AKG K 550

The AKG K550 revisited.
At the time, shortly after I bought my Audio Technica A900Xs I had auditioned the AKG's and I felt my choice for the A900Xs was the right one. I felt the K550s had this weird grating low treble peak that showed up just too often, unlike the low-treble/high mid peak of the Denon D5000s that only got aggressive ocassionally.
The price at the time for the K550s was 300 euro, the A900Xs I got for just 150 euro.
Fast forward in time: the K550 (MKII) now sell for 150 US dollar and encouraged by some reviewers who mention that the MKII version solved the problems of the MKI, no longer a grating treble peak, better clamping and fit and slightly increased bass I took the shot and bought them.

Maybe my ears have changed or the K550 MKII really is an improvement over the MKI version, I dunno, but the low treble peak just isn't there anymore. I tried the most difficult recordings with soaring highs and big contrasts in dynamics. Baroque violin concertos, where the lead violins are recorded so up close that it is impossible to get away with some aching or grating. And some choral works, where most crescendos will make the headphones loose control and start to ring a bit.
To name a few:
Geminiani Concerti Grossi (After Corelli) - Chiara Banchini
Bach Violin concertos - Elizabeth Wallfisch
Haydn Die Schopfung - John Eliot Gardiner
Haydn Die Schopfung - Rene Jacobs

With the violin concertos mainly the slower adagio parts are the difficult parts, because it are HIP (historically informed performance) recordings in where the violins play without vibrato, so the long legato lines, close-miked can grate very easily.
The difficult choral parts are the ones in where the choir all of the sudden sing much louder.
None of my headphones, including the Sony MDR-Z7 (which is universally qualified as extremely inoffensive sounding) handle these recordings without problems.
The AKG K550s don't sweat, they sound so even over every frequency.
Therefore they surely must lack something? Maybe a soul?
Nope. They just don't loose control, that's it.
They sound big, have a great soundstage with good width and depth, excellent for classical music. But they don't sound thin and too bright with smaller scaled music, something I do feel ocassionally with the BeoPLay H6s.
The bass is big enough to give music body...talking about body...if I must find something the K550s lack a bit is some low-mid warmth or coloring, something the A900Xs have and what make their sound one of a kind. But the A900Xs can sound grainy, something the K550s never do.

All those years I have dismissed a pair of headphones that are easily one of the best pair of closed headphones under 600 US dollar...and they can be had for a mere 150 US dollar.

I have been using AKG K550 for past few weeks and enjoying them pretty well. This is my first foray into mid fi and I think its a solid contender for getting into mid fi sound especially as it has very low barrier for entry (whole setup). I am driving it with Audinst hud mini, entry level dac/amp and it drives it with authority and good clarity.

I have been using Sennheiser HD518 extensively, and have auditioned HD595 as well as HD650 before this. So thats my reference point here as HD5XX series is rather popular and what you can expect to get if you go for K550.

First some sound signature differences between sennheiser and akg. k550 requires you to be engaged to music instead of being half asleep to enjoy. k550 has this comparatively thin sound that changes very fast according to notes being played, thus conveys note level information with much more clarity. this clarity improves dramatically in hd650 but still k550 is clearer. For me, I need to actively listen to music and be engaged to enjoy k550.

So is one inherently better than other? I don't think so. both sounds are usable according to mood. (its not that I am feeling sleepy all the time, so why Sennheiser only collection?)

So now about K550. First some observations about K550 that are striking:

Great isolation without any clamping pressure whatsoever. No seal issue for me. I would attribute this to ear pad material. Its most certainly is something special that blocks sound very well. It must be in contact with your skin to achieve seal.

Very forgiving for low bit rate material. my much lower hd518 is almost un listenable out of phone with lower bit rate tracks as I could see some holes in music. k550 polishes it and makes it listenable, I think. It might have something to do k550 being easy to drive, not sure why it does that.

Very clean sound. no grain whatsoever. hud mini is inherently grainy and with grainy old recordings of the old like led zeppelin, it was almost un listenable on hd518. (all three recording, dac/amp, headphone are grainy making too much of it). on k550 its pristine.

Now I would describe frequency response a bit:

Bass: awesome. Goes very deep, is tight and reasonably textured. Exactly what I wanted.

Mids: Rich, detailed, not upfront. very enjoyable.

Treble: Now I am terrified of sibilance or bright sound. But k550 sounds exactly like I wanted it to. I don't think its dark sounding, but its got this peculiar way of doing treble. Treble extension is good but detail is very less thus to my ears sounds perfect. (better safe than sorry. won't cut any points here cause of my preference. I am looking for enjoyable headphones than perfect ones).

A word on soundstage:

Good sized. Its a closed headphone and has good width and depth with that limitation. Most impressive part has to be imaging. Pin point imaging if its present in recording, even if two same instruments are playing, it places them very well in sound stage.

Comfort is very good as it exerts very little pressure on head, but as its a sealed design, it gets sweaty. Ear pads don't allow a lot of breathing.

Build quality is good mixture of metal and plastic. not built like tanks and I intend to take good care of them. especially i don't want to change alignment of cups and thus affecting seal.

All these things make them a worth can but what makes them 5/5 special is, well they are very enjoyable. Even with their relatively thin sound, they have this deep and satisfying bass thus make for a very convincing presentation. Their sound stage is wide but they don't have diffused presentation like my HD518 that renders each component of music completely separate. Instead it presents a good mix of music, instruments often inter lapping but still sounding separate with note level detail, harmonious with each other. If you think about it, that is how you hear music when in a hall with musicians. Not completely separate from each other.

I own them (Actually K551) they are very good. They are true Hi-Fi Headphone, so the quality of the sound restitution entirely depends
of the source file itself, the way it was recorded in studio and the device used to reproduce the sound. My iPhone for example is too weak
to drive them well but on my laptop and my desktop computer with Audigy 2ZS, the result it's quite nice.

I Also heard quite a lot negative reviews regarding the bass. Once again it's an audiophile headphone and is it neutral, it will not "create"
bass like many others, but will reproduce as it has been recorded. For example, I listen these day the album "Speck of Gold and The Afterlife Lounge" from "Afterlife" the bass are sublime and deep, the sound is very good.

I totally recommend the K550/551.

Nah, I disagree with both of you, respectfully. To use the word "full" in regards to the bass is totally exaggerated. It also does not "reproduce (bass) as it has been recorded". It is just not there, regardless of how you place them on your ears and play with the seal to make them tighter. It may be audiophile for detail but they got the bass levels way wrong. I reckon people try to justify the bass by saying things like it's "as produced".

It's also wrong to say others "create" bass. These "create" absolutely none whatsoever.

Again, these are just my opinions. On the whole i found these very thin sounding, too bright... and very boring (and I'm no basshead, i like a neutral flat headphone, but even then you need at least a little bass presence). It put me of AKG which I used to like.

They would be a great headphone if they had bass at a decent listening level, didn't have to be excessive.

