[TechoGeek]

  As of late i've been driving my K550's with a vallhala/bifrost schiit stack. Yep....complete overkill. But for some reason it just sounds so much more full and not as bright. They still have the signature sound from before (with a normal E11/7/17) but it just seems to be more refined and smooth. Then again, the stack is completely out of its league. I guess this is what happens when i get curious.  

I recently had a e12 I purchased with the k550 but returned it because of volume issues and did not like how it changed the signature sound. The E11 I have does not really work all the time but I liked what I could hear. I was thinking about getting a new E11 or E7k so I could use it with my computer sometimes. Did the two sound vastly different, or were they on par with each other?

 

[nfslmao]

  I recently had a e12 I purchased with the k550 but returned it because of volume issues and did not like how it changed the signature sound. The E11 I have does not really work all the time but I liked what I could hear. I was thinking about getting a new E11 or E7k so I could use it with my computer sometimes. Did the two sound vastly different, or were they on par with each other?

It depends if you are looking for a DAC. If you are then the E7K over the E11. 
 
To answer your question, they do have a slight difference in sound. The E11 is more of a direct amplification. Generally makes the K550's better all round. Doesn't make it warm or boring just amps it and refines it. It also controls the "hot" high region so it doesn't get painful. The E7K however is a little smoother around the bass region. It just seems to add some "fun" into the headphones without coloring them. However i will say that the bass boost on the E11 is superior because it increases a lower frequency than the the E7K. It also sounds like a more natural bass boost whereas the E7K seems fake. 
 
Overall i prefer the E11 more because i just like the sweet sound sig of the K550's and i don't want to change it. I just want to refine it. Anyway this is just my opinion. You may hear it differently
 
Anyway, cheers

 

[TechoGeek]

Thanks, that helps a lot. I could not find any reviews of the amps paired with the k550 and really do not want to change the natural sound of the headphones unless I choose to use the EQ on my J3.

Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk

 

[marmoro]

It's been a month with my new AKG 551 through Fiio E17 (Treble 2, Bass 10, Gain 12)
 
I'm not gonna lie. Last week, suddenly the soundstage got expanded by like 100%. Back then there was almost no soundstage at all but now just suddenly it came out. Just what the hell??? Did it finally pass burn-in period?
 
If I were to compare it to my previous headphones HD598:
 
Better bass
Better vocals
Soundstage almost as good as HD598
Sound Isolation
Almost no sound leakage
Sexiest headphone I have ever seen

 

[tim3320070]

  It's been a month with my new AKG 551 through Fiio E17 (Treble 2, Bass 10, Gain 12)
 
I'm not gonna lie. Last week, suddenly the soundstage got expanded by like 100%. Back then there was almost no soundstage at all but now just suddenly it came out. Just what the hell??? Did it finally pass burn-in period?
 

Your ear canals probably opened up- I think most people hear differences in equipment due to day to day changes in there hearing rather than the equipment.
I noticed music seems to sound fuller more open after I have had a couple of drinks- I think due to relaxing of muscles in the face. Or visa versa, when allergies kick in, things sound compressed.
 
But the K550 is a nice headphone.

 

[AsianBatman]

  Your ear canals probably opened up- I think most people hear differences in equipment due to day to day changes in there hearing rather than the equipment.
I noticed music seems to sound fuller more open after I have had a couple of drinks- I think due to relaxing of muscles in the face. Or visa versa, when allergies kick in, things sound compressed.
 
But the K550 is a nice headphone.

+1

 

[money4me247]

  Your ear canals probably opened up- I think most people hear differences in equipment due to day to day changes in there hearing rather than the equipment.
I noticed music seems to sound fuller more open after I have had a couple of drinks- I think due to relaxing of muscles in the face. Or visa versa, when allergies kick in, things sound compressed.
 
But the K550 is a nice headphone.

you can have build-up of fluid in your sinuses and it can build up behind your tympanic membranes, so perhaps that influences the sound.
 
for alcohol, alcohol impairs your cognitive function and is known to cause auditory and visual hallucinations, so it is probably the effects on the GABA receptors rather than your facial muscles.
 
#medstudent bull$hit =P

 

[Pedro Oliveira]

DAMN!!!!!!!!! Now i am definitly giving the k550's a try! A store in my country (Portugal) named Worten is selling the k550 for 85 euros!!!!!! Its insane......!!!!!!!
 
