Comparisons: 36 of the Top Closed/Portable Headphones Around
Apr 5, 2014 at 7:24 PM Post #1,951 of 4,373
Don't have the HP50 to compare against, but i can offer a quick companion between the K545 and P7.

The first thing that struck me in the K545 was the bass, as it was more impactful that I had expected, which was a nice surprise as I have heard that AKG headphones tend to be bass light. That said, the bass was never overpowering , although it could be a tad tighter (the P7 bass is tight and well controlled for me). Doesn't extend as deep as the P7 as well, but still good overall.

After getting over the initial bass surprise, the mids started to come out nicely. The mids are quite rich sounding, with a similar tonality to my AD900x, which is an open back headphones. I'd imagine the mids being not as forward as the Momentums (based on impressions of listening to Momentums in store), but definitely not as backward as the P7s. This also gives the impression of a large wider soundstage than the Momentums. Soundstaging sounds pretty much on par with the P7.

Treble is quite well extended, slightly rolled off compared to the P7, but nothing really to complain about.

Fit and comfort wise, I was happy to find that it was extremely easy to get a fit with this headphone. Clamping force is lighter than P7 and exerts no excessive pressure on your ears. However, the earpads are slightly thin, so some people may find parts of their ears touching the inside surface of the driver section. Not a major concern though. The K545 feels a lot lighter than the P7 too. Isolation is not as good as P7 due to thinner earpads and lighter clamp force. While I have no major comfort issues with the P7, I would imagine this being a more comfortable headphones for most people.

Overall i think K545 offers good value, considering it's almost half the price of P7 and about 100(?) cheaper than HP50. Not too sure about prices you can get, but this is based off my memory from Amazon prices. Build quality is pretty good too, with a good mix of plastic and metal.


Nice impressions, i felt they were more "fun" > hp50s. Is it as transparent and clear? No. But they are no slouches in that department.

I found the comfor was better the earpads are bigger. Abeit circular.

The build felt was better, more robust feeling. And their definitely more slimming on the head. The hp 50s square headband is uber comfy but walking around with that is just odd to me.

Isolatation i thought hp50s won out there
 
Apr 5, 2014 at 7:53 PM Post #1,952 of 4,373
That is an excellent analysis of the K545 in my opinion. I have been remis at getting my K545 to MH, something I will rectify this week.

Glad to hear - can't wait to have some backup on what they sound like. 
 
The ONLY thing that makes me even slightly nervous about purchasing the K845BT at this point is just the fact that the cable goes into the right side rather than the left side. It bugs me to no end, since I'm so used to having it on the left side - ah well...
 
Apr 5, 2014 at 9:23 PM Post #1,953 of 4,373
   
The ONLY thing that makes me even slightly nervous about purchasing the K845BT at this point is just the fact that the cable goes into the right side rather than the left side. It bugs me to no end, since I'm so used to having it on the left side - ah well...

I wouldn't be too concerned about what side the cable goes on if you intend to buy the K845BT.  The K845BT can be paired with Blue Tooth (wireless) devices.  
 
Apr 5, 2014 at 9:26 PM Post #1,954 of 4,373
  I wouldn't be too concerned about what side the cable goes on if you intend to buy the K845BT.  The K845BT can be paired with Blue Tooth (wireless) devices.  

I guess so - but for the best quality sound and longer battery life, using a cable would be best. But you are right, i wouldn't mind trying it out without a cable. 
 
Still - I wonder why AKG put the cable on the right side on the K845BT, but on the left side for the K545? 
 
Apr 5, 2014 at 10:01 PM Post #1,955 of 4,373
That is an excellent analysis of the K545 in my opinion. I have been remis at getting my K545 to MH, something I will rectify this week.

Cool...no rush though...I do appreciate the offer! 
smile.gif

 
Apr 5, 2014 at 11:22 PM Post #1,956 of 4,373
Hello everyone, first of all, thank you for the great list and detailed impressions of each headphone!

I'm in the market for a new full-size, sturdy, semi-balanced, closed portable, and only having demo'ed the H6, I was wondering what would best fit my tastes.

My main physical requirements are that the headphones be:
  • Full-Sized. (Around Ear preferred for comfort)
  • Portable. (Example: M50's are fine for me)
  • Sturdy & Stylish. (Metal/High Quality Construction is welcome!)

When it comes to sound, I want two things:
  • Neutral. I don't want heavily V-shaped or overly bright sound signatures. Bass is welcome but I don't want a recessed midrange. (A la M-100)
  • Fun. That said, I still want the sound to be dynamic, and not perfectly neutral or deadly flat. The ATH-M50's sound alright to me, though I would like more detail and a bit more balance. (MAybe a bit more punch in the lower end?)

My spending limit is $400 after tax - so discount codes or promotions are welcome. I'd like to keep the price to around $300-$350 if possible. 

I've been looking strongly at the AKG K845BT, and the NAD VISO HP50 (White) - I've also demo'ed the B&O H6, though it wasn't with my own music - and liked them more than I expected.

So I'm left with a question - which of the above would be best for me? Is there something else I should be looking at? Are the H6 REALLY worth the $450 in the first place? 

Any help is welcome. 


Chalk me up for another P7 recommendation. Sounds like a match to what you're describing.

I'd skip the Mikros - it's frustrating not getting the right fit on them. You adjust it to finally sound good, you turn your head and it's already moved on you and the sound changes. That and how it continually rolls forward on your ears. I think the swivel should have been designed to swivel backward so that it at least locks in place somewhat.

The K545 just doesn't have enough bass to be fun, in my opinion. I do like the H6, but not for outside or crowded place use.
 
