[a_recording]

I just ordered a pair of these (great price on Amazon DE!) http://www.amazon.de/AKG-AKGK550-K550-Premium-Kopfh%C3%B6rer/dp/B005CNR7B0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367888221&sr=8-1&keywords=k550
 
I was reading through the impressions thread and I was wondering if there was any firm conclusion on production changes made to the K550 over time...
 
When I get my pair I'll most likely open them up at some point, but I'm wondering if the different reports of different signatures stems from different size heads or production changes.

 

[Lorspeaker]

heads..... u won.

 

[SelmO]

@a_recording: I'm sure it's headsize and some people not taking care of a proper fit. I achieved serious improvement when I followed the suggestions given on meier-audio's homepage (General Suggestion for placing headphones: moving them a bit Forward/Lower). Love these cans!

 

[RamblinE]

Quote:

I just ordered a pair of these (great price on Amazon DE!) http://www.amazon.de/AKG-AKGK550-K550-Premium-Kopfh%C3%B6rer/dp/B005CNR7B0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367888221&sr=8-1&keywords=k550
 
I was reading through the impressions thread and I was wondering if there was any firm conclusion on production changes made to the K550 over time...
 
When I get my pair I'll most likely open them up at some point, but I'm wondering if the different reports of different signatures stems from different size heads or production changes.

I think part of it stems from how hard it is to get a good seal with them. I've tried several of the ideas in this thread and in the discussion thread and I'm still having difficulty acquiring and maintaining a good one. 

 

[bonfirehay]

People have different ears and each one of us ears each frequency slightly different.
On top of that there is habituation to previous different headphones.
This can contribute to disparse opinions about these headphones, besides the already mentioned fit differences.
 
On the confort issues, I've just added 6mm climbing rope under the pads, and this improved confort a lot.
I discovered that what was bothering me was less the heat/sweat, but more the pressure of the interior on my ears.
Now it barely touches my ears. It's not perfect but is much better.
 
Also, bending the headband worked a bit, although I didn't bend it as much as I should because I was afraid of breaking it like another user reported.

 

[RTTO]

The reason of not getting a good seal, I think, is because on the two reasons:
 
1) Shear size of cup:
    The bigger the size of the cup, the more facial feature (terrain) it had to navigate (accomodate)
 
2) Head shape:
    No two skulls look the same. Some has bigger peaks and valleys. Features like the dip  behind the jaw
    bone right underneath the ear.... etc
 
I guess that's the very reason the K7xx & Q7xx series pads has varying thickness (thick & shallow side) and higher clamping force
 
For myself, it fits perfectly the very first time I put it on. I do play around with the angle of the drivers using the frictional gimbal adjustment to get different effect. It has nothing to do with seal though.
 
Like, you can place the driver a little forward and angled the it back towards your ear the way HD 800 did...
There's a lot you can play around with this type of hinges. Just love it!

 

[posteriorpounde]

I bent the headband from its more flat state into a more contoured shape following the top of the head to more evenly distribute pressure, which significantly improved comfort in addition to improving clamping force. However, the regular unmodified pads still gave me trouble. I could never get a good seal with them, and the clamping force was just pathetic. However, stuffing the pads greatly helped to create a seal. Currently, I managed to obtain a good seal by stuffing them with rolled Kleenex, which also kind of gave it a warmer sound.
 
However, I feel like this solution with all the potential tissue particles is a non-optimal. I was wondering what innovative padding materials some of you were using. I've seen rope and headbands, but the rope makes the pads pretty uncomfortable.
 
I was also wondering if facial features made a significant difference in obtaining a good seal. I've found that though the pad goes around my ear and seal pretty well, my jawline is rather close to my ear and the edge pads goes over, creating some sort of pocket which is difficult to position to seal over. However, the pad is resting on my earlobe here, so there is no air leak. Have any of you had this issue?
 

 

[a_recording]

My K550's arrived!
 
It seems my head is the right size for these. However I can see how they are very sensitive to seal. They sound noticeably different (less warm) with the earpads sitting against the arms of my glasses versus flush against my face. I wonder if the earpads will get more supple over time.

 

[dxanex]

Quote:

My K550's arrived!
 
It seems my head is the right size for these. However I can see how they are very sensitive to seal. They sound noticeably different (less warm) with the earpads sitting against the arms of my glasses versus flush against my face. I wonder if the earpads will get more supple over time.

 
Congrats! They are great, enjoy them... The pads will definitely get more supple. I'm finding that the more I use them, the easier it is becoming to get a decent seal. I don't have to fumble around with them constantly like when I first got them.
 
As for use with glasses, can't say with 100% certainty, I don't wear glasses...but I would assume this would also improve with use.

 

[hiki08]

Quote:

I just ordered a pair of these (great price on Amazon DE!) http://www.amazon.de/AKG-AKGK550-K550-Premium-Kopfh%C3%B6rer/dp/B005CNR7B0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367888221&sr=8-1&keywords=k550
 
I was reading through the impressions thread and I was wondering if there was any firm conclusion on production changes made to the K550 over time...
 
When I get my pair I'll most likely open them up at some point, but I'm wondering if the different reports of different signatures stems from different size heads or production changes.

wow this really is a great deal! I still want to go to a shop to test them out against the Sennheiser Momentum though, haven't had the chance to yet. But from what it seems the price is some 20 or 30euros cheaper than the price I get here in Hong Kong. Though.. how much is shipping? And can the site language be changed to English I'm wondering? I went to the US amazon and it was some 40 euros (equivalent) more expensive than the German site. 

 

[posteriorpounde]

wow this really is a great deal! I still want to go to a shop to test them out against the Sennheiser Momentum though, haven't had the chance to yet. But from what it seems the price is some 20 or 30euros cheaper than the price I get here in Hong Kong. Though.. how much is shipping? And can the site language be changed to English I'm wondering? I went to the US amazon and it was some 40 euros (equivalent) more expensive than the German site. 

It's even cheaper in spain. On Mundoelectro, its 109 euro excluding tax.

 

[zackzack]

Quote:

I wouldn't say that's normal. Could have been a defective pair. There's definitely bass on these. Not bloated and bass-heady type bass, but I can definitely feel it, especially at higher volumes. I actually love the bass on these things...very tight and accurate.
 
I will say though, that the bass is the first thing to go on the K550 without a proper seal as everyone else has stated.

 
Got bass issue with K550? Use EQ on your iTunes. 

 

[hiki08]

Quote:

It's even cheaper in spain. On Mundoelectro, its 109 euro excluding tax.

these prices are mind bogglingly cheap! do you know if they (munedoelectro and german amazon) ship overseas? mundoelectro website has an 'english' language option which doesn't seem to do anything.. still in spanish.. 

 

[3ternalDr4gon]

So I've been comparing these to my A900X's, and I can't help but feel like the A900X's sound better hands down. Instrument separation, clarity in the mids, bass presence, and sound stage. I feel like the K550's are bright and extremely loud...I have to set my iPod to under 65% volume for the K550's to sound comfortable. I mean, my jaws sort of cringe whenever the brightness kicks in, that's how bad it is for me. 
 
Of course, I didn't come in here just to talk crap about the K550's. These cans are more popular than the A900X's and I'm sure it's for good reason. Do they sound substantially better with an amp/DAC? Are my thoughts on the A900X vs K550 purely psychological? I'm not sure tbh

 

[Beagle]

A900x is a wonderful headphone. Just got one last week. $148 new, Amazon. It's got the lot....bass extension, openness, clarity, smooth mids and highs. No glaring faults.
 
But the K550 does sound very nice...