FlyinAg
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2011
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Alright, I just auditioned the K550s and A900Xs for about an hour at a headphone shop. I am glad I ended up canceling the A900X order last week, because I will probably end up buying the K550s after the A/B session. Keep in mind I have no idea how long thee phones have been burned in or used, as they were demo units on the shelf. I also threw the Shure 840s in the mix because I own a pair, so I kind of used them as a benchmark. Here are my observations:
Build: Both sets look well built from quality materials. I had no complaints with either. The 550s do feel a little more solid just due to the fact that the A900Xs have the wing arrangement.
Comfort: The 550s and A900Xs were both more comfortable that the Shures. The 550s were the most comfortable. The A900Xs did feel like they were sliding down a bit. It wasn't a deal breaker, but was noticeable when you compared them to other phones. The 550 pads were softer, but I did not mind the A900X pads that others have disliked.
Isolation: 550s for the win again. Plain and simple, they blocked out more ambient noise than the A900Xs. Not sure about sound leakage.
Sound Stage: This one is a bit of a toss up. Both had awesome sound stages, especially compared to the SRH840s. I want to say the A900X has a slightly wider stage, and the 550 a wide, but slightly forward stage. Both were excellent though. I would go with either in this department.
Sound: Here is where things obviously get subjective. I listened to a variety of music, including Dream Theater, Periphery, Skrillex, Fair to Midland, and Tesseract. They both sounded great, but I enjoyed the 550s sound more overall. The 550s had a little more of everything across the board. The lows were more pronounced, the mids a little more forward, and highs a little crisper. Don't get me wrong, and A900Xs sounded great, but the 550s just had a little more magic to them. Both sounded way more fun and dynamic than the 840s, which sounded dull and puny by comparison. I know that is the whole point of reference phones, but I am making the comparison solely for folks who have heard the 840s and want to know what a step up to these phones is like. The A900X sounded a bit more neutral/natural. Both were detailed enough in my book.
My source is a Cowon D2. I felt like the A900Xs could use a little more juice, as I had to turn up the volume a bit more with them. Maybe if these were both amped, things would change, and maybe the A900Xs were not burned in. Who knows, but that is the way it went yesterday.
Build: Both sets look well built from quality materials. I had no complaints with either. The 550s do feel a little more solid just due to the fact that the A900Xs have the wing arrangement.
Comfort: The 550s and A900Xs were both more comfortable that the Shures. The 550s were the most comfortable. The A900Xs did feel like they were sliding down a bit. It wasn't a deal breaker, but was noticeable when you compared them to other phones. The 550 pads were softer, but I did not mind the A900X pads that others have disliked.
Isolation: 550s for the win again. Plain and simple, they blocked out more ambient noise than the A900Xs. Not sure about sound leakage.
Sound Stage: This one is a bit of a toss up. Both had awesome sound stages, especially compared to the SRH840s. I want to say the A900X has a slightly wider stage, and the 550 a wide, but slightly forward stage. Both were excellent though. I would go with either in this department.
Sound: Here is where things obviously get subjective. I listened to a variety of music, including Dream Theater, Periphery, Skrillex, Fair to Midland, and Tesseract. They both sounded great, but I enjoyed the 550s sound more overall. The 550s had a little more of everything across the board. The lows were more pronounced, the mids a little more forward, and highs a little crisper. Don't get me wrong, and A900Xs sounded great, but the 550s just had a little more magic to them. Both sounded way more fun and dynamic than the 840s, which sounded dull and puny by comparison. I know that is the whole point of reference phones, but I am making the comparison solely for folks who have heard the 840s and want to know what a step up to these phones is like. The A900X sounded a bit more neutral/natural. Both were detailed enough in my book.
My source is a Cowon D2. I felt like the A900Xs could use a little more juice, as I had to turn up the volume a bit more with them. Maybe if these were both amped, things would change, and maybe the A900Xs were not burned in. Who knows, but that is the way it went yesterday.