everything. 
 
But yes, the original content matters. That's why in the last year and a half I've slowly acquired a TON of Hi-Res albums and tracks into my collection. I feel Hi-Res has been a game changer, and it's the catalyst that got me into the Hi-Fi world too. 2 years ago I didn't know a damn thing about headphones, nor did I care either. lol Oh but A LOT'S changed in 2 years. lol 

Which DAP would be a good portable and affordable? Thanks! And where would I find Hi-RES albums?
 
May 2, 2016 at 11:50 AM Post #2,299 of 2,839
  Which DAP would be a good portable and affordable? Thanks! And where would I find Hi-RES albums?

 
Cup, 
 
DAP? A digital audio player? Or did you mean amp/DAC? 
 
Ok let me clear something up with you by asking a simple question.............. do you want to CONTINUE listening to music off your phone, or a separate player?? I was under the impression you wanted to do so with your phone, which is what I do (but I use an amp/DAC in the mix to get the best sound). Please answer then we will talk devices and Hi-Res. 
 
May 2, 2016 at 12:34 PM Post #2,301 of 2,839
Oh, ****. I am really inexperienced at this. Pardon my stupidity. I mean a device that's An amp, that can be connected to my phone.

 
Cup, 
 
No problem. That's what I thought you meant anyway. lol But wanted to be sure. And you want an amp/DAC not just an amp if you're playing off your phone. (I only recommend amp only devices if you are playing off a quality DAP like a Walkman or FiiO player, etc.) 
 
Ok. I also play off my phone, so let me suggest a few amp/DACs to consider. Not sure on your price range, but I STRONGLY recommend buying one of these if you want the very BEST sound. 
 
Which phone do you have? iPhone or an Android??
 
Here you go. And don't worry, I made sure to pick sellers that WILL deliver to the Netherlands (except #3)............... 
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1) The Really Good: AudioQuest DragonFly Black v1.5 USB Digital-to-Analog Converter - $130. Simple, VERY portable, are said to get very loud too, which is a good thing (especially when listening to Hi-Res, which sometimes is recorded at a lower volume on purpose for better balance when you raise the volume up), and are compatible with both iPhones and Android. Brand new. 
 
2) The Great: AudioQuest DragonFly Red - $247. Everything is the same as the Black, except this has a BETTER DAC chip in it, so it's a step up. Also brand new. 
 
3) The Best (for under $500 anyway): Oppo HA-2 - Price will vary, though I paid $299 for mine. None of the UK Amazon sellers for this device sell to your country unfortunately, so I posted for you the link to the various eBay sellers. Hopefully ONE will sell to you. If not, let me know and I'll try and look elsewhere. But you know what, try first just buying it straight from the Oppo site, which also sells it at $299. If not, check that eBay page then. 
 
3 continued) This is my amp/DAC device, and I LOVE IT! It is a little bigger than the other two, and also it has its own battery which you will have to charge, but it has the best DAC chip of the 3. It comes in a gorgeous premium metallic design, genuine stitched leather casing, and is very easy to hold. It also comes with options the first 2 don't......... 1) A Low/High Gain switch 2) A Bass Boost switch (which I normally don't recommend using, but maybe on heavier rock songs it's ok) 3) It's compatible with Apple & Android, and comes with its OWN cables as well. 4) It comes with a RAPID charger that can charge it fully in like only 90 minutes. 5) It can be used as a battery pack to charge your phone too. If you have have Android, you can't listen to music through it and charge your phone at the same time, but if you have an iPhone, then you can. 
 
Let me know your choice of the 3 above, then I will suggest which cable to get with it. The HA-2 comes with cables unlike the first 2, but I needed an extension cable cuz the one it comes with is really short (6 inches). 
 
 
 
 

Ok, with regards to acquiring Hi-Res albums, this might be tricky because of your location. The sites I use probably won’t be licensed or have the rights to sell to your country. I advise that you first skim through a former post of mine which talks about Hi-Res. Just skim everything from “Here is another post…..” on down. The part about dBpoweramp is optional, but good to have still. Just skim it and do what it says, and if you have questions, let me know. See if the sites at the bottom will sell to you. Bookmark the ones that do. 

 

In addition to those sites, I have 2 more that SHOULD be able to sell albums to the Netherlands. One is the UK version of HDTracks, and the other is Qobuz, which I currently CAN’T buy from but you probably can. Bookmark ANY site that works so you can always get back to it later.

