[randy98mtu]

Maybe I have missed mention of them here, but where do the AKG K545 and Focal Spirit Pro fit in this mix? I love my P7 but end up leaving them at work a lot. I would like another set that perhaps has a slightly different strength to play at home. I need a closed can still as I can't usually get time alone. I'm thinking perhaps something with more bass or brighter treble. I'm tempted to pick up some K545s that a local Best Buy has in stock. It seems from my reading they should be slightly brighter but I'm not sure what else to expect. I can also get the FSP from Best Buy so I was curious about those. All I am reading on those is neutral. That has my interest too.

 

[bixby]

Maybe I have missed mention of them here, but where do the AKG K545 and Focal Spirit Pro fit in this mix? I love my P7 but end up leaving them at work a lot. I would like another set that perhaps has a slightly different strength to play at home. I need a closed can still as I can't usually get time alone. I'm thinking perhaps something with more bass or brighter treble. I'm tempted to pick up some K545s that a local Best Buy has in stock. It seems from my reading they should be slightly brighter but I'm not sure what else to expect. I can also get the FSP from Best Buy so I was curious about those. All I am reading on those is neutral. That has my interest too.

fwiw  I feel the Spirit Pro to sound better overall than  the Momentum, PSB, NAD, DT 1350, Aviators, UE 9000, V Moda 100, MDR 1, and right up there with Sony 7520.  Have not heard KEF, B&W P7, or Beats.  The Spirit Pro does have a rather small opening vs my ear size so fit is not the best for big ears.

 

[randy98mtu]

fwiw  I feel the Spirit Pro to sound better overall than  the Momentum, PSB, NAD, DT 1350, Aviators, UE 9000, V Moda 100, MDR 1, and right up there with Sony 7520.  Have not heard KEF, B&W P7, or Beats.  The Spirit Pro does have a rather small opening vs my ear size so fit is not the best for big ears.

Is the opening larger than the momentum? The momentum is right on the edge of fitting my ears. Literally I think they fit one time when I tried them out and they didn't the time before and the time after. Maybe I had them pitched slightly or something but that is too close for me. The P7 is not much bigger but fits fine.

 

[bixby]

with both the top of my right ear has to be folded to fit into the opening. I think the Pro is just slightly larger umm when I measured it was about 45 millimeters vs 65 millimeters for my ear.

 

[Trunks159]

Ask in the k545 thread. I hear its more of a flatter sound.

 

[GREQ]

I was super impressed with the AKG K545, but like the K550 I would wait until the price drops.
It sounds very similar to the K550 (neutrality and nice airy sound) but with a smaller sound stage. So if portability is worth money to you, it's not a terrible deal... but if you're in no rush, wait for the price to drop.

 

[Trunks159]

I think $250 is pretty good.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

  I was super impressed with the AKG K545, but like the K550 I would wait until the price drops.
It sounds very similar to the K550 (neutrality and nice airy sound) but with a smaller sound stage. So if portability is worth money to you, it's not a terrible deal... but if you're in no rush, wait for the price to drop.

Hope you are wrong, if not this is hardly a good thing? 
 

  I think $250 is pretty good.

$200 from RazorDog

 

[GREQ]

 

  I was super impressed with the AKG K545, but like the K550 I would wait until the price drops.
It sounds very similar to the K550 (neutrality and nice airy sound) but with a smaller sound stage. So if portability is worth money to you, it's not a terrible deal... but if you're in no rush, wait for the price to drop.

Hope you are wrong, if not this is hardly a good thing? 

Subjectively yes. If you're looking for a more coloured sound with less air. 
Although it doesn't offer much more sonically than a MDR-1R, so I don't understand the identical starting price (as the K550). 
There are still plenty of K550 lovers who want the same sound in a smaller package. 
 
Personally I think they're all too 'stale' sounding, and certainly not worth near their asking price - but they do share a "sibling sound".

 

[dweaver]

I have been asked to post my thoughts on the K545 here. Having read through some posts on the K545 I would suggest they have the general AKG house sound but are a step in a different direction from the K550 as they have more bass and not as strong an upper midrange/lower treble. The sound stage is slightly smaller but I still very impressive.

If someone loves the K550 stick with them, but if you have have concerns in the areas mentioned the K545 is a better alternative. The K545 has less fit issues as well and is a more portable headphone.

In regards to the headphones listed in the thread here I have posted several comments on most of them.

