[RockStar2005]

Optional read. 
 
Enjoy! 

 

[Gilles Dac]

I'd have to agree, I find that the K550 sounds much better with an amp, I'm using an E17 with mine. I've also tried other amps but the nice bass boost that the E17 has works pretty well with the K550, it helps to offset their somewhat shouty upper midrange and frankly they sound fantastic, truly awesome sound.

E11 suits 550s a lot better than E17! And it's ½ the price as well

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

E11 suits 550s a lot better than E17! And it's ½ the price as well

E11K or the original E11? My E11 suited my K550s as well as my ATH-AD700s really well but it has pretty much given up now

 
I used it extremely often for 4 years though. I think I got £34 out of it.

 

[RockStar2005]

E11 suits 550s a lot better than E17! And it's ½ the price as well

 
I can voice for this too jupitreas. I owned the E11k (now called the FiiO A3) and it was FANTASTIC amp in build, features, and sound quality! 
 
If you are playing off a premium DAP then that's good. But if not, you may instead want a good amp/DAC in the mix as the amp will only amplify the volume, not clean up the sound the way a good DAC (or DAP) would. If you need suggestions there, let me know. 

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

   
I can voice for this too jupitreas. I owned the E11k (now called the FiiO A3) and it was FANTASTIC amp in build, features, and sound quality! 
 
If you are playing off a premium DAP then that's good. But if not, you may instead want a good amp/DAC in the mix as the amp will only amplify the volume, not clean up the sound the way a good DAC (or DAP) would. If you need suggestions there, let me know. 

The thing is, we don't know if Gilles Dac was talking about what is now called the A3. I have the original FiiO E11 and have since bought the E11K or as you say, now named the A3.
 
The original E11 in my opinion suits the K550s better still than the A3 as the bass boost seemed to boost it that little bit more and in a nicer way too. The E11 does tend to mess up the sound of other headphones when the bass boost is on 2 as the bass it adds is a rather large amount. The bass boost on the new A3 may be better for most headphones. Even when listening to the 2 amps directly, I think I would say the E11 sound a little bit brighter. That may not be an advantage but I think I did prefer its sound. I also much preferred the E11s design. One thing I must admit, the A3 is built much, much better! Everything on it is really solid and well made.

 

[RockStar2005]

 
The thing is, we don't know if Gilles Dac was talking about what is now called the A3. I have the original FiiO E11 and have since bought the E11K or as you say, now named the A3.
 
The original E11 in my opinion suits the K550s better still than the A3 as the bass boost seemed to boost it that little bit more and in a nicer way too. The E11 does tend to mess up the sound of other headphones when the bass boost is on 2 as the bass it adds is a rather large amount. The bass boost on the new A3 may be better for most headphones. Even when listening to the 2 amps directly, I think I would say the E11 sound a little bit brighter. That may not be an advantage but I think I did prefer its sound. I also much preferred the E11s design. One thing I must admit, the A3 is built much, much better! Everything on it is really solid and well made.

 
I knew they were different, but I just figured they were still very close since the "k" is the only difference. lol 
 
I tell everyone who buys amps or amp/DACs that I suggest to them (including this one, and my main amp/DAC, the Oppo HA-2) to always keep Bass Boost OFF. It usually gives too much bass, unless you have headphones that are like super weak in the bass dept? But then I'd just say get better headphones. lol
 
I see. I never tried out the E11, only the E11k and before that I had the E6 for a little while, but the E11k was just better in every way, for only $30 more! I'd have to listen to the E11 to see for myself, but I have the HA-2 so I don't really have any desire to, but that's cool that you've heard both. And yes, I agree on the A3's design and build. Brushed aluminum looks really nice and love the liquor flask body. lol The E11's is nice too but I also would much prefer the E11k's over it. 

 

[Gilles Dac]

E11K or the original E11? My E11 suited my K550s as well as my ATH-AD700s really well but it has pretty much given up now

I used it extremely often for 4 years though. I think I got £34 out of it.

