[SSandDigital]

So, other than the airy sound to them, I don't think the K550 are very good.  I'm glad I got them for the price I did, cause they aren't worth more than that.
 
I stuffed the ear pads to get a better seal, so I get more bass.  I put some cotton in the cups and in the black rubber seal to try to tone down that treble spike, sorta not worked, oh well.  These will do for portable use but anytime at home... AD900x or K712 are going on my head.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

Get a home or at least a cardboard box you hobo, these aren't portable headphones!

I don't have this wind issue at all and I use the K550s as portable headphones all the time! They are great either on the train or on the bus and they simply block all the sound around you while you can enjoy great sounding music.
 
They are on the big side but I have a decent carrying case that was probably for a small laptop but as the K550s fold flat, they fit in very well and don't take up much space.

 

[SSandDigital]

  I don't have this wind issue at all and I use the K550s as portable headphones all the time! They are great either on the train or on the bus and they simply block all the sound around you while you can enjoy great sounding music.
 
They are on the big side but I have a decent carrying case that was probably for a small laptop but as the K550s fold flat, they fit in very well and don't take up much space.

 
Fixed it.  Get better seal after stuffing the pads a bit, with better seal don't hear wind anymore.  Unfortunately that treble still sucks.  Oh well. 

 

[Yazen]

  Just in case anyone missed it - they have the reconditioned ones back in stock now for $130 shipped from Harman: http://www.harmanaudio.com/search_browse/product_detail.asp?urlMaterialNumber=K550-Z&status=
 
I'm seriously considering them, but still on the fence myself I had been leaning toward the B&W P7, but it's hard to pass this up for the price.

I bought a reconditioned pair last time they were on sale, but I ended up returning them.  They didn't replace the ear pads, or do any testing for that matter :S 
Return process was not dreadful, so have to give them credit for that

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

   
Fixed it.  Get better seal after stuffing the pads a bit, with better seal don't hear wind anymore.  Unfortunately that treble still sucks.  Oh well. 

Something I did to get a better fit on my Audio Technica ATH-AD700s was get some thick cable, put it in a loop and wrap duct tape around it to keep it in a loop. Put that inside the ear cup and it really improved the fit of my AD700s! I tried it with the K550s too and it did increase the bass power and also may have sorted your issue out. I'm not sure about the treble though.
 
I think the K550s are still better as they were in the first place.

 

[Meyer Lansky]

For those of you that play your music from iTunes, anyone think that the "Classical" equalizer preset (which boosts the treble and bass) makes the k550's sound a LOT better than any other preset? I listen to a lot of classical, but I also listen to quite a bit of pop/hip-hop/r&b/electronic, and after having extensively experimented with the equalizer settings, "Classical" sounds amazing across the board (while something like, say, "Flat" sounds horrible). Can anyone else attest to this? Anyone know why this may be? I thought balanced/"reference" headphones generally didn't need to be boosted at select frequencies. Thanks in advance.

 

[Crzomgwtf]

Quote:

  Anyone know why this may be?

 
  Because ur special and u like piercing sibilant noises

 

[Meyer Lansky]

   
  Because ur special

Aw, thanks. <3 I'm loving this site already! 

 

[SDBiotek]

  For those of you that play your music from iTunes, anyone think that the "Classical" equalizer preset (which boosts the treble and bass) makes the k550's sound a LOT better than any other preset? I listen to a lot of classical, but I also listen to quite a bit of pop/hip-hop/r&b/electronic, and after having extensively experimented with the equalizer settings, "Classical" sounds amazing across the board (while something like, say, "Flat" sounds horrible). Can anyone else attest to this? Anyone know why this may be? I thought balanced/"reference" headphones generally didn't need to be boosted at select frequencies. Thanks in advance.

If you are plugging in your headphones directly into your computer, possibly your computer's headphone amp is not driving the K550s well. Many computers do not have a decent headphone output, and some soundcards can have a high output impedence, which can affect the headphone frequency response. Try listening to the same tracks on an iPod, for example, and the headphone may sound different.

 

[Crzomgwtf]

  Aw, thanks. <3 I'm loving this site already! 

 
  Just dont believe in everything people post, this site is sponsored by manufacturers. You can trust me though.

 

[cel4145]

Just got the iBasso DX50. Really digging it with the K550s. Using Rockbox firmware instead of the iBasso stock and running them a bit hot with +5db bass tone control.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

Just got the iBasso DX50. Really digging it with the K550s. Using Rockbox firmware instead of the iBasso stock and running them a bit hot with +5db bass tone control.

I used to use the iAudio X5L with Rockbox firmware and I used the E11 with my K550s then. Now my X5L has given up, I use the FiiO X3 directly to my K550s without a portable amp and they sound great.
I have the X3 on +6db when at home and at about +8db when I am on the move. The bass doesn't seem to be as noticeable when you aren't in a quiet place.

 

[tumtuter]

Hello Headfi'ers,
 
Please could someone with the knowledge/ experience tell me if upgrading from the K545 to the K550, would improve a lot on the soundstage & spatial detail.
 
The reason I ask is because the K545's soundstage sounds quite small to my ears. Primarily would be using the phones for gaming so need to have the best soundstage possible for positional cues.
 
Or is there a better closed can alternative. I've read that the K550 has the biggest soundstage for a closed back. Is this still true?. Also how much of a difference would the K550 be say compared to the K701. Would a open back headphone be necessary.
 
PS. please leave any recommendations below also. Budget ideally £100 or £250 max for any exceptional headphones which exceed in terms of soundstage & spatial detail.
 
Thank you.

 

[cel4145]

Hello Headfi'ers,

Please could someone with the knowledge/ experience tell me if upgrading from the K545 to the K550, would improve a lot on the soundstage & spatial detail.

The reason I ask is because the K545's soundstage sounds quite small to my ears. Primarily would be using the phones for gaming so need to have the best soundstage possible for positional cues.

Or is there a better closed can alternative. I've read that the K550 has the biggest soundstage for a closed back. Is this still true?. Also how much of a difference would the K550 be say compared to the K701. Would a open back headphone be necessary.

PS. please leave any recommendations below also. Budget ideally £100 or £250 max for any exceptional headphones which exceed in terms of soundstage & spatial detail.

Thank you.

Have you seen this review of the K545? It discusses soundstage in comparison to the K550 (among other things): http://www.head-fi.org/t/688329/akg-k545-review-k550-s-little-brother-isn-t-so-little

 

[theriseoftroy]

I used the "earpad stuffing" technique and it works great. Bass is a bit more present too! Which could be either good or bad depending on your taste... I also used the cable knotting technique which works great and gets a lot of attention! Thanks for a great thread!!!
 
Troy