[money4me247]

I think synergy really plays a lot into this headphone as it does with most. For the K545 a warmer source and amp works best.

When I had a chance to try the HP50 and K120 the difference between the K545 and HP50 was pretty strong and the K545 seemed brighter than what I hear on my LG G2 and way brighter than my Audioengine D1. Using that setup I actually found the K545 more aggressive than I would like. So peoples current configuration will definitely come into play. I am sure the HP50 might have sounded darker and unrefined off the Audioengine D1.

I tried my K545 using my Littledot Dac1 and my Bravo Ocean tube amp last night and quite enjoyed that combination as well. The brighter analytical Dac1 paired with the warmer laid back tube amp created a nice synergy as compared to my RWaudio Amp1 which is a bit to bright for the K545.

omg you have a bravo tube amp!!!! i got the adorable lil v3. not as niiice, but it's ballingggg. i love it!

 

[Martinrm]

I've post this a few places but have not really gotten a clear answer yet. What would be a good tube amp for the K545's un ther $200 price range? Super excited to get my 545s next week. 

 

[dweaver]

I really like my Bravo Ocean tube amp and it is under $200. Another option if you do not have a DAC yet would be the Aune T1 which is a tube amp/DAC combo.

 

[Lukalop]

Martinrm
I would like to see your impressions

 

[Martinrm]

Has anyone tried Qinpu 's tube amps before?
 
Edit: I made a decision, hopefully a good one.
Because of the reviews, and i'm a fan of american made products i went with the Bellari Rolls HA540 and bought a Tungsol 12AX7 tube also based on reviews. I'll let you all know how this pairs with the AKG's. 
 
Right now my headphone setup costs almost as much has my home audio setup lol (Denon AVR-1911, Energy Take Classic 5.1, 2x Bose 161)

 

[grizzlybeast]

so let me do this comparison before I ship them:
 
preface: I have not had the akg k545 that long but I wanted to give a quick impression of how they compare to the yamaha and sony from quick listening so I could be off here but this is how I am hearing it now. ALSO THE COMPARISONS MAY SEEM EXTREME BECAUSE THEY ARE VS EACHOTHER AND I FIND ALL OF THEM TO HAVE DECENT BALANCE:

AKG K545 IMPRESSION

Clean, smooth, dry, and light sound with almost flat, but good bass, good soundstage, easy and pretty mids and bright highs without fatigue.   
 

AKG K545 VS YAMAHA HPH MT220 AND SONY MDR 7520

 
BASS EXTENSION
AKG K545=YAMAHA=SONY
All of them have great extension mentioning which one extends further is pointless because they all go deep. The yamaha is loudest in the deep though. The akg softest in the deep.
 
 

BASS IMPACT

YAMAHA>SONY>AKG K545
This is easy for the yamaha to win. Its mid bass impact is like the sony but the sub bass hits harder on the yamaha. The akg sounds like it is sitting in the corner on timeout compared to these guys. The k545 doesn't however sound anemic though. The bass of the k545 is like its saying "Hi you know I am here but I don't want to take the show". The sony says"let me show you how its done right". The yamaha says" I'm letting my hair down". NONE of them overpower the mix and make all tracks bass heavy.
 

BASS QUALITY

SONY>YAMAHA>AKG K545
The sony has the best texture and detail in the bass. The yamaha bests the k545 here too. The k545 bass quality is less boomy than the yamaha but I can still hear more texture in the yamaha bass
 

BASS QUANTITY

YAMAHA>SONY>AKG K545
Same story as impact. 
 
MIDRANGE
YAMAHA=SONY>AKG K545
I will say that the closest to ideal here for me is the Sony, however when standing next to the mid bass it sounds thick. the Yamaha has similar balance to the k545 but more forward because of its less reserved sound, it is the more balanced of the three. The k545 has its mids stronger in the upper midrange with the lower mids not as strong and it sounds less weighty. The AKG sounds the most tinny of the three due to this. It also sounds the least natural. The k545 however is a pleasant sound that I would describe as polite and pretty in that area. The yamaha has clarity issues though in the mids. So the fact that the Sony is full in both upper mids and lower mids and it is decently clear I give it to the Sony. Yamaha murky vocals but best for both male and female. Sony best for male and decent with female. Akg k545 best with female. When i heard them in the store btw it was with female vocals. I came home and listened to mostly male vocals.
 

