[MonoJon]

Brainwavz size pads boost treble too much.
I got these recently and they're really nice:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33057605882.html (95mm)
They're still a fairly snug fit (but I have rather large ears) and they bring up the treble just a hair. I think it's actually to a good effect, as it makes them sound a touch more open and without any sharpness that I could find thus far.
It doesn't help sound isolation, so they're still not good there, but comfort is really good now.

Thanks for the recommendation! These are oval pads, right? Will oval pads work on round earcups like the K275? I was just looking at the Brainwavz angled pads, which are oval shaped.

Edit: Wait, no - it looks like these are round, but have an oval hole, right? It looks like the thickest part of the pad is in the back, right? The loosest part of the fit for me is just behind/below the earlobe at the neck - does the thickest part of the pad hit that spot or is it more behind the ear?

 

[slapo]

Thanks for the recommendation! These are oval pads, right? Will oval pads work on round earcups like the K275? I was just looking at the Brainwavz angled pads, which are oval shaped.

Edit: Wait, no - it looks like these are round, but have an oval hole, right? It looks like the thickest part of the pad is in the back, right? The loosest part of the fit for me is just behind/below the earlobe at the neck - does the thickest part of the pad hit that spot or is it more behind the ear?

I'm happy to help.
You got it right - they're round pads with an oval hole and a bit angled, being thicker in the back.
However, since the pads are round, you can rotate them a little, so you get a bit more padding under the earlobe. It likely won't be
the thickest part there, but it might be enough.

If you want something that isolates well, the I can recommend Beyerdynamic Custom Studio or Sennheiser HD380 Pro. I have modded the Beyers a bit to bring down the treble and I'm using the Shure SRH-1540 pads on them, too, but I think they isolated better before the mod and now they're about on par with the Sennheisers.
However, I also think the K275 sound more natural then either of the other two.

You might also want to consider some of the Etymotic ER2/ER3/ER4 series and e.g. the 3m Peltor X4A on top for very good noise isolation.

 

[MonoJon]

I'm happy to help.
You got it right - they're round pads with an oval hole and a bit angled, being thicker in the back.
However, since the pads are round, you can rotate them a little, so you get a bit more padding under the earlobe. It likely won't be
the thickest part there, but it might be enough.

If you want something that isolates well, the I can recommend Beyerdynamic Custom Studio or Sennheiser HD380 Pro. I have modded the Beyers a bit to bring down the treble and I'm using the Shure SRH-1540 pads on them, too, but I think they isolated better before the mod and now they're about on par with the Sennheisers.
However, I also think the K275 sound more natural then either of the other two.

You might also want to consider some of the Etymotic ER2/ER3/ER4 series and e.g. the 3m Peltor X4A on top for very good noise isolation.

Thank you, again, @slapo for your recommendations and explanation. Am I correct in understanding that the increased distance to the driver created by the Brainwavz is what is responsible for the increased treble / lowered bass? The pads you recommended are 18mm thick in the front, which is about the same as the stock pads, so ideally would create a better seal and comfort for me without moving the driver too far from my ear. Is the sheep (or goat - it says both) leather construction or interior perforations in the leather expected to impact sound? If so, how? I know you said the treble is slightly boosted, but is that due to the chamber volume/driver distance or some other aspect of the pad's construction. Would I also need to swap the interior foam sheet from one set of pads to the other to help avoid change from the intended stock sound? I suppose that could be done. I think I can use the pads you recommend and bend the headband carefully to provide some more clamping pressure. I think I am likely to get a good result that way. I also need to find a good pad for the headband so that it rests against the top of my head more securely.

I think the problem I have with these headphones is mostly down to the fit - if I can get a tighter fit and better seal, I imagine they will sound better and isolate better. The only other one I am really interested in right now is the K553 MKII, but I understand that it is even worse for smallish heads and looks like it would be harder to mod. Also, I can't tell, but it looks like it might have wider earcups than the 95mm ones on the K275. Is this true? Anyway, I will research the other models you mentioned. I am looking for an all-rounder that will perform well for everything from classical to EDM, so a natural sound, decent detail and separation, and a good (but not over-emphasized) bass response is what I am looking for.

