[Mad Max]

I just got HM5 pads as well. I definitely like these better than the stock pads.

 

[Hi-Fi Guy]

Does anyone know how the Focal Spirit One headphones would compare to these?

 

[tinyman392]

  Does anyone know how the Focal Spirit One headphones would compare to these?

 
The Focal one had tighter, more controlled bass (a smaller body though)...  The treble and signature as a whole was brighter though.  That's all I get from memory though :/ 

 

[Hi-Fi Guy]

Thanks for the info. Do you think they'd benefit from an amp? I have the FiiO E11.

 

[JusticeForAll28]

I received my pair in the mail a couple days ago. First impressions I was kinda disappointed... but now.... Man I'm in love with these headphones!! 
 
I much prefer the sound to that of my m50's and the vmoda m100's I returned. Well the m100's may have had a slight edge in pop because of the rich bass. That would be my only complaint would be the bass, its there and it gets the job done but I do kinda prefer a LITTLE more. Not m100 level but somewhere in between the two headsets. 
 
I found as far as comfort goes, the k545 are the most comfortable headphone I've ever used. I have a big head and big ears, my m50's were very comfortable for long periods of time but I always felt them on my head. The vmoda m100's were the most uncomfortable pair of headphones I owned right next to my denon hp50's. My ears were in a lot of pain even after just a couple of songs. With the k545 I almost can forget I'm wearing headphones at all, they are THAT comfortable. I almost wish they had a little clamping force though, they seem maybe almost a little too lose.
 
I very much enjoy the soundstage, coming really from the m50's I found it excellent. The m100's had a good soundstage as well but I find myself enjoying the k545 more in that way too.
 
It's too bad that the packaging and accessories arnt anywhere close to what vmoda offered with the m100's. With the k545 you get a couple cables and thats pretty much it...
 
And my last point that I can think of right now... again comparing them to the vmodas.... With the vmodas had I kept them, I would of always felt safe knowing that I would always have a working pair of headphones. The warranty was just outstanding as you all know. I feel super, super nervous with the k545 and thats a shame. I kinda read through some of the posts in this forum about defective headsets right off the bat and others that became defective over time. I feel my pair have a slight imbalance with the right side being a little bit louder then the left... but it's not enough for me to go through the hassle of returning and maybe ending up with a pair with a much worse defect. 
 
So overall, very, very impressed with the k545. The sound is pretty much everything I want in a headphone and works with all the music I listen to. Oh and the service I got from razordog was excellent. Very fast shipping. 

 

[dweaver]

Nice impressions and glad your really liking them. I had a similar start and enjoyment of them. I use mine quite often.

 

[Hi-Fi Guy]

So I returned mine to best buy because 1) they broke and 2) I was becoming bored with the sound. If they hadn't been broken I would've kept them quite a bit longer.

So now I have $300 in store credit at best buy and have to limit the selection of my next 'phones to their store. (I do regret buying from there in the first place) 

 
I'm looking for headphones comparable to these in quality, but with slightly punchier, tighter lows. I have been looking at the Sony MDR-1R, MDR-10R, and the Focal Spirit One.

Any suggestions or thoughts on these headphones would be appreciated.


P.S. Has anyone heard of Focal's newest headphones, the Spirit One S? I can't seem to find info on it anywhere other than their site.
Here's the info on Focal's site about it:
http://goo.gl/1tH24j

 

[Benfica1]

So I returned mine to best buy because 1) they broke and 2) I was becoming bored with the sound. If they hadn't been broken I would've kept them quite a bit longer.


So now I have $300 in store credit at best buy and have to limit the selection of my next 'phones to their store. (I do regret buying from there in the first place) :angry_face:

I'm looking for headphones comparable to these in quality, but with slightly punchier, tighter lows. I have been looking at the Sony MDR-1R, MDR-10R, and the Focal Spirit One.


Any suggestions or thoughts on these headphones would be appreciated.



P.S. Has anyone heard of Focal's newest headphones, the Spirit One S? I can't seem to find info on it anywhere other than their site.
Here's the info on Focal's site about it:
http://goo.gl/1tH24j

BB has the Denon ah d600 which has punchier lows.

 

[Hi-Fi Guy]

BB has the Denon ah d600 which has punchier lows.

Thanks for the suggestion.
How would these stack up against the sony mdr-1r?

 

[Benfica1]

No idea. Never heard the mdr1r only against the k545.

 

[Mad Max]

Hmm, but the HM5 pads sacrifice a bit of the isolation.

 

[tinyman392]

  Hmm, but the HM5 pads sacrifice a bit of the isolation.

 
The HM5 pads don't fit perfectly on the K545 (since the pads are ovular and the AKG is circular), so that's expected   I actually haven't tried a pair of HM5 pads on these   And I my HM5s actually came with a spare pair  

 

[Hi-Fi Guy]

No idea. Never heard the mdr1r only against the k545.

oh did you do a comparison on this thread?

 

[Semont]

  oh did you do a comparison on this thread?

I actually visited a sony store a couple weeks ago with my k545 and took the chance to listen to the mdr1r with the c5d amp/dac with some flac files.
 
The 1r definitely is on the warmer side (I'd describe the sound sig as a relaxed v shape) and the soundstage is narrower than the k545. The fit on the 1r is more comfortable and it's also got angled drivers but I ended up liking the k545 more.

I found as far as comfort goes, the k545 are the most comfortable headphone I've ever used. I have a big head and big ears, my m50's were very comfortable for long periods of time but I always felt them on my head. The vmoda m100's were the most uncomfortable pair of headphones I owned right next to my denon hp50's. My ears were in a lot of pain even after just a couple of songs. With the k545 I almost can forget I'm wearing headphones at all, they are THAT comfortable. I almost wish they had a little clamping force though, they seem maybe almost a little too lose.
  And my last point that I can think of right now... again comparing them to the vmodas.... With the vmodas had I kept them, I would of always felt safe knowing that I would always have a working pair of headphones. The warranty was just outstanding as you all know. I feel super, super nervous with the k545 and thats a shame. I kinda read through some of the posts in this forum about defective headsets right off the bat and others that became defective over time. I feel my pair have a slight imbalance with the right side being a little bit louder then the left... but it's not enough for me to go through the hassle of returning and maybe ending up with a pair with a much worse defect. 
 
So overall, very, very impressed with the k545. The sound is pretty much everything I want in a headphone and works with all the music I listen to. Oh and the service I got from razordog was excellent. Very fast shipping. 

 
I suggest bending your headband since it's made of a metal sheet. I found bending at the center of the headband a bad idea as that will cause the plastic sides to contact your head. Instead, the best points to bend are right before the number markers for height adjustment. This makes the headband more U shaped instead of V shaped.
 
I had the same worries as you did about defective units and all but in the end I just ended up forgetting about the issues as time went on. The imbalance thing might be due to how music is recorded, to really test it out, you can switch your source to mono and try to hear a difference in the left and right drivers on low volume levels.

 

[grkn]

Just in case somebody is looking for a longer cable, I got this 10ft setup:
 

 
2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter fits with a little elbow grease applied: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CXX8748/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 2

Good value tangle resistant 10 ft mini jack cable: http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-109766-10-Feet-Stereo-Plated/dp/B00AJHBBOI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402433658&sr=8-1&keywords=monoprice+10+ft+cable

Both can be had for a few bucks cheaper from monoprice.com I believe!