 

Important Note: You must understand Cup that these Hi-Res albums DO NOT sound better than the CD and mp3 (and even vinyl) versions because of their higher resolution. That is for the most part just marketing bullsh*t. As long as it’s above mp3 resolution, it’s all the same IF the source is the same and it’s encoded/processed properly. The REAL reason why they sound better is b/c the studio producers and engineers put much more effort and attention into mastering or remastering these albums. So using dBpoweramp to downsample (not downgrade) the songs to a smaller file size will do NO harm to them as long you don’t downsample them to mp3. Also, when you see an album in 2 different resolutions, just get the cheaper one. 99% of the time it will sound the same, trust me. Like if you see an album in 24/192 and 24/96, just get the 24/96 version. Just don’t go below 44.1kHz/24-bit (that is the minimum for Hi-Res)!

 

This seems like a lot, but in time it will all make sense. Please answer all questions asked. 

 

 

 
May 2, 2016 at 2:08 PM Post #2,302 of 2,839
   
Well of course the quality of your music content matters. But for now I wanted to make sure Cup has a proper amp/DAC b/c all headphones IMO, esp the K550/K550 MK II, only sound their absolute best when properly amplified, but also the DAC will play into it too of course. I've seen (videos) and experienced what a difference a good DAC can make. It will help filter out the crap you don't want like tape hiss, it can help to improve soundstage by making it sound even wider, and also I feel it helps to remove that "thin veil" off the sound so you REALLY hear everything. 
 
But yes, the original content matters. That's why in the last year and a half I've slowly acquired a TON of Hi-Res albums and tracks into my collection. I feel Hi-Res has been a game changer, and it's the catalyst that got me into the Hi-Fi world too. 2 years ago I didn't know a damn thing about headphones, nor did I care either. lol Oh but A LOT'S changed in 2 years. lol 

Not at all what I was talking about, but I agree that the source material does matter somewhat. What I meant is that the difference in sound between different DACs (including the one in phones) would be far closer to what I at least (I have seen others refer to it as such as well) call "sound signature", meaning the how the DAC sounds compared to others. The point of this of course is that most DACs can easily play all the details of the song, but they all differ somewhat in how they sound while doing it.
 
My point is that you may not necessarily need a DAC/amp combo, a simple pocket amp may be more than enough to get the sound you want. That said, a DAC/amp combo is a good option if source sounds bad to start with. Personally I would want a DAC/amp combo for my phone, but that is simply because I think it sounds horrible even at a low volume. Still that doesn't mean a dac/amp combo is what everyone needs, even though its a really good option (significantly more pricey than a pocket amp though).
 
Edit: also with a dedicated DAC/amp, you want to be sure it has a battery as it's going to draw a lot of power from your phone if not. IT's also not going to be able to give you that high of a volume since it's working from a very limited usb OTG power source. 
 
May 2, 2016 at 2:24 PM Post #2,303 of 2,839
  Not at all what I was talking about, but I agree that the source material does matter somewhat. What I meant is that the difference in sound between different DACs (including the one in phones) would be far closer to what I at least (I have seen others refer to it as such as well) call "sound signature", meaning the how the DAC sounds compared to others. The point of this of course is that most DACs can easily play all the details of the song, but they all differ somewhat in how they sound while doing it.
 
My point is that you may not necessarily need a DAC/amp combo, a simple pocket amp may be more than enough to get the sound you want. That said, a DAC/amp combo is a good option if source sounds bad to start with. Personally I would want a DAC/amp combo for my phone, but that is simply because I think it sounds horrible even at a low volume. Still that doesn't mean a dac/amp combo is what everyone needs, even though its a really good option (significantly more pricey than a pocket amp though).
 
Edit: also with a dedicated DAC/amp, you want to be sure it has a battery as it's going to draw a lot of power from your phone if not. IT's also not going to be able to give you that high of a volume since it's working from a very limited usb OTG power source. 

 
Well the reason why I chose the Dragonfly amp/DACs as 2 out of the 3 options is that they have been said to get VERY loud considering their smaller size, and not everyone can afford to spend hundreds of dollars on an amp/DAC, but I feel strongly that they do help to improve the sound quality overall, so that is why I mentioned them. And others may not want to have a bigger device to carry around, and so the Dragonfly devices are great b/c they're pretty tiny and could just be moved around by picking up the smartphone and headphones (no need to lift them separately like the HA-2 would need to be). I just don't want to give ppl ANY excuses NOT to get one and then end up less than great sound quality. 
 
