[TheGiantHogweed]

I have since bought the K550 MkIII. I've had them for about a week now and left them playing music for around 50 hours before really trying them out. Not that much has changed. I think they have slightly more bass and less harsh treble which makes them a bit more balanced. But because of the issue I have with my old ones, maybe I don't remember what they used to sound like.

The Mini XLR socket on this makes it so much easier for if you use these as portable headphones. You can buy a separate 1M cable. Unfortunately, these still come with a 3m cable.

The foam inside the ear pads seems to be the same as before. But the materiel covering them seems to be a slight improvement. It feels more rubbery in a way like it will last longer. They are fractionally firmer than my others but that will probably be because they are new.

The Cable on the left is what comes with it. It is identical to what came with my K702s. The quality is a real drop compared to the original K550 cable. It may feel like rubber rather than PVC, but it is so thin for this type of headphone and feels rather flimsy. There is no metal shell on the 3.5mm jack either. Just a rubbery plastic. The strain relief feels like cheap plastic too that could end up breaking if you are not careful with it. It will be fine for people who look after them though. The cable on the right is what I bought separately. It is even thicker than the original K550 cable so not exactly light weight, but because of the length, it is far more practice and the connectors are much better quality.





Another chance to the design is that they have apparently got a newly designed headband. It looks the same, It almost feels identical. You can just hear if you press it that it sounds different. It may be that they have changed the type of foam. This may be good as on my others, it took the shape of my head and left a dent in the headband because of where most of the weight was. If this foam re-expandes, I guess that well be an improvement.

About the sound, I can listen to them on the bus without feeling that I must always add some bass. I still think I will add some with my X3 most of the time, but they are certainly easier to hear it compared to my original K550s when in a noisy environment with lot of vibrations. It seems it is the vibrations more than the noise that stop bass notes being as noticeable with my old ones. So when moving on the bus, I sometimes boosted the bass to maximum on my player. That sounds horrible at home, but fine while travelling. With these, it doesn't seem as necessary. They clamp against your head better without putting too much pressure on. Maybe that could be the reason.


I can't be sure weather they are worth £50 more than the MK2s as I was wondering about going for them instead. I think one of the main differences between these is the detachable cable. But that certainly is one of the best things about my new K550s.

Edit: This forum used to be so much easier to scale images! You used to have an easy option of small, medium or large. Now it seems you can either go for a miniature thumbnail or absolutely gigantic. I can't work out how to go somewhere between without editing my pictures.

 

[Peccz]

Hey guys!
Just came back to my K550 after listening to my new HE4XX and HD650 extensively for a couple of weeks, and immediately noticed a quite bad channel imbalance! Downmixed the channels to mono and put them on backwards and the difference switched sides as well... Is there anything that can be done? The phones are a Christmas gift from 2013, not exactly new and its starting to show...

 

[GirgleMirt]

Just adjust software balance? Is the cause likely initial driver imbalance or could this occur with time?

Ordered pretty something quite similar a while ago... Kinda sucks that it doesn't fit! I just assumed and honestly for the price 3.50$ wasn't really worried, but yeah the headband really isn't that wide... https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1-p...mfort-pad-for-Grado-SR-Sennh/32806501462.html But if it doesn't fit I might just throw it on the grados. So is there a better fitting foam for the AKG? I was relinquant to remove the existing headband cushion and replace it with another, but I'm thinking that might be the best solution. Link above has all sorts of replacement padding, if one fits...

It's a bit surprising they didn't opt for thicker padding, I'm sure it would have increased comfort.

Btw got the leather pad and it's way too small... Fit perfect on my Grados though! I had also purchased a Senn HD600 replacement (ex; https://en-us.sennheiser.com/headband-cushion-hd-600) from the same store because it was like 2$, and popped that one on the K550 and they work great! Much more comfortable than the tiny foam cushions on the 550s... Like seriously what was AKG thinking with those 3mm thick pads?

