[bobo64]

Hi everybody. This is my first post and I need help. Recently, I bought Beyerdynamic dt880 and Schiit Asgard 2. Together, they produce wonderful sound: spacious, clear and extremely detailed. But, there is one problem: in my collection there are about 50 cds recorded in 70s and 80s. No need to say that those recordings are not on a high level, so they are quite unlistenable on my dt880. But I do not want to give up those cds easily. Now, I need one more pair of phones which are far more forgiving, and that hide sibilance. Of course they must not be much worse than dt880 in terms of spaciousness, detail and overall quality. I used to have akg k550 and, as far as I remember, they have nice sounstage for closed phones without being sibilant. So I am thinking of buying them again or maybe it is better to go for hd558 or hd598. Which ones would you recommend? These three phones are the ones I can find in the place where I live or, at least, I can order them.

 

[Beyakusenn]

The K550 has a noticeable treble peak. It might be slightly out of the sibilance range, but it's more likely to reveal sharpness in the recordings than either of the Senns. The HD598 should be relatively forgiving, while still being detailed and overall pleasant to listen to. The HD558 is very similar to the HD598 and you already have the DT880 which is overall a better headphone than any of the others technically, so you might want to go for the cheaper option.

 

[serman005]

  The K550 has a noticeable treble peak. It might be slightly out of the sibilance range, but it's more likely to reveal sharpness in the recordings than either of the Senns. The HD598 should be relatively forgiving, while still being detailed and overall pleasant to listen to. The HD558 is very similar to the HD598 and you already have the DT880 which is overall a better headphone than any of the others technically, so you might want to go for the cheaper option.

+1.  HD598 have nothing resembling sibilance or peaky treble and are an overall very forgiving (a good word for it) can, while still being quite spacious and detailed with good instrument separation and surprisingly good bass quality. A quality open can, esp. for the money.

 

[DangerClose]

My HD558 "blurs" sound more than the HD598.  Some people praise them for being "smooth."  It's a main criticism I have of them.  In your case, it would be a benefit.
 
I listen to both HD558 and K553 once in a while, but I'd have to A-B them to give a valid comparison.

 

[bobo64]

Thank you very much indeed. Since I do not like blurred sound, it seems that HD598 is a better option. 

 

[Burkebang]

I have A-B tested my K550 MkII with the HD598. My impression is that the K550 MkII is in a completely different league. I find it much better in every way. Compared the HD598 is blurred, colored and grainy. If you do not like blurred sound, the K550 is definatly the way to go and make sure you get the MkII.
Btw. The K550 needs at least 50 hours burn in and the difference before and after burn in is dramatic.

 

[bobo64]

Yes, I have heard about K550 being improved. I just did not know that the improvement was so significant. What confuses me are all those reviews praising HD598 as clear, detailed, spacious, especiallaly compared to HD558. I forgot to say that I owned HD 518 and it was OK with their middle range and treble. What I did not like about them was bass, it was dominant and overshadowed all other frequencies.  

 

[Beyakusenn]

  Yes, I have heard about K550 being improved. I just did not know that the improvement was so significant. What confuses me are all those reviews praising HD598 as clear, detailed, spacious, especiallaly compared to HD558. I forgot to say that I owned HD 518 and it was OK with their middle range and treble. What I did not like about them was bass, it was dominant and overshadowed all other frequencies.  

The HD518 is the darker headphone of the HD5X8 series. The bass on the other models is more neutral and accurate.
 
I have not heard the K550 mkII, but I did hear a completely different opinion about it: http://www.head-fi.org/t/785515/akg-k550-mkii#post_12316021
 
Significant differences in sound signature after burn-in are still a myth to me. I didn't notice them on my K550 or K553. What I do believe in is psychological burn-in. The brain adapts to the new, different sound signature. That's why people often say they 'warm up to the headphones'. Measurements shown at Innerfidelity also indicate that the changes cased by burn-in are small. Here is an interesting article on that: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/measurement-and-audibility-headphone-break#7OgSxBuVhyceMVTU.97

 

[Burkebang]

  I have not heard the K550 mkII, but I did hear a completely different opinion about it: http://www.head-fi.org/t/785515/akg-k550-mkii#post_12316021
 
Significant differences in sound signature after burn-in are still a myth to me. I didn't notice them on my K550 or K553. What I do believe in is psychological burn-in. The brain adapts to the new, different sound signature. That's why people often say they 'warm up to the headphones'. Measurements shown at Innerfidelity also indicate that the changes cased by burn-in are small. Here is an interesting article on that: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/measurement-and-audibility-headphone-break#7OgSxBuVhyceMVTU.97

 
I have shared my impressions of the K550 MkII and the burn in in this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/613707/the-akg-k550-impressions-and-discussion-thread/2160#post_12320600
 
I cannot speak for the old K550 or the K553, but there is no doubt that the burn in is real on the K550 MkII. I have another very good set of cans that I know well and use as a reference. I also listen to the same music on a high end hifi system. So I have clear references to compare with. That and me being aware of it eliminates the psychological burn in factor.
 