Of course some DACs are better than others. I once compared the (at the time) $200 iBasso DX50 to my former Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone, and I COULD not hear a difference! So yes, I agree to a certain point that some phones are great in that respect. I welcome Cup and anyone to do their comparison tests once they choose and receive a device to their own smartphones and see if they can in fact tell a difference or not. But in most cases, I believe they probably will. And the newer devices like the Dragonfly ones I believe will sound better than some devices that may cost slightly more than they do based on their stellar reputation here on Head-Fi. 
 
Yeah I use the HA-2 and it does a lot to improve my final sound quality. It can be pricey, but that is why I gave Cup 3 different options to choose from. Again, I ONLY at this point recommend amp-only devices to people who are playing off quality DAPs. I just don't trust that most smartphones can do what a good amp/DAC can do. My old Z3 was said to have better than average sound quality than other smartphones (in 2014 anyway lol. Now we have like LG V10 and G5 + B&O DAC which do a lot too), but when I went up $100 to the $300 Sony Walkman A17, I COULD then hear a difference favoring the Walkman. In those cases (ppl who use premium DAPs) for people unlike you, Cup, and I, I would recommend my former amp, the $60 FiiO A3 (formerly known as the E11k). Lovely device. 
 
May 2, 2016 at 2:46 PM Post #2,304 of 2,839
   
Well the reason why I chose the Dragonfly amp/DACs as 2 out of the 3 options is that they have been said to get VERY loud considering their smaller size, and not everyone can afford to spend hundreds of dollars on an amp/DAC, but I feel strongly that they do help to improve the sound quality overall, so that is why I mentioned them. And others may not want to have a bigger device to carry around, and so the Dragonfly devices are great b/c they're pretty tiny and could just be moved around by picking up the smartphone and headphones (no need to lift them separately like the HA-2 would need to be). I just don't want to give ppl ANY excuses NOT to get one and then end up less than great sound quality. 
 
Of course some DACs are better than others. I once compared the (at the time) $200 iBasso DX50 to my former Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone, and I COULD not hear a difference! So yes, I agree to a certain point that some phones are great in that respect. I welcome Cup and anyone to do their comparison tests once they choose and receive a device to their own smartphones and see if they can in fact tell a difference or not. But in most cases, I believe they probably will. And the newer devices like the Dragonfly ones I believe will sound better than some devices that may cost slightly more than they do based on their stellar reputation here on Head-Fi. 
 
Yeah I use the HA-2 and it does a lot to improve my final sound quality. It can be pricey, but that is why I gave Cup 3 different options to choose from. Again, I ONLY at this point recommend amp-only devices to people who are playing off quality DAPs. I just don't trust that most smartphones can do what a good amp/DAC can do. My old Z3 was said to have better than average sound quality than other smartphones (in 2014 anyway lol. Now we have like LG V10 and G5 + B&O DAC which do a lot too), but when I went up $100 to the $300 Sony Walkman A17, I COULD then hear a difference favoring the Walkman. In those cases (ppl who use premium DAPs) for people unlike you, Cup, and I, I would recommend my former amp, the $60 FiiO A3 (formerly known as the E11k). Lovely device. 

Agreed, my point was simply that he may not necessarily need a dac/amp combo. That said, it's definitely the safer route as you get the exact same result as everyone else with that device (compared to reviews of pure amps which vary depending on the device used as a source). Also the more expensive devices are usually better, but depending on ones budget there are decent ones at a significantly lower price point as well such as the HiFime devices.
 
May 2, 2016 at 4:02 PM Post #2,305 of 2,839
I firstly admire your ability of discussing in a friendly manner, Rainmaker and Rockstar! With that said, I am going to check up on the HP150 forum, to double make sure I am getting the right headphone. Get that this is not disrespecting your advice. Thanks again! 
 
EDIT: nevermind, I go for the AKG K550. I had such fond memories from this headset, and each time I wander away from it, I get disappointed. I get disappointed with the H6, I get disappointed with the SRH840... So no more switching. Baby AKG K550, come in my loving arms. <3 
 
May 2, 2016 at 4:17 PM Post #2,306 of 2,839
  I firstly admire your ability of discussing in a friendly manner, Rainmaker and Rockstar! With that said, I am going to check up on the HP150 forum, to double make sure I am getting the right headphone. Get that this is not disrespecting your advice. Thanks again! 

