[BRSxIgnition]

Hello once again Head-Fi - I have a question for those DIY'ers here. (Unsure if this should be in the cable forum or this one...)
 
Being completely disappointed with the decisions AKG has made with the K551 headphones, I would like to buy an AKG K550 that has been modified to have a 3.5mm jack on the cup instead of a permanent cable. I have a few questions about this - listed below.
 

• Is this do-able? Is there space in the cup for this?
• Will doing something like this damage the aesthetics of the headphone greatly? I value the look of the K550 very much.

 
Finally.. if the above questions permit it - would anyone like to be the one to do this for me? I do not know how to do this myself, so I would be willing to pay $20 - $30 for the service + shipping to me in Canada. 
 
Thank you in advance.
 
EDIT: I could also trade my V-MODA Crossfade M-100 headphones (with extras) for the AKG K550's + Mod. My "For Sale" ad is located here. This would be a welcome option if anyone is interested.

 

[Dyaems]

its very possible and it wont damage the aesthetics IMO, the cups of the k550 have alot of room

 

[Doc-holliday]

Hello once again Head-Fi - I have a question for those DIY'ers here. (Unsure if this should be in the cable forum or this one...)

Being completely disappointed with the decisions AKG has made with the K551 headphones, I would like to buy an AKG K550 that has been modified to have a 3.5mm jack on the cup instead of a permanent cable. I have a few questions about this - listed below.

1. Is this do-able? Is there space in the cup for this?
2. Will doing something like this damage the aesthetics of the headphone greatly? I value the look of the K550 very much.

Finally.. if the above questions permit it - would anyone like to be the one to do this for me? I do not know how to do this myself, so I would be willing to pay $20 - $30 for the service + shipping to me in Canada. 

Thank you in advance.

[COLOR=FF0000]EDIT:[/COLOR] I could also trade my V-MODA Crossfade M-100 headphones (with extras) for the AKG K550's + Mod. My "For Sale" ad is located here. This would be a welcome option if anyone is interested.

You could try emailing the guys at soundprofessionals.com and see if they would be willing to try it for you. They do it for the ATH M50 for a fee of like 30 to 40 usd. Worth a shot.

I might try it at some point on my own pair in the future but not real soon. I would be glad to do it for your but I wouldn't want to try until I have successfully done it on my own first.

 

[BRSxIgnition]

Quote:

You could try emailing the guys at soundprofessionals.com and see if they would be willing to try it for you. They do it for the ATH M50 for a fee of like 30 to 40 usd. Worth a shot.
I might try it at some point on my own pair in the future but not real soon. I would be glad to do it for your but I wouldn't want to try until I have successfully done it on my own first.

That site looks pretty damn good actually, their mods look well done. I am just hoping the AKG K550 is worth the extra cost compared to those M50's, seeing as that is what I am replacing with this purchase. I've contacted them and will post again to say whether or not they can do this for me. 
 
EDIT: Looking here at InnerFidelity's wall of fame, it seems the AKG K550 was retired after the UE6000 came out, which is a shame, as I love the design. Maybe I should just wait and see if the AKG K267 fits my needs, and if not, find a new headphone. Le sigh.

 

[mackhaio5]

Keep us posted.  I have both UE6000 and the AKG K550. I like both of them.  The AKG is a little brighter sounding then the UE6000 at high volume but responds to EQ very well.  I would love a detachable cable.  I have mine looped up like this http://www.animatedknots.com/chainsinnet/index.php?Categ=decorative&LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com
convenient for when I need extra length.

 

[mackhaio5]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOodRt4NDuU

 

[ddd777]

anybody knows any company able to modify these headphones in the UK?
I really love them, but would love them even more with replaceable cable.
 
Mackhaio5 - thanks a lot for a cable looping idea. Theats pretty neat!

 

[shnjb]

they really dropped the ball with not making the cable detachable. 

 

[So Far]

  they really dropped the ball with not making the cable detachable. 

It's 2014 and we now have K551

 

[shnjb]

 they really dropped the ball with not making the cable detachable. 

It's 2014 and we now have K551

I thought the k551's cable is a piece of crap?

 

[So Far]

I thought the k551's cable is a piece of crap?

Good thing it's detachable and you can replace it

 

[shnjb]

I didn't know that you could replace it on 551.
 
I still prefer the all-black look of the 550 though.
I will probably get the 550 just for the looks.

 

[shnjb]

What do you guys with K550 use to manage the long cables when using it on the road (like on an airplane)?

 

[Danthrax]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/613707/the-akg-k550-appreciation-discussion-thread/375#post_9332106 You mean something like this? Not the most elegant solution but doable. Mine is dual-entry because I broke the pcb that went through the headband and couldn't get a wire through there.

 

[elfurbe]

I picked up a set of K551s on sale a couple weeks ago and the built-in non-detachable cable was pretty meh and too short for my desk position, even if the remote/mic does have its uses. Talked the situation through (complained non-stop, I should say) with an AKG-loving friend who suggested I pop some mini-XLRs on there and pretend to be a real professional AKGer, so I picked up a couple Neutrik/Reen mini-XLRs and with some help from the aforementioned friend who also solders much better than I do, chopped the stock cable off below the cup and made with the wiring today. The results turned out well on both ends, I think, and by putting the XLR on the stock cable, I can still plug it in to use the microphone and controls when I'm mobile (tested and works). Picked up a very nice 6' 1/8" to mini-XLR from a guy on eBay (found from an old reference on a different forum: http://www.ebay.com/itm/190579041953) for my desk and it's the bees. Here's a couple pictures of the ends we added, the cable from nakpro looks exactly like the photos in the listing except I got him to substitute a Neutrik for the Switchcraft mini-XLR.
 

 

 
One pro-tip for anyone inclined to do this mod: There are four conductors and a shield even between the remote/mic and the cup, red/blue/green/clear/shield. The good news is that it looks like they probably just used the same wire up there for consistency, there are only three conductors that trace through to the 1/8" so I'll save you a little time. If you're using Neutrik/Reen three-pin mini-XLRs (RT3MC-B/RT3FC-B are what I used, ordered from Mouser):
Clear -> Pin 1
Red -> Pin 2
Green -> Pin 3
Switchcraft may be the same, I'm not sure. Also the internal conductors of the stock cable are very small to the point of being essentially impossible to strip with cutters. We just set the iron a little hot, tinned up the tip and let it burn off the shielding as it tinned the end of the wire. Worked really well, soldered nice and clean to the pin cups.
 
So there it is! See problem, coerce friends into solving it for you. It's a pattern I follow in many areas.