~ Jon

 

[slapo]

Thank you, again, @slapo for your recommendations and explanation. Am I correct in understanding that the increased distance to the driver created by the Brainwavz is what is responsible for the increased treble / lowered bass? The pads you recommended are 18mm thick in the front, which is about the same as the stock pads, so ideally would create a better seal and comfort for me without moving the driver too far from my ear. Is the sheep (or goat - it says both) leather construction or interior perforations in the leather expected to impact sound? If so, how? I know you said the treble is slightly boosted, but is that due to the chamber volume/driver distance or some other aspect of the pad's construction. Would I also need to swap the interior foam sheet from one set of pads to the other to help avoid change from the intended stock sound? I suppose that could be done. I think I can use the pads you recommend and bend the headband carefully to provide some more clamping pressure. I think I am likely to get a good result that way. I also need to find a good pad for the headband so that it rests against the top of my head more securely.

I think the problem I have with these headphones is mostly down to the fit - if I can get a tighter fit and better seal, I imagine they will sound better and isolate better. The only other one I am really interested in right now is the K553 MKII, but I understand that it is even worse for smallish heads and looks like it would be harder to mod. Also, I can't tell, but it looks like it might have wider earcups than the 95mm ones on the K275. Is this true? Anyway, I will research the other models you mentioned. I am looking for an all-rounder that will perform well for everything from classical to EDM, so a natural sound, decent detail and separation, and a good (but not over-emphasized) bass response is what I am looking for.

~ Jon

I've noticed that treble boost seems more of a function of ear opening size and material density, rather than distance from the driver. I find the latter tends to increase sounds stage a bit, but can diffuse imaging a little.
I haven't noticed imaging getting worse with these pads, though and the difference in frequency response is really pretty small for me. I don't think you'd have to add foam to quell treble here.

The K550/553 are bigger and so are the pads, but the opening of the ear pad isn't very large. I also find them brighter than the K275 even with the stock pads, but the K550 seem to have a somewhat more linear bass response.

 

[PDC3]

@Mad Max thank you. Is there a guide available for this cable construction? I'd be willing to have a go at it. I have a bunch of paracord and a basic soldering iron.

When you say "look elsewhere", do you have alternate suggestions? Could I not see an improvement with these using different ear pads and adding padding to the headband? Does the K553 MKII fit a narrow head better and isolate better?



@PDC3 , Thank you. Not wearing glasses is not an option for me, unfortunately. Do you have a suggestion for a sub-$100 set of 'phones with ovoid pads that is similar to the K275 or K553? I was also interested in the Beyer DT 770, but I think that's also a round pad. Fortunately, the cable on these is replaceable. The microphonics of the cable are so significant that I am surprised it hasn't been mentioned in this thread yet (unless I missed it). Which Brainwavz pad do you recommend? Also, are you aware of a reputable "extra thick" pad that would fit the K275? I am thinking I can maybe increase clamping pressure with something like that along with padding for the headband.

Ultimately, I think I may be expecting too much in terms of isolation since I am coming from IEMs, but it seems to me that the two-part earcup design, with the hinge built into the earcup itself may be to blame. I am wondering if the K553 with the one-piece earcup may be more satisfying in terms of isolation.

~ Jon

Jon, checked the Brainwavz packages and the leather says Round for Fostex, Sony, while the hybrid leather simply says Round. Either way, they stretch to fit over much of the back panel of the AKG, rather than in its notch that houses its own pad. Can’t offer a similarly priced ovoid alternative, the ones I know of are multiples higher. Note also that Amazon has a seller offering BFS 3 pin female mini XLR to 3.5 mm female adaptor. It is a tube that clips into the AKG jack and extends straight down. I wish it were shorter but it doesn’t hit my shoulder and so allows any 3.5 mm male to male cables to be used, opening up use of Bluetooth receiver-amp units like EarStudio ES100. Happiness.