I've constantly said I wanted to try these.
I've seen the price tag stay at $200, and it's appropriate.
It's big, but has elements.
It's sound is stand out, Class A, $200 Sound.

The AKG K550
I've been wanting to try these since I seen the price tag, after searching for an upgrade, looking at the MDR-7506, and seeing these side by side, the MDR-7506 is OK, but has a purpose. It's a Studio Monitor, that's it's justice.
The AKG K550 is an important piece in it's price range, and it reminds us as the why the M50 lost it's reputation.

I finally got a chance to borrow these.

Let's discuss.
Build Quality:
- To one who can appreciate, is to one who's more likely to fall more in love.
Those are definitely words to live by when looking at this as a beginner headphone.
It's a big headphone.
- She's built like a brick house.
Not to be confused with the song, but the headphone is heavily proportioned, and has a beautiful slick look, also durable... more durable than most.

Easily put, it's a headphone that for it's price, though not a Studio Monitor, it's built to take a beating like one.

Sound:
We aren't going to get into Highs, Mids, & Lows, but we'll discuss this sound signature widely.

My impression of the sound at first was that it had an artificial sound to it.

Be It This Is A Sub-Open Back Design by sound.
The Soundstage is a bit awkward though. I'd compare if to being in a square shaped room, and telling everyone to face their corner and begin to play.

This created a mere echo in the vocal signature, quite disturbing, but after some burn in the sound smoothed out, but remained to sound in that pitch.
The Bass is VERY FULL, TIGHT, & COLORFUL, it's full of character. I can't say that there's even a true sound for the Bass.

That said, this headphone will kindly fit any genre, and is polite to Hip Hop, & Rap for a change.
I think after seeing that this didn't budge much with Rap based genres I found my disappointment.
Techno, House, & other Electric genres lacked clear detailing, they weren't as vibrant, and you didn't feel like you were getting to experience the vibrations and clicking that some people find in these genres.

On my last bit of information, I think with the things this can has to offer, it's the best in it's range if you aren't looking for a Studio Monitor.
It's unique, and I would also argue, if you're not used to Warm, or Cold Sounding signatures, and don't wanna jump into a random experience, this is perfect for the job.
I didn't find a genuine sound fit to this, it never had a too Bright sound, it wasn't ever truthfully relaxed, and the Bass notes, undertones, and playbacks weren't Warm sounding.
It's mixed, almost giving you a hollow type of sound.

Bought these bad boys on sale from Harman Audio. Very clear and balanced sound for the price range, I have also had some good Grado SR80i headphones that I gave to my brother but the AKG K550 has very good sound with little leakage compared to open backs (good for office use). I love how Beethoven and Bonobo sound, these headphones have a very 'true to life' reproduction. So far I have found that I notice many details in tracks that I have not heard before!

Perhaps not the absolute best audio in the world, but definitely one of the best values in the crowded sub 300$ space. If you can get them on sale, I would highly recommend them to any budget conscious audiophiles.

The last time I used the K551's in office, someone asked me where did I got that helmet from! But, the 551's if they sound same like the 550's were having a good body on midbass, compared to my current Beoplay H6's. What source do you use with it?

Hi Dexter thanks for your comment. Yeah they are definitely big headphones. Currently I just use the Macbook pro sound output, but I have been interested in getting a DAC/AMP combo. Maybe when I get a bonus I can get a good one. Wishing you well.

These headphones are fantastic!
Build Quality- These are the best built headphones I have ever seen. They are all leather, pleather, and metal, and feel tough yet very lightweight.
Comfort- These headphones are unbelievably light and comfortable, but they are so big that some people have complained that they feel like these headphones swallow their heads. If you have a small head you might want to reconsider. Also the leather earpads have foam inside, which is comfortable, but not exactly the sort of feel I was expecting.
Sound- as a previous reviewer said, these have two bumps in the bass. However, the bass is understated. I personally prefer a bit more bass, like what you get with the Pioneer HDJ-2000, but overall these are so much better than the HDJ-2000 that the bass is an easy sacrifice. Also, they are very open and neutral sounding, so if you like Grados or Beyers (that light rock-and-roll type sound) then you will very much like these. To me, they sound better than even some of the high-end audiophile closed Sennheisers and Audio Technicas that I've tried! They especially excel in jazz, classic rock, and strong vocalists, like Tracy Chapman. Snare drums have lots of sizzle and pop, and the huge 50 mm drivers really capture all the lightest conotations of the high hats and ride polyrythms. I'm a drummer, so I pay a lot of attention to the drums, but this level of detail is present in everything else, too.
Aesthetic- There are a lot of memes on the internet about "swag is for boys, class is for men." Anyways, by that logic, if beats by dre pros are for boys, then these are for men. They have that same confident, sexy look, but quite a lot more refined and sophistocated. As one reviewer put it, "They look like Chubacka or James Bond might wear them" (I'm sure I did not quote that verbatim, but you get them point). They look stupid around the neck, though, because they're so big.

Complaints- These are so big! I guess it's worth having big cans in order to get that big sound, but still!
Also, for $315, you'd think they could throw in a carrying case! These things are expensive and I feel bad just chucking them in my backpack. I'm really pushing that Best Buy warranty to the limit!
Lastly, why not have a removable cord? It seems impossible that a pair of headphones so big wouldn't have room to make the cable removable.

Bottom line- these are arguably the best closed headphones in the $250-$350 price range for non-=travel and non-portable applications. I highly reccomend them. If you want something more portable and with more bass, check out the Philips Fidelio L1 or the Pioneer HDJ-2000 (better in black, get the K!). However, these do sound better than the L1 or the 2000, so if sound comes first, these are the headphones for you. Kudos and good job getting over the whole lame-copies-of-that-headphone-nobody-likes phase you were in, AKG, and I for one hope you and Harmen continue the good work!

Most of AKG's headphones have 10 foot cables...

Nice review. I'll definitely be getting these after my K271 die!

Hi, I just wanted to do a quick comparison of the K550 with the HDJ-2000 for anyone interested.
COMFORT:
HDJ-2000 is very good but can be a bit tight on bigger heads like mine, though certainly not what you would call a clamping headphone. In comparison, K550 is a bit too loose, so it moves around and does not stay secure if you are not staying still. Both get 4 out of 5 stars.
SOUND:
The K550 sounds better in the way that Da Vinci is a better artist than that guy who invented James Bond; sure, the K550 is amazing, but on a sunday afternoon most people would rather see the new bond flick than look at some old dead guy's paintings. If the K550 was a little less balanced I would like it more, but they were going for that "open" sound and they certainly got it! 5/5 for K550 and 4/5 for HDJ-2000.
BUILD QUALITY:
For two of the best-built high-quality headphones around this is a tough one, but because of the lack of folding capabilities the K550 is a bit tougher. 4.5/5 for HDJ-2000. 5/5 for K550.
WHICH DO I RECOMEND:
After dinner listening to jazz you want K550. At school jamming to some rock and roll or hip hop you want HDJ-2000. I've never tried the Fidelio-L1 but hear it's somewhere in between. None of those three noise cancel; in fact they barely even passively isolate.
pm me or comment with any questions.