I bought the K550 MkII for a song, I had not read anything about it before buying it and burning them in. I had low expectations going in, these where to be a set of "mid-fi junk cans" to make listening to good music with bad recordings more tolerable. I most certainly did not get what I wanted
 
When listening to what others say about the K550s, make sure they are talking about well burned in cans. When reading the post you link to, the unburned in withdrawn mids I experienced could certainly be understood as the upper bass being overwhelming.
 
Lastly, my  K550 MkIIs benefit greatly from my good quality DAC/headamp. Its not that they need a lot of power, they need high quality amplification.

 

[Beyakusenn]

   
I have shared my impressions of the K550 MkII and the burn in in this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/613707/the-akg-k550-impressions-and-discussion-thread/2160#post_12320600
 
I cannot speak for the old K550 or the K553, but there is no doubt that the burn in is real on the K550 MkII. I have another very good set of cans that I know well and use as a reference. I also listen to the same music on a high end hifi system. So I have clear references to compare with. That and me being aware of it eliminates the psychological burn in factor.
 
I bought the K550 MkII for a song, I had not read anything about it before buying it and burning them in. I had low expectations going in, these where to be a set of "mid-fi junk cans" to make listening to good music with bad recordings more tolerable. I most certainly did not get what I wanted
 
When listening to what others say about the K550s, make sure they are talking about well burned in cans. When reading the post you link to, the unburned in withdrawn mids I experienced could certainly be understood as the upper bass being overwhelming.
 
Lastly, my  K550 MkIIs benefit greatly from my good quality DAC/headamp. Its not that they need a lot of power, they need high quality amplification.

Thank you for linking more detailed impressions. Knowing your references and comparisons helps me getting a more clear picture of your experience and preferences.
 
The psychological burn in factor is not simply eliminated by having good references. The brain adapts to new circumstances whether you know better or not. For example, when cycling with bent pedals, your brain quickly adapts to the uneven cycle that your legs have to make and it feels natural again. After replacing the pedals for straight ones, it feels incorrect at first, but the brain again quickly adapts. Perhaps a more common example: when using the mouse on a computer that is not your own, the sensitivity is likely to be different, still your brain quickly adapts to the new sensitivity so you can use the mouse properly. If you keep using the 'new' mouse for a while, it will feel strange going back to your own mouse.
 
Back to headphones, I once did a temporary trade with my STAX SRS-4040 system for a HiFiMan HE-560. At first, the person who I traded with was not particularly impressed by my system, but after 4 days, he started to like them more end more. In the end he decided to sell the HE-560 to get an electrostatic system. These headphones were already 15 years old, so no physical burn-in should be present any more.
 
That you like the K550 mkII better than the HD800 is not a common statement, but certainly not unheard of. I know someone on this forum who really likes the Koss KTXPRO1 ($16) better than many higher end headphones. Even though it doesn't have the same technicalities as many of the headphones he has heard, those headphones have a sound that excites him more.
 
I guess you could say I am still not convinced about physical burn in making such drastic changes. I think you can imagine that I'd first want to hear those differences myself.

 

[Burkebang]

Psychological burn in is a real factor when speaking of slight and barely audible changes. My experience with the K550 MkII can be described like the Turbolag on my old Saab 900 Turbo. Nothing much happens for a long while, then WHAMMO Nothing psychological about that, even my old mother would have heard the difference.
 
I am not a great believer in "burn in", but I have witnessed real burn in enough times to know that it happens. As an audiophile for over 30 years, I have yet to hear any difference I will contribute to burn in with any solid state gear, including amps and cables, that I have had over the years. Speakers is another thing, there is a mechanical factor. Many of my speakers have loosened up or opened up quite noticably after a few hours of burn in. On the other hand, there are several that I didn't notice any difference with either.
 
I cannot speak for all K550 MkIIs. You might buy one that is fine from the factory or one that never opens up. I can only share what happened with my sample. What happened with my sample has happened and unfortunatly cannot be repeated.

 

[bobo64]

Just to let you know that I finally solved the problem. I saved up a bit and bought Sennheiser HD650. What someone here said - HD650 and DT880 are so complementary that they should be sold together. Indeed! What Beyers lack HD650 have, and vice versa. One more thing - Asgard 2 sounds great with both of them and I think that it really brings out the best of both cans, a lot of power, detail and clarity. Now, I have finally accomplished my audiophile quest. My wallet is empty but my heart and soul are full!