 

[episiarch]

I'm happy to help.
You got it right - they're round pads with an oval hole and a bit angled, being thicker in the back.
However, since the pads are round, you can rotate them a little, so you get a bit more padding under the earlobe. It likely won't be
the thickest part there, but it might be enough.

If you want something that isolates well, the I can recommend Beyerdynamic Custom Studio or Sennheiser HD380 Pro. I have modded the Beyers a bit to bring down the treble and I'm using the Shure SRH-1540 pads on them, too, but I think they isolated better before the mod and now they're about on par with the Sennheisers.
However, I also think the K275 sound more natural then either of the other two.

You might also want to consider some of the Etymotic ER2/ER3/ER4 series and e.g. the 3m Peltor X4A on top for very good noise isolation.

I’ve tried a variety of Brainwavz pads on my K550s, and with most have had the same problem of treble becoming drastically too prominent.

But there’s one exception: Brainwavz angled oval pads –yes, oval – in pleather or sheepskin. (Not anything porous like velour or perforated, or you get the excessive treble again.) For me they are super comfortable, much more isolating than the stock pads, and completely compatible with glasses.

Getting the ovals onto the round earcups is a little more work than with round ones, but not that hard. Once you know you can do it, the second one’s pretty easy (well, it is with pleather; the lambskin’s somewhat more reluctant).

If you poke around on the Brainwavz site you can find the internal size of the hole on the angled ovals, and it’s significantly smaller than on the rounds or the flat ovals. I believe this is what’s making them sound better: the closed AKGs seem to prefer a smallish chamber between driver and ear, and otherwise don’t move enough air to preserve a proper bass/treble balance.

But whatever the explanation, the angled ovals in pleather or lambskin really do sound good, and they’re glasses-friendly. All the Brainwavz stuff is on seasonal specials most of this month so I encourage anyone interested to give them a try.

 

[slapo]

I’ve tried a variety of Brainwavz pads on my K550s, and with most have had the same problem of treble becoming drastically too prominent.

But there’s one exception: Brainwavz angled oval pads –yes, oval – in pleather or sheepskin. (Not anything porous like velour or perforated, or you get the excessive treble again.) For me they are super comfortable, much more isolating than the stock pads, and completely compatible with glasses.

Getting the ovals onto the round earcups is a little more work than with round ones, but not that hard. Once you know you can do it, the second one’s pretty easy (well, it is with pleather; the lambskin’s somewhat more reluctant).

If you poke around on the Brainwavz site you can find the internal size of the hole on the angled ovals, and it’s significantly smaller than on the rounds or the flat ovals. I believe this is what’s making them sound better: the closed AKGs seem to prefer a smallish chamber between driver and ear, and otherwise don’t move enough air to preserve a proper bass/treble balance.

But whatever the explanation, the angled ovals in pleather or lambskin really do sound good, and they’re glasses-friendly. All the Brainwavz stuff is on seasonal specials most of this month so I encourage anyone interested to give them a try.

I've tried it with a Brainwavz angled pads 'clone', but found that there was a slight boost for me. I ended up using an acoustic foam disc to the stock pads, bending their headband to achieve a greater clamp force and now they're good. Quite similar to the K275, in fact. Still a touch brighter, but much less than they had been before and the bass it more linear. Having said that, I still prefer the K275 for relaxing listening, but at least it looks like I'll be keeping the K550 now.

 

[MonoJon]

@slapo , @PDC3 , @episiarch , Thank you so much for your responses!

I've noticed that treble boost seems more of a function of ear opening size and material density, rather than distance from the driver. I find the latter tends to increase sounds stage a bit, but can diffuse imaging a little.
I haven't noticed imaging getting worse with these pads, though and the difference in frequency response is really pretty small for me. I don't think you'd have to add foam to quell treble here.

The K550/553 are bigger and so are the pads, but the opening of the ear pad isn't very large. I also find them brighter than the K275 even with the stock pads, but the K550 seem to have a somewhat more linear bass response.

I ordered the angled pads from the AliExpress seller you recommended. I also ordered a set of basic PU pads from them that are slightly thicker than stock and also with a slightly smaller diameter opening. I hope I will find a fit and sound I like with these.