When i first saw the AKG K550 i was blown away. The design was so unique and very good looking and when i listen to them i was blown away just more. I bought them without hesitation and hurried home with my new badboys. I have now had them for 3 months, and i have been happy for them every day since. I wish that hearing them was a part of this review, because the sound is phenomenal.

Sound quality:
The bass is very deep, soft and round without getting muddy.
The mids is extremely rich and powerfull.
The highs is 100% clear.
Overall this headphone sounds terrific. Some even say that they sound like an open hedphone, but i would not say so that they do. I understand why people say it, because the highs and the mids can have a trend to sound like a open headphone, but the bass is to deep and different then a bass on a open headphone. Let me put it this way, i would much rather listen to Rap music on a pair of K550's then i would do it on a pair K701's. And with that said, it dont mean that the K550 is a headphone with a overpowered bass, the bass is still unobtrusive, but you will notice the bass. I have listened to a lot of different artists, from Tom Waits to Lou Reed, from Katie Melua to John Mayer and the headphone is perfectly balanced from the bass to the highs!

Sound leak/isolation:
When you take them on, and turn the volume up to about half you can't hear anything around you! But what about people around you, can they hear what you hear? People with big heads will not have any problems with them leaking sound! But people with small heads will/might have a problem with sound leak. Because the earcups are so big, and you have a small head it might give you some problems. But otherwise, you will NOT have any problems what so ever!!!

Build quality and comfort:
The are all metal so they are pretty steady, and suprisingly they weigh nothing. It was somthing that really suprised me at first, they only weigh somthing about 300 grams. And with that weight the are really comfortable to use in longer periods of time! If there is one little thing to point fingers at, it must be that the earcups ain't in lether, but in plether. they are still very soft and nice, but i would just have loved to see some real lether on it......

Design:
simply outstanding, no need to say more!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out my homepage for pictures...
http://audioheadable.wordpress.com/2012/10/28/akg-k550/

Thanks Anhoblack for the time and work to a very well structured excellent review which covers all the angles with plenty of oozing satisfaction

Well I agree on most parts except for the fact you called it balanced. To me it sounds like a v-shape signature. A little bit thin.

Bass light (ignore the FR graph) has resonances in the upper mids, and treble is monstrously boosted.
I speak the truth, as for the resonances - when you notice, it will ruin them for you.

I have loved these headphones since I picked them up out of the box. They are mostly metal with thick, soft, leather pads and sit on your head very snugly (and if they don't for some reason you can bend it slightly, feel free to message me if you have questions). They produce excellent sound and with a solid burn in it only gets better. The soundstage will open up and the overall sound quality improves greatly. However, one annoyance for me was the long cable which I just braided, afterwards no problem at all. Also I bought an extra pad for the headband for when I want a super snug fit and I highly recommend getting one (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00862522A/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i01 its a stretch but it will fit, keep trying).

These have an amazing sound and they are awesome all around headphones for whatever you genre you want to listen to. You wont be disappointed

Nice review with good tips so thanks. Still, I'm not quite sure what you meant my braiding the cable so I can only imagine that you place some sort of sleeve over it and that somehow provided some kind of benefit.

[size=14pt]AKG K550 [Price $160 Used][/size]

[size=14pt]Test Process[/size]

[size=14pt]Source Win 7[Foobar2000 WASAPI] -> oDac -> MonoPrice Premium Coaxial Cables -> Matrix M Stage [0 [w1000x Akg K550/+18 db Gain Lme 49990 OpAmp][/size]

[size=14pt]Will be compared again'st my w1000x and my Beyer Dt 990, since I intend to use this headphone as a portable, with all genres. I want to see how it does against my two "specialists" Specifically, the Dt 990 will be compared only with Classical and EDM [I got lazy and only did classical and Dub Step] genres. Songs 2 and 7.[/size]

[size=14pt]As always gain and volume are adjusted for each headphone. [To ensure each has equal volume levels, despite gain.][/size]

[size=14pt]7/9 Songs are without EQ, Benga-Invasion and Kidnap Kid-Animaux do feature an EQ added by me. This should demonstrate the ability of a headphone to handle EQ.[/size]

[size=14pt]          In addition, from this review and out, italic text will contain comparisons against my reference headphones. In addition, comparative points of interest will be included in Head Fi review posts, with all Blog Posts reaming more simple and to the point![/size]

[size=14pt]Personal Back-story  [/size]

[size=14pt]I recently sold my old Beyerdynamic Dt 880 Pro 250 ohms, and since then I've been in search of something that captured it's sound! I think I may have found just such a can.[/size]

[size=14pt]Build [5/5][/size]

[size=14pt]I am impressed, the headband is metal with a nice extension feature. Nice physical feel in the hands, not as tough as the Dt 990, but not nearly as fragile as the w1000x. A solid build! Still these are composed of more plastic than metal. Yet the plastic has a nice look and finish to it![/size]

[size=14pt]Very Sturdy[/size]

[size=14pt]Specs[/size]
[size=14pt]Closed Back Dynamic Operating Principle[/size]
[size=14pt]32 Ohm Impedance[/size]
[size=14pt]114 db Sensitivity[/size]
[size=14pt]32 Ohms[/size]
[size=14pt]12-28.000k response[/size]

[size=14pt]Ease of Use [Comfort/Fit/Isolation] [4/5][/size]
[size=14pt]People complain about the fit, and the lack of clamp force and sadly I did not experience any of this, I put them to 4 on each side slapped em on, pressed them in ever so slightly and enjoyed. I will mention that they sound DRASTICALLY changes depending on how far from the front of the pads the front of your ears are. Essentially for me, the closer the back of my ears are to the back of the pad the Thicker the lower mids are, the closer the front of my ears are to the front of the pads, the thinner the entire can sounds![/size]

[size=14pt]In addition, these cans actually isolate very well! Much more so than the w1000.[/size]

[size=14pt]But still these are STILL easier to put on my head and adjust than the w1000x, yet a little more fickle than the Beyer Dt 990![/size]

[size=14pt]Sound Signature and Character[/size]

[size=14pt]          Sound Stage: A very wide sound stage, good instrument seperation.[/size]

[size=14pt]The Akg K550 is fickle with it's sound stage, with vocals it really shines and widens. Not as initimate with vocals as the w1000x, yet with pianos and wood instruments it's not quiet as wide as the w1000x or the Beyer Dt 990, how ever my w1000x is Modded so it's... well much tighter than stock.[/size]

[size=14pt]          Sound         Signature- Easily the most neutral balanced headphone I have heard to date. The bass is tastefully tight and deep, the mids are warm and delicate, with good punch. The treble as well is smooth and very refined! Although it still retains some of the Closed Back sound.[/size]

Songs

1 - Lisa Ekdahl _ Of My Conceit

A vocal jazz piece, Lisa's voice is the main focus. Yet behind her is a lovely piano and a delicate guitar strumming! The piano provides a nice upper Mid and Treble balance, while the guitar provides lower mids and some bass. Both of these elements compliment Lisa's voice. A song best on a warm neutral can, a larger sound stage is excellent with this song as well!