The Ali 'Senn' pads are much thicker, so the headband adjustments went from #3 to like #11, but damn, much more comfortable! So far, I've just used 2 small super cheap cable ties (ones which usually comes with electronics, tiny metal wire surrounded by black plastic), and because the pads are so thick & there's large 'crevasses' between each pad cushion, holds really well and doesn't even look too bad because the knot is on the inside hidden in the cushion crevasses. So yep! Want a good comfort upgrade, that's also a very nice and cheap option!

 

[Peccz]

Just adjust software balance? Is the cause likely initial driver imbalance or could this occur with time?

I think they might have been like this from the beginning, I've never heard it before but I haven't compared that thoroughly before either. I know I've always thought my stereo is skewed the other way, perhaps my brain has learned to compensate.

 

[491838]

Bought pair of the MK2's for $172 and they're due to arrive on Monday\Tuesday. I'm a bit nervous that they might not sound very good on my head as I have a smaller head than some people I think.

I already own a pair of K712s which are fantastic. I got them after briefly owning the K612s and found them a bit too harsh and very bass light. The K712 are much better. Almost without a flaw if you want a good headphone for music listening (in that price range; I paid $265 for it). Still kinda blown away by them sometimes. So much detail and great soundstage and the whole nine yards.

 

[episiarch]

The cable on the right is what I bought separately. It is even thicker than the original K550 cable so not exactly light weight, but because of the length, it is far more practice and the connectors are much better quality.

@TheGiantHogweed That replacement cable looks nice and supple - much nicer than the fairly stiff one I got for my K702. Do you recall the maker or seller who provides it?

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

@TheGiantHogweed That replacement cable looks nice and supple - much nicer than the fairly stiff one I got for my K702. Do you recall the maker or seller who provides it?

Strangely, this cable is made from parts from 3 different brands. But it does sell here on amazon.co.uk put together: https://www.amazon.co.uk/AKG-TA3F-V...=1518947635&sr=8-1&keywords=mini+xlr+to+3.5mm

The one from Amazon is the one I got although I certainly did consider buying the parts separately and making it myself as it is slightly cheaper and you can choose the colour of the cable. I also purchased a 3m one from Amazon for my K702s at my desk.

https://shop.cie-group.com/shop/con...b-shielded-tini-qg-mini-xlr-connector_994.php
This is the mini xlr connector. I found cheaper ones elsewhere but the cable will be too thick for them.

Then you can get the cable and 3.5mm plug from Maplin if you order them in first.
https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/rean-35mm-3-pole-blackgold-plug-a94qt


https://www.maplin.co.uk/search/?te...+pro-patch+cable+ultra+pure+silver+plated+ofc

All the cables that say this are the same as what I got from amazon: Van Damme Black Pro Classic XKE Pro-Patch Cable. For the different coloured ones, Black just gets replaced with the colour name.



So you can choose weather you want to save a bit and get any colour cable you want or buy a black one from Amazon and get a warranty with it.

 

[episiarch]

Awesome. Thanks very very much @TheGiantHogweed for the helpful and detailed reply!

 

[491838]

Tested the K550 MKII for over a day now and wow, am I impressed.

I put them on as soon as I got them and I was nervous about the bass because at first they kinda feel a bit flimsy on your head compared to the self-adjusting K712. I started playing "Burn" by Ellie Goulding and immediately noticed that these sounded flatter. There was none of that pleasant coloration of the vocals that the K712s have but there was good detail there nonetheless. I put on some other song, can't remember which, and I immediately noticed "wow, what is up with that bass". At first I thought it was too much and perhaps it is a bit bumped up in the sub bass region (which is not necessarily bad) but now having listened to them for a few hours I think they come close to the Harman response curve. The bass is amazing. They are definitely not bass light, especially if you listen to hip-hop and EDM. If you don't like the bass amount on these (provided that you get a good seal on your head) then maybe headphones aren't for you.

