[TheGiantHogweed]

  They weren't completely bassless without those rings on stock pads but they definitely improved significantly with the electrical tape although I would probably say the micropore tape was a little better. I'd be interested in what you find if you do try the tape mod. 

I can't believe what a difference that makes. My view on this has now changed completely. When you cover those holes up with electrical tape, the bass is a whole lot more punchy and noticeable. It also seems to reduce the slight harsh sound of the mid range too. I often boosted the bass when using my K550s as portable headphones (yes I do this a lot!) as the bass on them really wasn't very noticeable when travelling on a bus. That now may have changed. I don't know what those white rings were made of but I didn't notice all that much difference when I removed them. But then they were loose anyway. Like you say, for anyone wanting an easy way to get the K550s to have more bass without EQing them, this is well worth a try.

 

[FastAndClean]

i put electrical tape, the differences are big, not only the bass is more but the mids are more warm and smooth

 

[Zephead]

Glad you've both found it works for you as well. 

 

[Zephead]

Just done the detachable cable mod as well. These are, without a doubt, the best phones I have now. (Until I can save the pennies for some Hifiman HE400i's)

 

[rwpritchett]

I didn't have the stones to do the detachable cable mod myself so I paid to have it done. Well worth it.

I use a V-Moda CoilPro cable and recommend it. Not only is it coiled (short when needed, longer when needed) but it also has the screw on 6.35mm end that hides a 3.5mm like the stock K550 cable.

 

[Rainmaker91]

I didn't have the stones to do the detachable cable mod myself so I paid to have it done. Well worth it.

I use a V-Moda CoilPro cable and recommend it. Not only is it coiled (short when needed, longer when needed) but it also has the screw on 6.35mm end that hides a 3.5mm like the stock K550 cable.

Ooo... shiny. I'm sort of on the fence of doing an attachable cable mod as well, but the cable swap that I did seems to work fairly well. It's not anything fancy in terms of cable or jack plugs though, it's just a standard 4 wire microphone cable with 24awg internal cables. Works quite well if it wasnt for the fact that I had to heavily modify the minijack plug to make it fit :rolleyes:

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

I happened to be in a store where you could test a load of different headphones today. Maybe it is just my opinion but hardly any of them sounded as good as the K550s even though some were over £300. All that I tried were over £200. There must be something that is rather unique about the K550s. They sounded far more spacious and airy than any of the others I tried. The K550s also seem to be better at making you feel like you are actually there where the music is. I could hear the directions of where everything was coming from a quite a bit better on my K550s than most of the others. The only things that were better about some the others I tried was that they had much more punchy bass, although I thought several simply had too much.
 
One of the headphones I tried was the Bowers & Wilkins P7. Maybe its just because I'm not used to a lot of bass but I just found that the quantity it had really did mess up the mid range. The vocals and clarity were so much sharper on my K550s. Maybe I'm just used to a sharp sound? I do also have the AT ATH-AD700s which are known to be very sharp at the high end and very light on bass.
 
About the only headphones that I heard there that I actually thought sounded better overall than my K550s a pair of Sennheiser Momentums that cost around £350.
The mid range sounded much more clear on them compared to the others and the bass sounded more controlled too. I would still say that the vocals sound slightly sharper on my K550s though. I must like the mid range on the K550s but many people say they don't like it because it sound sharp and thin. I agree that it does sound thin but it really is extremely clear.
 
I also tried some Bose headphones. Can't remember which ones. They were around £240. They did an excellent job of blocking noise from around you out but IMO, they sounded very poor indeed. Too bass heavy and really muddy mid range and a lack of sparkle and clarity in the treble too. I sometimes wonder why they charge so much for them. My K550s sold for £89 at times on amazon.co.uk. I unfortunately got them for £129 somewhere else but I thought that was good value! I still do as no other closed back headphones I have tried sound as good as the K550s.
 
Maybe it is just that I like the particular way the K550s sound. I'm sure many of the headphones I tried today will actually be much better in some ways but I must just not like them to sound like that.
 
I have read reviews that pretty much say the opposite to what I am saying about the K550s. Some people compared them to the AT M50s and said the only thing better about the K550s is soundstage and other than that, the M50s sound better in every way. Not that I've heard them, but from what I have seen lots of most people say, the K550s are far better. Lots of people describe the M50s as "fun" sounding. I don't understand what the meaning of that word is though.
 
I must just be used to headphones that don't have a huge amount of bass and have both very sharp and clear mid range and treble. I'm now wondering if it will even be possible to get a pair of closed back headphones that have more bass but don't loose any of that detail that my K550s have that aren't a huge amount more expensive.
 
I must just be addicted to K550s sort of sound!
 
Just to add, I am not wanting any new headphones, It just surprised me that the ones I tried were so much more expensive and yet most of them didn't sound anywhere near as clear.