TREBLE QUANTITY

AKG >YAMAHA>SONY
The akg k545 has strong treble compared to its balance but still to my ears sounds the most tinny and thin because of the balance. The yamaha has a boost in the treble that almost matched the k545 in quantity.
 

TRANSPARENCY

YAMAHA>AKG =SONY
Because of the tonal balance or sound signature of the k545 it sounds like it is the most clear sounding or least murky. But the sony still has the more accurate instrument timbres. The yamaha would have killed them both if it weren't for the veiled sound of the mids at times (the yamaha mids sound loud enough but not clear enough there). The Yamaha also has the slowest decay and sound wet compared to the other two even though its attack is the strongest. The Akg is the driest of the two (dry isn't always a bad thing and in this comparison means that the akg sounds the cleanest with the shortest decay of instruments).
 

SOUNDSTAGE

AKG  = YAMAHA >SONY
The yamaha is the widest but the bright and thin sound of the akg gives it a better presentation of soundstage. The Sony fall behind here but still does better than a momentum. The centre image is the strongest on the Sony and the fact that it is the least bright makes me think it is the smallest but when I actually pay attention to the distance I can hear out as far as the AKG. But the AKG has good a good space in the feel of them.  
 

ATTACK

YAMAHA> SONY > AKG 
Everything snaps harder on the Yamaha, the hi hats, bass, drums, guitar plucks. The instruments edges, when they start and stop are the best on the Yamaha and it sounds the most realistic and accurate. The sony is good too but the yamaha takes the lead here. The k545 is decent but its bottom end isn't full enough to smack and punch hard....it also has a softer approach to the music.  
 

NEUTRALITY

SONY=AKG>YAMAHA
The yamaha would have won this if it wasn't for its bass. The sony is the most balanced because though its treble is the weakest I would't call it rolled off. Any weaker bass than the k545 in my opinion is bass light. The akg is not bass light but stands firmly about an inch on the other side of the flat bass description. Its lower mids while not lacking is neutral but gets brighter from there up. The yamaha is pretty even through out but is the most v shaped because of its bass. 
 

BODY/WEIGHT TO THE MUSIC/FULLNESS

SONY>YAMAHA>AKG
The sony says " look bro.. we gotta satisfy them when they listen.. don't hold back bro but don't over do it". The sony takes the cake here. Its bass is perfect and its mids are full and strong and its highs don't take away from the body of the music. The yamaha has decent body to it but is closer to v shaped. The k545 is the thinnest sounding....now don't get upset here.... I said thin compared to these two. These two headphones are very strong and forward with good balance. The k545 is nowhere near as thin as the x1 or k550. Also the he400 can sound thin too. 

 

COMFORT

SONY>YAMAHA=AKG 
The yamaha is the heaviest and has the loosest parts. The yamaha drivers are too close to the ears but the pad swapping abilities with it are endless. The sony is the best fitting headphone I have had to date. The akg doesn't seal as well.
 

LOOKS

AKG easily. That is exactly how I would make a headphone look. maybe slightly larger cups and deeper pads but that is pretty much exactly what I think a hp should look like. 
 

BUILD QUALITY

SONY>AKG>YAMAHA
The sony is super solid with the akg right  behind(photo finish and maybe after more time with the akg ...it would win). The yamaha is sitting in the corner on this one though it is not bad. It also needs a detachable cable like the sony and akg. 
 

OVERALL

SONY>YAMAHA>K545
 

MY PREFERENCE

YAMAHA>K545=SONY
The reason for this is that I have mid centric headphoned myself to death and now a days I am preferring more treble and soundstage.   I love the bass, attack, details, and groove of the yamaha. The sony would have been my dream portable headphone during my search for a headphone with great mids and awesome detail. All of these are detailed with the Sony being the most detailed and capable of the three I just feel it sounds congested at times.
 
  The akg has a sweet sound that I just want to keep trying when I want something more lite. I don't want thick and creamy all the time. Sometimes I wan't clean and lite....The akg does that part well. 
 
    I do recall the k550 and would without hesitation I would call its mids recessed the k545 isn't so but the mids are brought up to just right level. Sometimes the k545 sounds a bit tinny, plasticky and restrained compared to the others. These are all closed headphones though so I can't expect too much.
 