          Treble- It's nice. Great detail, yet lacking sparkle and quick decay. Air and extension are nice. Again very neutral, as I know that I honestly prefer bright cans.

The w1000x, is brighter, faster and has better decay in the treble. Treble on the w1000x is not quiet as smooth, but again I'm not a huge fan of overly smooth treble. I enjoy the extra dynamics of a slightly sharper treble.

          Mids- The details in the vocals is excellent! There is a good balance of smooth lush sound and detailed quality!

Actually, the k550 have more details than the w1000x, which is slightly smoother and more enjoyable. While the w1000x retains and projects just as much detail, it's not as tight with vocals as the k550 is. Still the w1000x's more smoother intimate vocals are just as punchy and more enjoyable imo, although ever so slightly less detailed. In addition, the K550 places Lisa's voice a little farther away from me. Showing it's transparency and neutrality! Still I'm a sucker for the more intimate vocals of the w1000x. It's also important to note the Angled drivers of the w1000x really give it a slight edge.

          Bass- Very tight, good warmth in the bass with a nice little bit of impact.

Both cans handle this bass well! The Akg K550 however does it a little nicer.

                   Dynamics- Very nice, the left and right channels feature different instruments, and they flawlessly shift from louder to softer notes.

These two cans handle dynamics very similarly! Both do a great job!

2- Anne Gastinel & Francois-Frederic Guy Sonata for Cello & Piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5

Classical track features heavy focus on mids with sparkles of lower treble and the balance between the Cello and Piano!. Another song benefitting from a larger sound stage and a well balanced head phone. The bass of the cello accentuates nicely against the Piano. Both having deep beautifully lush tones. Air and extension make this piece come alive and lack of it, can kill the mood entirely! Then entire audible spectrum is equally beautiful through the entire song!

          T- The treble is very smooth, well defined and good clarity and details Truly the treble is very neutral! Yet it's still retains beauty and flawless detail.

Not as smooth airy and well extended as the Dt 990, in addition the is not as airy and bright as the w1000x
          M- Nice tone, this is an extremely mid heavy piece... the piano and upper mids are flawless. Decay is good, yet could be a little quicker.

Again, the w1000x... has the better mids... a little more lush yet also punchier than the K550. Slightly, more sound stage and clarity on the w1000x as well.. Still the Dt 990, remains the Classical King, with more delicate, detailed and well extended mids. Not to mention more sound stage! Non the less, honestly even with the slight, lack of refinement. The k550 does a wonderful job with classical!

          B- Very tight and well placed, the bass never impedes on the delicate mids!

All three do the bass equally well, each with a delicate touch of the cellos bass every time it's needed, stll the w1000x and Dt 990 are just ever so slightly tighter, with that lower mids bass combo punch!

Dyna-Really wonderful. Very quick, no sluggish change in dynamics at all.

3. Yoshida Brothers -Love

The two brothers are performers of the traditional Japanese music style of Tsugaru-jamisen which originated in northern Japan. They debuted in 1999 in Japan as a duo playing the shamisen, and it remains a main instrument. In addition to traditional Japanese percussion, this track features a very gusto male shout. What sounds like a verbal battle cry, is over top the delicate shamisen. The punchy yet warm mids of the male vocals pair well with the light upper mids and treble of the Shamisen.

          T- Shamisen has a great tight snap to it, good smooth extension to those higher notes!
          M- The mids of the Shamisens are, just as lovely and gentle as they should be. Quick on their feet, and with a deadly accurate attack. The mood of the song is capture nicely in the mids. The male vocals are actually wonderful! Not too deep, but warm enough with power. A good balance of warmth and power.

The w1000x has more Gusto, more body in the mae vocals, making them a little less punchy but more powerful, Honestly, both do These male vocals really well, both have a good balance of power, punch and warmth. With a little more warmth and power on the w1000x, with the K550 maintaining the same power and a little more punch over warmth. Also the Shamisen, has a better attack on the w1000x. Due to a little more weight in the mids, where as the K550 has a nice snap to it, a little lighter but just as quick as the w1000x. Still the K550, lacks that... mystic woody tone in the Shamisen.

          B- The bass is very... super tight. More percussion than an actual bass line, non the less what's there is well represented by the K550.

w1000x, does equally as well considering how little bass there is in the track.

                   Dyna- Amazing as always. This can is proving just as light on it's feet as my others!

4 Kidnap Kid- Animaux

A nice Vocal DnB Tune. A really demanding tune, as the mids and bass over overly overtop another. The sound is very... wonderful! The beauty of the mids right atop deep tight bass, followed by drops of nice punchy vocals. Best of all, the pesky 150hrz makes a return in this tune for a lovely meaty support for those mids. The layering and texture of the bass is, something I'm still not used to! I feel a little spoiled each time I hear it!

          T- Good energy and balance on the mids. Smooth and pleasant, in no way drowned out or invasive of the rest of the frequency.

The highs are equally enjoyable on both cans. Not much to say about them really. Both maintain good energy and relative placement of the highs.

          M- The mids have nice body, but still lack a little in weight. Yet they remain playful and smooth. Over top the bass line, the warm mids work well with the deeper more impactful tight bass.

Again the w1000x maintains more mid warmth body and weight, the track as a whole is more intimate, yet the increased sound stage of the w1000x [again mine is modded] keeps the separation of mids and bass clean. It should be noted though, that with EQ the w1000x get's a little smudged in it's mids,. where as the K550 does not. The K550 also lacks some of the imaging of the w1000x. The sound is a touch more forward, yet not as intimate. .

          B- Bass is wonderful, this being a more laid back tune the bass line stays nice and tight, while still having impeccable weight and body.

Being that this is a DnB song, I do prefer to eq my DnB. Using FooBar a +4 @110hrz and -4 @156hrz gives the bass a little more body while not removing any weight and still remaining tight!

Immediately the w1000x displays a bass with slightly less control and more body. Using the same Eq setting drowns up the mids ever so slightly on the w1000x. The k550 displays a little more clarity when eq'd over the w1000x, yet the w1000x has full bodied weighty mids along with a punchy yet laid back bass [it matches the mood of the song very well]. Ultimately, it seems the K550 needs to be eq'd to have the more laid back and intimate sound that pairs so well with this Drum n Bass tune! Yet Some may prefer the Tighter less intimate presentation of the K550 over the equally clear but more intimate presentation of the w1000x in this DnB tune.

                   Dyna- Dynamics are smooth, the neutral sound aids in a clean shift in the dynamics of the tune!

The w1000x is has a touch faster dynamics, or rather the increased attack in the mids leads to a better dynamic shift, as both cans have equal mid decay. Both cans handle the bass and highs exceptional well!