 

[LaBoomz]

I just got my pair of brainwavz HM5 angled velour replacement pads in the mail today and slapped it on my k550. I must say that it is WAY WAY more comfortable now. Even with my glasses on, it's just as comfortable. Just want to share my appreciation for these cans (with after market pads of course). I would share a picture but head-fi doesn't seem to allow it. Much loves for k550 from Singapore!

 

[SSandDigital]

I tried same on 553… more comfy but all the bass gone.

 

[LaBoomz]

I tried same on 553… more comfy but all the bass gone.

I experience the exact same thing! But it doesn't really bother me as much. The comfort and the fact i don't sweat around my ears anymore far outweighs it.

 

[Zephead]

You should try the pleather HM5 angled pads. You still have the bass and they're no where near as sweaty as the stock pads.

 

[astroid]

Bought these for the third time, i just cant find a better closed can right now. Selling up my HD700 , just dont use it these day. The K550 MK2 seems to sound the same as I remember the first model sounding, is it the same? I read that the driver had been improved. The build and sound on these for the money is crazy, I have also not heard a better soundstage on a closed can than these although the new Sony Z1R may change that! Anyway keeping these ones forever!

 

[astroid]

Long time M50 user here and the K550 smokes them all day long imo.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

  Bought these for the third time, i just cant find a better closed can right now. Selling up my HD700 , just dont use it these day. The K550 MK2 seems to sound the same as I remember the first model sounding, is it the same? I read that the driver had been improved. The build and sound on these for the money is crazy, I have also not heard a better soundstage on a closed can than these although the new Sony Z1R may change that! Anyway keeping these ones forever!

I too think the sound quality is excellent. I have a different view on the build though. It is good but I wouldn't say excellent. Especially considering that there RRP was around £250. The build does have a lot of metal on it but I would have it in a different place to where it is on the ear cups. I would have the edge ring in plastic and the rubberized part as metal. Mainly because whenever you fold these headphones flat and put them in a bag, the ear cubs contact each other and damage the metal slightly. I have several dents in mine even though I treated them carefully. I now always but a piece of foam between them now to prevent this happening. I also wasn't that impressed with the cable. I find that the sleeving around the 3 wires slips over them too easily. One time I found that the 3 wires were visible just before they go into the plug. I tried to slide the rubber sleeving back down and managed to get it back to how it was. I wish they had fixed the sleeving into the plug to prevent this happening. I think I may have just expected more as I was used to a really good quality of the cable on my £87 Audio Technica ATH-AD700s. The cable on them is really hard, tough as well as being really flexible. The cable sleeving is also joined onto the plug's strain relief which I wish was the case on the K550s. The cable on the AD700s is apparently known for being extremely well built and actually better than many of Audio Technica's much more expensive headphones. Maybe I am expecting too much from the K550s!
 
About the sound though, I said earlier in this thread that I tried out a load of other more expensive headphones in a local store and simply no closed back headphones seem to have the same open and spacious sound that these do. These may have less bass but you can easily hear it all. The problem with lots of the other headphones is that you just can't hear the amount of detail that you could on these. Even on some of them the were well over £300. I bought my K550s for £129. I have since seen them for £89 on amazon.co.uk. Simply incredible value.

 

[Rainmaker91]

I too think the sound quality is excellent. I have a different view on the build though. It is good but I wouldn't say excellent. Especially considering that there RRP was around £250. The build does have a lot of metal on it but I would have it in a different place to where it is on the ear cups. I would have the edge ring in plastic and the rubberized part as metal. Mainly because whenever you fold these headphones flat and put them in a bag, the ear cubs contact each other and damage the metal slightly. I have several dents in mine even though I treated them carefully. I now always but a piece of foam between them now to prevent this happening. I also wasn't that impressed with the cable. I find that the sleeving around the 3 wires slips over them too easily. One time I found that the 3 wires were visible just before they go into the plug. I tried to slide the rubber sleeving back down and managed to get it back to how it was. I wish they had fixed the sleeving into the plug to prevent this happening. I think I may have just expected more as I was used to a really good quality of the cable on my £87 Audio Technica ATH-AD700s. The cable on them is really hard, tough as well as being really flexible. The cable sleeving is also joined onto the plug's strain relief which I wish was the case on the K550s. The cable on the AD700s is apparently known for being extremely well built and actually better than many of Audio Technica's much more expensive headphones. Maybe I am expecting too much from the K550s!

About the sound though, I said earlier in this thread that I tried out a load of other more expensive headphones in a local store and simply no closed back headphones seem to have the same open and spacious sound that these do. These may have less bass but you can easily hear it all. The problem with lots of the other headphones is that you just can't hear the amount of detail that you could on these. Even on some of them the were well over £300. I bought my K550s for £129. I have since seen them for £89 on amazon.co.uk. Simply incredible value.

Totally agree with you if we are talking closed back headphones, but they do fall short of some open backed ones in the mentioned price range. Still though, the K550 does have an amazing sound stage for it's form and price.