[metaldood]

   
I have a few times, tied a headband around the k550's to get a richer and better sounding bass. I have been always thinking about some way to modify them to get a tighter clamp. Bending the headband helped but they could use more. I think that maybe a C shaped piece of wood glued to the band, or a bent metal rod could work. But they are so beautiful and I don't want to ruin them, and I would have to put extra padding in the ears if I did that. And the extra pressure really only makes the bass sound a little better, it's not a huge deal but I would appreciate it if I could do it.

 
So would you recommend something like this
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/headband-comfort-cushion-pad ?

 

[Del Griffith]

I bought one of those and tried putting it on my 550. I was barely able to get it snapped...and then it made almost no difference with me personally. Maybe for some it worked..but not me. Plus it makes a gorgeous headphone not so gorgeous. Sold it at a small loss. 

 

[elvergun]

  I bought one of those and tried putting it on my 550. I was barely able to get it snapped...and then it made almost no difference with me personally. Maybe for some it worked..but not me. Plus it makes a gorgeous headphone not so gorgeous. Sold it at a small loss. 

Yeah...me too.  I was only able to snap the ends of the strap and it made the headphone look like crap.   The strap worked well with the Mad Dogs...and it went along with them when I sold them off. 

 

[Varoudis]

Hi guys.
 
I'd like some not very expensive can for my work to replace the aka k240mk2. I need a closed one the the price of k550 is very good.
 
I do read a couple of comments about comfort...
 
How is k550 after 6-8hour work use???? do you need a head of concrete? (k240 are perfect! a bit discomfort but that definitely ok!)
 
thnx

 

[goswser]

I got mine two days ago and I can say the comfort is top notch, atleast for me. I've read that many complain about the seal to get a good bass, but for me it has worked wonders really, got a good fit directly. 
 
They are my first big cans, just kept buying IEMs and I'm no golden ear audiophile but it has been a pleasure listening so far, they have really opened up the sound compared to IEMs. Can't really say much else about it, doesn't mean a lot if I say a lot of fancy words, but I have no doubt you wouldn't be able to use these for a whole day. 

 

[bassboysam]

Has anyone else noticed that the K550s seem to be very sensitive to the amp used?  By sensitive I mean extremely different sound signature a lot more variation than any of my other headphones (DT990, AD2000X, RS1, WS99).  With my WA-6, lots of bass but the mids are waaaay too bright.  Snare drums make music unlistenable with this combo.  With my iBasso P3, very thin sounding, barely any bass.  With my Fiio E10 and E17, just perfect.  Awesome bass, mids are more natural and treble has lots of detail without being too bright. None of my other headphones exhibit this much variance from one amp to another. 

 

[westermac]

After much deliberation I have finally decided to sell my K550. I have come to realize that I am just one of those people who are extra sensitive to treble, and as much as I have enjoyed the incredible detail, soundstage and comfort of the K550, they have not been getting enough head time recently and it's time to find them a new home where they will be appreciated fully. Mine are up in the FS section (I added an additional foam ring to each ear pad for a better seal) along with an assortment of other AKG cans. Cheers and thanks for the ride! I've enjoyed this thread immensely. 

 

[Androb]

Such a good looking headphone!! Also it is soooo comfy, could wear it all day long Only tested it in stores tho, and it's only 141 euro if you buy them from Thomann in Germany ;p Really cheap! Going to do that sometime.

 

[Tony6225]

I've had a pair of K550's for over a year now and I am so pleased by the quality of these things. I wouldn't choose another hp in the same price range over the K550. I've had my eye on the K712 for a bit now but I'm worried that I'll miss out on a lot of the bass that is just so excellent on the K550. I've read a lot complaints on here that the K550 have thin bass, and that just not true at all. I know that equalizers and software bass enhancers are sort of sacreligious on this forum to some people, which I almost agree with, but the K550 scales incredibly well in the bass department with a little bit of help. I use the bass enhancer in foobar2000 IIR Filter dsp and a slight bit of eq magic and these things make my old DT990's seem boring. There is no distortion, warping, or even the slightest amount of bloat in the bass from the software tweaks, yet the bass hits are quick, smooth, and deep with even the most demanding melodic techno. At this point I'm worried that spending anything less than $500 on a pair of complimentary cans will just end up being a side-grade.

 

[mrlawrence74]

Can someone compare these headphone to the Fidelio L2 ? It's a new competitor that seems very serious (in the same price range).

 

[dweaver]

Aside from a few people who have heard reviewers pairs, I don't believe the L2 is a available yet. I do like it's looks though.

 

[OverImagination]

Just ordered a pair of these for $170 CDN last night which seemed like a pretty amazing price. Regular price in Canada is $350.
 
These will be my first pair of good quality headphones so I'm really looking forward to trying them out. I'm used to using the Sennheiser CX 300 mk II earbuds so I'm expecting quite an improvement sound quality wise.
 
One question - I've read these headphones will work fine running from my laptop or mp3 player, but is it correct to assume having a headphone amp will make them that much better?

 

[elvergun]

  Just ordered a pair of these for $170 CDN last night which seemed like a pretty amazing price. Regular price in Canada is $350.
 
These will be my first pair of good quality headphones so I'm really looking forward to trying them out. I'm used to using the Sennheiser CX 300 mk II earbuds so I'm expecting quite an improvement sound quality wise.
 
One question - I've read these headphones will work fine running from my laptop or mp3 player, but is it correct to assume having a headphone amp will make them that much better?

You will always be correct to assume that an amp will make a headphone better.

  The K550, however, does not need an amp to get you by.  I've heard headphones that sound much better when you use and amp (the Momentum, for instance)...and then I've heard others where and amp doesn't much matter - the K550 is of the latter type.   If you don't have an amp, I would not buy one just for this model.  Having said that, I've got my K550 plugged into an amp.

 

[Tony6225]

 
You will always be correct to assume that an amp will make a headphone better.

  The K550, however, does not need an amp to get you by.  I've heard headphones that sound much better when you use and amp (the Momentum, for instance)...and then I've heard others where and amp doesn't much matter - the K550 is of the latter type.   If you don't have an amp, I would not buy one just for this model.  Having said that, I've got my K550 plugged into an amp.

 
Disagree big time. The difference between running my K550 straight out of a laptop and from my $100 Schiit Magni is as plain as day. Makes me wonder how much better they could sound using a high end amp.

 

[elvergun]

   
Disagree big time. The difference between running my K550 straight out of a laptop and from my $100 Schiit Magni is as plain as day. Makes me wonder how much better they could sound using a high end amp.

Well, the few times I heard the K550 out of my stereo or my phone I did not hear a night and day difference.  Perhaps I heard a greater difference with the Momentum because I mostly use them out of my phone, so when I use an amp I instantly hear a noticeable change for the better.
 
Keep in mind that most laptop sound cards are crap.  I had to get a Fiio for my Dell because the onboard chip is garbage.  If I use my K550 straight out of my Dell laptop and then use a $100 Fiio, yeah, there will be a plain as day difference.