Can anyone please tell me how they compare against the sony mdr 1r? I am about to sell the 1r because my ears touch the drivers a bit and the creaking drives me a bit crazy.....
Also i dont like the stock sound on the 1r's very much.... with a rock or eletronic eq on my ipod touch they sound much better but still nowhere near something like the over ear momentums....
( I had the over ear momentums, loved them to the point of getting them 3 times but in the end the fit/seal didn't cut it for me..... ;(  
Now i got a pair of 1r's as a replacemet but without equing i think they sound too muffled and muddy....)
 
Right now i have a pair of cal!'s, 1r's and hd25's...... i listen to pretty much indie, pop, rock, and edm....
 
Wich is bassier? The 1r or the the k550? 
Wich sounds better, more refined, clearer and with beter resolution?
Are the k550's up to the quality of my beloved ex-momentums?
 
Cheers....

 

[elvergun]

   
 
Wich is bassier? The 1r or the the k550?  The Sony has more mid-bass...the K550 has more sub-bass
Wich sounds better, more refined, clearer and with beter resolution?  The K550 is more refined
Are the k550's up to the quality of my beloved ex-momentums?  Sound quality or build quality?  Either way,  I think the K550 is better than the Momentum in SQ  (YMMV) and they are both very well made headphones.
 
Cheers....

 

[Pedro Oliveira]

 

Thank you very much elvergun.
Yes, when compared to the momentums i meant in terms of sound quality. i really loved the resolution of the momentums and i wanted something like that ot better (despite a slight difference in the sound signature).
 
But they are good all rounders right? At least better for edm than the hd598 and comparable to the 1r's (in terms of fun factor i mean.... i know that they will not be as fun as the momentums of course.....)?

 

[money4me247]

  Thank you very much elvergun.
Yes, when compared to the momentums i meant in terms of sound quality. i really loved the resolution of the momentums and i wanted something like that ot better (despite a slight difference in the sound signature).
 
But they are good all rounders right? At least better for edm than the hd598 and comparable to the 1r's (in terms of fun factor i mean.... i know that they will not be as fun as the momentums of course.....)?

mmm the akg k550 has a different sound signature. not really "fun" or "colored", but more analytical, treble-focused, and detailed. they have great resolution, but I am not sure how suitable they are for edm as I usually like a bass boost for edm. The K550 is more neutral or even treble-focused. However, they are very enjoyable to listen to. The trem "fun-sounding" I do not think is usually associated with these headphones as it implies a lot of coloration. When I think "fun" headphones, I think something like the V-Moda M100 with it's v-shaped sound signature (bass boost) or the MDR-1R with its mid-bass boost and unique lush mid-centric coloration.
 
note, the AKG K550 are not super portable with a really long 3m nondetachable cable. the k551 is the replica version with a removable cable, and the akg k545 is the smaller designed to be more portable version.

 

[Tony6225]

mmm the akg k550 has a different sound signature. not really "fun" or "colored", but more analytical, treble-focused, and detailed. they have great resolution, but I am not sure how suitable they are for edm as I usually like a bass boost for edm. The K550 is more neutral or even treble-focused. However, they are very enjoyable to listen to. The trem "fun-sounding" I do not think is usually associated with these headphones as it implies a lot of coloration. When I think "fun" headphones, I think something like the V-Moda M100 with it's v-shaped sound signature (bass boost) or the MDR-1R with its mid-bass boost and unique lush mid-centric coloration.

note, the AKG K550 are not super portable with a really long 3m nondetachable cable. the k551 is the replica version with a removable cable, and the akg k545 is the smaller designed to be more portable version.

I've been using K550's for the past year and edm is all I listen to. Yeah,I agree they're a little thin sounding in the bass frequencies but the way they scale with a small amount of eq and processing is better than any other hp I've tried.

A few weeks ago I bought a pair of Denon D600's which are well known for being bass canons. I put about 30 hours on them and switched back to the K550 to compare. I use the DSP iir filter bass booster in foobar2000 set to 175hz and +3 bass frequency boost on the eq. The K550 had every bit as much bass quantity as I was able to get out of the d600, but it extends lower and and sounds so much better throughout the entire sound spectrum. Its a better headphone from top to bottom, so I returned the denons. Just saying... the k550s are capable of much better bass than this forum seems to give them credit for, but then again, a lot of people here have some kind of aversion to equalization as well.

 

[elvergun]

a lot of people here have some kind of aversion to equalization as well.

 
Equalization causes baldness....just saying.

 

[Shaffer]

I don't even know how to incorporate an EQ into my system, without adding an external box. Or, why would I want to.

 

[mfcam]

Bass on the k550 is just deep, like reaaaallly deep. The punchy impact providing fun while listening to badly recorded songs however is missing.