Here is my main review: http://www.head-fi.org/products/akg-k545-portable-over-ear-headphone

Here are some comments on some others: http://www.head-fi.org/t/670709/akg-new-headphone-k545/405#post_10040713

http://www.head-fi.org/t/670709/akg-new-headphone-k545/390#post_10031488

http://www.head-fi.org/t/670709/akg-new-headphone-k545/390#post_10031488

Take a look in the thread as I have comments on the B&O and B&W as well.

 

[BillsonChang007]

The Momentum on-ear deserve to be in this guide as well IMO! Here's by short impression though:

The build quality itself is very impressive. The luxury touch you get! <3 but the cable is slightly on the thin side. As for sound, I find them pretty clear with quite a lot of emphasis on bass although not more than Philips X1. It's bass somewhat reminds me of the UE4000; well controlled and tight. Mids on the Momentum On-Ear is very warm. It's too warm for some of the tracks that it produce slight muddy sound to it. I can also hear that at some point of the mids, it's slightly recessed making some of the instruments to fall behind the music and I think it's the only one out of two weak point of this headphone. The other downside which I could think of would be the soundstage, I feel like I am in a rather small room with the artist and all the instruments playing right in front of me. It may not be the most detailed headphone at it's price range but I do find it decently detailed. When I read some others' impressions, I though the resolution will be a lottttttt more worse than the original Momentum but I find it great for it's price! Lastly, as usual; like all Sennheiser's headphones, the highs is on the dark side.

All in all, I love how it sound for the price except for the soundstage and recessed mids (somewhere mids, can't tell which part is it ) . I also find this headphone to be great for those whose looking for a lil bit of more bass presence in a portable package. Best genre for this headphone would be Hip hop, rap, pop, EDM.

The rig I use for this review / comparison (below: based on memory)
iPhone 4 -> LOD -> FiiO E07K

vs AKG K550
I am not sure of it's obvious but I love this AKG K550 to death except for the rather thin sound to my ears. The K550 wins in soundstage, detail, imaging and instrumental separation, more neutral and it's brighter. The momentum on-ear on the other hand sound much more bassy, warmer, darker. In short, they are both completely different animal, everything you found on K550, will not be found on Momentum on-ear and vice versa.

vs UE6000
In terms of sound signature, I find both share the very similar thing! While UE6000 will have better details, soundstage and instrumental separation, the Momentum On-Ear have much better resolution to my ears. The UE6000 have almost no upper mids, making vocals sound rather artificial which I don't find it on Momentum On-ear. For comfort and ANC, I will stick with UE6000 as for sound quality and more color choice, I would prefer/recommend you to stick with Momentum.

On the side note, I prefer this better than the X1... I am not impressed by X1 except for their big bass, yet airy sound and very comfortable. Other than that, I am not a fan of it's recessed mids, to my ears, it's even more than the Momentum on-ear. The bass tend to "melt" into other frequency (or is it the stock cable issue?). I also tested Beats Exclusive, but it's driver have bitten the dust. ANC is pretty impressive though but the comfort... *deep breathe*

IMO
Billson

 

[Trunks159]

Recessed mids for some reason has a bad connotation on head-fi.

On a side note, the competition at $200 is pretty tough. That's 1r, ue6000, ws99, k550 territory.

 

[randy98mtu]

I tried the k545. They were the closest I've come to the P7. Brighter and more detailed id say. The P7 seems a bit warmer to me and is just more pleasing overall. The quality feels pretty good but fit and comfort were not there with the 545. I felt the cans moving on my head slightly when I looked around. In the end they are going back and I'm finally going to take the plunge and try the Sennheiser HD650. I have been fighting temptation for weeks and just have to know what they are like. I know they are not in the same class as this thread though. Different beast all together. I can't wait to hear them!

 

[cocolinho]

I wonder how the Soundmagic HP100 would compare to M500 and P7

no one? 

 

[zorin]

Recessed mids for some reason has a bad connotation on head-fi.

On a side note, the competition at $200 is pretty tough. That's 1r, ue6000, ws99, k550 territory.

Getting shortchanged by the sound presentation of headphones with the recessed mids is a big and genuine reason to classify this kind of headphones as not good enough. Which pizza would you choose, the one with solid amount of cheese and toppings or the one on which the cheating baker put less cheese than is needed ? Would you have said, -  "Hey, this pizza is great, there is not enough cheese on it [not enough volume on middle frequencies] and so it does not taste as good as it should, but the guy put on it an extra amount of pepperoni [bass] to fool me so I am very happy with what I am eating ?"