[RP2X]

Hi ive had my AT A900s now for almost 10 years,  there great cans but the end wire is loose and sometimes gotta bend/twist the end to get both sides left and right working again,  also one of the sides of the pads has worn out and I dont fancy replacing the pads since they cost about £50-60 and ive done it 3x already.
 
Any better closed headphones out there,  perhaps with ones where the pads are easy + cheap to replace,  any suggestions is appreciated thx.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,

Well what's your budget? There are a lot of better closed headphones, it's just a matter of preference and budget.

I would put you on the new A900X, denon d2000, ultrasones pro 750, and akg k550.

Very best,

 

[RP2X]

Hi I dont mind spending about the same as my audio technica A900s around £200
 
I use my headphones daily,  yeah was looking at the A900X upgrades to my owns + the pads actually look like they will last a long time,  only issue I have with those is again there not cheap and difficult to source.
 
Audio technic do not support or offer any real aftercare,  if they had they would not be charging £40-50 quid for the replacement headphones when the headphones cost £130 lol

 

[RP2X]

Im having a good read on these AKG 550 headphones,  similar priced (£176) there sounding positive from the reviews scoring 5/5 on what hifi mag and many glowing reviews,  are these any good?
 
Also they look alot more solid and better built compared to the audio technics...
 
Looking at the pad replacements seems there is none yet but there previous replacement pads were £8 quid !  so hopefully these would be just as cheap !
 
just need to hear if these AKG 550s are any good or similar to A900 range ?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Im having a good read on these AKG 550 headphones,  similar priced (£176) there sounding positive from the reviews scoring 5/5 on what hifi mag and many glowing reviews,  are these any good?
 
Also they look alot more solid and better built compared to the audio technics...
 
Looking at the pad replacements seems there is none yet but there previous replacement pads were £8 quid !  so hopefully these would be just as cheap !
 
just need to hear if these AKG 550s are any good or similar to A900 range ?

When the ATH-A900X and K550 are compared, the K550 seem to win out a little more.

 

[RP2X]

Quote:

When the ATH-A900X and K550 are compared, the K550 seem to win out a little more.

thx that is good to hear...

 

[jackwess]

Quote:

When the ATH-A900X and K550 are compared, the K550 seem to win out a little more.

 
The 550's are one of the best sounding closed hp's i ever heard. 
Even with games, the soundstage is huge. 

 

[obobskivich]

Kenwood KH-K1000.

 

[RP2X]

Quote:

 
The 550's are one of the best sounding closed hp's i ever heard. 
Even with games, the soundstage is huge. 

 
thx that is also good to hear,  am liking the sheer quality AKG have put behing these cans,  I may read up on that massive thread that got closed towards the end on the 550s.
 
Seems some folk loved it and some said they hated it.
 
Some folk were saying u gotta mod it to make it tighter and push the cups in to seal it better,  one bloke complained his ears got too hot lol
 
Seems the same sorta things with my A900s,  but after a few months they sorta get worn in and adjust to your head and ear flow,  but are there any major issues otherwise?

 

[RP2X]

thx all I think im gonna try and go for the akg 550s, am liking there style, build quality looks better then my old audio technic a900s, am hearing the soundstage is great.

I have however emailed AKG support to find out if they for one thing respond! and sell replacement ear pads and how much. Considering Audio technic didnt bother to reply back to my emails and only a japanese company charging £60 for replacement pads for a pair of hps that costed £130 is a ripp off! So am hoping AKG do support and dont abandon there customers !

I was watching a youtube video showing how well the sealed cups close the music, I tried the same test (as best I could) on my Audio technic A900s by placing my hand or card over the entire cup to seal it and there was hardly no difference the sound still leaked out quite alot.

Compared to the AKG 550s youtube clip it was night and day, it would be awesome to have better sound but guess id have to make sure the seals right somehow on my own

Either way im gonna head hunt and look for them to buy soon, already missed a paid on ebay for £130, RRP is £176, but will hunt around not unless anyone knows a better place to get them from?

 

[obobskivich]

Couldn't help you there (not in the UK; do you have Amazon?). Regarding A900 pads, a lot of users ("back in the day") were switching them to W5000/L3000/A1000/etc pads (real leather or higher quality synthetic) - AudioCubes II sells all varieties. The most expensive (leather) pads are $100 though (and the A900 is $185) - so I can see the complaint.

Not to downplay the K550 (I have not heard them), but is there a reason open-back cans aren't on your radar?

 

[RP2X]

yeah tried amazon they do it for £176 in uk, not bad but ebay/gumtree and others have them for £130-150 second hand.

Yeah audio cubes that is the place I dont like I just can not justify spending £60-100 on ear pads when the headphones cost £130, especially considering the ear pads should cost £10-20 only.

AKG replacement ear pads I saw on amazon the other day for £8.....

But does not seem anyone sells replacement pads for the 550 yet so hopefully its cheaper.

And open headphones well I watch telly/listen to music till 3am sometimes so best not to go there.

 

[obobskivich]

I don't that AKG is universally better for replacements - the 70x pads are like $50-$60/set from the last time I looked. Lot of headphone companies seem to like the "razor and blades" models when it comes to accessories.

 

[RP2X]

yup I did a general check on ebay/amazon for replacement AKG ear pads but most expensive pair could find was about £22.
 
I cannot find any on the 701/702 range even but according to the AKG forums it is available under your local dealer with a special part number,  I dont fancy checking any site called audio cubes cos again there charge rates are off the charts.
 
Anyhow since no ones really asked about AKG 550 replacement pads or get a decent answer yet
I posted a question directly to AKG forums here:
 
http://www.akg.com/forum/index.php/topic,4149.0.html
 
I have also sent them an email asking about replacement pads also....
 
Lets see how good there aftercare/support is !
 
It may just boil down to the fact I just need to make a leap of faith and buy them in the end but will see.

 

[RP2X]

This is the email I got back from AKG support:

Thank you for your e-mail.

 

Indeed, there are no ear pads available at the moment as spare parts for the AKG K550 headphones. For more information, please contact our spare parts agent in the UK (details below).

 

Fullers Electronics  

Technical Centre

Riverside View

Wickham Market IP13 0TA

(tel) 01728 746400

(fax) 01728 746900

(e-mail) harmanservice@carradiorepairs.co.uk

Best regards,



So the end result is they have not released any replacement pads for the AKG 550.  Perhaps they feel they will last for a few years yet?  either way my choices are limited and it appears the K550s are the best closed headphones going atm considering its price and performance so will go either way.  I am glad AKG support at least got back to me,  it shows there is hope for replacement ear pads yet !