5- Dai Qing Tana & HAYA Band- Missing You

Beautiful Mongolian vocals, and a world music sound that breaches more than just Asian styles. This track features a lovely guitar to your left, a cello to your right with Dai Qings delicate yet warm deep lyrics right in the middle. A perfect tonal balance is ideal for this track, as it's simplicity does not allow for any distraction from the overall mood of the song as a whole!

          T- This song has a VERY thick and warm bottom end sound, that being said the bright energy of the guitar is never lost in the mid warmth. The highs prove to be well defined without being bright!

Actually, the highs in this song some times get a little lost in the upper mids, seeing as the guitar is only peaking at about 2.3 2.4k hrz these are the lower most highs, and for these lower treble, the K550 keep a slightly better serration between them and the upper mids. Yet the w1000x is brighter by a touch though. Both are very pleasant with these low treble notes, in addition the w1000x has a little more attack on the notes as well.

          M- The powerful lower mids from the guitar have nice body to them, and sufficient weight, a real master of balance, the Akg K550 clearly defines it's upper and lower mids. Each having nice body and a little bit of weight. The upper most mids [also lower treble] maintain good presence despite the powerful lower mids and beautiful airy weight and body of Dai Quing Tana's voice. The deatils in the vocals are wonderful Her voice remains the focal point, with a lush body and just a touch of weight. Which suits her airy voice very well! The Cello in the right channel as well has a lovely tone to it, good body but it could use a little more weight.

The w1000x also adds an intimacy to the vocals that the K550 does not, yet both do a good job with this mid heavy track. Still the w1000x has a little more sound stage, thus the weighty sounds remain intimate and yet well spaced. Not to mention there is the beautiful tone of the woody mids on the w1000x. Where in which the Cello really shines.

          B- The bass is as always, well controlled on the K550, yet the more controlled less full bodied bass does take away from the Cello's beautiful weight. Non the less the Cellos retains it's lovely body on the tighter bass notes!

It should be noted these Bass Notes, are in conjunction with the lower mids very much in this track. As the Guitar and cello each have a sense of Mid and Bass in their lower notes due to nature of the instrument.

Here both cans do really well, where the K550 lacks weight it does a little better job of retaining a clear sense of body. Where the w1000x adds weight, the body get's a little too much decay. Again these are for the very lowest notes on the bass and cello respectively. The we1000x still has a touch to much bass decay, especially when compared to the more neutral K550.

                   Dyna- The K550 as always does a great job with it's dynamic shifts, the Cello especially fades in and out of the track often!   Always coming into focus nicely, and exiting cleanly.

Still though, the extra decay in the bass of this track especially take away slightly from the dynamic quickness of the w1000x. So for a track like this, with multiple heavy mid presence, the K550 remains a little more dynamic than the slightly mid focused w1000x.

6- 3nd_ Algorythm

Great tune from a Japanese Rock band, wonderful energy and great layering. A nice high energy rock tune. The kick of the drums and the clash of the cymbals, combined with sweet guitar mids and a mellow bass line. The bass in particular shifts a lot, the skilled bassists really shows off from time to time, combined with dual guitar tracks. Balance is a great benefit, as is a good sound stage to this song.

          T- The symbols and upper range of the guitar are nicely presented by the k550. The drums especially have great energy on them!

The slightly brighter w1000x however is a little more pleasant. The additional sound stage really brings adds enjoyment to the brighter and airier treble. In addition to an slightly bigger sound stage and a little better 3D imaging. [But again my w1000x is modded]

          M- The K550 does rock very well, everything is well placed and the decay is excellent throughout. The mids retain great body.

Tough battle here, the w1000x is magic for rock. The big sound stage and excellent separation pair excellently with the forward mids. There is an warm high energy to the w1000x in rock that the k550 doesn't quiet have Yet the K550 has a touch more detail due to it's less forward mids! There are in fact 3 guitars in this track, one to your left right and center! The K550 and w1000x both do a great job to balance these out! Still in the end, the combinations of forward punchy mids and bigger sound stage leave the w1000x more engaging! Still both are equal in clarity and detail, with the k550 being not quite as fun seeing as it lacks some of the aggressive attack [and sound stage] of the w1000x.

          B- Bass, the k550s best feature. The bass line in this rock track has such great texture placement!

Ahh bass, the w1000x one shortcoming, this is not an aggressive bass line. It's very clean and punchy but still a strong bass line. The w1000x adds a little to much attack and decay to the bass. which is nice yet it losses a little bit of the texture because of this. Granted I've modded A LOT of the decay out of the w1000x bass, but it's still no match for the k550 very neutral bass!

                   Dyna- The k550 does a great job as always, it's slightly less aggressive attack and always quick decay make it nice with the rock dynamics.

Again both do a good job, but I give dynamics to the K550 for it's tighter bass line. The bass on the w1000x still has a touch to much decay to be as quick with dynamics in rock as the k550. Yet where the w1000x lacks in it's bass decay, it makes up for with quick dynamics in it's punchy forward mids. [Having both excellent attack and decay on those mids] Where as the k550 does not have the attack of the w1000x, which for rock is a little missed.

7- Benga- Evolution

A lovely mid intro, builds to a very aggressive and tight drop. While the mids are an excellent addition to this song, the cymbals and bass are the focus here! Aggression is key in this track, the tighter and deeper the better. The faster and punchier the more enjoyable!

I will admit, I do enjoy my Dub Step eq'd ever so slightly. That being said, I do use the same modest eq for both cans. A +1 boost at 55hrz leading to a +4 boost to 110hz, followed by a -6 decrease at 156hz following a slight incline to +2 at 1.2k hz then back to +_0 I prefer the mids boosted a pinch, and that pesky 156hrz when removed or eq'd out bring a VERY tight bass line to any track, As this frequency is a VERY meaty upper Bass... that said I remove it as it lacks deep impact or TIGHT punch imo.

          T- Treble is accurate and neutral with the K550, although the often lush mids of this tune drown out the treble a touch. Some brightness is nice for DubStep.

About the same, both have great treble detail, the Dt 990 has a little more air and extends nicer. Quicker on the decay as well. With EdM the brigher treble of the W1000x and Dt 990 are preferred.

          M- Mids are a strong point in this Dub Step tube for the K550. The slight touch of weight and nice full body are great again'st that DEEP bass line!
Mids are lusher on the w1000x, but a little too weighty and lush. On the Dt 990 the punchier nature of the mids cut's against that deep bass a little more pleasantly! Like the Dt 990, the K550's nicely bodied [but neutral] mids are a better contrast to the bass!

          B- Great tight bass. A perfect balance of attack and decay.

The Dt 990 and k550 both have a nice tight bass. Although the Dt 990 just has more bass to it! The open back design allows all of that BASS to stay nice tight and super aggressive. Where as the k550 while equally as tight, lacks sheer bass quantity when compared to the Dt 990. The w1000x doesn't even need to be mentioned, as this track is best with a TIGHT bass line. While having more bass than the k550 it's not tight enough and has to much decay. Still enjoyable though.