 The sony is leaving due to taste alone not performance because the sony's performance is rare bests the other two. Also I committed to a sale so I must follow through. The akg shouldn't hope to compete. They have different purposes as well. The akg is also a portable can(though its isolation is lacking)...(got a better fit and wifey says they don't leak a whole lot) The k545 is not intended for professional use either.
 
edit: I would say that when I used to words plasticky and tinny they make them seem a lot worse than what I intended to communicate. They can sound natural but compared to the others this is the impression. 
EDIT/UPDATE: The yamaha needs burn in and is really revealing of bad sources. It easily competes with the rest in transparencey

 

[swiftus]

Thanks for that comparison grizzlybeast.
 
A quick (dumb) question: what does it mean if a pair of headphones are made for 'professional' use (like the Sony and Yamaha)? What different sound qualities do they have? Are they not suitable for portable use?

 

[grizzlybeast]

^ no but being for professional use you should be expecting a less colored sound even though that is not the case always. They usually try to go for accuracy. Portable use is soley determined by the consumer. Portable hp's also have things like inline remotes and carrying cases and things that make then best for commuting vs a big long chord coiled chord like the sony and yamaha. 

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Thanks Lee, outstanding comparative review. I mean really, really great, just love the way you compared them based on individual qualities. 
I still didn't get why exactly you decided to stay with AKG but you definitely cooled me off from trying K545.
But I guess I can see that somewhat creamy top can be a turn down on Sony sometimes, esp. after switching from brighter phones, takes some time for ears to balance that out, but on a positive side it's never fatiguing. 

 
Merry Christmas! 

 

 

[grizzlybeast]

  Thanks Lee, outstanding comparative review. I mean really, really great, just love the way you compared them based on individual qualities. 
I still didn't get why exactly you decided to stay with AKG but you definitely cooled me off from trying K545.
But I guess I can see that somewhat creamy top can be a turn down on Sony sometimes, esp. after switching from brighter phones, takes some time for ears to balance that out, but on a positive side it's never fatiguing. 

 
Merry Christmas! 

 

I like it still and its just a matter of flavor sometime I want lemonade instead of iced tea. Also I was selling the sony to pay for the dx700 and had committed to holding them for someone. The k545 or the yamaha will be leaving too one day. I just had to hear them for myself. I need to save up for the th600 as well. Too many hp ambitions. 
 
Thanks and merry Christmas!

 

[dweaver]

Interesting comparison Lee, I would agree about where the K545 is peaked in regards to the mids. I noticed it clearly when I demo'd the HP50. I think you have not heard the HP50 yet. Assuming you don't have comfort issues I do think you will like that HP more as it has the emphasis in the lower mids but it also has the K545 treble so sonically speaking it might be perfect for you.

I personally enjoy the K545 more so obviously like the shift in emphasis towards the upper midrange. It is likely due to my musical preferences though as most of my music is gentler by nature and works best with a soft hand.

Having said that I have not ruled out the HP50 even though I have concerns about fit. My reason is the same as your comments above, I like a different flavour sometimes .

 

[Trunks159]

Bit early for a comparison. My opinions on the first few days are never the same at the end of the week. It also greatly depends on what time of the day you listen to them. Cans with a better sound stage to me sound better at night. All cans sound great to me in the morning, as I can't be bored by the sound or get tired by it. Bright headphones suck in the middle of the day.

I'm the kind if guy that thinks the SR80i has plenty if bass (perfect amount). How much bass compared to the SR80i, or Momentum.

 

[dweaver]

The K545 go very deep but is not a high volume bass. In comparison to a Grado I suspect it will be deeper and only a bit more volume.

 

[grizzlybeast]

^ I disagree a little. It is early for really solid impressions but a hp never changes soo much that it sounds like a different headphone. Also I will edit the preface/disclaimer at the beginning because I did say it was from only having them for a short time so I could be off. Also I knew I had to let the 7520 go soon so I should post it while I had it seeing that there was an interest in how they compared. I felt it only right to do it since I had both.

 

[Trunks159]

In general, at least ime, headphones in general don't sound all that much different so some minor differences can mean the difference between 2 different cans.
Even grados don't sound all that much different. It depends on expectations vs outcome. For example, when I bought the ue6000, I knew it would be dark and warm, so the sound didn't change all that much. On the other hand, when I bought the ma900, I wasn't sure what to expect.