[timidteddy]

Hey man do you know if the K 545 seals well with smaller heads unlike the older K 550? To be specific does she clamp tighter?

 

[grizzlybeast]

I had these things on pre-order man and I got the yamaha hph mt220 because I simply did not like the k550 and wanted to try something totally different. The yamaha does a lot of things better but if I could have done it all over I would go with the k545. I like how it was clear and un cluttered. It had me squeezing my eyebrows. I used to love the momentum but these made them sound bad...no joke. if I buy a portable again it will be these for sure and in orange.

 

[dweaver]

It does not clamp tighter but achieves a bit easier/better seal due to the thinner pads have less surface area which increases the pressure over square inch. Having said that Beagle has some issues with seal, so it will not be perfect. Did you have a severe problem with the K550?

 

[grizzlybeast]

It does not clamp tighter but achieves a bit easier/better seal due to the thinner pads have less surface area which increases the pressure over square inch. Having said that Beagle has some issues with seal, so it will not be perfect. Did you have a severe problem with the K550?

I had an issue as well with the seal, specifically at the top of the ear. but it was fixed when i tightened the headband up top. It did seem to be a tighter fit over the k550 though for sure. 
 
I really shouldnt be making all these impressions off of one visit but I can't help it. These things struck a chord with me for sure and I remember them clearly.

 

[dweaver]

I usually am excited then cool off about a headphone as can be seen by my many purchases and posts. This headphone is the first one I have not had that happen with. I just like them more and more as time goes on. I even appreciate them more than my Q701's for a lot of my music now. Which is why I have posted so much about them, so I understand your enthusiasm Grizzlybeast!

 

[grizzlybeast]

yeah, to be honest when you were first posting I was thinking well...I don't know I have to hear them for myself. Now I understand as well.

 

[timidteddy]

Lets just say even with the earcups tilted inward it barely clamps teh head. For a size reference my Senn HD 558 fit perfectly =D 
But dang these look like a real good choice for closed cans! BTW just curious of where you bought your pair of K 545's because the only place I know that have these in stock is avshop.ca (i'm in canada too).

 

[dweaver]

I actually was very blessed to be asked to review my pair and then was told to keep them about a week later. In Canada we do have limited options, so good to hear about avshop.ca. I was talking to Razordog audio about availability when they forwarded my name to AKG otherwise I would have bought from them since they offer decent pricing and good service to Canadians.

I found the 558 a bit tight on my head so you might have trouble with fit. You might be able to bend the headband though or use a different set of pads. I believe someone in the thread is using the HM5 pads fron Brainwavz which would definitely make these tighter.

 

[Lukalop]

From a comfortability standpoint, velour or leather?

Edit: OMG the Q701's are available for just 210! They were previously 500. Why are they so cheap?! It signals to me that they may not be very good..

 

[Lukalop]

And also I only ask because I can't find a good answer anywhere in these forums as most people say that they haven't tried both, but I am thinking of getting the Q701 instead of the K545 because they have much better soundstage apparently.
How do they compare?

 

[dweaver]

The Q701 has a bigger sound stage but less bass and they will require an amp. Do not let the $200 price tag worry you, they are as good as anything at $500 so are a great bargain. Velour is less isolating than leather but also less hot.

I like both headphones equally but use the K545 more often because it doesn't need and amplifier plus it is isolating so better for outside and public use.

 

[Lukalop]

What about the dampening factor of the Q701 vs K545. This is supposed to prevent any excess unwanted sound am I right?

I am now considering the Q701 because although it lacks bass and needs an amp I have heard rave reviews about it, however this is not the case with the K545, although this may come down to the fact that it is relatively new, plus it is more than over 50% off and I thought since it originally cost 500 whilst the K545 costs just 200, then it must outperform it by a lot because it is a tier up.

So on the face of it, a headphone worth 500 vs 200, I would presume the one for 500 would vastly outperform the latter since it is more than twice the price! Either that or the headphone has been made extremely inefficiently..

 

[jwong]

I really don't think there's strong correlation between cost and sound quality when you get over $200. The B&W P7 are $400, and I definitely prefer the K545 to them.

 

[Trunks159]

The p5 should drop to $200, and the P7 to $300.

 

[Shinnbone]

I have a K701, have used Q701, and just auditioned a K545 for a couple of weeks.
 
Lukalop, if you are only going to use the headphones at home AND have a source (CD player, stereo system, etc.) with a decently powerful headphone amp section, get the Q701. The soundstage is much wider than the K545. Also, there is more depth -- some instruments are clearly further away than others -- whereas with the K545, all the instruments are about the same distance away. Instrument separation is also much better with the K/Q701. You can sense spaces between each instrument. With the K545, the whole band comes to you more as a solid mass. I always thought the Q/K701's sound as "shower," where you can feel each drop of water separately. With the K545, it's more like a stream form a hose.
 
But if you are going to use the headphones on the go, definitely stay away from the Q701. Also, if you are using your iPod / iPad / cell phone / computer as your music player, Q701 will not sound good AT ALL. K701 from my cell phone or computer sounds as if I'm standing at 1 end of a tunnel, and there is a tiny boombox at the other end. Tinny with an inordinate amount of reverb. At the very least you need a decent CD player or a stereo system with a fairly powerful internal headphone amp to drive the Q701.
 
K545 is very clear, almost as clear as the Q/K701. It has more bass than the Q701, and quite a bit more than the K701. For rock and harder fusion (Tribal Tech, the Aristocrats, etc.), K545 is more enjoyable (at least for me) than the Q/K701.
 
I noticed that all 3 require quite a bit of burn-in. If you do not think a headphone's sound changes as they are being used more and more, you can ignore what I'm about to say … but until about 20 hours in, the K545's bass was a little anemic. I fidgeted with cup angle and placement to get acceptable bass, but on some songs the low frequencies were almost inaudible. After 20 hours or so, the bass bloomed. At that point, I noticed this: I get to work, I put the K545 on, and it takes about a song for the sound to settle. Kind of like a mini-burn-in. If I used the headphones continuously, at the end of the workday the bass would be almost overwhelming. I would adjust the cup angle and placement to *lower* the bass quantity. This makes me think the K545 takes much more than 20-40 hours before the sound settles. After 20 or so hours, the volume increased, too. I think certain components get looser and create more volume and low end. Coming from guitar amp experience, where speaker burn-in is a recognized phenomenon, I would say the glue that attaches the cone to the chassis is probably getting softer.
 
Also, the cup angle and placement, not to mention the seal, greatly affect the sound. The great thing is, the cups swivel up/down and also forward/backward, and they stay put once you find a spot.
 
All my listening at work was done straight from my phone (HTC EVO 4G LTE), and at home I compared the K701 and the K545 straight from the headphone out of my Sony CD Player. With a dedicated DAC/amp, the result would most likely be different.
 
On a different note: I ordered a Sony MDR-7520. Would be interesting to see how it compares to the K545.