Mids are great, perhaps not as good as the K712 (again) but you kinda have to expect that with a closed back. Overall I would say the sound is about 80-90% as detailed as the K712. Imaging is also pretty good for a closed back, maybe a bit confused sounding but it's definitely there. The highs, however, are a bit underwhelming. They feel a little toned down but not to the point where it's really bothersome. Perhaps I'm too used to the brighter sound of the K712 in the highs, which wasn't harsh at all to my ears and the treble detail was quite sparkly. The K550 is not as sparkly but still maintains a good amount of detail.

Overall I'd say the sound signature is quite flat on the K550. They actually sound like a good full range speaker. They fill in that sub bass that the K712s couldn't do quite nicely and offer a well balanced presentation.

The other thing that I noticed is that the K712s have a bit bigger sound. I made a driver comparison photo and it seems that the K712 driver is bigger (or at least parts of it) and is more exposed. Perhaps the open nature of the headphone makes it sound bigger than the K550.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

Tested the K550 MKII for over a day now and wow, am I impressed.

I put them on as soon as I got them and I was nervous about the bass because at first they kinda feel a bit flimsy on your head compared to the self-adjusting K712. I started playing "Burn" by Ellie Goulding and immediately noticed that these sounded flatter. There was none of that pleasant coloration of the vocals that the K712s have but there was good detail there nonetheless. I put on some other song, can't remember which, and I immediately noticed "wow, what is up with that bass". At first I thought it was too much and perhaps it is a bit bumped up in the sub bass region (which is not necessarily bad) but now having listened to them for a few hours I think they come close to the Harman response curve. The bass is amazing. They are definitely not bass light, especially if you listen to hip-hop and EDM. If you don't like the bass amount on these (provided that you get a good seal on your head) then maybe headphones aren't for you.

Mids are great, perhaps not as good as the K712 (again) but you kinda have to expect that with a closed back. Overall I would say the sound is about 80-90% as detailed as the K712. Imaging is also pretty good for a closed back, maybe a bit confused sounding but it's definitely there. The highs, however, are a bit underwhelming. They feel a little toned down but not to the point where it's really bothersome. Perhaps I'm too used to the brighter sound of the K712 in the highs, which wasn't harsh at all to my ears and the treble detail was quite sparkly. The K550 is not as sparkly but still maintains a good amount of detail.

Overall I'd say the sound signature is quite flat on the K550. They actually sound like a good full range speaker. They fill in that sub bass that the K712s couldn't do quite nicely and offer a well balanced presentation.

The other thing that I noticed is that the K712s have a bit bigger sound. I made a driver comparison photo and it seems that the K712 driver is bigger (or at least parts of it) and is more exposed. Perhaps the open nature of the headphone makes it sound bigger than the K550.

I have the K550 MkIIIs. I got told in the store (Richer Sounds in the UK) that they are pretty much identical to the K550 MII other than the removable cable. When I first got them, I found the bass to be very strong, and almost a tiny bit over powering at times. But now I have had them in use for well over 100 hours, the bass seems to have reduced a bit but become much more controlled. It probably will be similar with yours once you burn them in. Sometimes, I don't believe burning in makes much difference, but it did with these. With other headphones, I have found the bass lacking to start with, then it gets better. But it seemed a little too boomy to start with with these in my view, then got better in time.

 

[491838]

A lot things you perceive (especially new things) can be attributed to personal perception that is subject to change. I noticed quite a drastic difference in the way I perceive sound between a normal state when I had the proper amount of rest and when I am somewhat tired\sleepy for instance.

Yeah, it kinda sounds boomy but what is your reference? Mine was the K712 but it has quite a bit of roll-off. I'd say the K550 is closer to a neutral reproduction of sub bass. On extremely well mastered songs the bass sounds quite balanced and nicely filled in. It doesn't really overpower the mids or anything.

