[DisCHORDDubstep]

Spoiler

what had you disliked about k550? to me it was something amazing, with everything there. it is balanced as can be, detailed, and pretty transparent to the music.

to me, a more recent example would be Z7, but not totally overrated. the KEF M500 is pretty bad, before that was he560, and before that was my k701.

yes. this is how they should sound.

amuzingly, this sound was extremly correct compared to the source!

But, yes, this is about how they sound. you experience was normal. but bass was really not lacking. you should had returned if you were not able to get decent isolation. bass was good, tight just how it should have been.

this is about them, k550 sound boring, exactly flat. i never buyed them because my dj one pro have more treble, more soundstage, more bass, more fun, but for being linear and flat and neutral, not necessarly natural k550 is the best mid fi headphone.

Yeah. that's fair enough. Perhaps "overrated" is the wrong term, just "disspointing" on a personal level. Although SQ aside, I think the design deserves criticism even for mid-fi. 

The AKG house sound is just something quite different than what the majority of people like. Its a somewhat boring mid and treble forward sound with a big soundstage and stunning mids. Again, not many people really appreciate this signature, but those who do are usually big fans of AKG. Myself included. A lot will take a sennheiser HD558 before the technically much better K702, but sound is subjective and people tend to like a warmer signature.

 

[Dobrescu George]

 

Spoiler

 

The AKG house sound is just something quite different than what the majority of people like. Its a somewhat boring mid and treble forward sound with a big soundstage and stunning mids. Again, not many people really appreciate this signature, but those who do are usually big fans of AKG. Myself included. A lot will take a sennheiser HD558 before the technically much better K702, but sound is subjective and people tend to like a warmer signature.

interesting ideea!
 
but with me it works the opposite. i like colder signatures, like ultrasone. akg in general did not had enough treble, i like my ultrasones dj one pro's proeminent treble more. similarly to ie800 treble, i like it to be more than enough. k550 had a treble that managed to be there, but not sibilant, and not too much. i pretty much love what for others is too much treble!
 
i would not ever, ever take hd5XX series instead hf a k550. not even hd600... maybe a hd650, but i am not that sure, it is open, but akg manages to get a better soundstage, in my experience, while being closed.
 
it is interesting how others hear!

 

[Shaffer]

Beyer DT250/ 250 Ohm - the only headphone I ever returned. It sounded congested, and lacked resolution.

As for the K550, admittedly, I didn't love them at first. The improved over time and after the addition of a couple of light mods, but it was a LDIII with upgraded tubes that truly brought the K550 to life. I'm actually listening to the combo as I write.

 

[dahoo]

I am surprised that you found DT250/250 lack of resolution. As far I my music taste goes, DT250 serves the purpose well. I listen to rock, indie, electrica, jazz, folk...
 
Besides, it is too little known to be overrated.

 

[Shaffer]

I am surprised that you found DT250/250 lack of resolution. As far I my music taste goes, DT250 serves the purpose well. I listen to rock, indie, electrica, jazz, folk...

Besides, it is too little known to be overrated.

Well, there's a whole thread dedicated to the DT250 and someone actually took the time to write a rebuttal to my comment.

 

[god-bluff]

Don't think any beyer is overated. I don't think some of them get nearly enough coverage.

 

[blse59]

I know I'm going to get crap for this but I'm sort of tired of hearing about the ATH-M50's.

 

[god-bluff]

Agree with that one. I'm sure they're good but why are they always singled out and recommended ?

 

[OddE]

  I know I'm going to get crap for this but I'm sort of tired of hearing about the ATH-M50's.

 

Agree with that one. I'm sure they're good but why are they always singled out and recommended ?

 
-In all fairness, though, they DO provide excellent bang/buck, are easy to find, rugged and can be driven by just about anything. There's an awful lot to like about them - though I do not own a pair myself anymore.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

I don't see anything to dislike about the M50 either. They're closed, don't break the bank and sound quite good for the price - especially for someone who cannot afford/use open headphones. Comparing to other similar cans like Sennheiser Momentum/Urbanite I'd recommend the M50 in a heartbeat.
 
Also I hate the "cold" sound of the Sony V6 line.

 

[Dobrescu George]

so... what is there to like about the ath m50 sound? specially if you compare them to something like sennheiser urbanite xl?

 

[god-bluff]

A lot is made of the m50's value but there are wealth of professional phones available for the same sort of money:HD25, DT150 (I have both), the DT250, German Maestro GMP8.35,Yamaha MT220, HD380 to name a few.
This category of headphones certainly offer best sound for the money.

 

[Majestyk]

  For me, one of the most overrated headphones I have owned is the Sennheiser HD 555 that I had about 5 or 6 years ago. The sound was just so veiled. To me, it sounded like I was listening to music that was behind a thick pair of curtains...

 
That's exactly what the 598's sounded like to me, when I tried them awhile back.

 

[JulienS]

I think the entry Grados (up to 225i) are some of the most overrated. I just don't understand how such hysterical headphones can even be considered audiophile. I guess they fit if you're some extreme metal freak, otherwise...Not to mention the really cheap look and feel.

 

[OddE]

  so... what is there to like about the ath m50 sound? specially if you compare them to something like sennheiser urbanite xl?

 
-I have never tried the Urbanite XL, but the M50s are just... Right, more or less. If my memory serves me well, they had a slight bass boost (Nowhere near enough for bass-heads to approve - which makes it just right for me!), with mids and highs which were pleasant and didn't really draw attention to themselves in any way - just a great all-round headphone.
 
Undoubtedly there are lots of others which would fit the bill just as nicely - but I wouldn't know about those, I have only tried a very few sets of headphones for long enough to have an informed opinion of them.