                   Dyna- Excellent, good fast shifts!

What... Dub Step song with Dynamics... you mean other than... BASS no BASS... just kidding. Seriously though, the song has nice dynamic shifts, and the massive bass stays tight and decays faster through these shifts on the DT 990. An as always the w1000x is a little slower with it's bass decay. K550 is as always nice and quick with it's bass.

Should be noted, the Dt 990 and K550 struggles a little bit with deeper acoustic bass notes. The w1000x is a little more natural with wooden instrument bass, than is the Dt 990 or k550. The extra decay of the w1000x bass is a big part in that, as woody bass has more decay than does synthetic or metallic bass.

8- Lenny White, Jamey Haddad, Mark Sherman -Seven [Binarual Recording] From _ (Explorations In Space and Time)

A percussion trio, this binarual recording has only one thing that makes it wonderful... imaging. The Width and depth of the recording is really wonderful, not to mention the dynamics of the track as a whole. A headphones Sound Stage, width and height are very important. However too wide a sound stage and the 3D imaging can get a little veiled.

          T- Good energy in the drums and cymbals, but the lack of brightness and attack is a little missed.

Cymbal are wonderfully airy, great energy and the linear space is good, the 3D position, imaging how ever is not as nice as the w1000x.

          M- Good body on the drums, yet they lack a weighty tightness. Still very solid and enjoyable. Not to mention the placement in this track is not as 3D as one would like with the k550

w1000x added sound stage and over all forward and punchy mids are nice with this percusion tune. The 3D imaging is better as well, yet the K550 is still very enjoyable!
          B- Nice and tight, very pleasant!

Can't complain much here, both do a nice job with the drums bass

                   Dynamics- once again, pleasantly tight and quick.
Both cans do a nice job with dynamics

9 The Modern Jazz Quartet- Reunion Blues

A lovely classic jazz piece, what makes this such a great tune is the balance of each instrument, as well as the placement of each in the sound stage. This song... is spilt literally into left and right. A soft Piano and Percy Heath's Double Bass to your right, with the drums and cymbals to your left, Also in the left channel is a magically warm and lush Xylophone! Best of all despite extreme stereophonic sound, the track as a whole is very balanced and incredibly enjoyable! Here a wider sound stage takes heed over a tall one.

          T- Lovely, cymbals have good extension and fabulous air.

But not as airy as the w1000x.
          M- the upper mids are excellent, as are the lower mids! The piano and Xylophone work together for a wonderful mid core!

Proving jack of all and master of none, the K550 is nice with jazz. Great balance but it again lacks the energy and airy brightness of the w1000x
          B- Excellent, tight,

Yet again the 3D imaging shows to be a little weaker than the w1000x, and the bass is a little too fast for the Double Bass, the lack of attack and extra decay do take away from the joy of the double bass in this jazz number!

Dynamics- As always, fast and accurate. Great for this classical Jazz piece!

[size=14pt]Sound [4/5][/size]

[size=14pt]Treble [3.8/5]- Very neutral, which isn't always my cup of tea. I miss the energy of slightly brighter cans. Not to mention the lack of air.[/size]

[size=14pt]Mids [4.2/5]- A beautiful tone to mids, with the right mix of body and a touch of weight to be enjoyed with all kinds of music.[/size]

[size=14pt]Bass [5/5] - Excellent bass all the time. [/size]

[size=14pt]Conclusion- For $220 and around $170 used, it's one of my favorite all time closed cans! Great sound for almost all kinds of music and the bass lovers will enjoy it with everything! Good dynamics and fantastic build quality. A must have for any one getting into Audio Phila![/size]

Having owned quite a few closed back headphones I have never experience the open sound these AKGs produce. Yes they may be light on bass but they excel in every other quadrant. Detail, tone and space ooze from these headphones and draw you in. At this price point I would dare to say they are unmatched if you want a truly uncoloured musical listening experience. One snag is people with smaller heads may not get a good seal around the ear cups which will ruin the experience. Try before you buy!

I'm not an advanced audiophile. I'm a senior high school student who loves headphones and decided to invest all his money into a proper set of cans.
Coming from a pair of bass-modded HD448's, as well as the PortaPro and a couple pairs on in-ears running though my Fiio E7, my review is purely subjective, therefore I'll keep it short.

From the very first moment I put on the K550 and started listening, I know this is a completely different league. The amount of detail is blistering, I immediately felt like I've always been listening to only half of the music. Doesn't matter which genre, there is just so much more to hear. The bass goes far more deeper than I've ever known, the mids give out such amounts of depth and detail, you start to hear each guitarists finger slide over the strings, every punch/tone played fading away. While your Portapro's sound travels into your ears, the K550's sound will surround your head, which such detail, you will never want to go back once you get used to them.
I can only judge according to my own experiences, but for the owners of sub-100$ cans: If you chose to take the next step, this pair will blow your mind.

Nice

Thanks for the review. Interested in getting the AKGs and currently have the HD448. How would you compare the sound between these two?

Maybe the best closed headphones for this price.
Very well designed. I´m very pleased about the design, it´s simple, elegant, clean but still extremely cool. There´s not much plastic on the headphones, almost everything is either magnesium or steel. They feel pretty though so they hopefully dont brake that easy. Earcuffs are soft, very soft leather and it feels really good on ears. Overall the design is very good!

Then the sound...
Well what can I say... I really love the sound of these headphones, its well balanced, nicely bright and still so smooth. I just love them.

Excelllent headphones, coming after ss 9h headset, senn's 429 558 598 and i love these most, i differentiate details better in vocals now, i can say if vocalist is blowing into microphone while singing, there are more details in vocals which i cannot explain in english, coz i'm not good at this section in english. Bass is not overwhelming, it is what i like most, not muffled, also if you EQ the bass it will sound much better as it did on my nokia with eq presets. Priority is for home use, but it's perfect using outside with phone, cable thickness is not the problem, as you can roll it around the phone, and put everything in the pocket without all stuff sticking out too ugly.

So much better in games with hearing steps detailed, soundstage is right as i wanted, with 9H i wanted to hear games world better/wider than i heard, akg550 fills this hunger, love it. Orientation in fps games maps is very good right now for me.

Introduction

I got these headphones around the national holiday. These came out about 2 years after I had got my K701. I was first attracted by its classy design and colour. I thought I would never get another pair of AKG headphones since K701 has been my favorite all the time. I finally decided to purchase a pair due to the discounted price of $180 USD including shipping in my country; and most importantly, I needed a closed can(s) to enjoy music at night without disturbing others. In this review, I will skip all the con(s) about these headphones and straightly elaborate on the sound quality and cozy build structure of these headphones. The reason is that at this price point, there are really no con(s).

