[jasdeepsd]

just got these headphones today. fantastic. what i dont understand is, why do AKG put the foam pads in?? and just to confirm is it better to listen with the pads not inserted?

 

[cyberspyder]

FU*K! All along I had been assuming the 518s and the 81s were identical phones with identical specs, but now this is not the case? I burnt on of my 518 drivers and had to transplant a 81 driver in. What surprised me was that they sound nothing like each other. I thought, CRAP, must've been burn-in causing it, so I swapped the remaining 518 driver with the other working 81 driver. Will burn-in change the frequency sweep? Not to be a killjoy here, but unless the phones were purchased at the same time and had absolutely zero hours on them, this test is invalid. (I hope it is, so I can stop kicking myself on how I blew the better sounding driver...

)

 

[manuelandreheadfi]

Sad to hear you've burnt one of your 518 drivers, but on the on the other side I'm also happy to hear from someone else that they sound totally different.

Just turned out that my trusty K81 DJ was collecting dust while burning-in the 581s - one month commuting, wood chopping, etc... - they now have 150+ hours of hard work behind them, I did 2 tests this weekend:
1) blind A-B comparison using a dual 3.5mm connector
2) a new frequency sweep on the 518

1) the 518 came out as the absolute winner, better soundstage, better definition overall, brighter in the mids, better in the highs and more low grunt when it has to.
2) the sweep looks absolutely the same with a deviation of less than .3 dB

Also the pleather pads are getting more comfortable over time and the inwards bending headband trick did wonders just like on the 81s; up to about 8 hours straight listening, well kinda... - I fell asleep wearing them

- absolutely no pain, no strain, no pressure

Just curious. How the hell did you manage to burn one of the drivers?
What about the warranty on the 518s?

 

[manuelandreheadfi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasdeepsd /img/forum/go_quote.gif just got these headphones today. fantastic. what i dont understand is, why do AKG put the foam pads in?? and just to confirm is it better to listen with the pads not inserted?

It all comes down to what you like...

Pick your favourite track, downmix it to mono, listen to the track with one foam in left, then right driver. Both foam and no foam.

Make your pick and don't look back

 

[cyberspyder]

I have no idea, but AKG won't take them back, so I'm SOL on that matter. And on the burnt out driver, I also have no idea how that happened. I've recabled my k81DJ's twice, so that's 16 times I had to touch a soldering iron to the driver, and they haven't broke. So I don't think it's soldering related, probably some defect. Too late now...time to look for another pair heh.

 

[mothot]

well it seems the choice was under my nose this whole time...
akg518 + FiiO E5 should give me the best bass for 100$ value...
thx for help m8s

 

[Shimmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Holy Recessions Batman! Thats a very big impact on Frequency response the foam inserts give. By the way does anyone have any idea where to buy earpads for these cans in case they wear out? My old k81dj is with my cousin and the pads are totally destroyed but we have had no luck finding replacement pads. It is the only thing keeping me from getting a pair of k518s right now. The pads don't last much more than a year.

If you can't find an AKG replacement you can use the Sennheiser HD25 pads. You can get both velour and pleather..I went ahead and got a single HD25-1 headband pad that comes with an adhesive strip on the back too. I forgot my K518LE in the US last September, and won't be getting back for a visit until August, so I haven't been able to put the headband pad on to see how it works.

 

[shootertwist]

sorry to revive an old thread, just wondering what color is the AKG 518 LE in this thread? i can't seem to find something like that... thanks.. another thing, do the pads really deteriorate after less than a year of use? i',m kinda worried regarding that before i buy since its hard to find replacement parts in our area... thanks for any tips

 

[Leba]

Unless I'm mistaken those are K518DJ (Left) and K81DJ (Right) in the picture.
K518LE do not offer black colour, sadly.

 

[shootertwist]

oh i see, its weird that the reviewer said the K518 were limited edition, how come its in black?

 

[DerangedGoose]

Is it really worth removing the foam? what does it do to the sound?
 

 

[ostewart]

taking the foam pads out makes the sound more balanced. Im getting some velour pads hopefully. Will see if it makes a big difference in SQ, i hope not as they sound great.

 

[DerangedGoose]

"more balanced" meaning the mids brought up? or the bass taken down? who sells aftermarket pads?

 

[ostewart]

bass down/less muddy. Brings out the highs and takes the veil off everything. You can get spare pads from thomann.de or get sennheiser HD25 velour pads

 

[Ne12o]

Is the K518DJ the same as the K518DJ LE except color?