Are you saying that the outer diameter of the 553 pads is wider than the 95 mm K275 pads? If so, then I think I am just going to stick with the K275 rather than order the K553 MKII to try out also.

How does the overall sound of the K275 compare with the K553? My understanding is that they are fairly similar, sharing the same drive, but that the K275 may be tuned to a slightly more mainstream sound with a minor bass emphasis and somewhat smoother treble, but maintaining most of the detail and soundstage that made the K553 notable. Is that your assessment as well?

Jon, checked the Brainwavz packages and the leather says Round for Fostex, Sony, while the hybrid leather simply says Round. Either way, they stretch to fit over much of the back panel of the AKG, rather than in its notch that houses its own pad. Can’t offer a similarly priced ovoid alternative, the ones I know of are multiples higher. Note also that Amazon has a seller offering BFS 3 pin female mini XLR to 3.5 mm female adaptor. It is a tube that clips into the AKG jack and extends straight down. I wish it were shorter but it doesn’t hit my shoulder and so allows any 3.5 mm male to male cables to be used, opening up use of Bluetooth receiver-amp units like EarStudio ES100. Happiness.

Thank you for this info! That mini-XLR to 3.5 mm TRS is way too expensive for what it is. I can get two generic mini-XLR to 3.5 mm TRS cables for that! The microphonics of the stock cable really are terrible, though! I have used the stock cable with my ES100, tucking the cable into my shirt to reduce microphonics (and trip hazard), and that works okay, but I would really like to have a 1", 3" and 6" cable for these cans, and I am tempted to try making them myself. One thought I had after reading your comment: I wonder if one of those Chinese soft, braided 8- or 16- core IEM cables can be modified with a Mini-XLR end easily? I mean, those cables are cheap, well regarded, and known to reduce microphonics. I'm not great with soldering, but adding a mini-XLR end doesn't look like super precise or delicate work.

I’ve tried a variety of Brainwavz pads on my K550s, and with most have had the same problem of treble becoming drastically too prominent.

But there’s one exception: Brainwavz angled oval pads –yes, oval – in pleather or sheepskin. (Not anything porous like velour or perforated, or you get the excessive treble again.) For me they are super comfortable, much more isolating than the stock pads, and completely compatible with glasses.

Getting the ovals onto the round earcups is a little more work than with round ones, but not that hard. Once you know you can do it, the second one’s pretty easy (well, it is with pleather; the lambskin’s somewhat more reluctant).

If you poke around on the Brainwavz site you can find the internal size of the hole on the angled ovals, and it’s significantly smaller than on the rounds or the flat ovals. I believe this is what’s making them sound better: the closed AKGs seem to prefer a smallish chamber between driver and ear, and otherwise don’t move enough air to preserve a proper bass/treble balance.

But whatever the explanation, the angled ovals in pleather or lambskin really do sound good, and they’re glasses-friendly. All the Brainwavz stuff is on seasonal specials most of this month so I encourage anyone interested to give them a try.

The Brainwavz stuff is quite expensive compared to the alternatives on AliExpress. I'm having trouble justifying fiddling around with a pair of angled oval pads when the Chinese options may be nearly as good. I think I will see if I am satisfied with my pads from China before I consider putting your advice into action. I will take note and remember it though! Thank you.

I've tried it with a Brainwavz angled pads 'clone', but found that there was a slight boost for me. I ended up using an coustic foam disc to the stock pads, bending their headband to achieve a grater clamp force and now they're good. Quite similar to the K275, in fact. Still a touch brighter, but much less than they had been before and the bass it more linear. Having said that, I still prefer the K275 for relaxing listening, but at least it looks like I'll be keeping the K550 now.

I think I ordered the Brainwavz pad clone you are referring to. What kind of acoustic foam did you use to mod the stock pads? Are you saying you modded the stock 275 pads or the stock 553 pads? I am confused what you are referring to when you say "quite similar to the K275", because I thought we were talking about the K275 here. Thanks!