Design & Build Quality

The build quality and design is simple but sturdy, is black/grey but classy, is far from top notch but flawless. I believe the design is better than my K701 because K550 has more grainy metals to withstand any abuse. The headphones are consisting of 3 major parts – the ear-cups, the joint, and the headband padded with synthetic leather. The ear-cups are able to rotate from the joint (by a little), and the joint can also rotate from the headband for approximately 90 degrees. This clean and versatile design allows me to store the headphones in my hobo handbags. Nothing feels flimsy or sticking out which will cause a problem. The headband adjustment is locked by a click. The numbering system on the headband will allow you to adjust the headband length to your most desirable positions. This helps a lot because getting a good seal on this K550 may be tricky because of its size.

Comfort

The leather on the ear-cups and the headband are so comfortable that I actually enjoy wearing them once in a while. Although I would prefer the alcantara material (like on the K701) for the hot summer, the seal and comfort is better with the leather or leather-like material.

Sound

To begin, I was feeling a little disappointed coming from K701 when I was listening to these cans for first few hours. After 60-100 hours of burning in, the bass opened up and the artificial treble (which seemed like plastic spark) smoothed out. As several master reviewers had mentioned, there seemed to be a very slight disjointness between the bass and sub-bass area (of course, they have heard headphones around $1K mark). However, in term of the fullness and tightness of the bass is on par with my K701. Master reviewers would obviously magnified the disadvantages of these headphones, but they should consider there are very few competitions at this price point with this kind of sound quality in a closed full-size headphones. The T5p is triple the price, the build quality on the SRH840 or 940 may not be as good, the M50X may have a smaller soundstage. Nothing is perfect in this world especially with closed headphones. It is easy to make an open headphone sounds good, but it is harder to tune closed headphones. The K550 produced a full and tight bass with good and not-too-forward mid(s), and a nice sparkle treble without any harshness. The vocals are accurate and shine on these headphones.

Overall

The overall sound quality is impressive on these closed headphones considering they were at $180 USD when I purchased them. For people who prefer a reference sound signature with price-to-value ratio in mind and an amazing soundstage in closed nicely built comfortable headphones, you will not be mistaken by this K550. Just remember to give it a little time to burn-in and find a good warm source (like my Audioquest Dragonfly) to match the lean signature of this headphone.

This is my first review so please be gentle!

When you first put on this closed headphone, you'll be stunned how wide the soundstage is. Compared to my open Sennheiser HD600, the soundstage is equivalent! (though the HD600's soundstage is slightly deeper).

The K550 also trumps the HD600 in so many aspects including transparency, clarity and dynamics. On the other hand, the HD600 trumps in bass slam and comfort.

There is plenty of bass in the K550, but it's not as textured as the HD600 and as for comfort, the cups are really comfortable but the headband requires more padding.

The amp I used to to compare the HD600 and K550 was an Aune T1 with 6922 tube. I've only just upgraded the tube to a 6H23N-EB and the K550 sounds even better, but unfortunately I don't have the HD600 handy right now to compare on this new tube.

The value of this headphone is unmatched given how good it sounds and is possibly the best sounding closed headphone that is still in production. It's currently my favourite headphone for music, and in case you were wondering, this is my headphone preference:

AD700 < M50 < FA-003 < DT770Pro LE < HD650 < HD600 < K550 baby!

I think that your order of ">" is incorrect. (opposite).

I would be surprised if you find the M50, AD700 surpass the HD600s!

Thanks Chimp, now corrected

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 - I wear glasses and I still get a very good seal. The comfort of the pads is another plus- very soft.

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 a little more more smeared at the lower end.

I would describe the sound sig as typically AKG - 'dry' apart from the warm bottom end. I've read a few reviews that describe these as sounding more like an open headphone. They do have an ample soundstage for closed but they still sound like a closed headphone.

Yup, an absolute bargain for what they are going for these days!

great review
sorry kxxx ? which model do you mean?

I love mine! They're great with most genres. I wouldn't complain if there were a tad more bass, but it's really not all that lacking. While the earpads are super comfy, the same can't be said about the headband. It's a bit flat on the top, and not incredibly padded, so unless you've got a similarly flat dome, long hours can cause some tenderness up top. Again, not terrible, but just a note. One thing about wearing them out, and I you will be worrying far too much about banging them on something (only downside of them being so darn good looking).

I love my K550s but agree with you on the slight discomfort with long term use. Try this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00862522A/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i01

when you get it don't worry about the fit, just keep trying and it will snap on. once it stretches out a little (I left it for 24 hours) it will just stay that size. Its also pretty good reversed so the darker cushion is on the inside with the smooth part against your head.

I just picked these up today so this is just an initial assessment. These are a great sounding headphone overall but the fact that they are also closed back and still have great soundstage at 300 bucks makes them well worth checking out. These are very comfortable, and I don't have any problem getting a proper seal with them.

The only things I have found that I would change about these in a future edition are: the earpieces rotate 90 degrees rather than 180, and the cord isn't detachable like it is on other AKG headphones in the price range. The reason for wanting the earpieces to rotate 180 degrees is that with the way they are currently set up if you wear these around the neck and fold the earpads flat, as to get them out of the way, the pads are facing up and out rather than down. If I end up talking to someone quick I like to lay the pads flat against my chest so I can talk to them without having them hear what I'm listening too.

The other thing is that the cable is not detachable although that in itself isn't really the issue for me. For portable use it would also be helpful if these headphones had a short 4 foot cable but can understand why some people would want the longer 3 meter cable if they were using these for mixing and studio work. Having a detachable cable would make it easy to pick up a second shorter cable or for them to be able to include it with the headphones. I imagine you could also do a talk through cable in the shorter version as well for people who look for that feature.

These are a great sounding pair of headphones whether you need the isolation of a closed back headphone or not and are well worth checking out. These are a very revealing pair of headphones, there were parts of some Louis Armstrong recordings I listened to that I had noticed how much reverb there was on the vocals previously. This was especially present when combined with my portable rig, 7th gen Ipod Classic and Fostex HP-P1, and a little less so on my desktop setup, mac pro and Headroom Desktop Amp. These are by no means a bass heavy headphone and I would even go to say it is a bit recessed but only slightly. The bass is very tight and well controlled. This was something I really liked while listening to tracks by Massive attack. The vocals would seem to take center stage but over all a very neutral sound on these headphones. The soundstage on them is very good, especially when you consider that these are a closed back headphone.

I had originally gotten these to use more or less just with my portable setup but I like the sound on them enough that they will likely find there way onto my desk a fair amount as well.

Thanks,

Bryan

You didn't say anything about the sound...

The part where you complained about the earpads not rotating enough... Ever heard of a pause? ;D That just didn't make any sense to me.

I understand what you meant, but I was just sort of confused by the reason. Though it's also more comfortable to have the drivers facing your chest I suppose.

This a review, as well as bit of a comparison to the Focal Spirit One, as those are the last headphones I owned and I absolutely loved them.

