AKG K 550

 
First Impression
 
When I first listened to these headphones, my initial two thoughts in this order were:

1. Wow these sound pretty fast and also fairly even

- 15 seconds later -

2. Wow something is wrong with the upper mids
 
 
Packaging
who cares
 
Build Quality/Aesthetics
These headphones feel very well built.  I can't speak to their longevity or durability, but they are nice to hold, feel sturdy, the movements are tensioned well and feel solid, there's no creaking of cheap plastic.  The finish feels durable and well made.  One of the better headphones out there IMO for it's apparent build quality and finish. 
 
They look very nice when sitting on your desk, and in pictures.  A good design, but they are one of those headphones whose looks don't entirely translate to looking good when worn.  They have all the right shapes and dimensions relative to each of the parts, but the whole thing is just too big to look very good.  For their size, I'd say they don't look too bad as they are slim, so they don't stick out horizontally very much and give you the alien mind probe look that grados and many closed headphones do.  The headband is slim too since it comes together at the top of the cups, so it doesn't have that gigantic and unnatractive arc that the older AKG's have like the K240.  The headband hugs the sides of your head well.  Still, the cups are huge even on my big noggin.
 
Comfort
Very good except that the earpads just aren't thick/deep enough.  Huge design flaw IMO because everything else was done very well for an extremely comfortable headphone.  The cups swivel in a really nice way since they have a good amount of friction in the movement, so you can place them at the right angle for your head, and they stay there.  Headband is comfy and is the right shape.  But the earpads aren't thick enough to keep the grill over the drivers from hitting your ears.  With such huge, soft earpads this is a pretty big fail IMO.  I tried putting the foam donut shaped inserts that Hifiman has in their earpads into the K550 earpads, increasing the thickness, and it had no effect on the sound and made them supremely comfortable by simply increasing pad thickness.  So as long as you don't have huge ears they should be fine.  Or if you don't mind a little pressure from the grills.  it doesn't hurt too bad on my big ears, but it just would have been so easy to avoid this situation.  I get the feeling they didn't do much real world testing on these and got carried away with computer modeling. 
 
 
SOUND QUALITY
 
They overall have a flat, balanced sound from bass to midrange with good tonality, and with a treble presence that is in balance with that part of the spectrum, which is very rare for headphones.  But there is a serious problem spot in the upper mids that ruins this headphone.  A resonant peak in a small part of the upper mids.  I would describe their overall sound as a slight rainbow shape FR, though leaning upwards towards the upper mids for enhanced sense of clarity.  They also can sound kind of fast for a closed dynamic.  Not ortho or stat fast by any means, and not Grado fast, but maybe 6/10 for speed.  Not bad. 
 
Bass
Good not great.  It extends down plenty low, it seems flat, there's no apparent midbass hump, bass does not bleed into the midrange or vocals in the slightest but is also well integrated with the midrange.  There's no "bass + mids"  or subwoofer effect where the midrange and bass feel separated by gaps in the spectrum.  They have a cohesive transition from bass to mids, likely from a fairly flat FR.  But bass is a bit low in quantity despite what the FR measurements suggest.  The bass is in the background on these phones, with emphasis on the midrange.  Not for bassheads at all.  Bass is not bad quality, but it sounds kind of dry and a bit soft, whereas better headphones have more definition and dynamics and detail in the bass.  Not bothersome, especially since it's in the background.  I'd describe the bass as being just enough to provide a foundation and not sound too lite, but too low to sound totally neutral- it keeps your attention on the midrange.  It gets out of the way so to speak, for better or worse.
 
Treble
I'd say the treble on these is very similar to the bass.  Good not great.  There's no emphasis in the cymbal range as far as I can tell.  If anything it sounds a bit recessed in the upper treble.  Nothing sticks out at you here or is glaringly bad.  But the treble is not that clean or precise sounding.  It is a bit rough/textured or papery sounding.  Like the bass, I'd say it's a backdrop for the mids.  Not a treblehead headphone either.  Yet despite this lack of apparent brightness, these phones have a strong sense of clarity about them.  I think this is what people like in this phone.  They don't sound dull or rolled off or warm at all.  Likely because of the slight lowering of bass volume, along with the emphasis in the upper midrange, the "clarity" range in the FR.
 
Midrange
Here's the problem.  Both the bass and treble on these are both presented as a backdrop for the midrange but there's a serious problem in this area, so these phones wind up failling short for bassheads, and treble heads, and then have issues in the midrange.  First the good part.
 
The heart of the midrange and the lower midrange is done pretty well.  Vocals have both the proper richness for a male voice like Tom Waits or Chis Isaak, which is surprisingly rare- they don't make vocals sound thin despite the lack of bass emphasis.  They also don't sound overly rich at all.  Chris Isaak's voice sounds very good.  Vocals also give the proper air and breadth to female vocals like Emmylou Harris or the Audiophile favorite Allision Krauss.  But sometimes vocals reach up into the problem spot and sound off. 
 
Upper Midrange Issues
There is a spot in the upper midrange that has a pretty bothersome resonant peak.  I kept wanting to call it "glare".  The upper midrange glare isn't the most peircing or painful I've heard in a headphone but it is very bothersome and might be described as severely "jarring".  It doesn't seem to cause me to reach for the volume knob as feverishly as some phones have, but it does keep me from turning them up and leaves me in a state of fear wondering when something is going to hit this problematic range and if it is going to hurt, since it seems to be right on the threshold.  Any instrument in that range sticks out way too loud, and looses proper tonality as the sound in that range gets mangled by resonance and takes on a plastic tonality. You can clearly hear the coloration being added to what should be the original signal.  This is partly because it's such a specific problem spot.  You can sometimes hear an instrument or voice go up in the range and suddenly jab at you by suddenly increasing in volume while taking on this plasticky resonant glare.  The decency of the lower part of the spectrum gives it a "surprise attack" quality which is what generates the fear and hesitancy when listening.  If there was an instrument that existed only in this range, I am doubtful you would be able to hear what instrument it was.  Some recordings play well with this problem spot and it's not grossly apparent because of the frequencies being excited by that recording and the particular balance of the recording (if the recording has a peak in that spot too, it's clearly going to be worse).  But even on these recordings, this spot gives the whole spectrum a cheap plastic headphone feel kind of layed over the sound, as if you are listening to some very good throw away headphones.  I kept thinking of them as the best airline headphones ever.  Much better extension, tonality, more flat, but still plastick-y. 
 