Oh, I also ordered a zippered neoprene wrap for the headband. I believe THIS one from Amazon should fit well, and the stretchiness of the neoprene should allow me to add some extra padding inside to get a good fit. I want to hear what these sound like with a good fit and a tight, complete seal on my ears before I give up on them. I paid $89 and I am doubting I can find something better at that price.

~ Jon

 

[slapo]

@slapo , @PDC3 , @episiarch , Thank you so much for your responses!

Happy to help.

I ordered the angled pads from the AliExpress seller you recommended. I also ordered a set of basic PU pads from them that are slightly thicker than stock and also with a slightly smaller diameter opening. I hope I will find a fit and sound I like with these.

Oh, I hope you'll like them. I sure do.

Are you saying that the outer diameter of the 553 pads is wider than the 95 mm K275 pads? If so, then I think I am just going to stick with the K275 rather than order the K553 MKII to try out also.

The K550 pads are 105mm in diameter, but they're also a bit stretchy and the cups themselves are ~110mm in diameter. However, the ear opening is ~53mm, which is pretty meh.

How does the overall sound of the K275 compare with the K553? My understanding is that they are fairly similar, sharing the same drive, but that the K275 may be tuned to a slightly more mainstream sound with a minor bass emphasis and somewhat smoother treble, but maintaining most of the detail and soundstage that made the K553 notable. Is that your assessment as well?

I find the detail of both to be pretty similar, but K550 seems brighter and a touch shouty out of the box, whereas the K275 is smoother and more neutral up high and a touch mellow in the mids.
The K550 has a more linear bass, while the K275 has a mid-bass hump and more subdued sub-bass which does get overshadowed by the mid-bass in places. I don't think it really bleeds into the mids, but that extra mid-bass of the K275 makes the mids less apparent and mellower.
However, I also find that the K550 actually works better at low gain and at low volumes, where that extra brightness isn't all that bad (although still too much for me), whereas the K275 takes to high gain and slightly higher volume better and sort of open up that way. It's understandable, as it has lower sensitivity than the K550, even if not by much.

I think I ordered the Brainwavz pad clone you are referring to. What kind of acoustic foam did you use to mod the stock pads? Are you saying you modded the stock 275 pads or the stock 553 pads? I am confused what you are referring to when you say "quite similar to the K275", because I thought we were talking about the K275 here. Thanks!

I 'modded' the K550 pads. I think it was the Beyerdynamic DT770-like foam I just slipped underneath the actual cushy bits, in front of the build-in mesh. You could probably put it in between the pad and the cup, too, I just prefer it this way.

Oh, I also ordered a zippered neoprene wrap for the headband. I believe THIS one from Amazon should fit well, and the stretchiness of the neoprene should allow me to add some extra padding inside to get a good fit. I want to hear what these sound like with a good fit and a tight, complete seal on my ears before I give up on them. I paid $89 and I am doubting I can find something better at that price.

Good luck with that.
I'm not sure it's going to yield much of an improvement in the isolation department, but if it helps the fit, it's worth a try.

I managed to pick up a pair of Sennheiser HD380 Pro on eBay for ~£35 shipped, which I'd thought was a good deal. They're decent for my commute, although Etymotics are better for isolation still. And it's better still with the HD380s on top of 'em. :-D

 

[kkl10]

https://hporz.blogspot.com/2019/05/akg-k245.html

Couple of months ago, I found by chance this binaural (I assume) sound sample of the K245. The website has sound samples of many other (mostly closed) headphones.

To my ears (listening on any of my headphones), the K245 sample (linked above) sounds more natural and realistic (timbre-wise) than practically every other headphone sampled on the website. It has just a bit too strong of a bass, which I suspect can be easily corrected with a pad swap. Other than that, it sounds fairly neutral. It also seems to have the smoothest measured FR in this database.

Triangulating my findings on this database with the info scattered on the internet has tempted me to pull the trigger but... I still don't know whether or not these sound samples reflect the differences between the headphones well enough. So feel free to listen, compare to your past experience with any of those headphones and share your findings.

Keep in mind that the sample recordings are not of great quality and it's not clear how exactly they are captured/recorded...