Man, where to start with these; right off the bat let me tell you that I absolutely love them. They are totally different from the Spirit One, and in a very positive way. When I first got the 550's, I was surprised at how heavy the box is. Now to anyone who thinks you get a lot of accessories with the K550's, I have to disappoint you. All you get are the headphones and a quarter inch adapter, the latter of which is gold plated and screws on top of your cable. Everything about the headphones exudes quality, which couldn't be said about my Spirit Ones, as their headband and joints are made only of plastic, and thus cracked under my big head. The 550's cable is not removable and it is 3 meters long. That's definetly something to keep in mind. Alternatively, you could go with K551, which have a detachable cable. Me, I just couldn't justify the hefty price difference between the two.

When you put the K550's on your head, there are two things you immediately notice (coming from Spirit Ones): Man, there things are huge! And; Man these things are comfortable! Seriously, comfort is insanely good, which once again can't be said for the S1.
I don't know if I would take these out in the public though, as they are quite big and the cable is looooooong for mobile use.

Enough of the chatter now, and let's get to the sound

I listen to music through the following setup:
-HP Envy 17 Laptop with FLAC's or Spotify- FiiO E07-K Andes USB DAC/amp (To bypass the HORRID beats audio on the laptop, that RUINS anything connected to it)- AKG K550

When I first started listening, I noticed that you absolutely need a good seal with these headphones, in order to enjoy them. For me, that's easy. But for anyone with small heads, and/or women, this might be a real issue. Try not to buy them blind like I did, and try them in a store to see if they fit. Once I found the perfect seal, I was amazed at how much bass there was. Compared to the Focal, which are said to have a lot of bass, I was really surprised because the AKG have more of it. The bass is deep and very well extended into the sub-bass range. It also never sounds boomy or muffled, nor is there too much of it.
Next, I wanna mention the soundstage: WOW, do they sound different than anything I've owned before, even though they are closed as well. They sound very similar to the K701, which I had the pleasure of testing. Instrument separation is excellent, and there is no "overlapping" of treble sounds, like I've noticed in the Focal. Mids are not as warm as the Focals' and overall, the K550 sound more detailed and technical, while the Spirit One are very warm and love vocals. Not to say that the AKG's don't, it's just a different kind of love

. (The upper mids can sound a little (too) prominent at times)
Now for the highs, as they were the most notable change for me in comparison to the Focal; they are a lot more prominent and not rolled off, especially in the lower to mid-highs. They provide a nice amount of sparkle and excitement in my opinion, but sometimes at a cost: The 550's are kind of "unforgiving" when it comes to older recordings and lower bitrates. They will bring out every imperfection in the sound and can thus produce hissing and siblances. This was notable on older rock/metal recordings or such that weren't perfectly mastered, which is most of them. (Dream Theaters older albums are an example here).

Overall, I'd call the sound open, pleasent and enjoyable.

Should you buy these headphones? -Absolutely. That is, if you can find a good seal, and you don't plan taking these on your commute every morning. The great sound, quality and comfort, as well as the the awesome bang-for-buck ratio are reason enough to buy them. But for small heads, and a closed portable, I'd still favor the Spirit One.

Introduction
I got these headphones around Christmas time in 2012. I loved the design at first sight, I find it understated and classy where others find it hulking and ugly, it's all a matter of opinion. After the excitement of unboxing them and plugging them straight into my phone I was horrified by how quiet, lifeless and lacking of detail they were. But rest assured this first impression didn't last long.

Design & Build Quality
As you can probably tell from the introduction, I'm a fan of these headphones looks. For me they fit my head perfectly but for others the size of this headphone is just too big to get a good seal, so it may be wise to try them out to see where you stand in this regard. Build quality is excellent, the headphones are largely made from metal which feels very solid and has some sort of powder coating which feels very nice to the touch. The plastic on these headphones is similar to the soft touch you find on many phones these days, it's certainly not as solid feeling as the metal but it is seemingly high quality plastic. I have had these headphones well over a year now and I am glad to say that the build quality hasn't degraded and they feel as solid as the day I bought them.

The earcups can be rotated 90 degrees which is useful if you're taking them travelling to save space, but the absence of an included carry case makes this a useless feature for me.

The inclusion of a removable cable would've been a welcome one but it's certainly not a deal breaker for me. Another note about the cable is that it is very long, so I have resorted to tying part of my cable up to shorten it. Obviously this is a pro for some people but it definitely makes the headphones cumbersome for portable use. The cable itself is very high quality though and the jack feels solid with plenty of stress relief on both ends.

Accessories
If you're used to a plethora of accessories coming with your headphones prepare to be disappointed. The AKG K550 box comes with the headphones themselves, a 1/4" to 1/8" screw on adapter, some paperwork and that's pretty much it. Not a whole lot. However for me the only disappointment was that AKG didn't include a carry case, even if it was soft case it'd be better than nothing.

Comfort
These headphones have a generous amount of cushioning on the earcups making for a extremely comfortable fit around the ears themselves. However I would have opted for adding more padding on the headband as after a few hours or more there is a certain point on the headband that gives me a slight ache, nothing too uncomfortable but something could have so easily been fixed by adding more padding. Overall, the headphones feel light on the head, soft around the ears and I can wear for a few hours at a time with no discomfort.

Sound
First off, I love the sound of these cans. They are relatively neutral, while still sounding a little exciting and not too analytical. They have a flair for the high end, producing magnificently detailed trebles which I find brilliant at this price point. Bass, although possibly lacking the presence of other headphones around this price I find the bass to be extremely well defined, this is accentuated in songs where you have short, punchy stabs of bass more so than when you are listening to a thicker, more full-on bass centric track. The mids aren't as well defined as the rest of the spectrum with some warmer sounding guitar tracks not providing quite as much presence in the mids as the bass and treble. With that said I still think the over signature of these headphones is very good.

I have been using these headphones with my PC, using an Asus DGX sound card. Quite basic as sound cards go but I think they provide just the right amount of amplification to get the most out of these headphones. I use the 32Ohm amplification setting in the Asus control panel. When using the headphones with either a mobile phone or my PCs integrated sound card I found volume to be lacking which in turn affected how well define the headphones were but by using the equipment and settings stated above the sound is extremely well defined and the volume of the headphones is boosted a lot with no distortion. The soundstage also opens up a lot with amplification. For a pair of closed back headphones I find this pair extremely open sounding and seperation between instruments and the width of the soundstage is all very good.

Overall
Overall I am even more impressed with these headphones now than when I first bought them. A recent price drop to £109 in the UK means that these headphones represent amazing value. I don't feel like they can be beaten as far as sound quality and build quality goes, as long as you like the fairly neutral sound signature.

I am completely new to this forums and headphones; and not an audiophile at all. But I truly enjoy listing to good quality music.

I was looking for very very long time, scanning forums and all over internet trying to find the best headphones to start enjoying music with better quality.

I never tried any of the other headphones so I wont be making comparisons; but IMO this are great headphones to start with, I am very happy.

I confirm what others say about these not fitting right, way to wide, I do have a big melon as a head; and still they feel like just there, my wife has to press the cups to feel the difference. I've seen people bending the band, which I will probably do eventually.