[pataburd]

 
Quote:

hmm except for huge soundstage I prefer the opposite kind of sound for classical- rich and euphonic.  Best classical music headphones I have ever heard, and maybe the best I have ever heard classical reproduced was with my Headphile HP3000- warm but also fast and detailed. 
 
I'm thinking acoustic and vocals is where the K501 does best.  Genres that don't require (as much) lower mids and bass.

 
The K501 indeed excel with acoustic venues and vocals.  It's their cohesiveness coupled with their expansive soundstage and midrange integrity that, for me, help generate their "magical" rendering of period/baroque/classical pieces.  
 
But I do agree that with larger scale symphonic works, like Bruckner for instance, I will often reach instead for the DT880/600, which bring timpani, bass and bassoon to better bear, albeit with compromise to the midrange.  
 
Never climbed any higher up on the Grado ladder than the SR-325i, so I cannot comment on the HP3000, let alone the Headphiled version.  Would like to hear them someday, though.
 
For acoustic jazz and raw/close-miked vocals, though, the K501 are unquestionably--even reflexively my--"go-to" headphones.      
 

 

[Don Quichotte]

Well, now my "default" headphones are the Stax SR-303, but it required precise matching  & tweaking of the (cheap!) upstream components (much of which I nailed by an unreasonable amount of luck, so it's hardly my merit) and re-building the old style earpads when the inner foam deteriorated to make them sound this good (not so good with the new type of pads for my ears). In my system, they do almost everything better and very very little worse than the K501 and are really a pleasure to listen to. In a way, they resemble a bit the K501 midrange, but it would be very hard for me to explain how.
Just a little teasing of the other K501 lovers...

EDIT: when I said cheap I meant they didn't need multi-thousand dollars upstream components to sound good, their matching SRM 313 amp is not $50 cheap, though.

 

[dogears]

I found another way to improve the bass with the stock pads - I wrapped one round masking tape around the pads and outer rim of the cups so more air is trapped hence more bass
I think I like this better than the K701 pads, the mids and highs are well preserved and do not suffer. The K701 pads' material sort of dampens the sound a bit.

 

[Justin Uthadude]

I use K601 pads on my 501's. It improves the bass without detracting from the openess. Luckily, I got a new pair on the f/s forum, since I couldn't find them for sale new.

 

[dBel84]

Here is a pair for sale . I have no relation to the seller but thought I saw someone post earlier about looking for a pair, seemed a good place to direct K501 lovers to the sale..dB
 

 

[DeadMeadow]

 
Quote:

 I use K601 pads on my 501's. It improves the bass without detracting from the openess.

 
I completely agree with Justin on this. I recommend to anyone with K501's to try the 601 pads with them, they are also much more comfortable. Here in Europe you can get them at Thomann.de:
 
http://www.thomann.de/gb/akg_k_601_ohrpolster.htm
 
I love my K501's

 

[Jacques]

 
In Canada, I could not find the original pads for my beloved K501, so I ended with the ones from the K601. The sound changes a bit but the new pads are definitely more comfortable. 

 

I do love the K501 even after all those years. 

 

[wualta]

I'm not necessarily an orthohead, but as someone who appreciates how hard it is to get good smooth coherent sound just through the mids and highs-- much less add massive bass capability on top of that-- and sell it at a reasonable price, I too say vive le K501, and I say that even though only one of my two K501s can produce any low bass at all. It really is a benchmark in its price range in spite of its QC problems.

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

 
 
The K501 indeed excel with acoustic venues and vocals.  It's their cohesiveness coupled with their expansive soundstage and midrange integrity that, for me, help generate their "magical" rendering of period/baroque/classical pieces.  
 
But I do agree that with larger scale symphonic works, like Bruckner for instance, I will often reach instead for the DT880/600, which bring timpani, bass and bassoon to better bear, albeit with compromise to the midrange.  
 
Never climbed any higher up on the Grado ladder than the SR-325i, so I cannot comment on the HP3000, let alone the Headphiled version.  Would like to hear them someday, though.
 
For acoustic jazz and raw/close-miked vocals, though, the K501 are unquestionably--even reflexively my--"go-to" headphones.      
 

Now's your chance-
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/504169/ic-ultra-rare-headphile-hp3000-in-ebony
 
Though you may find them too warm coming from the DT880 and K501.  They need a bright amp as well.
 

 

[REB]

I also completely agree. K601 pads are the way to go with the k501 unless you want more bass (at the expense of some of the wonderful mids and highs) and use k701pads on them.
Quote:

 
 
I completely agree with Justin on this. I recommend to anyone with K501's to try the 601 pads with them, they are also much more comfortable. Here in Europe you can get them at Thomann.de:
 
http://www.thomann.de/gb/akg_k_601_ohrpolster.htm
 
I love my K501's

 

[nickchen]

So 701 pads = more bass & worse remainder, and K601 pads = stock sound with better comfort?

 

[REB]

Quote:

So 701 pads = more bass & worse remainder, and K601 pads = stock sound with better comfort?

not exactly. k601 pads = stock sound plus increased bass (nothing earthshattering but noticeable) and better comfort.

 

[pataburd]

Thank you, Rhythm.
Maybe . . . someday . . . 
 
Quote:

Now's your chance-
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/504169/ic-ultra-rare-headphile-hp3000-in-ebony
 
Though you may find them too warm coming from the DT880 and K501.  They need a bright amp as well.
 

 

[Capt. Z]

Just got me a AKG 501. The previous owner said it is 'Version 1'.
 
Any idea how version one and the rest differ?

Also planning on re-cabling the phones with a copper Toxic cable.

 

[K.T.]

Yikes! Are there different version? Neurosis coming on.

Funny thing just happened to me. So I recently got both the Q701 and K612. The latter is not burned in yet with only a few hours of use. Sounding good, but still rough in the upper midrange/treble. Q701 are sounding great.

As I was researching these phones, I kept running across threads like this one which gushed about how fantastic the K501 are.

It bummed me out because some years ago I had purchased the K401, and no one was giving those any love or talking about how great they are. Now that the K501 were no longer available, it would be a crapshoot and require some diligent work to get a pair in great condition with no issues for a good price. Seems I had missed out on the great K501 by a generation. Bummer.

As I was listening to the K612 (burning them in, really), I got a wild hair and decided to pull out my K401 to see how they fared in comparison.

Wait...What?.... I didn't have the K401, I had the K501. Woo hoo! How did that slip through the cracks?

I had purchased them from Headroom in the early 2000's bundled with an Total Airhead amp for something like $135 for both. I think Headroom was just starting to clear them out, at least that was the impression I was getting.

They do have an amazing sound. Everything that's been said is true. I do, however, have a love/hate relationship with them. Sometimes the sound mind blowingly good. They are really special, for sure. But sometimes they sound too thin and bass shy. Kind of disappointing like that every now and then.

It really has to do with the amp pairing and the program material, I think. Sometimes you just want more body and bass.

But I'm glad I do have the K501 instead of the K401 like I thought. What a pleasant surprise. It put my mind at ease. At one point very recently I thought about selling them. I'm keeping them, now, no question.