Apr 5, 2014 at 11:44 PM Post #1,957 of 4,373
Chalk me up for another P7 recommendation. Sounds like a match to what you're describing.

The K545 just doesn't have enough bass to be fun, in my opinion. I do like the H6, but not for outside or crowded place use.

I don't hate the P7.. but I can't say I was ever looking at it seriously. The proprietary cable is a bit of a deal breaker for me, and that combined with the smaller/stiffer ear pads than I'd like, as well as the design (Never been a fan of the B&W designs) and $100 higher price compared to the K545/845, it's not really the headphone I'm looking for. 
 
Apparently the K545 sounds similar to a cross between the Momentum and the HP50's - so are you sure it wouldn't at least have the same amount of - if not more - bass than my current ATH-M50's which I'm replacing?
 
I'm hoping this gets clarified by someone with both headphones soon. 
 
Apr 6, 2014 at 12:14 AM Post #1,958 of 4,373
I don't hate the P7.. but I can't say I was ever looking at it seriously. The proprietary cable is a bit of a deal breaker for me, and that combined with the smaller/stiffer ear pads than I'd like, as well as the design (Never been a fan of the B&W designs) and $100 higher price compared to the K545/845, it's not really the headphone I'm looking for. 

Apparently the K545 sounds similar to a cross between the Momentum and the HP50's - so are you sure it wouldn't at least have the same amount of - if not more - bass than my current ATH-M50's which I'm replacing?

I'm hoping this gets clarified by someone with both headphones soon. 


I had already crossed off the P7 after 3 demoing sessions at Best Buy. But after going thru the Momentum (returned), the HP50 (returned), I gave the P7 another chance. This time, I bought them and took them home to give them a bit more time. After a day or two, I was hooked. It was completely unexpected because I bought them, frankly, to return them and cross them off for good.

Well, I still have them.

Now, for the K545...now sure how it's a cross between the HP50 and the Momentums - both of those have pretty prominent bass presence, more so on the Momentums. The K545s are pretty bass shy, so I would not even compare them to the other two.

You're definitely not going to find more bass on the K545s as compared to the ATH-M50s. I wish you had a Best Buy in Canada that carried the k545 for demoing, 'cause I can only imagine your face when you put them on and try to find the bass. lol

Seriously though, I don't want to dig at those who love the K545 (and there are many on here!), but a bass headphone they are not. They're on the other side of the spectrum.
 
Apr 6, 2014 at 12:36 AM Post #1,959 of 4,373
I would disagree about the bass of the K545 they are not a bass lovers bass but they are no where near bass shy. They are less bass oriented than the Momentum and slightly more bass oriented than the HP50.
 
Apr 6, 2014 at 12:42 AM Post #1,960 of 4,373
Thing is, I'm not looking for a bassy headphone - I tried the M-100's and really hated their V-shaped sound signature.
 
The main thing I want from the sound of whatever I buy is an improvement on my M50's.
  1. More Balance. (More forward mids)
  2. More Clarity & Soundstage.
  3. Slightly better bass depth/impact.
 
Surely one of the headphones mentioned here fits that while still being sturdy, portable, and not looking bad? (The lower the price the better)
  • AKG K845BT ($298)
  • NAD VISO HP50 ($299)
  1. $100 Price Gap
  • B&W P7 ($399)
  • B&O H6 ($439 - Really?) 
 
Apr 6, 2014 at 1:33 AM Post #1,961 of 4,373
There is a link in the deals thread for a refurbished HP50 for $219 that would help with cost. For me it would almost be a toss up between them and the K545. The HP50 has more forward lower mids and neutral upper mids while the K545 has neutral to slightly recessed lower mids and more forward upper mids.
 
Apr 6, 2014 at 1:38 AM Post #1,962 of 4,373
  Thing is, I'm not looking for a bassy headphone - I tried the M-100's and really hated their V-shaped sound signature.
 
The main thing I want from the sound of whatever I buy is an improvement on my M50's.
  1. More Balance. (More forward mids)
  2. More Clarity & Soundstage.
  3. Slightly better bass depth/impact.
 
Surely one of the headphones mentioned here fits that while still being sturdy, portable, and not looking bad? (The lower the price the better)
  • AKG K845BT ($298)
  • NAD VISO HP50 ($299)
  1. $100 Price Gap
  • B&W P7 ($399)
  • B&O H6 ($439 - Really?) 

The H6 are priced the same as P7 eh?
 
Apr 6, 2014 at 1:40 AM Post #1,963 of 4,373
There is a link in the deals thread for a refurbished HP50 for $219 that would help with cost. For me it would almost be a toss up between them and the K545. The HP50 has more forward lower mids and neutral upper mids while the K545 has neutral to slightly recessed lower mids and more forward upper mids.

If you could link me to this, I'd be very interested in it. Unfortunately, I don't know which 'Deals Thread' you are referencing. Is it in the 'For Sale' section? The Sponsor section?
 
 
  The H6 are priced the same as P7 eh?

They are $40 more if purchased from my local apple store. 
 
Apr 6, 2014 at 2:38 AM Post #1,964 of 4,373
Here is a link to the deals thread http://www.head-fi.org/t/692119/the-deals-discussion-thread-read-the-first-post/4020

And a link to the HP50 sale mentioned http://www.spearitsound.com/Headphones-NAD_VISO_HP50_Refurbished.html
 
Apr 6, 2014 at 2:40 AM Post #1,965 of 4,373
Crap, just realized your a fellow Canuck, so the sale won't work unless you use a forwarding service or have a friend in the US.
 

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