The overall sound signature is kinda strange compared to the K712. It seems that the harmonic distortion on the K550 is noticeably higher. In a way it kinda reminds me of IEMs. The sound also seems a bit low resolution at times which also reminds me of IEMs, especially in the highs. Hi-hats sound a bit too metallic (perhaps the top end detail is a bit recessed) on the K550 whereas the K712 sounds a bit more sparkly (in some d&b it almost sounds like someone is sprinkling tiny diamonds in your ear).

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

A lot things you perceive (especially new things) can be attributed to personal perception that is subject to change. I noticed quite a drastic difference in the way I perceive sound between a normal state when I had the proper amount of rest and when I am somewhat tired\sleepy for instance.

Yeah, it kinda sounds boomy but what is your reference? Mine was the K712 but it has quite a bit of roll-off. I'd say the K550 is closer to a neutral reproduction of sub bass. On extremely well mastered songs the bass sounds quite balanced and nicely filled in. It doesn't really overpower the mids or anything.

The overall sound signature is kinda strange compared to the K712. It seems that the harmonic distortion on the K550 is noticeably higher. In a way it kinda reminds me of IEMs. The sound also seems a bit low resolution at times which also reminds me of IEMs, especially in the highs. Hi-hats sound a bit too metallic (perhaps the top end detail is a bit recessed) on the K550 whereas the K712 sounds a bit more sparkly (in some d&b it almost sounds like someone is sprinkling tiny diamonds in your ear).

I was comparing it to the K550 MkI. So pretty similar! It only sounded boomy compared top then to start with. And in time the bass got more controlled but still has a fair amount. But I think both have a small problem with the treble. It does sometimes sound a bit fake or too emphasized. But it is strange as my Audio Technica ATH-AD700s certainly have more but they sound much more realistic. But then they are open back. I do think that when I am listening to them at home, the K550 MkIIIs are very balanced. When I use them with my FiiO X3 on the bus, the same as with my old K550s, the bass does seem to become much more lacking because of vibrations and noise from the engine. So I boost with my DAP and they sound very good then. And for some reason, the treble doesn't bother me as much then either. At home, I find they hardly ever need more bass. Because I'm used to the AKG K702 and AT ATH-AD700 which both have less bass then my K550s.

 

[bbtang]

i got a pair of k553 cans about two weeks ago. they had aftermarket earpads that were very thick and soft. they had a really good seal..you could really feel it on your eardrum as pressure. i thought they were very bright, with very thin, tinny mids, big bass. out of balance. i hated them.. i found that when i pushed down on the drivers and compressed the plush pads over my ears the mids would come back, so i put one of the stock pads back on one side and indeed the lower mids did come back.. i could compare each side against the other side one at a time, by having a different pad on each side, and listening one ear at a time. . having the driver farther from the ear, because of the thicker pad caused the low mids to drop out. the bass level actually stayed the same but the apparent bass in comparison to the rest of the spectrum seemed much stronger with the aftermarket pads because the mids dropped out. this appeared to be a bass improvement to the person i acquired the cans from. in any case, i still don''t like these cans that much . i still think they are too bright for me and are stressful to listen to and i can't really turn the volume up . they sound clunky largely because of lack of low and high end extension. . my suggestion here is to try the pad mod after you have done one side and compare the two sides before you do the second side. you will most likely find a drop in the low mids, which is where the ifind the k553 to be weak in the first place.

 

[491838]

Try to find the original pads. Headphone modding is stupid (for people who don't understand how headphones work or don't care). They are tuned to those specific pads so they'll perform worse with aftermarket pads.

They are definitely not bright at all. I have the K712 which is brighter by a bit but still perfectly listenable. The K550/K553 have a very even sound signature. They don't really lack anything.

 

[bbtang]

i put the stock(original) pads back on almost right away. the k553 are way too bright (for me, for my taste or ear canal maybe , not anyone elses). . i just got a pair of akg M220 delivered today. from the last massdrop.
i like the M220/k240 a lot better, love them. . the instruments sound real in them ,. ive been around instruments my whole life,