Soundstage
Overall good size for a closed headpone, has a spaciousness about it, but there's something strange about it as well.  It's almost like there are 2 soundstages happening at once, the lower part of the spectrum sounds more spacious to me than the upper mids/treble, which sounds more constricted.  This gives them a lack of coherency, or a kind of bad crossover effect, where the sound is a bit disjointed.  I think this is because the resonance artifact in the upper mids destroys soundstage by getting in the way of the "trick" the headphones are playing on your perception.  Soundstage is also destroyed by a "driver dildo" that was installed on the back of the driver creating a tiny chamber behind the driver rather than the comparatively larger size of the earcup.  I'm guessing it was placed there in an ill conceived attempt to control the bass, but I have modded a pair of these by removing this dongle, and correctly damping the cups, and the soundstage becomes more coherent. 
 
Conclusion
Good looking, sturdy closed headphone that is fairly comfortable and has a mostly well balanced, even sound except for a very problematic part of the upper mids that sticks out sorely and ruins them. However, this part may not bother everyone.  If it doesn't bother you ie if you're not sensitive to resonance or FR irregularities, and you are looking for a well balanced headphone erring on the side of being a bit basslite for the sake of clarity, and you want good soundstage these may be a good choice for you.  If you are not bothered by Grados you may not be bothered by this resonant peak.  however, Grados have much more natural tonality, for example vocals sound more life like.  I recently had an MS1 here and despite their colored signature they sound better than the K550 in every way except may soundstage width.  There's no plastic tonality in the MS1's signature. 
 
Here is a picture of the inside of the K550's cups.  The lack of damping here contributes to the resonant peak, but after spending time with my modded pair which has damped cups, I have found that it is also being caused by the driver itself.  Damping the cups helps, but doesn't fix the problem.  The small rubber thing in the middle of the light gray circle around the driver, is the "driver condom".  This seals around the driver and makes a small enclosure size behind it.  The light gray area are vents, though they seem to be closed off with solid plastic.
 

Well, the K550s don't sound bad by any means, however, the sound signature isn't really for me. I like a little less mid focus and a bit more bass. Less neutral and more fun, really. 
Now the build quality of the K550s are not superb by any means. Firstly, the headband cushion was peeling off in the corner right out of the box. Which was really disappointing. The construction of these headphones felt flimsy, even though it is built of aluminum. The M50s have much better build quality than the K550s. 
It's really love or hate for me. The comfort isn't great either. My ears touch the drivers which causes them to hurt my ears after only an hour of use. 

I tried these with a Benchmark DAC1, a Fiio X3, a Fiio X1+E17 and various lesser devices including an iPhone. They seem pretty easy to drive. [size=13.3333330154419px]Music was a mixture of classical and Jazz - both CD quality and HiRes.[/size][size=13.3333330154419px] [/size]
 
My value rating is based on the £107 I actually paid from Amazon. I am having to keep reminding myself how cheap they now are in order to give them much praise though. [size=13.3333330154419px]I guess the heavy discounting of these should have told me that they were not that special.[/size]I would certainly have been pretty pis**d if I had paid full price.
 
Their best attribute is a surprisingly spacious presentation - about as good as a cheapish pair of open 'phones. To me they didn't sound any better than my £30 Jays-vJAYS except, for some reason with an iPhone. There seems to be some sort of synergy going on with the iPhone and they made it sound better than I have ever heard it. IF the iPhone was my sound source I would have been very pleased with the K550's but it isn't, so I'm not. They have a pretty laid-back relaxed presentation without any intrusive exaggeration but also without clearly presenting the fine nuances that you can always hear in real life (musicians breathing, fingers sliding on strings, valves clacking, scores being tuned, chairs squeaking etc). IF you can get them comfortable, they would probably be OK for long-term, relaxing listening but if you are trying to listen carefully, they just don't deliver.
 
Although huge, they don't actually look too silly when on your head. It is difficult not to think of Dr Who and the Cyber-men though.  They feel fairly robust and appear well made but I don't find them comfortable. I have no problem with head-squeezing or seal - that's all works just fine for my head. My problem is that the padding on the top of my head just doesn't protect me. After a few minutes I am uncomfortably aware of the weight pressing  down on the top of my skull. Easily cured with a bit of foam padding but do you really want to do that..........
 
For £107 they are pretty good value for CLOSED 'phones but in no way exceptional - unless you use an iPhone.

RythmDevils review covers everything so I am going to keep this short.
 
It has issues, I have burn't it in plenty and used equalizers, and played with many variables. 
 
Movies
This is a strength of this headphone, it has amazing isolation and soundstage and imaging, even better then the Denon D2000 at this price, so for a closed headphone its a real treat. 
 
Music
Personally I think it has too much treble period, but turning it down helps, the strengths listed above hold true, but Harmon Kordon clearly did not finish this headphone, and unfortunately it seems to be a trend for them to push out headphones with issues (AKG K701 for one.) The upper mids has a resonance to it that can drown out some portions of songs so badly its almost unforgivable. A good example is Lana Del Rey.
 
Conclusion
SO I would recommend this for movies, but not music, many people who have bought this still enjoy it, but most of them have noted something wrong, and the resonating upper mids is what it is. For people with experience with equivalent gear its a big issue, but as a first step into this tier of product the odds are you won't notice, but you shouldn't waste your money getting less then what you are supposed to at this price. 
 
So a firm NOT RECOMMENDED.
 
AKG I am disappointed.... And I loved my AKG K242HD so much too.

Well, the infamous K550 was there. Big, comfort at an incredible price. I had to wait for one week before I got mine so I put it on.
Absolutely better than K701 I had a while ago. However, the overall quality is killed by zero presence of the bass. Where have they gone?

It doesn't really need amp, but it benefits from them. My ears got tired of listening to them.

I bought these as they were recommended to me as a neutral closed back headphone that I could use while monitoring and as a back-up for reference. The version that I recieved was the latest MKIII revision with the detachable cable.

I'm not a fan of the over-the-top packaging that AKG provides but the headphones themselves are definitely built well and a lot less stressful to handle than AKG's own K371, which has noticable points of potential failure. I wouldn't be surprised if the AKG K550's last for a long while if they're treated reasonably well.

My initial issues with this headphones is that it has poor clamping and doesn't grip to your head very well, instead it mainly just presses on your ears. Any sort of movement or adjustment can change the bass response quite drastically. There's a few rough DIY tricks such as bending the metal headband to make them fit tighter, but I found that it doesn't really help the situation and just ruins the support and comfort you get from the headband.

In positive terms, I'd describe the sound as bright and forward with good enough detail in the upper mids and treble, with a lean but smooth low bass that isn't bloated. For real world use they are good at catching clicks, sibilance and for tuning harsh frequencies in productions, and would probably work nicely as a monitor style headphone.

In negative terms, and the reason why I did not stick with them, is that I can only describe the upper bass and lower mids as scooped. Instruments with a lot of low-mid energy such as guitars, acoustic basses, pianos, snare drums and cellos sound brittle and thin; snare drums and pianos lack weight, an orchestra sounds distanced and hollow, balanced guitar tones sound scooped like it's the 1980's again. It was just difficult to enjoy them because they did not represent what I knew was actually happening.

Two years ago, when I was looking to upgrade my aging ATH-A9X, I came across the AKG K550 and the ATH-A900X, both then newly-released, with several head-fiers reporting that they are tonally-similar headphones. Unable to decide which one to get, I bought both to do a comparison. I ended up keeping the K550 for myself and giving the A900X to my wife (who still uses it and loves it).
 
Below are my thoughts regarding how these two cans compare.
 

1. The A900X isn't a bad-looking headphone, but lacks K550's elegance. That said, comfort level is excellent and I in fact prefer it over the K550 in this department. The AT "winged" headband design makes putting them on and taking them off a breeze, and the angled drivers do not press against my ears even after my prolonged use (whereas the K550 causes discomfort).
2. One particular thing another reviewer complained about was the "poor quality" of the wings on the A900X. I looked into this issue, and did not personally find this to be true (relative to previous models). Below are my observations:
   1. On the old model A9X/7X/5X, the wings only pivot in one direction (let's call it the Y-axis), which is up and down.
   2. On the A900, AT implemented the "3D Wings" which pivot in two directions (X- and Y-). The way they achieved this is by making the wings themselves into a 2-piece design - there's an "outer rim" that pivots around the Y-axis (like the old wings), and an "inner piece" that pivots back and forth (X-axis).  This is actually a fairly intricate design and I imagine, harder to manufacture.
   3. On the A900X, AT simplified the "3D Wings" to ease manufacturing process while still retain pivots in both directions. The wings themselves are now back to a 1-piece design and pivots up and down (like the old wings on A9X), but the T-shaped joint where the wings are clipped onto the arms now pivots back and forth (in the older models, this joint is fixed). The joint on the new system makes the wings feel loose, giving the appearance of flimsiness, but having owned this headphone for two years I can attest that the construction quality on the wings are solid.
3. Material quality on the A900X is decent but not great. It's a step up from the A900 (which had the cheapest pleather possible and several plastic bits just look like sub-$100 headphones), but it's not at the same level as its older cousin, the A9X (which had supple protein leather earpads and wings). The earpads on the A900X is a durable-looking pleather that feels a bit on the hard side, and the wings remain fabric-covered like on the A900.
4. One nitpick: The stereo plug on the A900X is the exact same one AT has been using since the mid-90's (starting with the old ATH-AX series). It might have looked ok in the 90's, but looks a bit gaudy by today's more understated aesthetics.

 

1. The K550 is simply one of the most tastefully-designed headphone I've seen. The construction, materials, and appearance are all superb (my photos don't do them justice).
2. Comfort level is good but there are some nitpicks here... The earpads could be a bit deeper. The top of my ears do press against the drivers because the foam used in the earpads are extremely soft. The earcups are a bit stiff when it comes to pivoting, so they may not conform to the shape of your head without manual adjustment. The clamping force of the headband feels a bit loose, especially if you have small heads (and this is a headphone that already has sealing issues)
3. The plastic used for the signal cord, while fairly high-quality, is still more prone to tangle and deform in comparison to Audio-Technica's fabric-wrapped cords, which retain their shape better. I personally prefer AT's implementation.
4. One material nitpick... The headband padding is pasted onto the headband using basically a double-sided tape. Unfortunately the adhesive becomes a black goop as it ages and, in my case, actually started oozing out from the headband and making a mess on whatever surface I leave the headphone on. I ended up tearing out the padding, cleaned off all the adhesive, then glued it back using a glue gun.

 
 
Several Head-Fiers have claimed that the A900X and K550 are tonally similar, which was the reason I was interested in these two cans to begin with. They turned out to be very different-sounding cans, heh.

1. Treble: The A900X has a fairly clear and resolving treble. It appears to be tuned to offer sparkle without being offensive or sibilant (there's a dip at 7K which, I suspect, was intentionally introduced to reduce sibilance). Extension is absolutely brilliant, going full up to 20KHz. The only complaint I have is that it's noticeably grainy-sounding compared to the K550, whose treble is simply silky-smooth in texture.
2. Mid-Range: The A900X's mid-range is thicker, fuller, and more engaging than the K550. It is definitely a more engaging presentation (more "musical" if you will), but clarity suffers a bit here. The K550 in comparison is more clean-sounding.
3. Bass: The bass is my biggest gripe with the A900X - there's quite a bit of mid-bass bloat and the control isn't particularly tight. Bass extension isn't very good either - the rolloff starts at 50Hz, which means there's not much sub-bass compared to the excellent extension of the K550. Without any earpad mod, the A900X has a bit of a consumer sound to its lower end (I personally found that swapping the pads for the oval-shaped ones from the A1000X helps dial the bass down a bit)
4. Soundstage: The A900X has a very wide sound stage, likely owing to its excellently-resolving treble. Imaging is likewise excellent - I feel this is one area where it has a definite upper hand against the K550, whose soundstage - while large - feels a bit indistinct.

 
 

1. Treble: The treble is a bit of a problem area for the K550. Many users have complained about it being "peaky" or "sibilant". I don't find this to be the case, though the lower-treble is definitely too forward, causing the slightly unnatural treble presentation noted by many reviewers (a problem compounded by the thin-sounding mid-range. Both issues were addressed in the K553). I also wish there were less roll-off in the higher octaves, as the K550 could benefit from better extension (it's rolled off from 1.5KHz onward). Complaints aside, clarity is good and treble texture is superb - there is absolutely no grain on the K550.
2. Mid-Range: The mid-range on the K550 has excellent clarity, which I really love. However it is sometimes dominated by the lower-treble, which as I mentioned, is too forward. Additionally it could use some additional body - the overall presentation does sound a bit bright & thin.
3. Bass: The bass on K550 has excellent tightness and extension, however it could likewise benefit from some additional body. I personally do find K550's bass to be thin-sounding due to the lack of mid-bass. There's ample amount of sub-bass and upper-bass, but the mid-bass is intentionally recessed. A 2-3dB boost in the mid-bass would provide a more balanced bass presentation (exactly what the K553 did).
4. Soundstage: The K550 is well-known for its spacious soundstage, and I do agree it feels very wide and airy. However, I feel the imaging is a bit fuzzy and indistinct. Watching movies and playing games, it's much easier to tell where a sound is coming from on the A900X.

 
The A900X and K550 are both good headphones with distinct personalities. Neither are perfect, though. I would say the A900X is the more balanced-sounding of the two and more versatile when it comes to musical genres and other usage (games & movies).
 
The K550 offers better clarity and may be more desirable for analytical listening and editing tasks, but it's not as musical as the A900X and many will find its treble presentation to be problematic.

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.

[size=x-small]first listening
Children of Sanchez, Chuck Mangione
CD1 Tr.4 enough space between drums

good fit on the head
very good shielding against environmental noise [/size]
 
[size=x-small]more coming soon[/size]
 
pics here
[size=x-small]http://www.stockhammer.eu/hifi/AKGK550-main.php[/size]
 

 

First hearing test
AKG K550 - AKG compared to Q701, K501, K271 MKII, Denon AH D7000
Source: Marantz SA 7001 KI
KH Amplifier: Green Solo (GSP Audio), WNA MKII (DIY, modified kit)

Headquarters: Q701 Earpads have larger diameter, K550 earpads slightly smaller inside diameter and feeling softener - could become a littel more warm during prolonged periods. The two listeners capsules, they can pull out each about 35 mm, good screening.

Very good shielding against environmental noise (better than the Denon AH D7000).
Good fit on the head.

Tues 20th Sept 2011
K550 after about 4 hours birning in

Test at the Green Solo (solo has 33 Ohm source resistance and the K550 feels better at the WNA MKII with 15 Ohm source.)

Pink Floyd Final Cut (Version with - "when the tigers broke free")
Track 1
K550 background sound - cars are nearer the as with Q701
Jingling of coins and finely resolved clearly audible - the Q701 would resolve this a bit finer.
Track 2
0:30 K550 the beat is more concise than in Q701
Track 3
The K550 sound stage seems a little closer than with Q701, which staggers a bit more extensive.
Q701 have a little more air between the instruments and singers.
Track 4, "When The Tigers Broke Free"
Q701 dry and deep bass, more air between instruments, they are sold more clearly.
Track 5
K550 voluminous, closer direct - Q701 dry deep bass, better resolution, more air between instruments.
Track 6
as above
Track 8
The impact of the grenade at the K550 sounds more real.

Magic of Himalayas, Mystical Scent
Track 01 Sacred Book
K550 deep, powerful bass (but not as extreme as that of the Denon AH-D7000)
Track 05, 07, 09 - as above

From now on WNA MKII
Karajan, Beethoven Smphonies No. 5 & ​​6, Berliner Philharmoniker, SACD
Here it was found that the K550, the lower source impedance (15 ohms at WNA MKII) and a little more power the amps are better pleases.
The two symphonies, I listened to without many cross-checks.
In the heights the K550 is apparently not up as far as the Denon AH D7000, with the latter, I could hear the noise of older recordings.
Comparisons of the frequency response curves would be a hit - if these curves were already online.

Chuck Mangione, Children of Sanchez
CD1 very realistic with the K550. Punchy bass.

Generally, the Q701 has a more distant, wider sound stage, the K550 closer, more direct.
The Q701 seems to resolves finer. When K550 in some passages I have a sneaking feeling that he colored a trace. But I might be mistaken as well. It just sounds different than the open-K501, K701, Q701. It just sounds different than the closed Denon AH D7000 too.
Do not ignore the price differences!

A cross-check to K271 MKII (nearly similar to K272HD) - the K550 sounds better than the K271 MKII.

A hearing test, like this, is always a subjective snapshot of a person, and, moreover, depends on the daily constitutional.
A real assignment and struggled even more with this point allocation (as do some HiFi magazine) is bringing into question.

To be continued.

Please excuse my bad english - I used Google translate and www.dict.cc - the original is written in german.

Along with the summary below, I have posted a Youtube video review of the K550. If you like the video, check out my channel for more reviews
 

 
Summary
 
BUILD
 
The AKG K550 has excellent build quality, with a great fit and finish and a solid, durable feel to the materials. The earpads are very large and may not fit everybody's head; despite being very comfortable and supple the earpads are sensitive to seal and small changes to positioning will affect the already quite lean bass. The headband padding is quite sparse and because they are quite heavy, after a few hours they may make the top of your head a little sore.
 
SOUND
 
The AKG K550 has a very lean, dry sound. What is most noticeable is the spacious soundstaging and clean sound despite the closed design. The K550 has no real sense of congestion or anything characteristic of closed headphones. However the sound is very lean; bass extends very deep but there isn't much slam or warmth. The treble can be slightly raw on occasion. Overall they are balanced headphones good for a variety of music but on the leaner side of neutral and not to my personal preference. Fans of more analytical signatures may enjoy these.
 
Overall
 
These are well made headphones with a good sound, but the fit issues mean that you may need to trial these before buying them. The lean sound may also not please everyone, though I commend AKG for designing a closed headphone that sounds very much like an open one.

My last set of cans have all been Sennheiser's, (except a pair of Shure SRH550's which were very thin and uncomfortable).   Sennheiser Momentum's were top of my list next to the HD598's.
 
My music tastes are very vast, but commercial, varying from Boyz II Men, Bruno Mars, to Bon Jovi, Kings of Leon, to Biggie and Jay Z.
 
My normal listening kit are Monitor Audio speakers, Quad L sub and Yamaha amplification, which has a very good sound-stage, outstanding clarity with very deep musical undistorted bass.  This is what I was looking for in headphones.
 
I demoed the Sennheiser Momentum's against my old Shure's and Dre Pro Beats.  To be honest I wanted a combination of all three.  The build of the Beats, the clarity of the Shure's and the beefier bottom end and thicker mids of the Momentum's.  I did walk away a little underwhelmed as none of the three had the sound I was quite after.
 
After researching this forum the K 550 turned up on the radar and considering the HD598's are open and I was more after a closed phone, I jumped on the K550's, but nervous that I was going to have fit problems and the bottom end being thin like the Shure's.
 
K550's turned up and I plugged them straight into my phone as I was on my way to work.. underwhelmed and a bad fit..... till I got home after spending the afternoon carefully bending the strap to get a tighter fit, works and they actually fit now like a glove.
 
Plugged them into my Yamaha amp turned them up pretty darn loud and left them over night... next morning had a good listen.
 
Setup: 320kbps music via 360> HDMI to Yamaha amp set on "Pure Direct", which turns everything thing off that's not needed and is the cleanest feed it can deliver, which is noticeable.
 
Bass is something I can't believe people say they don't perform with!!  They aren't as dirty or forward as the Momentum's, but have punchy, clean, deep bass that doesn't disturb vocals one bit.  Hip-Hop or R'N'B are my fave styles of music, which these really perform outstandingly with.  Vocals are amazing with rappers such as Jay-Z, Nas, Tupac and Biggie, smooth, excellent clarity and very easy to listen to and capturing every lyric effortlessly, which the Momentum's slightly struggled with and the Beats surprisingly stink with certain tunes (Biggie's 'Juicy' sounds amazing through the Beats, but then 'Dead Wrong' is just a mess!).  More musical tunes, like Eminem's 'Space Bound' really do sing with a nice sound-stage, but with the added treble the phones are a tad too bright to have them quite as loud as other hip-hop tunes.
 
This follows R'n'B and soul artists too..  John Legend, Seal, Michael Bolton and Lionel Ritchie all sound absolutely fantastic with these, great sound-stage and their velvet voices really, completely complement the sound of the headphones, but certain tracks from such like when Boyz II Men go Acapella with 'It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday' the high mids do resonate at loudish levels, which does force you to turn the track down a notch or two, but when 'The End of the Road' comes on the next track.... absolute bliss.. an absolute joy.  Really enjoyed listening to Bruno Mars and Alicia Keys absolute cracking fun with tracks like 'Runaway Baby' very fun, both artists have bass friendly tracks mixed with lots of different type of instruments still easily heard, even the discrete ones!!
 
Overall I'm very happy, they're not perfect and I wouldn't say they're worth their RRP, but at thier current price they are fantastic!

Litte bit bassy headphones, bass go deep enought. Highs can be better. Mids not bad.
But i havent fully burned pair of these nice HP.
_____________
I am Gradist

INTRODUCTION
 
few months back my friend tried these headphones. Few days ago she wanted to buy it from me. And I quote her to start this review off "I've never heard music like I did with this headphone"
 
Hello ladies and gentlemen. I am a hobbyist that creates reviews and post beautiful Instagram photos of various audio equipment. That being said, my passion for audio quality started with my Sennheiser HD598s. However over time I felt the HD598s lacked bass. But I loved my HD598s and wanted something that contains the sound stage + bass. I came across the AKG 550  and immediately fell in love with it. If anyone asks me "what should my first audiophile headphone be?" I would without hesitation recommend you the AKG 550. You might think I am crazy comparing open headphones to closed ones but you will see my reasoning in this review.
 
ABOUT AKG
 
The company operates in Austria, and was founded in Vienna in 1947 by physicist Dr. Rudolf Görike and engineer Ernst Pless. Originally, its main business was to provide technical equipment for cinemas: loudspeakers, film projectors and light meters. The business slowly expanded and AKG started selling car horns, door intercoms, carbon capsules for telephones, headsets and cushion speakers. The first AKG microphone was used by radio stations, theaters, jazz clubs and cabarets. About this time, the company developed its first patents, the moving coil technology and the principle of mass load membranes, allowing its products to have extended frequency ranges. With the creation of the D12 microphone in 1953, AKG achieved international fame, setting the standard for voice transmissions. Being the world's first dynamic cardioid microphone, it possessed excellent sonic qualities for that time, making its way into radio stations and recording studios from across the world.The product was improved through subsequent upgrades, spanning the famous C414 and C12 microphones.In 1984, AKG became a public company, listed on the Vienna stock exchange. As a blue chip company, it was one of the most traded stocks.The company was acquired by the American company Harman International Industries in 1994. By this time, AKG's United States subsidiary had been established (in Los Angeles in 1985). AKG Acoustics USA, still headquartered in the San Fernando Valley, also houses regional offices for Crown Audio, another Harman Industries subsidiary.

In 2010, the company received the prestigious Technical Grammy award.

 

THE BUILD QUALITY

 

The build quality on these headphone is phenomenal. Its practically metal on metal on metal. It is extremely sturdy. With that being said, it is bulky enough to consider it a full sized headphone. The headphone is adjustable through some real nice mechanism. The fit is very comfortable and the stocks pads are one of the softest I've ever felt. However the downsize is that you cannot buy the stock pads anywhere, not even from AKG. I have a pretty standard head and it is pretty big on me. I bought these because it is a closed headphone, but they do not isolate sound very well due to the fit being too loose. Also the wire is nondetachable terminating in a straight 3.5mm jack. 

 

SOUND STAGE

 

AKG advertised these as "sound stage of an open back in a closed set of headphones" and they have every right to. These do have a sound stage the surpasses many closed set of headphones. However like I have mentioned before, these do not have the qualities we would be seeking from a closed set of headphone, I would categorized these somewhere in the semi-open headphone zone. The sound stage is give or take at the HD598 level.

SOUND QUALITY

 

This is a MIDDD ranged headphone. However there is some bass like will satisfy you. This was something lacking in the HD598s. the treble is clear but can get sibilant in certain songs. Overall, the sound is something of preference and this was a good experience for me. 

 

Overall Thoughts

 

This headphone does have negatives here and there but in the end... for the price point, it is one of the best entry level headphones you can purchase. 

 

also follow me on Instagram for pictures of audio gear I review. https://www.instagram.com/jayzlee95

 

ANY QUESTIONS? 

 

 

review provided by soulsikreviews.com

 

video for reference only

 

Bought as upgrades to me 13 year old Sony MDR-V600s.  Can't really assess their audio quality, other than to say they're a clear upgrade from the MDR-V600s.
 
I bought them for computer use, both gaming and .flacs.  Performs very well at both.  Can be worn for hours on end.  Cuts out ambient noise, and so far my wife hasn't complained about being able to hear them when she's working in the same room.
 
Tried using them on the bus, but they're not terribly well suited for portable applications. The cable is long and straight, and overall the set is a bit big to be carted around.
 
Still, very happy with the purchase.

This headphone has a great neutral sound but I can see many people finding the bass a bit too lean yet not light. This can be due to poor seal which as mentioned earlier is a bit tough to get for some. I personally did find the bass very good however there are times where I feel it’s a bit lacking. But even with the perfect seal, people who are used to big bass and stuff may find this headphone a bit light in the bass.
 
With a good seal, I think the bass is very good. It’s flat, impactful but not overbearing at all. There’s not much emphasis on the upper bass and lower mids area so it’s not as warm as what I would call as a warm-sounding headphone. Overall midrange sounds natural
 
The treble part is a bit raised but I didn’t find it bright at all as some would call it. It can be somewhat grainy depending on the audio track that you’re listening to but the mid to upper treble region has good clarity for this type of headphone. Some people also find the treble a bit artificial or indistinct and while I did find it to be true, it isn’t really that much. I think some of the AKG's cans have this same treble signature.
 
Soundstage is pretty good for a closed back headphone but perhaps this might simply be due to the cups being too big that it creates that perception. Imaging is average and it gets confusing when I listened to some treble-heavy Dream Theater tracks. But the overall dynamics is good.
 
I only tried Fiio e11 and it did make the bass a tiny bit more prominent but other than there's really not much change.
 
For full review and some pictures, feel free to read the original review post here: http://www.headphone.ph/akg-k550-review/

When I first came back home to this package, I couldn't wait to see what AKG had done this time for one of their fans. Quickly plugged it into the e7+e9 alongside the K702's and started up the music.
 
My first thoughts were that the detail and clarity of the 702's wasn't there, but then I realised that it was because I was having to actually focus on a more prominent bass as well as the trebles and mids! I had gotten strangely addicted to the dry analytical and distant feel of the 702's and my only other closed phones from this century I had were the Superlux 662B's (with velour pads) which had been collecting dust for some time. As I continued to listen, I realised that the mids on the K550's were really creamy and brought a smile to my face in a way the 702's couldn't. That isn't to say the mids on the K702's are bad, they are excellent, but for the first time I am seeing why some people may prefer to go for warmer sounding phones, whilst sacrificing some of the "true" sound of the music.
 
When listening to Bach's suites for violoncello the sound actually brought a lump to my throat it was so beautiful, with comparable clarity to the K702's but a closer and "friendlier" feeling to the instruments. I had heard people mention that these headphones were not compatible with classical music but I would definitely have to disagree. The soundstage is more than competent, and significantly better than my closed 662B's and I don't feel I would anger too many people if I said one could compare the 550's soundstage to that of an open headphone, and for this I really must applaud the people who worked on this beautiful product. The imaging may not be perfect, but I felt that I had more height than with the 702's, which feel like a flat plain which expands out into the distance, where the 550's are closer but more layered, which was noticeable especially when listening to choral pieces.
 
Moving on to techno music and the bass seemed overwhelming compared to the 702's that I had grown so used to, which again, worried me slightly at first, but I am starting to appreciate the bass more than I could really with the 702's. If I can I would like to come back to this again maybe in a few weeks or months time, to see how I feel about this. I would like to say that the kick the bass has to it is amazing and something I have not heard with my 702's at all, which makes me feel like I have been missing out, at least with some genres of my music.
 
Moving onto Toho@Arena, a song that starts with cymbals opening I really appreciated the crisp sharpnesss of these phones, that I find again are comparable to the 702's, but in the overall package of bass, treble and mids and how they work together in these phones, one gets in my mind a very different feel to the music than with the 702's and if anyone thinks they can get either headphone to substitute the other, I would have to disagree with them wholeheartedly.
 
I did however take this opportunity to test how much sound leaks *out* of the headphone by placing them flat on my wooden desk. At first I wasn't impressed until I realised the 702's were the ones producing all the music behind me. I unplugged them and was immediately taken aback by how little these leaked. I had them up to 10 o'clock on the e9, which is probably slightly above what I would usually listen to whilst on commute, and think that the person next to you on the bus would definitely have to be quite picky to become annoyed at the small amount of volume coming out of these headphones at normal listening levels!
 
As for fit, I have always found that despite the fact a lot of people seem to find AKG's difficult to seal on their heads, they always suit me just fine. As these headphones have a nice numbered system of notches on the metal, I can always know to go for 6 on each side, in case someone else has been wearing them. The numbers go from 1-12 and so in my mind they should be able to fit most heads without a problem, unless you are trying to fit these on a small child or have an exceptionally large head (no offence to anyone who can't fit in these!).
 
As far as comfort goes, the pads are made of pleather yet feel like a premium good and I am very happy with their performance. The padding on the headband is very small and takes a step away from the iconic self fitting AKG headband, to make these viable as portable phones without being laughed off the bus or train and are significantly more comfortable than what feels like a hide band on the 702's which at least at first, dug marks into my head after long periods of wearing (this still happens, but to a lesser extent now) which was genuinely physically uncomfortable. Despite the sleek form factor of the 550's head padding, it is comfortable for long periods of time surprisingly and even if not at the level of the Senn 580's it gives sufficient comfort for most of us to really have nothing to complain about.
 
Cable: I really do not care for people who spend almost as much on cables as they do on their headphones. The plastic around the cable of the 550's is thicker than that of the 702's and feels like it is of a much higher quality (the 702's cable really disappointed me since the start as it feels more cheap and flimsy, so I am just happy I have the ability to replace it). The 550's cable has to be good however, as it cannot be removed sadly, and time will tell whether this will be an issue if it is being bent about in a bag on the move or not...
 
Value: at £180 some may view these as expensive, but seeing as they are over £40 cheaper than the beats studio headphones (at least on Amazon), in my opinion more stylish, if not the most stylish portable closed headphones, with a crisper and more refined sound, and a superior soundstage there is a distinct realisation that for headphones of this quality, you really aren't paying too much, even if you paid the full rrp, which I find I can rarely say when it comes to AKG products. Maybe you won't like me comparing to the beats, as it is like beating on some child who has already had his lunch money taken, but I think that is who AKG are trying to compete with with this model. The AKG's are the Blackberry to Beats iPhone. One may be more subtle and won't go out of its way to part you with your money while the other will throw all the cheap gimmicks and celebrity backing and funding it has for advertisement in every mainstream music video you will see nowadays. I know what my preference is, and I'm sure that will be share by 90% of the community here also.
 
This is my first ever review of a pair of headphones, and I hope it is up to the high standards of these forums and I may well edit it as I use these more and more in the future.

            When I purchased my AKG K550, I was in the market for a closed-back headphone that gave me the best open-back sound while containing the noise so I could use them in a dorm room. The AKG K550 does that and much more.
 
            After a few days of pink noise break in and heavy music listening, they really showed their true high-performance colors. The highs were balanced and resolving, the mids forward as in any AKG headphone, and the lows are rich and placed perfectly within the frequency spectrum. I was initially blown away by the response of these headphones for being closed back, as they offered a very distinct open-back like sound, while being a convenient closed back headphone. The isolation on these headphones is beyond excellent if you can find the right seal and headband adjustment. Many people have had issues with fit, but with a little tweaking they are easy to seal and will accommodate any head size.  I’ve had these headphones for a few months now, and sadly they have become a bit more dull and less dynamic with time, but not to the point where they aren’t fun to listen to anymore.
 
            The build quality of the K550s is fantastic. The top headband is made of brushed aluminum with the AKG logo laser-etched into the top. You can bend and shape the headband in anyway if you do it sensibly (don’t fold it or snap it…). The hinge where the band is connected to the ear-cups is a high-quality soft-touch plastic. I sometimes find it difficult to gauge what some people mean by high-quality plastic, so for comparison purposes, the plastic used is like what you would come across in the interior of a car’s dashboard; solid and sturdy, but lightweight and soft to the touch (if that helps at all). The lower part of the hinge is a textured aluminum that is also soft to the touch and feels like it will last for ages. The hinge and ear-cups are held on by a solid aluminum bolt, which looks mighty-fancy, and screams quality and durability. The back of the driver encasings are aluminum with the AKG logo again laser-etched into the metal, and the outer ear-cups are the same soft touch plastic used for the hinges. The leather for the ear-cups is very-high quality, although I think it is a pleather material as opposed to a genuine leather material. I like to compare it to that of the Bowers&Wilkins P7. The cable could be considered a bit long for portable use. I’m not sure why they made it so lengthy as these were marketed as a portable headphone. There are easy remedies for this though, I used a suggestion from the K550 appreciation thread and tied a Chain Sinnet (monkey braid) knot with the cable (I’ll post the link to how to tie this at the end of the review). Although these headphones are designed in Austria and made in China, AKG did not skimp out on anything on the quality side of things. I can tell they will be in good condition for a good amount of time. Also, I’m not really sure what brands are trying to go for when they state, “Designed in ________.” It doesn’t mean anything different to me. It seems to me as if they are trying to say something designed in Austria is better than something designed in China, and without stating this, a consumer would be turned away by the “Made in China” decal. Don’t let this influence your purchase when dealing with any headphone.
 
            I’ve seen some occasions where people have had issues with the comfort of these headphones, but for me that was not the case. Once you break the leather in, it becomes soft and cool. At first, the ear cups made my ears a bit sweaty after a few hours of listening, but with time, the leather has worn in and become a bit cooler for long listening sessions. My one complaint would be that my ears do touch the drivers and become a bit sore after a while. If I shuffle them around on my head a bit it takes care of the problem and I can go on until I need to repeat the readjustment. If that’s something that bothers you, these may not be for you, although there are some mods that can take care of the issue. Many people also complain about the lack of padding on the headband, but I find it to be adequate and haven’t noticed any issues with comfort on the top of my head. If you find the right fit and seal, these headphones are very comfortable, just note that the drivers aren’t to deep inside the ear-pads, which is not ideal for most people.
 
            I listen to a wide variety of music, and I believe that it is important to include a descriptive listening evaluation in these reviews so I can convey to you how they sound throughout the spectrum of music because everyone has a different taste and wants something different when they are trying to decide which headphones to purchase (the broader the review, the better). Before I go into a listening analysis, as stated, I’ll just again say that these headphones are my favorite closed back cans that have the capability to be portable, are extremely durable, and still sound incredible. Remember that they wont be as detailed and honest as an open backed counterpart, but they’ll come close to performing as an open backed headphone with the benefit of not having sound leakage and having good isolation. As compared to many of the closed-back headphones around this price range, they are some of the best, and I HIGHLY recommend giving them a listen and if you’re in the market, considering to purchasing this product. You will not be disappointed.
 
Test Songs (all FLAC files)
 
1. Pop (female vocal): ZZ Ward – Put the Gun Down
           
            ZZ’s vocals sound a bit recessed but resolving. A bit of distortion when the snare is on top of her voice. The drums sound harsh, a bit trebly, but nothing unbearable. The kick drum is supposed to be “decayish” on this song, so I’m disregarding the thickness of the low end drum response. Guitars sound detailed but a bit laid back. Bass is full and round, not too forward, there’s enough there to be honest to the mix. Overall a great sounding track on the K550s. There just seems like there’s something missing dynamically.
 
2. Pop (male vocal): John Mayer – Paper Doll
 
            John’s vocals sound exquisite. When the harmonies come in they sound separated and lush. The guitar is panned but doesn’t lose ANY tone. It’s a full and dynamic guitar sound. This is my favorite part of listening to this song on the K550s. The bass is full, maybe a little light. Sean Hurley, John Mayer’s bassist uses a fender jazz bass on this recording though, so it is very true to the sound of his instrument. The synth effect at the end has a “middy” push. It is very clear and harmonic. The K550 handles male vocals exquisitely. This is a great example of what this headphone can pull off.
 
3. R&B (female vocal): Beyonce – Listen
 
            Again I find that Beyonce’s voice is a bit recessed, but resolving. This seems to be how the K550 handles female vocals. Nothing too noticeable, but if you are listening for it, you will definitely notice. The strings sound fantastic. The balance between the instruments is breathtaking. The background vocals are very deep and full, maybe a bit back in the mix. The peak of the song sounds great. Everything is separated. It sounds very theatrical (this was in the musical and movie Dreamgirls, so that might be where the theatrics come from). Bass sounds a little light for my taste; it sits right in the frequency range where this headphone has a bit of a struggle. The piano is very clean and precise, this headphone loves acoustic instruments.
 
4. R&B (male vocal): Luther Vandross – Never Too Much
 
            This song sounds spectacular. The bass is so detailed and fun to listen to. The midi instruments sound so true and artificial, but that’s what the track is going for here. The strings again sound fantastic. I cant get over the sound of the strings, it’s bright and lush, but so easy and pleasing to listen to. Guitar sounds a little treble heavy, but that could be what they were going for in the production. Luther’s vocals are simply incredible. I feel like he is singing to me. They are so dynamic and intimate. These headphones pair so very well with his vocal timbre, it impresses me every time I listen to this song. The whole harmonic range is so smooth and it feels as if the K550 just dances around the frequency spectrum with ease.
 
5. Jazz (instrumental): Bob Acri – I Remember Clifford
 
            Wow. That trumpet. The warmth and resonance is so defined and resolving. The bass is deep and detailed; I love how the producer placed it in the mix and how this headphone responds to it. The drums sound so full. This song paired with the K550s is just right. It sounds most like a home theater in the sense that everything sounds so open and responsive.
 
