rwpritchett
100+ Head-Fier
The email I sent my request to was hcgcustomersupport@harman.com which took 3 days to get a response. The email reply I posted earlier in the thread came from parts4@harman.com.
The HM5 pads fit on the K553. You need to stretch it a little before and take your time while putting it, preferably by grabbing half of the pads with your hand. What I noticed:
-Better seal
-Therefore bass more present (and also the sound seems a little bit better define but not sure)
-My ears don't touch at all to the drivers and they are comfortable
-They get hotter than the stock pad and more quickly
Although my K550 pads were in fine shape, I went for the Alpha pads, and I'm glad I did. Bigger soundstage, tighter bass, better seal. I braided my cable too.
Would you care to explain the procedure you followed for replacing them? Thinking of trying the same but don't want to mess it up.
When I took the old ones off it did not matter could tear them off really, the new replacement pads came with the sponges and all you do have to have patience and take your time when sliding the replacements into the cup. You may have to stretch and pull the them over the cups gap for it to slide in and do this slowly bit by bit, if you try to rush or pull too much you could rip them.
They simply just wrap around the ring thing on the K550s, similar to how the stock pads attack. The alpha pads do require a modest stretch to get them on though, nothing too much, but a tiny tug. Notice that the alpha pads come rectangular-ish (because of the shape of MrSpeakers' headphones) though they will conform to the K550's circular shape.
The price for the pads was a bit steep ($60 + shipping), but boy do these lambskins feel exquisite. Perhaps the comfiest pads I own, even slightly better than my LCD2.2's lambskins.
The pads retain the signature K550 sound, with a modest increase in its lower end slam. Normally you would think this would cause the bass to bloat, but luckily the pads keeps the bass nice and tight.
Also mentioned above, the soundstage increases a tiny but because of the increased distance between your ears and the drivers. But there's no hollowness to the sound nor did it become more sterile. Quite simply one of the most open sounding closed headphones I've listened to, only bested by the TH900.
In my experience, I feel that the pads were worth the price. The seal is substantially better, and now I can wear my glasses with the K550. Though I still prefer having them on without glasses for maximum seal. The original stock pads had issues with seal even without glasses.
Hope this helps!
FWIW, K550 pads are very easy to install. Notice the slit in the metal lip on the cup that holds the pad in place. Simply side the outer part of the pad into the slit and then rotate until the pad is fully in place. A 1 minute job.
Got up these King Size DIY Bass Plus Soft Ear Pads Cushion For AKG K550 K551 K553 off Ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/261886607985
I've been listening to my HP50s for the last week, so I can't give you a comparison between how my K550s used to sound and sound now. These pads are installed using adhesive, so I can't switch them in and out.
So far, I like them. Definitely all seal/fitment issues are gone. And yes. The bass is still there