 

[slapo]

https://hporz.blogspot.com/2019/05/akg-k245.html

Couple of months ago, I found by chance this binaural (I assume) sound sample of the K245. The website has sound samples of many other (mostly closed) headphones.

To my ears (listening on any of my headphones), the K245 sample (linked above) sounds more natural and realistic (timbre-wise) than practically every other headphone sampled on the website. It has just a bit too strong of a bass, which I suspect can be easily corrected with a pad swap. Other than that, it sounds fairly neutral. It also seems to have the smoothest measured FR in this database.

Triangulating my findings on this database with the info scattered on the internet has tempted me to pull the trigger but... I still don't know whether or not these sound samples reflect the differences between the headphones well enough. So feel free to listen, compare to your past experience with any of those headphones and share your findings.

Keep in mind that the sample recordings are not of great quality and it's not clear how exactly they are captured/recorded...

Interesting find. I am somewhat sensitive to sibilance, but I couldn't really hear any as the 5k peak would indicate. Actually, treble seemed really smooth and non-peaky to me. And there seemed to be more sub-bass than the measurement suggests there is.
But then I think I swapped pads for comfort during the try-out, so it's not quite a fair comparison.
Eh, I really need to look for a deal on them again.
It was also quite fun to swap pads on it, but with the treble being fairly flat and smooth, it was entirely too easy to boost it too much. I wish I could try the new pads I got for the K275 on the K245, though.

 

[Mad Max]

@Mad Max thank you. Is there a guide available for this cable construction? I'd be willing to have a go at it. I have a bunch of paracord and a basic soldering iron.

When you say "look elsewhere", do you have alternate suggestions? Could I not see an improvement with these using different ear pads and adding padding to the headband? Does the K553 MKII fit a narrow head better and isolate better? ...

There are guides on cables on head-fi and youtube.

The cups are vented where they move, that ruins isolation. K553 isolation is modest, I'm not sure what holds it back, certainly not the earpads.
I don't know what's popular these days. Have you tried HD280pro?

 

[Mad Max]

Jon, checked the Brainwavz packages and the leather says Round for Fostex, Sony, while the hybrid leather simply says Round. Either way, they stretch to fit over much of the back panel of the AKG, rather than in its notch that houses its own pad. Can’t offer a similarly priced ovoid alternative, the ones I know of are multiples higher...

Those round pads don't have ear openings as big as the regular oval pads, and the oval pads stretch to fit the same round headphones without issue. I prefer the ovals as they increase the amount of air that headphone drivers can control between themselves and one's ears, this often results in improvement to sound, though it can backfire bu enabling treble peaks or improving clarity on uneven treble, potentially making for a fatiguing sound either way. Very bad for K545, for instance.

 

[Nolbert0]

I'm thinking about modding my K245 to balanced...

Can't decide whether to go for the 4 pin mini xlr (like AKG K371) or 3.5mm trrs jack (like Sony 1AM2). From the pinout it appears to be possible to just stick a trs unbalanced aux cable into the Sony style but since I don't own one, I can't confirm that it works. Does anybody here own a Sony 1AM2 or the like with the same connector and can confirm this? Thanks

p.s. I also asked on the 1AM2 thread.

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

I still love my K245.
To me it sounds like the HD650 and the D2000 had a baby. Great bottomless bass with a good kick to the low lows followed by a seemingly flat line afterwards. It’s so rare that I come across warm bassy headphone that doesn’t come with recessed mids and a big surge of treble. Nahh here the mids are present and clear while the treble feels as smooth as hot butter.
The only thing with this headphone is the fit. You definitely need to break it in with your head. The pads don’t help either as they need some warm up time before they soften up fully..because fully heated through they are actually very soft and quite easily comform to the contures of my head. So yeah if the headphone feels like an odd fit from the get-go, then give it a little time. It is a brilliant little can with a tuning to die for

Edith: I posted this pic in another thread but I guess it really belongs in here. The K245 has quickly become my portable open-back. It rather digs the porch for some chilled out music listening...preferably in sunshine: