[GN3RAL KARL]

Quote:

About 95% sure the K702 pads won't fit the K550. The K702 pads rotate and click into place with small plastic ledges or clips. It looks like the K550 doesn't have those based on the picture.
How are the K550 pads held into place? I remember taking them off once but now I totally forget!
 
K550 pads on the K702 might be..interesting

Actually when I pulled the pad off, one portion was hanging on to exactly what you just mentioned - a small cutout ledge.  I applied more pressure to remove the pad.  It actually is there in the photo, second group of pictures, the one in the bottom right.  It's at the 10 o'clock position.
 
So the pads just might be interchangeable.
 

 

[Katun]

Wow, those look amazing. Especially these pictures. I absolutely love the 3rd picture. Looks like the Edition 8.
 
Hmm. Give me a "closed" Q701, with slightly more bass and a tad warmer/thicker sound, and we're talking business.

 

[MarioImpemba]

Some of the choice phrases by OP made my day.

 

[halcyon]

Thanks for the review. Just got my pair a few days go, so too early to say anything definitive about the sound.
 
However, there's not enough grip for me and the isolation is near non-existent with the stock pads.
 
Has anybody found or toyed with the idea which pads might fit K550?
 
Personally I'd prefer heavier, thicker and perhaps even angled pads.
 
Already tried bending the headband quite a bit more to get additional grip, but the results were not very convincing.
 

 

[Acix]

Quote:

About 95% sure the K702 pads won't fit the K550. The K702 pads rotate and click into place with small plastic ledges or clips. It looks like the K550 doesn't have those based on the picture.
How are the K550 pads held into place? I remember taking them off once but now I totally forget!
 
K550 pads on the K702 might be..interesting

 
Yes, looks like the 550 pads don't have the K70X rotate clips... but if they are the same size/diameter as the 70X pads, they can be glue, or attached to some old rotate base of the 70X pads.

 

[Acix]

Quote:

K550 pads on the K702 might be..interesting

 

From the headroom graph looks like the 550 pads can boost the 702 bass area by 5 db.
 

 
 

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Actually when I pulled the pad off, one portion was hanging on to exactly what you just mentioned - a small cutout ledge.  I applied more pressure to remove the pad.  It actually is there in the photo, second group of pictures, the one in the bottom right.  It's at the 10 o'clock position.
 
So the pads just might be interchangeable.
 

Great news man....can you please measure the diameter of the pads, and the caps.

 

[GN3RAL KARL]

Please note that the aspect ratio is slightly off because photos are shot at my point of view = Near bird's eye view.  I have provided measurements in numbers under photos though.
 

 
Diameter of earpads - 4.3"
 

 
Diameter of cups - 2.375".  Depth of cups - 0.813" (13/16 of an inch)
 


 
Diameter of outer shell - 4.313".  Height of phone - 7.63".
 

 
These are photos of the plastic piece cutout that held on to the pads when removing for the first time (first photo at 4 o'clock, second at 5:30).  After removing the pads and inserting them back on, the pads can freely rotate on the cups.

 

[Acix]

Thanks Karl, the diameter looks about right... but the pads close mechanism looks different.

 
Here is the K-702 pad diameter in cm,
 

 
The same measurement in inches,
 

 

[GN3RAL KARL]

Nice Acix.  Knowing me, I would definitely give it a shot interchanging the both of them, even with the different "locking" mechanisms.  I don't have the K702 to try, but maybe someone might have both soon...

 

[shorke]

I'm gonna try the Q701s out first but if I find I like the sound but not open back headphones, I think I'll try these out if they truly are the 701/702 sound with a closed back. Thanks for the review!

 

[TheWuss]

well.
this was my shortest "dalliance" with a headphone.
 
i bought it on friday.  received it no saturday.  returned it today (monday).
 
in short:
THEY SUCK! 

 
sorry to offend anyone who has fallen headlong in love with this headphone.
 
So, I'll elaborate a bit more:
 
The K550 is anemic.  And this coming from someone who likes the K701 "pretty well".
It is very uneven starting in the upper midrange.
It has slightly withdrawn upper mids.  But still comes across as bright because of the spike at 9-10kHz.
 
It tries to "induce" soundstage, but instead it seems like the sound is "boxy" and there is uncontrolled cup echo.
 
but, hey - they're sexy headphones.
and pretty well built.  
 
EDIT:
let me add one last point.
it wasn't just me who thought this.
i let 3 people who i work with audition this headphone.
and did not tell them my own reaction to the headhpone first.
all 3 of them said they sucked.
 
even my wife, who is no audiophile, listened to them and said "they don't sound natural."
 
hey, i respect Tyll Hertsens a whole bunch.
but, i think he called this one way too early.
 
 

 

[jimg1954]

I just got k550's mainly because they have large earcups and are closed - I use them at work. I had some Beyer 770's but returned them because they were a little too small, although I think they sounded better, it seems like they had a little more base. I also tried some 702's. They fit great, but are a little out of my price range and from what I have read here would need an amp and are semi-closed. Any idea on what to expect if I put 702 pads on the 550's? Would the 550's benefit from an amp? Will burn in change the SQ so they sound fuller?

 

[GN3RAL KARL]

Quote:

I just got k550's mainly because they have large earcups and are closed - I use them at work. I had some Beyer 770's but returned them because they were a little too small, although I think they sounded better, it seems like they had a little more base. I also tried some 702's. They fit great, but are a little out of my price range and from what I have read here would need an amp and are semi-closed. Any idea on what to expect if I put 702 pads on the 550's? Would the 550's benefit from an amp? Will burn in change the SQ so they sound fuller?

I would suspect that the K702 pads will probably thin the bass out more and make the highs brighter.  Benefit from an amp, absolutely, I use a Fiio E6 with it on flat mode (no eq) and they sound a touch more fuller.  But that might be a trait of the E6 itself because I also amped it with the JDS Labs BBcmoy and didn't like that combo at all; everything sounded more thinner - especially the midrange.  The bass boost was great though.
 
I'd suggest something more powerful for ampage, like a E9.  I have about 18hrs. burn in on my K550's and have noticed the highs seem just a touch smoother.  Nothing drastic, even a mild change, has not happened at all.  I honestly didn't lean on the K550's for music, more for games and movies for me, which they are absolutely awesome for.  I do EQ for more bass and turn the treble down a notch though on my Yamaha receiver.
 
I do agree on The Wuss's findings, but I don't think the characteristics are that pronounced.  With an EQ and keeping the volume a little lower so the highs don't become strident (which I have just a little hope this might change after maybe 500hrs, which is a long time), I still think it is a great headphone - and the comfort runs circles around the competition.  All short, it is a polite headphone with a couple of minor flaws with the utmost comfort.  It will appeal to some but not all, I say take the characteristics that appeal to you in a phone and look for those priorities first.  A few of mine is the comfort and the sound leakage - I've succeeded for myself at least.
 

 

[jimg1954]

Thanks for your comment. I will have to give these a little more time and mess with the eq ans see if I can get the sound right