E11 mark I

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

   
I knew they were different, but I just figured they were still very close since the "k" is the only difference. lol 
 
I tell everyone who buys amps or amp/DACs that I suggest to them (including this one, and my main amp/DAC, the Oppo HA-2) to always keep Bass Boost OFF. It usually gives too much bass, unless you have headphones that are like super weak in the bass dept? But then I'd just say get better headphones. lol
 
I see. I never tried out the E11, only the E11k and before that I had the E6 for a little while, but the E11k was just better in every way, for only $30 more! I'd have to listen to the E11 to see for myself, but I have the HA-2 so I don't really have any desire to, but that's cool that you've heard both. And yes, I agree on the A3's design and build. Brushed aluminum looks really nice and love the liquor flask body. lol The E11's is nice too but I also would much prefer the E11k's over it. 

Many people have said that I should just get new headphones but my Audio Technica ATH-AD700s suited the E11 really well on bass boost 2. They are open back and very light in bass. I would probably have to spend well over 3 times the price that I paid for me E11 for some headphones that would sound as good as my AD700s in the other areas. The only issue is that the bass is lightweight. The detail and soundstage is really good.
 
So long as I plug the A3 or E11 into a good quality output, I don't think the bass boost sounds bad at all with the K550s bit I still prefer it on the old E11.
 
I have rather a lot of FiiO devices.
 
E5
E10
E11
E11k / A3
X3
D03K
 
All of them that have a bass boost do seem to suit my AD700 well. I was actually looking for a 2nd hand E11 for quite some weeks as I actually think I would have preferred to keep using that instead of buying the A3.

 

[RockStar2005]

 
Many people have said that I should just get new headphones but my Audio Technica ATH-AD700s suited the E11 really well on bass boost 2. They are open back and very light in bass. I would probably have to spend well over 3 times the price that I paid for me E11 for some headphones that would sound as good as my AD700s in the other areas. The only issue is that the bass is lightweight. The detail and soundstage is really good.
 
So long as I plug the A3 or E11 into a good quality output, I don't think the bass boost sounds bad at all with the K550s bit I still prefer it on the old E11.
 
I have rather a lot of FiiO devices.
 
E5
E10
E11
E11k / A3
X3
D03K
 
All of them that have a bass boost do seem to suit my AD700 well. I was actually looking for a 2nd hand E11 for quite some weeks as I actually think I would have preferred to keep using that instead of buying the A3.

 
I dunno Hogweed. I am not a fan of AT b/c I had the AT-M50X and they were the worst headphones I've ever had. But some ppl say their other models are better, so I don't know. 
 
A great open-back that sounds just like the K550 (or K550 MK II, or K553 Pro.........all 3 sound the same lol) are the Sennheiser HD 598 or 598 SE. I did a comparison review (note Comfort section) of the K553 vs. the 598 SE recently. I'd suggest getting that maybe? Some ppl on here say the 598 sounds better and more clear than even the more expensive HD 600 or even the HD 650. The price came down recently on the 598 SE too. Only $129.99 now..... a real steal if you ask me! I bought the original 598 for like $181, so it's nice to see their prices fall so more people can afford them. Unlike the K55X series, it has a detachable cable which is nice, so you can buy a nice 4' one (with NO in-line remote, which they say can introduce distortion into the sound) like I did for easier listening. 
 
I mean, if you really love bass boost, then go for it. But my experience has been it usually tends to overshadow the other frequencies. Maybe not EVERY time, but often enough for me. 
 
And wow, you've got a lot of amps/amp+DACs/DAPs!! lol 

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

   
I dunno Hogweed. I am not a fan of AT b/c I had the AT-M50X and they were the worst headphones I've ever had. But some ppl say their other models are better, so I don't know. 
 
A great open-back that sounds just like the K550 (or K550 MK II, or K553 Pro.........all 3 sound the same lol) are the Sennheiser HD 598 or 598 SE. I did a comparison review (note Comfort section) of the K553 vs. the 598 SE recently. I'd suggest getting that maybe? Some ppl on here say the 598 sounds better and more clear than even the more expensive HD 600 or even the HD 650. The price came down recently on the 598 SE too. Only $129.99 now..... a real steal if you ask me! I bought the original 598 for like $181, so it's nice to see their prices fall so more people can afford them. Unlike the K55X series, it has a detachable cable which is nice, so you can buy a nice 4' one (with NO in-line remote, which they say can introduce distortion into the sound) like I did for easier listening. 
 
I mean, if you really love bass boost, then go for it. But my experience has been it usually tends to overshadow the other frequencies. Maybe not EVERY time, but often enough for me. 
 
And wow, you've got a lot of amps/amp+DACs/DAPs!! lol 

Well my AT ATH-AD700s are nothing like the K550s. People compared the M50 with the K550s and most say the K550s are far better. My AD700s are quite clearly a step above the K550s though and mainly because they are open back. The treble even though I would say it is emphasized but it does sound a lot more realistic than on the K550. Also, the mid range is much nicer too. It doesn't sound as thin as it does on the K550s. The only weakness IMO in the AD700s is the bass. It is there but you don't hear or feel it much unless you add some. They just seem to be really picky about what amp adds the bass. If I use the bass boost on my E10, that seems to boost the Mid bass more than anything and that didn't sound great. My original E11 boosted it a little more than the E10 but at a much deeper frequency. I think the E11 might have boosted the bass right at the frequency that the headphones started to loose a lot of their volume in the bass. That may be why I found that amps bass boost suited them really well. From what I have read and asked, I think I am going to have a pretty hard time getting headphones that sound just as good ad my AD700s that just have a bit more bass without loosing something that these have. Especially for the price. They cost me £87 and were actually only just over £60 about a month before I bought them! The K550s cost me £129.
 
 
The E11s bass boost would only sound good with either of my headphones if I plugged it into a decent sounding output such as a DAC. So I have had it plugged into the line out of my E10, X3 D03k and my SMSL SD-793II. All of them were DACs and the E11 sounded pretty much the same with all of them.
I don't think I will be able to get my E11 working again but my A3 is doing a nice job. I do still prefer the bass boost and design of the old E11. Not by much though.
 
 
 
Something I find really strange is how much bass is lost when I use the K550s on the move in public transport. (yes you may think that is strange because they are huge!

)
At home, I think they sound fine most of the time listened to directly and I could hear all the bass quite easily. When on a bus for example, I can hardly hear any of the bass but that does depend on the music of course. The X3 does a great job at sorting this out though. The X3 is pretty much exactly the same DAC and amp as the original E17 so it has the same EQ built in as well as being able to play music.
The bass boost on that goes from 0 to either -10 or +10. A lot of the time, I have it all the way up at +8 and that seems to make them sound like they do when I am listening to them at home. If I listen to them at that bass boost level at home, it is actually a little unpleasant to listen to as it does boost it a rather large amount. Quite a bit more that my original E11.
I just find it interesting that The X3 solves this issue. I once tried with another pair of headphones and I didn't notice the bass level decrease at all while travelling so I feel this may be some issue with the K550s. Even though I do actually think that the seal is pretty good around my ears. There is very little sound leakage any they decrease the volume of what is around me quite a lot.
 
 
I am happy with my K550s for not but If I wanted any improvement, I would say the midrange could do with being a little warmer and the treble could do with sounding a little more realistic. To me it somehow sounds a little to artificial at times. And then there is also how much bass you lost when travelling. That makes it look like I have loads of issues but they are only minor. I think I will find it hard to get the exact sound I am after from a fairly cheap closed back pair of headphones.

 

[RockStar2005]

 
Well my AT ATH-AD700s are nothing like the K550s. People compared the M50 with the K550s and most say the K550s are far better. My AD700s are quite clearly a step above the K550s though and mainly because they are open back. The treble even though I would say it is emphasized but it does sound a lot more realistic than on the K550. Also, the mid range is much nicer too. It doesn't sound as thin as it does on the K550s. The only weakness IMO in the AD700s is the bass. It is there but you don't hear or feel it much unless you add some. They just seem to be really picky about what amp adds the bass. If I use the bass boost on my E10, that seems to boost the Mid bass more than anything and that didn't sound great. My original E11 boosted it a little more than the E10 but at a much deeper frequency. I think the E11 might have boosted the bass right at the frequency that the headphones started to loose a lot of their volume in the bass. That may be why I found that amps bass boost suited them really well. From what I have read and asked, I think I am going to have a pretty hard time getting headphones that sound just as good ad my AD700s that just have a bit more bass without loosing something that these have. Especially for the price. They cost me £87 and were actually only just over £60 about a month before I bought them! The K550s cost me £129.
 
 
The E11s bass boost would only sound good with either of my headphones if I plugged it into a decent sounding output such as a DAC. So I have had it plugged into the line out of my E10, X3 D03k and my SMSL SD-793II. All of them were DACs and the E11 sounded pretty much the same with all of them.
I don't think I will be able to get my E11 working again but my A3 is doing a nice job. I do still prefer the bass boost and design of the old E11. Not by much though.
 
 
 
Something I find really strange is how much bass is lost when I use the K550s on the move in public transport. (yes you may think that is strange because they are huge!

)
At home, I think they sound fine most of the time listened to directly and I could hear all the bass quite easily. When on a bus for example, I can hardly hear any of the bass but that does depend on the music of course. The X3 does a great job at sorting this out though. The X3 is pretty much exactly the same DAC and amp as the original E17 so it has the same EQ built in as well as being able to play music.
The bass boost on that goes from 0 to either -10 or +10. A lot of the time, I have it all the way up at +8 and that seems to make them sound like they do when I am listening to them at home. If I listen to them at that bass boost level at home, it is actually a little unpleasant to listen to as it does boost it a rather large amount. Quite a bit more that my original E11.
I just find it interesting that The X3 solves this issue. I once tried with another pair of headphones and I didn't notice the bass level decrease at all while travelling so I feel this may be some issue with the K550s. Even though I do actually think that the seal is pretty good around my ears. There is very little sound leakage any they decrease the volume of what is around me quite a lot.
 
 
I am happy with my K550s for not but If I wanted any improvement, I would say the midrange could do with being a little warmer and the treble could do with sounding a little more realistic. To me it somehow sounds a little to artificial at times. And then there is also how much bass you lost when travelling. That makes it look like I have loads of issues but they are only minor. I think I will find it hard to get the exact sound I am after from a fairly cheap closed back pair of headphones.

 
Well don't let the price fool you. I've =407991]compared my K553 (which are now replaced with the exactly-the-same sounding K550 MKII) to several more expensive headphones, and none of them could outdo the K553 in either the bass dept, the treble dept (especially with regard to "shine/sparkle" in that region), or the soundstage, or even all 3! Sometimes the more expensive option simply ISN'T the better option. 
 
Ok when you start talking about low bass, mid bass, etc sound, you lose me. lol That's why I consider myself an "Audiophile Lite" instead of an Audiophile b/c I simply don't like to get TOO much into the details. What MAY be affecting your perception of the bass on the K550 is how you're wearing them. Try adjusting them a little on the train and that may be make a difference in how much bass you here. Also, try adjusting the headband setting (I use #5 myself) make sure the earpads are on/over your ears firmly. 
 
I've heard others say the K550 doesn't offer enough bass, and those are the reasons I believe to be causing that. But if you're doing all that already, then you might as well use bass boost then. For me, keeping the bass isolated and not overbearing (unlike many other headphones I've tried) is one of the reasons WHY I hear so much detail in my music, even at the high end. Details like high-end sparkle, which "over-bassing" on other more expensive headphones drowned out (to a certain extent), are heard CLEARLY on my AKGs. 

 

[FastAndClean]

 i have headphone that is a lot better than k550 and is cheaper

 

[RockStar2005]

   i have headphone that is a lot better than k550 and is cheaper

 
Which one? 
 
It has better bass/mids/highs, clarity, and wider soundstage? Are just as comfortable and look nice (premium) too? And is under $142.99 (current lowest price of AKG K550 MKII on eBay)? 

 

[FastAndClean]

dt150 it sounds better yes, the comfort and look are not that nice, but headphones are for music, they are 96 paunds in amazon now

 

[FastAndClean]

they are not only better than k550 in every aspect in sound,  they literally crush them