Audio-Technica ATH M50 or AKG K550 or Denon AH D-600
Jul 28, 2013 at 2:15 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 21
stmrn22

stmrn22

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Hey guys, I am about to buy quality headphones for the first time. Narrowed it down to Audio-Technica ATH M50 (£130), AKG K550 (£130) or the Denon AH D-600 (£199). I have no experience of audiophile grade headphones and so am pretty naive regarding most of the technical commentary online. In short, I'm looking for a portable, enjoyable, quality listening experience via my iPhone 4. My main aim is to listen for pleasure, not to analyse or criticise the music. Bass is also important to me as I listen to a fair amount of electronica/dub-step etc. Your thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated...
 
Jul 28, 2013 at 10:22 PM Post #2 of 21
Quote:
stmrn22 said:
Hey guys, I am about to buy quality headphones for the first time. Narrowed it down to Audio-Technica ATH M50 (£130), AKG K550 (£130) or the Denon AH D-600 (£199). I have no experience of audiophile grade headphones and so am pretty naive regarding most of the technical commentary online. In short, I'm looking for a portable, enjoyable, quality listening experience via my iPhone 4. My main aim is to listen for pleasure, not to analyse or criticise the music. Bass is also important to me as I listen to a fair amount of electronica/dub-step etc. Your thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated...
Click to expand...

I would assume the ATH-M50s and AH-D600 headphone would have more bass then the K550.
But, I would think the K550 has the ATH-M50 beat in audio quality (detail) and of course bests the AH-D600 in price.
I would also guess the K550 bests the other two in sound stage (for sure bests the ATH-M50s in sound stage).
 
Jul 29, 2013 at 12:03 PM Post #3 of 21
Thanks PurpleAngel. Have you tested any of the three pairs? As I mentioned, I think I would be happy to sacrifice some of the detail provided by the K550 for the more engaging bass of the M50 or D-600. My fear is that the K550's will sound flat or weak, especially since my source is an iPhone. Does that make sense? Or am I talking nonsense!
 
Jul 29, 2013 at 3:41 PM Post #5 of 21
Looks like the best choice is to spend the extra cash for the Denon AH-D600.
 
Jul 30, 2013 at 7:33 PM Post #7 of 21
Well the d600 has a very nice sound stage, it has slightly more resolution, it way more comfortable, but it costs more.  Id recommend the kef m500 or ath ws99 instead.
 
Jul 31, 2013 at 3:52 AM Post #8 of 21
Just to chime in with my two cents -- I've owned both the AKG K550 and the Denon AH-D600. In terms of pure listening enjoyment, the Denon wins hands down. If you're going to use your iPhone and want a fun headphone that's super comfortable with tight bass and clear highs, it's hard to beat. Maybe the Sennheiser Momentum, but my preference is the D600. To me, the sound is engaging and fun.
 
The K550s are a nice headphone in their own right and have a great soundstage for a closed headphone, but you need to get a good seal around your ears if you want bass...and some say the K550s are too big. The seal wasn't much of a problem for me, but on some songs, the highs were way too piercing. For example, my favorite Nirvana song (Scentless Apprentice) was completely unlistenable on the K550s. That was the deal-breaker for me.
 
Jul 31, 2013 at 1:37 PM Post #9 of 21
You mention bass being an important part of your decision.. so that leaves the M50 and D600.. like others have mentioned the D600 are much better than the M50s.  Not only that.. they're more comfortable and look way better.
 
 
Jul 31, 2013 at 3:53 PM Post #11 of 21
Great choice! I would've made the same decision without hesitation.

I like following people's impressions after they get a recommendation.. (often times people seeking recommendations go with what they originally intended on and completely disregard any and all recc's..)
 
Follow up when you get the chance!
 
 
Aug 21, 2013 at 3:37 AM Post #12 of 21
Just to follow up on this, I'm really enjoying listening to my music with the D600's. I've bought the FiiO E11 portable amp and they seem to work well together, if a bit cumbersome to cart around outside the house. The headphones are revealing subtleties in my music that I hadn't heard before and I'm looking forward to enjoying them for a long time to come. There is plenty of bass (as you guys suggested), especially when helped along with the amp, and listening to drum and bass or dub step is like being in a club! Awesome. However, the headphones are great with acoustic artists like Ben Howard too so I think they should perform well as all-rounders going forward.
 
Thanks again for all your help and advice. Much appreciated!
 
Aug 27, 2013 at 3:51 AM Post #14 of 21
Quote:
stmrn22 said:
Just to follow up on this, I'm really enjoying listening to my music with the D600's. I've bought the FiiO E11 portable amp and they seem to work well together, if a bit cumbersome to cart around outside the house. The headphones are revealing subtleties in my music that I hadn't heard before and I'm looking forward to enjoying them for a long time to come. There is plenty of bass (as you guys suggested), especially when helped along with the amp, and listening to drum and bass or dub step is like being in a club! Awesome. However, the headphones are great with acoustic artists like Ben Howard too so I think they should perform well as all-rounders going forward.
 
Thanks again for all your help and advice. Much appreciated!
Click to expand...

 
Cheers! Enjoy!
beerchug.gif

 
Sep 18, 2013 at 2:46 PM Post #15 of 21
trunks159 said:
Nice! I dont get why some of these people dislike the d600. I mean, theyre a little overpriced but thats about it.
Click to expand...

 
Did you not realize the irony :p
 
OP >> Glad you enjoy!! Best choice you could've made!
 
(sorry for thread bumping.. haven't been on in awhile and was just looking at stuff that was auto-subbed)
 
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