6. Jazz (instrumental… again): John Coltrane – Giant Steps
 
            I chose to do another instrumental jazz tune because the previous one is slower. This contrasts that with a fast saxophone melody and an analog recording style as opposed to the newer Bob Acri recording. Everything just sounds so easy. The saxophone is all in the left channel, which is where its supposed to be because of the old stereo recording style. You can really hear John Coltrane’s real sound on this track. These headphones respond so well to instrumental jazz. It’s a joy to listen to. The piano, bass, drums, and saxophone sound perfectly separated. The honesty of the sound is remarkable for these open-backed headphones. All of John’s notes come out sounding full and dynamic. A lot of other headphones struggle with doing that on this song.
 
7. Jazz (female vocal): Dinah Shore – Then I’ll Be Tired of You
 
            As opposed to the pop and R&B female vocals, female jazz vocals sound very forward and proper in the K550. I was going to listen to a Norah Jones tune, but that is more of a pop production style, older female jazz vocal production is different. This is a true jazz performance and standard. This headphone also loves Dinah Shore’s voice. It’s rich and detailed. Close your eyes and you will feel as if you are there sitting next to her. The band sounds very mid-heavy, which I like, but the bass is thin while the vocals are present. The drums sound great out to me, which is odd because drum production back then wasn’t spectacular by any means. This headphone isn’t at it’s best for female jazz vocals, but it can still handle it remarkably well.
 
8. Jazz (male vocal): Frank Sinatra – Theme from: New York, New York
 
            The horn intro sounds fantastic. Frank’s voice is full and intimate. The horns are spectacular, lush and vivid. There is little distortion and listening on the K550 makes you feel as if you are there in the concert hall this was recorded in. The realism of this track is fantastic. Everything sound “right.”
 
9. Ambient: Grouper – Vital
 
            The accuracy in this song is great, although it sounds a little thin overall. Open-backed headphones do this song justice. This song just sounds normal on the K550s. Ambient music can be very dull if it is not in full detail, and unfortunately that is the case here. The only thing that sounds up-to-par is the acoustic guitar, but with the thinness of the vocals, there is really nothing special here.
 
10. Hip-Hop: Blu – SLNGBNGrs
 
            If you mainly listen to hip-hop and aren’t a bass head (uncommon), these are the headphones for you. This is just magical. The bass and vocals are perfectly mixed in with the synth and the beat. Everything is so rich. When the instruments hit the lower frequencies, it is so rich and punchy as it’s supposed to be with this style of music. I could listen to hip-hop all day with these because its so fun and pleasing.
 
11. Electronic: Squarepusher – The Exploding Psychology
 
            Boy, if you want an accurate headphone for electronic instruments, you can’t go wrong with the K550, simply incredible. Everything is so dynamic and rich; it’s presented in a way in which every nuance can be picked out. The bass is thick and I find these better for listening to electronic than an open backed pair because of the accurate and punchy bass response electronic artists go for. The sound field is fantastic and all the different textures sound perfectly separated. If you purchase these, you will automatically appreciate dynamic electronic music.
 
12. Classical (orchestral): Bela Bartok – Musik fur Saiteninstrumente und Celeste
 
            Hm. Not much here. The soft strings are very unrefined. The louder part of the piece is thicker, but the strings nonetheless sound thin and undetailed. The cello and bass sound ok, there is not to much to say about the lower strings. Although smooth, this is where the K550 struggles a bit. The dynamics sound brittle, maybe a bit loose. It struggles to handle the whole orchestra without distortion. The bass is nice at the louder sections, but the highs are just so bland and relaxed.
 
13. Classical (film score): Hans Zimmer – Time (Incetpion OST)
 
            A bit better than the Bartok symphony, but there is still something missing. The better production quality makes up for the K550’s lack of harmonic response in the strings. Not much distortion as opposed to the previous piece. The electronic instruments in this song sound accurate, and have a nice dynamic effect when paired with the K550s sound stage. Again, the strings sound like they’re just… there.
 
14: Classical (solo piano): Yundi Li – Chopin: Scherzo no. 2 in B Flat minor op. 31
 
            The piano sounds a bit thin. When Yundi hits the lower range of the piano it fills up a bit, nothing to write home about though. The reverb is nice, maybe a bit thin as well. The K550s do not do the piano justice here.
 
15. Folk: Wesley Jensen – Of Life of Love of Tears
 
            This song sounds great. The reverb and accuracy of the instruments is well presented. The acoustic guitar sounds full, rich, and balanced. Vocals sound nice and detailed. You can hear all of the tones coming from the guitar and by this I mean fingers sliding across strings, fret buzz, etc. The main focus of this tune is the vocals, and boy do they sound great.
 
16. Rock: Tom Petty: You Don’t Know How it Feels
 
            Sounds very familiar to the folk example. The vocals are well presented, the drums sound great, acoustic guitar shines as it’s supposed to. Maybe a bit too laid back though, everything could be a bit more forward although just boosting the master makes up for that but can make the K550s get a little messy distortion wise.
 
17. Hard Rock: Iron Maiden – The Number of The Beast
 
            The intro to this song sounds great. The guitars are well presented with good detail. The bass is accurate, maybe a little light when in unison with the guitar. The only complaint here is that it sounds a little treble heavy, a little more low end would do this genre good.
 
18. Metal: Meshuggah – Lethargica
 
            The distortion on the guitars sounds great. The bass and kick drum don’t interfere with the other instruments. Vocals are very detailed; the mids are very apparent and blend well with the rest of the songs dynamic level. The lower register of the eight-string guitar really stands out to me here, great tone, not too “floppy” as lots of other headphones make this song sound.
 
After listening to these pieces and evaluating how they sound with the K550, I’ve come to appreciate this headphone even more than I had before. It’s got such a great sound that is so unique to its closed-back design. Although it does lack a bit of precision and detail for classical music, it is well rounded for the other genres, which have a more forward-sophisticated production style. The bass is deep and refined, the mids forward, and the highs sparkly and detailed. The build quality is phenomenal, the sound is unique and balanced, and if you find the right fit, these headphones will keep you well isolated from outside noise. They used just the right amount of tuning in these cans and it really shows how great the engineers at AKG are. What they’ve created here is a masterpiece. If you get the chance, give them a listen; you will be glad that you tried them out.
 
If you are considering buying these and would like me to listen to anything to tell you how its sounds, I would be more than happy to do so, just message me and I’ll respond shortly after.
 
Here’s the link to the Chain Sinnet (monkey braid) knot for cable management: http://www.animatedknots.com/chainsinnet/index.php?Categ=decorative&LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

 
 
[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]
 
 
 
 
 
 
[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!