 
Cup, 
 
Thanks, and none taken.
 
That's fine. I have heard good things about the HP150, but I can't judge it b/c I've never listened to it. So just take your time and research what you want. Feel free to ask questions and to use my advice and suggestions. 
 
Also, let me know which of those 3 devices you plan to get (if you are), and if you have an iPhone or Android smartphone. 
 
May 2, 2016 at 4:44 PM Post #2,308 of 2,839
  I will first just get the headphone, and see how that goes. If I really like the sound, and I have some more money to spend, I will probably get the first one you mentioned. I am an Android user.

 
Cup, 
 
Ok sounds good! 
 
Regarding the HP150, one site I really respect a lot for reviews (besides Head-Fi lol) is whathifi.com. They have 2 reviews for both the HP150 and the K550. Though both are great, the K550 got the better rating in addition to having the honor of being a "2015 Award Winner" on that site as well. Given that the K550 came out in 2011, this means that 2015 was not the first year these headphones won that award. So even being 5 years old, they still compete extremely well. I would suggest reading both, and note the different takes on the soundstage quality of each as well. 
 
Ok so if you get the DragonFly Black v1.5, then I believe you will need a cable to attach it to your Android phone (don't think it comes with it). For that I recommend this cable, which is available to buy from your country. Since the Black is so small, you should be able to let it hang off from your phone with no problem (using that cable). 
 
Let us know what you do and how you like the sound of what you buy! 
 
May 9, 2016 at 6:54 PM Post #2,309 of 2,839
Well the reason why I chose the Dragonfly amp/DACs as 2 out of the 3 options is that they have been said to get VERY loud considering their smaller size, and not everyone can afford to spend hundreds of dollars on an amp/DAC, but I feel strongly that they do help to improve the sound quality overall, so that is why I mentioned them. And others may not want to have a bigger device to carry around, and so the Dragonfly devices are great b/c they're pretty tiny and could just be moved around by picking up the smartphone and headphones (no need to lift them separately like the HA-2 would need to be). I just don't want to give ppl ANY excuses NOT to get one and then end up less than great sound quality. 

Of course some DACs are better than others. I once compared the (at the time) $200 iBasso DX50 to my former Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone, and I COULD not hear a difference! So yes, I agree to a certain point that some phones are great in that respect. I welcome Cup and anyone to do their comparison tests once they choose and receive a device to their own smartphones and see if they can in fact tell a difference or not. But in most cases, I believe they probably will. And the newer devices like the Dragonfly ones I believe will sound better than some devices that may cost slightly more than they do based on their stellar reputation here on Head-Fi. 

Yeah I use the HA-2 and it does a lot to improve my final sound quality. It can be pricey, but that is why I gave Cup 3 different options to choose from. Again, I ONLY at this point recommend amp-only devices to people who are playing off quality DAPs. I just don't trust that most smartphones can do what a good amp/DAC can do. My old Z3 was said to have better than average sound quality than other smartphones (in 2014 anyway lol. Now we have like LG V10 and G5 + B&O DAC which do a lot too), but when I went up $100 to the $300 Sony Walkman A17, I COULD then hear a difference favoring the Walkman. In those cases (ppl who use premium DAPs) for people unlike you, Cup, and I, I would recommend my former amp, the $60 FiiO A3 (formerly known as the E11k). Lovely device. 
The Best solution for Akg k550 is simply an amp (fiio e11)! Suits just these over ears much better than e17 (that's difficult using as Dac otg! It sounds piercing to the almost free AKG K550 £99,-:))
 
May 9, 2016 at 7:02 PM Post #2,310 of 2,839
The Best solution for Akg k550 is simply an amp (fiio e11)! Suits just these over ears much better than e17 (that's difficult using as Dac otg! It sounds piercing to the almost free AKG K550 £99,-
smily_headphones1.gif
)

Depends a lot on the original source. A more accurate statement would be that the e17 DAC does not fit well with the k550s. I have tried several and, some do make the k550s even more piercing than they usually are. Others however smooth out the top so that they are far better to listen to. The best example I can give of this is my phone (Lumia 640) and a cheaper DAC I have (XFI go Pro) which makes them unbearable to listen to at times. Other DACs such as the HRT Microstreamer is far smoother in the top (while still as detailed), and thus fits the k550s far better.
 
Just my observations though. Some phones/computers have a sound signature that fits them quite well, and for those it's a far better choice to just use a neutral amp to make the signal louder.
 

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